Getting the Best From Convection Ovens

A convection oven can produce excellent results that cannot be obtained cooking in a standard oven. While standard ovens produce heat, this has a tendency to dry foods. On the other hand, convection ovens allow the food to retain more moisture. This can take a little getting used to, so here are some tips for convection ovens to achieve the best results.

The Differences in How Convection and Standard Ovens Work

While different models vary in design, most electric ovens have a heating element that is mounted at the top or the bottom of the unit. This standard design of oven relies on radiant heat generated by the elements to cook food. Unfortunately, this design configuration can result in hot and cold spots within the oven. Convection ovens are fitted with an internal fan to circulate the heated air. This allows the hot air to be evenly distributed throughout the oven for quicker and even cooking.

Cooking Times

One of the greatest challenges of upgrading to a convection oven, from a standard oven, is that the cooking times can vary a great deal. When you are used to preparing a meal in a standard oven, you can experience varying results as you start to use a convection oven. Convection ovens require less time to cook foods, so you will need to make adjustments. Depending on the specific model, size of oven, quantity of food, cooking temperature and desired cooking level, you will need to consider dropping the oven temperature by 25 degrees or reducing the cooking time by approximately 15 to 30 percent. This variation in cooking times means that you will need to monitor your dishes carefully, particularly in smaller ovens. Small sized ovens will naturally cook faster, so you will need to take care not to overcook your dish.

The Choice of Ovenware

You may also need to assess your choice of ovenware. Glass baking dishes can cause over browning, so you may need to compensate by reducing the oven temperature by approximately 30 degrees. Some cushion-air pans may not be suitable for your new convection oven. These types of ovenware are designed for use in conventional ovens and therefore allow foods to cook extremely quickly and cause it to burn. You should try to use dishes or pans with low sides to encourage maximum airflow.

Air circulation is important in a convection oven, so you will need to ensure that your cooking pans have at least an inch of space between them. You should also allow a similar amount of space between your oven racks. You will need to ensure that you don’t block the air from circulating, so be careful when using foil or larger dishes that could obstruct the fan.

Some Final Advice

Just like a standard oven, you will need to preheat your convection oven for best results. Some models use just one element when preheating that could cause food to burn, so ensure that your oven is at the correct temperature before putting in your food. If you are using a pizza or baking stone, it should be left in the oven during preheating so that it will be really hot and provide that delicious, crispy crust on your bread or pizza.
Since convection ovens instantly sear meat, there is no need to baste your roasts. All the essential juices will already be locked in, so you can eliminate the need to periodically baste. If you want to use a marinade containing sugar, it is a good idea to wait until the last hour of cooking, so the meat will be seared without allowing the marinade to caramelize and burn.

Convection ovens can provide convenient and efficient option for your kitchen. Browse through the available options with this online collection of ovens or speak to a home appliance expert for further help.

Tips for Organizing Your Kitchen Like a Professional Chef

If you have ever eaten at a chef’s table, or enjoy watching cooking shows, you may have admired the organization of a professional kitchen. This level of organization can allow the average cook to look like a talented professional, as command of your workspace will make food preparation easier. So, if you want to improve your kitchen prowess, here are some tips for organizing your kitchen like a professional chef.

Eliminate Excess Steps

The first step of organizing your kitchen like the PROS is to eliminate excess steps. Professional chefs set up their workspace to reduce movement during a dinner service. Eliminating the excess steps between your refrigerator, prep area or stovetop and pantry will help you to feel more organized and improve functionality.

Create Stations

In a commercial kitchen, there are different stations for different tasks. Not only are there several cooking stations, but there is a prep area and a dishwashing station. This can be recreated in your kitchen by creating spaces for prep, cooking, cold and dry storage and where you plate food. You may also have a beverage station where you prepare your coffee and a seating area. By designating each area, you can plan what you need and where you need it for a more efficient work area.

