Has anyone replaced their use of a stove by getting a small Convection Bake Oven (aka toaster oven, but I find the convection bake ones work a lot better than ones with a simple toaster element)?
Does anyone have some quantitative evidence of the change in energy use? I have a Kill-A-Watt meter but my apartment's oven is 240V so I have no way to measure my oven's use! I have audited most other things in my apartment but the "unmeasured" category is a little bit bigger than just the oven. The other big bleeds are the fridge, which I can't do anything about, and my computer monitors (about 50W each, new ones are about 12W) but they are pretty nice ones and not worth replacing til they break.
I lost my microwave (it was my ex's when she moved out) and haven't wanted to get another one. However I do tend to meal-prep. Lately I have just been cooking things that don't need reheating or reheat more easily on a stovetop. But a lot of things come out better when re-baked, and heating up my entire oven (despite it being a compact one) is not super-efficient for one meal. I think even using the stovetop to heat up a pot is probably bleeding off a lot of energy into the surrounding eair.
I am curious about other energy-saving tips on an electric range. Has anyone moved to a single / 2 burner induction setup and compared that to an electric range? How about something like an instant pot / electric pressure cooker for reheating? I would expect that to transfer a lot more energy directly to the food and lose less into the air.
How about a flame-retardant, reflective/insulated box for your convection oven to retain even more energy? Some kind of reflective or insulating setup for your electric range to transfer more heat into the pot and keep it there, sort of a DIY instapot-like setup?
BTW, this is just a fun hobby for me, I do realize I am chasing pennies. I am more concerned with minimizing energy use overall than the actual ROI on energy costs. For me, this is in the context of off-grid energy where every BTU and kWh counts, so spending a few more $$$ up front for a kitchen setup that is more efficient could mean a smaller battery / solar panel setup. Plus it's just interesting to see where "modern" (aka invented in 1950) appliances just waste energy for the sake of cheapness and convenience.
EDIT: meant to put this in the Ask A Mustachian board... can a mod help me out?