How do I know how much I am saving using small appliances as compared to the oven? How much does it cost to run the appliances in our household? Are we really saving money if we used them less frequently?

Many of us are concerned about budgets and frugal living and we wonder about these types of questions. At the end of the day, our goal is to save some money to make our lifestyle more worthwhile and to have a good order of our financial management.

We have plenty of choices available for cooking. It is very easy to find a kitchen equipped with a convection oven, microwave and a regular oven. The question is which one we should be using if we would like to save energy and money.

To get to the bottom of it, we have to explore some basics or elementary foundation how electric consumption works in the kitchen. How do our appliances consume energy? Basically, they use up energy in one simple way by producing heat.

When you're cooking in the kitchen you are automatically producing heat. This is the most common usage of electricity in the kitchen. To compare cooking appliances, look at the amount of electricity power (or wattage rating) required to operate an electrical device. You are able to find the wattage label on the appliance where it tells you the model number. However, if you have difficulty in finding the label you can look at the user manual. Please take note that the amount of electricity written on the label is the maximum amount that the appliance will be able to use.

For example, a slow cooker can be between 200 to 400 watts (W) while a majority of microwave ovens can range from 500 to 1200 W. Toaster ovens are in the same range as microwave ovens. The device that require the most electricity is the conventional oven that typically use 3000 W or more. In addition, a convection oven can use approximately 50 percent less power as compared to your standard ovens.

You can see that the standard oven needs up to three times as opposed to the microwave. You will also need to consider the period of time the oven is operating. Microwave cooking can take less time than the conventional oven of course this depends on what you're preparing.

Let's go back to our conventional oven vs. microwave example. If we assume that food is cooked in an hour's time in the standard oven compared with 15 minutes in the microwave, you can clearly see that the amount of electricity used to power the microwave is lesser. Therefore, in this case having a microwave is the better option.

In reality most of us use the oven four to five times a week let's say for an average of two hours at a time. In a month that can take up quite a lot of hours. To decide which type of oven to use you will have to ask yourself if it is able to meet your time and cooking needs, not at the amount of money it can save.

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Frigidaire Gallery : GLMV169HB Microwave Best Buy

The Frigidaire Gallery Over the range microwave features: eleven variable power levels, memory cook recalls cooking instructions, one touch cooking, programmable for 4 cooking stages, six defrost options, super defrost up to 50 percent faster, thirteen sensor settings, and turntable on/off setting. Addition features include: 2-speed exhaust fan removes smoke and steam, audible signal elimination, auto start, child lock, demo mode, easy to read 7-digit, 2-color lighted display includes word prompt, removable cooking rack, 3 convenient venting options. Dimensions (in inches): 29 15/16 W x 16 3/8 H x 16 15/16 D. Color: Black

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Several years ago I moved into a new home located in a rural area that was not supplied by the nearest municipal water system. My source of fresh water was a drilled well. The water is of very good quality but is very hard water. I really did not fully understand the term "hard water" for several years but I have finally come to grips with issues related to hard water.

I have been using a water conditioning system produced by Culligan since I moved into my home. I thought it was a water softener. Everyone called it a water softener and that is what I called it. I got a little discouraged with the system performance and began considering a change. The Culligan system required the addition of peroxide to operate correctly and I was using nearly 10 gallons per month. My water was still showing some iron and system pressure was falling considerably.

I began researching water softeners. To my surprise I was not operating a water softener. It was merely a deluxe "water filter". The water was passing through a media bed that filtered the water but it did not soften it. I realized at that point that two completely distinct processes were involved in proper water conditioning.

For optimum water quality the water should be filtered and then it should be "softened". I found that the softening process removed dissolved minerals that a filter allowed to pass through. That accounted for the mineral build-up on my appliances such as electric tea kettle and porcelain fixtures etc. Even system iron is present in different forms. Some iron is actually dissolved in the water and passes through a filter. It will however solidify when it is not circulating. It contributes a very large build-up inside hot water heaters.

I decided on a simple but high quality cartridge filter and a water softener that required salt pellets for constant optimum softening. The salt used by the softener does not actually enter your water supply. I found that it's only purpose was to flush out a special media bed that has special physical qualities that attract the minerals like a magnet. Many people are under the misguided belief that salt goes into your useable water - not so.

The media bed requires flushing at regular intervals to continue working at peak performance. The system will shut down at predetermined times and close itself off from your water supply. It then takes the salted water into the media bed. This will cause the accumulated minerals to release from the media. It is all flushed into your waste water system by a separate plumbing connection. Once this cleaning cycle completes, the system re-opens and sends fresh, conditioned water to your water supply again.

This is the point where I discovered "soft water". I was amazed. After I installed my new filter and conditioner it took about 2 days to fully displace all previous water from the water heater and storage system. Now when I take a bath the difference is absolutely amazing. After several years of "hard water", the water now truly felt soft and slippery. This is soft water. Soap lathers so much better and laundry detergent can be reduced considerably yet with better results.

This was my education regarding water softening and water filtering. There is considerable difference between the two processes. I hope this will help someone still lucky enough to be using fresh underground water.

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Have you heard of diamond electric knife sharpeners? This kind of sharpener is one of the breakthroughs of modern sharpening technology. You get the best result of sharpening your knives when you use diamond sharpeners. Using this kind of machine, will give you a fine edge on your knives.