Create the Right Flow

Efficient food funnels are the key to a successful professional kitchen. Food is moved from storage to prep to line to the pass. This can be emulated in your own kitchen to create the right flow. Virtually every kitchen is designed around the triangle connecting the sink, range, and refrigerator. This promotes good flow, but it can be enhanced. Facilitate efficient movement by keeping anything not used for cooking outside your cooking triangle, but near where they’re needed. Dishware should be near the table, glasses near the water dispensing refrigerator and cups near your coffeemaker.
Group together the items needed for key processes to enhance the kitchen flow. For example, place your dishwasher on one side of the sink and your trash on the other, so you can scrape, rinse and fill with ease.

Equip All Your Stations

Once the areas of your kitchen have been designated for specific tasks, they will need to be equipped accordingly, so the correct tools are within easy reach. You won’t need knives near your stove; they should be stored with your cutting boards near your prep area. The storage near your stove should be reserved for pots and pans, but remember you will need seasoning within easy reach.

Master Food Storage

The most important aspect of feeling like you have the ingredients you need at your fingertips is proper storage. Proper labeling and stacked storage will help to keep your pantry clean and organized. Stackable plastic containers can be used in your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer so that all your ingredients are easily visible in the least amount of space.

Once you’ve filled your containers, remember to label everything. Although you may think you’ll remember what you’ve put in that plastic tub, after a week in the freezer, it may be difficult to identify. Ensure that all your containers have a label facing out, so you can see at a glance the ingredient you need.

Keep It Clean

Finally, if you want to feel like you’re working like a professional chef, you need to ensure that you keep your kitchen spotless. It can be a real challenge to prepare a gourmet meal if you need to keep moving keys, letters and other detritus off your countertops.

Finding the Right Appliances for Your Kitchen

A modern kitchen isn’t complete without the right appliances. Now that you know how to create a kitchen a professional chef would be proud of, you are in the ideal position to make an informed decision to find the right appliances for your new kitchen. Consider starting your search with this collection of kitchen appliances. For further help, contact a kitchen appliance expert.

At What Temperatures Should You Wash Your Laundry?

Modern washing machines are equipped with a myriad of program settings, but many consumers remain confused about the temperatures that should be used for their clothing. In most cases the hotter the water, the greater the cleaning potential, but this may not be appropriate for all your clothing and could cause damage. So, here we will explore the temperatures you should be using for your laundry.

Using Hot Water

Most white clothing and linens can be washed in hot water. This will remove heavy soil and germs. Unfortunately, hot water can cause shrinkage, wrinkling, and fading of colors. If you try to wash your clothing in hot water, the colors may start to look splotchy, while delicate fabrics can lose their aesthetic appeal.

Using Warm Water

The majority of laundry can be washed using warm water. This mixture of hot and cold water provides a balance between color protection and removing soil. Some washing machines use a 50-50 ratio of hot and cold water, but newer models tend to mix 60-40. Warm water can usually be used without shrinking, wrinkling or fading.

Using Cold Water

Cold water is preferable for delicate items or bright colors that could fade or run at a higher temperature. If your items require cold water temperatures, but are dirty or heavily soiled, you will need to have a diligent pretreatment routine. You may need to pre-soak your items or wash them for longer to ensure that they are properly cleaned.

Choosing the Correct Washing Temperature

Since there is the potential for laundry mishaps, by washing at the wrong temperature, it is important to choose the correct washing temperature. Fortunately, there are several ways to determine the correct temperature. The most obvious is to check the clothing tag. The tag will provide any laundry or care special instructions. Most clothing will be labeled with the maximum wash temperature, so check your tags before you do any laundry.

You should also pre-treat any stains. This will allow clothing to be cleaned even if you are washing in warm or cold water. Cold water is not the most effective way to remove stains, but pre-treatment can offer the only solution for delicate fabrics that have become stained. You may need to be patient, as some pre-treatment takes time, but it is important to try to remove any stains before washing to ensure that they are as clean as possible.

