Ranges and cooktops

Ranges and cooktops use relatively little energy compared to refrigerators. Newer technology has helped some combine miserly energy use with ultra-fast heating. Induction ranges and cooktops, which use an electromagnetic field that sends most of the heat to the cooking surface, are the most efficient overall. They've also been top performers overall in our tests of cooktops and ranges, with faster cooktop heating than even the fastest conventional electric models, and have fallen in price. But you'll need magnetic cookware for the process to work.

Here are some ways to keep any range or cooktop as efficient as possible.

Don't open the oven door too often; each time sheds about 25 degrees F of heat.

Use the self-cleaning mode while the oven is still hot so it reaches maximum temperature more quickly.

Use glass or ceramic pans, which allow cooking at up to 25 degrees F lower than with a metal pan.