There are some machines that are coated with diamonds so that when you sharpen your knives, it gives a perfect result. Most of branded diamond electric knife sharpeners have longer warranties compared to cheaper no name models.

Some even give a lifetime warranty for their diamond knife sharpeners. Most branded machines are made with high quality material and are thus durable.

Here are some of the great brands and their models of diamond electric knife sharpeners to choose from:

Wusthof Precision Edge

Chef's Choice M130 Professional Sharpening Station

Chef's Choice 320

Chef's Choice Edge 120These are some of the diamond electric knife sharpeners out there. There are of course others but these remain the most popular. But be aware that these models generally sell for at least $120.

Using diamond electric knife sharpeners keeps your knives in perfect condition and with high performance. Do clean or wash your sharpener after using it to discard or wash away the small metal particles and oils in order to keep your machine in good condition. This will always give you the best performance when it sharpens your knives.

Most chefs prefer their knives to be in the best performance when cutting food. It is very important that knives should be at its best edge of cutting so food can be cooked easily and no hassle on exerting effort sharpening your knives with stone sharpener or steel sharpeners.

What is good in diamond electric sharpeners is, it is easy to use and it takes only seconds to sharpen your knives without exerting effort or sweat. Most chefs look for new technology on how to sharpen knives in seconds to save time and energy also.

When you want to buy diamond electric sharpeners, always go around and shop to compare the price and brand of each make and model to make sure you are getting the best price. Each company has its own price, depending on the material they use to keep their machines durable and long lasting.

Although, the price of diamond electric knife sharpeners are a little bit expensive compare to the ordinary electric sharpeners they provide a better sharpening experience.

So if you want to choose a thing that is durable and long lasting usage, you can buy the diamond sharpener. You have nothing to worry about because most of the models on he market have longer warranties and others give lifetime warranty to their product.

You can also go shopping online through the internet. There are lots of websites who offers different brands of diamond electric knife sharpeners and models. It is so easy and convenient in terms of time and easy to access too.

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HotpointR 1.5 Cu. Ft. Over-the-Range Microwave Oven5 Best Buy

GE is one of the largest manufacturers of major appliances in the world. Since 1907, they have been introducing advanced appliances to improve people's lives and conserve electricity. They're continuing that legacy today with innovations like the Advantium oven, the Harmony clothes care system, and more. Today, GE offers nearly 400 products — from refrigerators to cooking appliances to dryers — that meet ENERGY STAR standards. Multiple one-touch buttons on the microwave control panel make operating this microwave oven quick and effortless. Time cook I II make it possible to enter two cooking times, so users can stop the microwave to stir or rotate foods without reprogramming. Plus the turntable continually rotates food to ensure even cooking.

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An oven is a small but powerful tool in the kitchen. Looking at its small size, it doesn't seem like it can do a lot, but just about anyone who has worked with a kitchen oven will tell you the many wonders it does to home cooking. Casseroles, beef, chicken and pork, bread and cake, desserts-you name it, and the oven can cook it. A good kitchen oven works on most types of cuisine regardless of whether you're from Haiti or Timbuktu.

This kitchen appliance is used to cook food in a variety of ways, including steaming, broiling, and roasting. Old models work by burning wood or coal to generate heat inside a sealed compartment. Technology has found its way into kitchen ovens as well, though, and most if not all of today's models use gas or electricity instead. In addition, if the appliance contains both an oven and a stove, the stove may or may not share the same energy source with the oven. Some models feature stoves that operate on gas and the oven on electricity, and vice versa.

The thing to look out for when buying an oven is not how big it is, but what it does inside and outside. For instance, did you check the turntable when you bought your kitchen oven? A turntable is a device inside the compartment that helps ensure even cooking on all sides, which is very important. This is one of the things you need to be on the lookout for the next time you're shopping for a new oven in the appliance center at the mall.

Another important consideration is the interlock feature. Go to the kitchen and check whether your oven has one. An interlock feature is used to check that the door is closed at all times, and it shuts down the machine if someone opens the door while the oven is still heating. Think of it as an energy-saving function that doubles as a safety feature.

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If you are looking for cheap dehumidifiers it may be because you only need them at certain times of the year and find it's probably wasteful to go out and spend a truck load of your hard earned money on an expensive one. You may also find that your dehumidification needs are not that extensive and only need a device which does not have to work extremely hard and uses very little power. If this is the case then you'll be pleased to know that cheap dehumidifiers do exist and you do not have spend a huge amount to get one that does a fairly good job.

The best place to start looking for cheap dehumidifiers is the internet. A simple search will bring up literally dozens of sites which sell dehumidifiers at the lower end of the market. Because the lower priced items are usually stocked well, you will probably find they are more widely available than the more expensive ones. This usually means you can get next day delivery to the premises of your residence and be up and running in no time.

There are 2 other classic ways of buying cheap dehumidifiers. One is to wait until they are out of season because that way demand for them falls and retailers are desperate to make sales. The other way is to buy them a month or two after thanks giving or Christmas in the sales. You can pick up some real bargains at this time of year and have your device ready to be unleashed when the weather changes.

So as you can see there are various ways to pick up those bargains you just need to use your head. If you are not the shopping type then the internet is your option and if you like to get out and about and actually see the items your are buying then by all means go out and visit some specialist stores and have a look around. You will probably find that you can get some real advice talking to a sale person weigh up your options and then come back to the internet when you have a few models in mind.

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