If you are unsure about the washing temperature, you may want to try soaking your clothes in cold water before washing. Soaking can vary from five or ten minutes to overnight, but the tougher the stain, the longer you will need to soak the item. Soaking can help create a thorough clean even if you can only risk using a cold water cycle on your washing machine.

Checking Your Washing Machine Water Temperature

If you are still running into laundry issues, you may find that the water temperature of your washing machine is not accurate. In this type of scenario, a candy thermometer can be a useful tool. Check the temperatures of the hot, warm and cold water coming out of the machine. Hot water is typically 10 degrees colder when it arrives at your washing machine compared to leaving your water heater. Generally, hot water is 130ºf or above, while warm water is between 100ºf and 90ºf. Cold water is between 80ºf and 60ºf. If your water temperature drops below 60ºf, your clothes are not likely to be properly cleaned. If your washing machine is not delivering the correct temperature of water, your machine may need servicing or be ready for an upgrade.

Finding the Right Washing Machine

Now that you know about the ideal washing temperatures for your laundry, you have the basic knowledge you need to choose the right washing machine. If you’re ready to find the perfect washing machine for your home, consider starting your search with this collection of washing machines or contact a home appliance expert for specialized service.

Important Help From Your New Oven Manual

After buying a new oven, many consumers immediately toss the manual in a drawer or worse yet the trash, but this can be a big mistake. Although that thick instruction guide may seem daunting, it is the best way to learn about the enhanced technology and innovative features on your shiny new appliance. Here is just some of the important help you can obtain from your new oven manual.

Those Complicated Looking Settings

In the past, ovens were limited to simply baking or broiling, but these days they can be far more complex. This means that you will need some help to make the best use of the more complicated looking settings. Some oven models have a slow cook, steam bake and roast setting along with baking and broiling. Your oven manual will detail the situations where a setting is most appropriate.

“Burning In” Your Oven

Ovens tend to give off an odd smell when they are first used, and this means that the appliance needs to go through a “burning in” process before it is used. This technique is recommended in some oven manuals and involves letting the oven cook empty for approximately an hour to burn off debris that could have been left during manufacturing or packing. Your oven manual will detail whether burning in is necessary and how you should complete the process to properly burn off any residue.

Proper Rack Positioning

Proper rack positioning is vital for even cooking as it affects how well the hot air can circulate around your dish. Your oven manual should detail the number of rack levels and recommendations for positions to be used for a variety of scenarios. For example, the rack positioning for roasting a large piece of meat will differ from when you are baking a cake.

Adjusting Factory Settings

Some models of oven allow you to customize the settings to make it tailored to your specific preferences. Whether you want to set the clock to military time, stop the dings or adjust the display light, you will need your manual to adjust these settings.

Open or Closed Door Broiling

Whether you have a traditional electric single oven or an electric double oven, your broiler is located at the top of the oven cavity and applies direct heat to your food. This is a fantastic tool for toasting bread or creating grill like char to your meat dishes, but lots of heat can cause lots of smoke. Some manufacturers recommend leaving the oven door slightly open when broiling, while others state the door should be closed. This will vary from model to model, so you will need to check your manual for the correct procedure.

Cleaning Information

Whether you have a wall oven, steam oven or even an oven/microwave combo, you need to know how to clean it properly to maintain the aesthetics and functionality. Your manual will contain a care guide with user instructions for keeping your new appliance showroom fresh. The last thing you want is to spill a sugary liquid and be unsure how to remove it before it causes pits on the surface.

Find the Right Oven Today

No kitchen is complete without a great oven. With some basic knowledge about what can be found in the appliance manual, you’re in an ideal position to make an informed decision. If you’re ready to find the best oven for your kitchen, consider starting the search with this online collection of ovens. For additional assistance, do not hesitate to contact a home appliance expert.

How To Raise The Height of Your Laundry Appliances

Your laundry space serves as “mission control” for the modern home, and requires the proper layout for maximum efficiency. Depending on your unique needs and the size of your home, it may be a smart idea to raise your laundry appliances above their standard height.

Homeowners typically want to raise the height of their laundry units for one of two reasons. They either want easier access to front load units, or want to stack their appliances to save space. To help you meet these goals, we’ve gathered some information on two beneficial laundry accessories that will allow you to raise your laundry appliances.

Laundry Pedestals

If you like to have your front load washer and dryer side-by-side, but want easier access to your appliances, then you may want to invest in a laundry pedestal.

These useful laundry accessories can be placed below a washer or dryer to raise the height of the appliance. The additional height is ideal for front load laundry units, which offer quality washing and drying functions, but force you to bend down to load and unload the machine. Thanks to a laundry pedestal, you won’t have to bend down nearly as far. Moreover, many pedestals feature a spacious storage drawer designed to hold laundry essentials like detergent, bleach, fabric softener and more.

An effective laundry pedestal will give your laundry units the boost of height you need while helping your laundry space stay organized. It’s worth remembering, however, that these add-ons are not designed to help you save a significant amount of space in the laundry room.

Laundry Stack Kits

Should saving space be your top priority, you’ll definitely want to consider purchasing a laundry stack kit.

Stack kits are metal brackets sold separately from you laundry units that allow you to place your dryer on top of your washer, creating additional floor space in your laundry room for other cleaning tools or appliances. The vertical orientation provided by a stack kit can also help you install laundry machines in areas other than a laundry room, like inside a closet or alongside appliances in your kitchen.

While these units do not offer the built-in storage possibilities of a laundry pedestal, they will still help you raise your laundry units to a comfortable height that actually saves you space. Should you choose to invest in a stack kit, you need to check the model numbers on your washer and dryer to ensure you purchase a compatible kit.

High Quality Laundry Accessories for Every Home

Every home requires a different layout for its laundry appliances, and there are a host of helpful laundry accessories that are sure to satisfy your needs. If you want to raise the height of your unit’s and promote exceptional organization, laundry pedestals are a great investment. Meanwhile, should you need extra height for space-saving purposes, you’ll definitely want to invest in a laundry stack kit.

Are you looking for a new laundry pedestal or stack kit? Explore your options using this online collection of laundry accessories, or contact a home appliance expert for specialized service.

When Should You Replace Your Home Appliances?

From the kitchen and the laundry room to the outdoor living space, the modern home can only run efficiently with the help of modern home appliances. Regular maintenance and service will help extend the lifespan of your favorite appliances, but there is bound to be a time when you’ll have to consider whether or not it’s time to replace your units.

The decision to replace an old or damaged appliance can be a difficult one, especially when there are so many exceptional products available on the market today. However, there are several key factors you should consider when making this decision. To help you when the time comes, we’ve selected some important questions you should ask yourself to determine when you should replace your home appliances.

How Old Is Your Appliance?

When deciding whether or not to replace your appliance, you should consider how old the unit is and how long you’ve owned it for. While premium appliances are built to last, no unit will last forever. If your unit is older than its average lifespan, you should definitely consider investing in a replacement.

While the lifespan of your kitchen and laundry appliances will vary, you can reference the information below for an approximate age range of several common appliances:

• Dishwashers: 9-10 years
• Dryers: 13 years
• Washing Machines: 5 -15 years
• Microwaves: 9 years
• Gas Ranges: 15-17 years
• Electric Ranges: 13 – 15 years
• Refrigerators: 9 – 13 years
• Range Hoods: 14 years
• Oven: 10 – 18 years

When considering appliance age, you should also take into account your unit’s design and style. An old appliance may function perfectly, but if its appearance does not match your changing design aesthetic, you may want to invest in a replacement.

Is Your Appliance Still Under Warranty?

Many homeowners start to consider replacing an appliance once it faces a major maintenance or repair problem. But if your appliance still has a number of years left on its warranty, you may want to hold off on replacing your unit.

Appliance warranties cover specific maintenance or repair costs, often allowing you to receive replacement parts or basic services at a reduced rate or free of charge. Be sure to check what warranties cover your appliances, and should you need service, be sure a factory-certified appliance repair company covers it. If service is covered under your warranty, there may be no need to replace your appliance.

What Is The Difference Between Repair & Replacement Costs?

If your appliance is no longer under warranty, you’ll need to more carefully consider replacing your unit. Generally speaking, it makes sense to replace your appliance when the price of the repair totals more than half the cost of a new model. There is little reason to spend a fortune on repairing an old appliance, and the more advanced features and contemporary style of a newer model will more than make up for the additional investment cost. The only time you should consider such costly repairs is if your appliance is a specialty model that would be difficult to replace.

Discover The Ideal Modern Appliances For Your Home

The decision to repair or replace a cherished home appliance can be a difficult one, and should not be taken lightly. Should you face this challenging task, be sure to consider the age of your appliance, the potential cost of repairs and its warranty policy before choosing to invest in a new unit.

If you’re ready to choose a new appliance, you can use this online collection of cooking appliances and this online collection of laundry appliances to discover great new units for your home. For additional assistance, do not hesitate to contact a home appliance expert.

How To Remove Grease From A Gas Cooktop

The cooktop is one of the most heavily used cooking appliances in your kitchen, providing the surface necessary for preparing a majority of your most cherished dishes. Gas cooktops are popular appliances thanks to their high heat output and easily adjustable controls, but these units are also prone to collecting grease and grime after repeated use.

A clean kitchen is a functional kitchen, and to help with your cleaning needs, we’ve gathered information on how to remove grease from a gas cooktop.

Clean Your Gas Cooktop With Vinegar

If your gas cooktop only suffers from light grease stains, you’ll want to use vinegar as the key tool in your cleaning process. All you need to do is spray your burners with a bit of vinegar and allow it to sit for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Next, wipe down the appliance with a clean cloth. This should remove minor grease stains and leave your cooktop significantly cleaner.

This method is most effective if used daily. By taking the time to clean your cooktop every day with vinegar, you can ensure that grease does not get caked onto the appliance and grow into a greater mess.

Use Specialized Chemical Cleaner

There are a variety of brands that produce specialty oven cleaner, utilizing unique chemical combinations to help wipe away grease and charred waste from your appliance. While these cleaners can be effective, they also tend to leave a layer of chemical residue within your appliance after use. This can result in foul tastes being cooked into your dishes, and even present a health hazard to yourself and your family.

If you use a chemical cleaner in your oven, be sure to run the unit on high heat afterwards to help destroy any chemical residue that is left behind. But be warned — these chemicals can create foul and unpleasant odors.

Use Baking Soda To Clean Your Cooktop

Most people do not take the time to clean their cooktop every day, and if you need to eliminate tough stains, you may want to employ baking soda in your cleaning process.

First, you should wash around your cooktop and its burners using lukewarm water and dishwasher detergent. This will remove the top layer of grease and grime that lives on your unit. Next, create a paste by mixing baking soda and water, and coat the unit with this paste. Allow your baking soda/water combination to stand on the cooktop for about 20 minutes, then scrub problem areas of the unit and rinse off the paste using water.

This method is ideal if you have significant food residue on your cooktop, as the baking soda paste can help soften such waste so you can remove it from the cooktop surface.

Cooktop Grate Cleaning With Ammonia

Your gas cooktop’s grates can be the most difficult components to clean, as they often gather grease and food residue that surrounds your burners. While the vinegar and baking soda methods can be used on your grates, they are not always effective. If you’re suffering from more serious stains, you’ll need to use ammonia to clean your unit’s grates.

For this method, you must first place each burner grate in its own gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Next, add about a quarter cup of undiluted ammonia to the bag. Seal the bag and allow it to sit overnight, allowing the encased ammonia fumes to loosen grease, grime and food residue from your burner grates. After allowing your grates to sit in ammonia, you can remove them from the bags and wipe them down with water or a touch of vinegar. This will remove any remaining grease, and ensure that your burner grates are effectively cleaned. Be extremely careful to protect your eyes with googles from any splashing ammonia, and wear rubber gloves at all times.

This process can be very effective, though the ammonia may produce a foul odor that bothers you or your family. You can allow your bag to sit outside while the ammonia works its magic on your burner grates, ensuring its strong stench does not overrun your home.

Premium Gas Cooktops Perfect For The Modern Home

A dirty appliance makes your home unattractive, and there’s no reason your kitchen should suffer because of a dirty gas cooktop. These units may be prone to collecting grease and grime, but once you understand how to effectively clean your cooktop, you’ll be able to effectively maintain your kitchen’s elegant and exceptional aesthetic.

No matter how much you clean it, an old cooktop will bring an outdated sense of style to your home. If you feel like it is time to upgrade your appliance, you can use this online collection of gas cooktops to explore your choices, or contact a home appliance expert for specialized service.

4 Kitchen Appliance Tips For The Holidays

Your kitchen is a hub of activity throughout the year, but this is particularly true during the holiday season. If you plan on hosting a holiday gathering, you’ll definitely want to get the most out of your premium kitchen appliances, and there are plenty of small tips and tricks you can employ to ensure your kitchen runs smoothly.

To help, we’ve compiled some suggestions for kitchen appliance use this holiday season.

1. Do Not Self-Clean Your Oven Before Holiday Cooking

The self-cleaning feature on your oven is intended to make cleaning easy, but if used right before you begin cooking for the holidays, it could cause a major disaster.

Many homeowners do not use their oven’s self-clean option frequently, and if you use this feature right before a big event, you risk causing an oven malfunction that can seriously damage your appliance. If your oven’s self-cleaning feature isn’t used at least every six months, you run the risk of damaging the appliance when it is activated.

You should also avoid using chemical oven cleaners right before holiday cooking. These products can be effective, though they often leave a layer of chemical residue that needs to be burned off before heavy oven use. This residue can be cooked into your holiday dishes, creating a foul taste while providing a health risk to your holiday guests.

 2. Use Your Oven’s Convection Settings

Many homeowners have a convection oven, though they are unsure of how to properly use its convection setting. Your unit’s convection option helps it cook food faster and more evenly, and is generally better for browning dishes — making it a great choice for a host of holiday favorites.

If you want to take advantage of this feature, be sure to reference your appliance’s owner’s manual for instructions. In general, you should try to follow these basic rules on how to use a convection oven:

  • Lower the recommended cooking temperature by 25 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or cut the baking time by 25 percent.
  • For small pastries, reduce the cooking time by 10 to 15 percent
  • For large roasts, reduce the cooking time by approximately 30 percent

3. Do Not Overwork Your Dishwasher

Once your holiday feast is done, it’s time for the dishwasher to do its job. However, you don’t want to risk ineffective wash cycles by overworking your appliance.

When washing dishes post-holiday dinner, be sure to use the proper amount of soap for each cycle. Too much soap will fill your machine with excess suds, making your cycles less effective. You should also be sure to scrape off all food residue from plates, bowls and silverware, as excess food particles can clog your unit’s jet streams. You should also be sure not to over-rinse dishes, as enzymes in dishwasher detergent require the presence of food residue in order to activate and be effective.

 4. Empty Your Ice Maker Before Gatherings

Nothing ruins a delicious drink like dirty ice, and you’ll definitely want to supply your holiday party with a steady stream of fresh and clean ice. If you notice that your ice maker produces chalky or smelly ice, you’ll have to take action to ensure your guest receive what they deserve.

As air moves throughout your refrigerator and freezer, the unit’s ice maker can become polluted by the flavors of food stored in the appliance. This often results in chalky, smelly and odd tasting ice. To prevent such impurities, you should first empty out your entire ice compartment and allow it to refill with fresh ice. Once the compartment if full, empty the fresh ice into a plastic bag and store it on your freezer shelf. The bag will protect your ice from air that circulates in the unit. You can feel free to continue this process until you have enough ice for your holiday party.

Meet Your Home Appliance Needs This Holiday Season

Your kitchen needs to work at peak efficiency during the holiday season, meeting your cooking and cleaning needs at each and every turn. Armed with a deeper understanding of how your kitchen appliances operate, you’ll be in the perfect position to have a memorable holiday season.

If you notice any issues with your home appliances, the holiday season is also a great time to upgrade to more modern options. You can browse this online collection of cooking appliances to explore your choices, or contact a home appliance expert for further details.

 

How To Buy Energy Efficient Home Appliances

Advanced electronics and appliances bring convenience and innovation to your home, helping you enjoy modern life with style. But using all those items can cause your power bill to skyrocket, making a major dent in your bank account. To help save money for years to come, you should definitely consider investing in energy efficient home appliances.

Energy efficient appliances offer all the features your home needs, but use fewer resources to operate. These units efficiently use electricity and water, keeping your monthly utilities low while also reducing your home’s impact on the environment. There are a host of great energy efficient kitchen appliances, laundry appliances, and more, available for your home, but navigating the wide range of options can be difficult. To help you explore your choices, we’ve compiled some helpful tips on how to buy energy efficient home appliances.

Always Look for ENERGY STAR Certification

If you’ve purchased any home appliances over the last 25 years, you’re likely familiar with the ENERGY STAR® program. Established in 1992, ENERGY STAR is the government-backed program that provides certification to consumer products and buildings for meeting energy efficiency standards determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Many brands claim that their appliances are energy efficient, but the only way to be certain is to investigate a product’s ENERGY STAR certification. If an appliance is certified, you can rest assured that it is actually energy efficient, meeting the strict standards established by the EPA. An appliance may offer all sorts of advanced, computerized features, but if it isn’t ENERGY STAR certified, it’s probably not energy efficient.

Determine Your Annual Savings & Energy Use

Energy efficiency is a powerful marketing tool within the appliance industry. As a result, many of today’s most popular appliances are ENERGY STAR certified for efficiency. But it’s important to remember that not all energy efficient appliances are created equal.

To better inform your decision, all ENERGY STAR appliances carry an EnergyGuide label that features the estimated yearly electricity use and yearly operating cost of the appliance. While these numbers can fluctuate based on the utility costs in your area and how often you use the appliance, these estimates can help you easily compare different ENERGY STAR certified appliances. While you can find some EnergyGuide information online, the only sure way to see this information is to visit a home appliance retailer to browse EnergyGuide labels yourself.

Explore Different Energy Efficient Options

The appliance shopping process can be long and challenging, especially if you’ve never bought home appliances before. There are so many different brands, model numbers, and operational features to compare, and an impatient homeowner may fall in love with the first unit they see. But remember, it’s important that you research a variety of options before making your decision.

You don’t want to haphazardly invest in a stylish appliance, only to realize that it isn’t energy efficient. You also don’t want to purchase an energy efficient machine that doesn’t offer all the features you need. There is a huge range of home appliances available on today’s market, and there is no reason you should sacrifice style or features for energy efficiency. If you take the time to research different choices, you’re guaranteed to find the ideal product that meets all your home’s needs.

If you want to begin researching energy efficient units, consider using this online collection of appliances.

Consider Smart Home Integrations

Many of today’s most advanced appliances offer computerized features, Wi-Fi connectivity, and other options that maximize appliance monitoring and control. These “smart home” features can really boost the effectiveness of energy efficient appliances, helping you decrease energy use and reduce utility bills along the way. You should be sure to consider these types of smart, computerized innovations as you research energy efficient appliances.

Exceptional Energy Efficient Appliances For The Home

Home energy use is an important issue tied to both financial and environmental concerns. The best way to reduce your home’s monthly operating costs, while creating an eco-friendly living space, is to invest in energy efficient appliances. Being mindful of ENERGY STAR certification, researching various options, and considering your home’s annual energy use and operating cost goals will ensure you find the perfect energy efficient units for your living spaces.

For a variety of advanced energy efficient products, consider browsing this online assortment of home appliances.