It’s hard to imagine a time before the advent of home appliances that saves time and effort. Even though there has been a lot of great ideas over the years, we still have a long way to go in terms of making things last.
Eco-friendly home appliances are what you need for work efficiency around the home. They are made to use less energy which benefits the environment and helps you save on energy bills.
With so many options now, it’s easier than ever to switch to appliances that are better for the environment. You’re sure to find something that meets all your needs, whether it’s making sure all your cooking tools have the smallest carbon footprint possible or keeping your home clean with small appliances that are kind to the environment.
The Most Eco-Friendly Appliances For Your Home
Below is a list of some of the most eco-friendly appliances to use in your home.
1. Electric Kettle
Electric kettles are an excellent choice for saving energy, especially kettles with an automatic switch-off feature when your water hits the desired temperature. Rather than boiling water in a pot, consider upgrading to an electric kettle that will boil only the water you need until you hits the set temperature.
2. Blender
Blenders are a great alternative to large food processors that consume much more energy. They also allow you to process your ingredients until they reach the desired consistency.
Look for energy-efficient blenders with settings that will stop the blender as soon as your ingredients are pureed enough to cut down on excessive energy consumption.
3. Toaster
Many toasters have overly long bread slots, which can waste energy if your bread isn’t long enough to fill the slot. Shop for toasters that are energy-efficient and don’t have overly long bread slots.
We also recommend sticking to toasters with only one or two bread slice slots unless you have a big family and regularly make large batches of toast. A temperature control feature can help reduce energy consumption and ensure you’re not scorching your toast.
4. Electric Composter
An electric composter is the ultimate eco-friendly appliance because it transforms a wasted product into a fantastic, usable product, saving you money and reducing the trash in landfills.
An electric composter takes food scraps and transforms them into nutrient-rich dirt with the push of a button. Consider purchasing an electric composter to transform kitchen scraps into usable natural fertilizer for your garden or houseplants.
5. Rice Cooker
Rice cookers are great time-savers that ensure you don’t overcook your rice. They are great “set it and forget it” devices that use less energy than boiling water and cooking your rice on a stovetop.
Look for a rice cooker with a stainless steel bowl, as Teflon bowls often contain harmful chemicals. For the most energy-efficient choice, opt for a model that is just large enough to feed your family.
6. Air Fryer
An air fryer is the ultimate eco-friendly household appliance. Not only can it replace multiple appliances in your house, such as a toaster and deep fryer, but you can use it in place of your oven for many meals.
Ovens use an enormous amount of energy to preheat and cook your food. In addition to the energy used to heat the oven, it often raises the temperature in your home, forcing your air conditioner to work extra hard to maintain the same temperature, wasting even more energy.
An air fryer often doesn’t even need to be preheated; when it does need to be preheated, it usually takes only a few minutes. You can bake cookies, fry veggies or pickles, and even create stunning desserts, like lava cakes, with your air fryer — all while using less energy than your oven.
This versatile device is an excellent addition to any kitchen. Look for an energy-efficient model and opt for an air fryer that is large enough to feed your family but not overly big.
7. Induction Cooktop
Induction cooktops use electromagnetic induction heat, so food is only heated up when pots are placed directly on top of the cooktop. In the long run, this can save energy and natural gas.
Look for induction cooktops with an easy-to-control cooking temperature and an auto-switch mode that ensures you’re not using more energy than needed. The auto-switch mode will save you energy and keep your food from overcooking.
8. Coffee Maker
The convenience of a Keurig or single-use coffee pod maker is hard to beat. However, these individual plastic coffee pods are terrible for the environment as you can only use them once before they are tossed into landfills.
Choose a manual coffee maker that is energy-efficient. If you must stick with your Keurig or single-use coffee pod maker, consider investing in a reusable coffee pod and filling it with your loose coffee.
A reusable coffee pod can be washed and reused hundreds, even thousands of times before needing to be replaced, dramatically reducing the overall waste.
9. Dishwasher
An energy-efficient dishwasher is crucial in transforming your household into a more eco-friendly place. A dishwasher is one of the most frequently used household appliances, and it can waste a lot of water if it isn’t an efficient model.
Look for dishwashers with a WaterSense third-party label, which indicates that the appliance has passed an independent inspection and certification by the EPA WaterSense committee for its performance and efficiency.
In addition to looking for an eco-friendly model, take steps to ensure you’re optimizing your dishwasher usage. Only run your dishwasher when it’s full.
Skip dishwasher detergent pods and opt for a liquid dishwasher detergent. If you want to stick with dishwasher detergent pods, look for non-toxic, environmentally friendly choices.
Finally, choose to skip or reduce drying time during your dishwasher cycle. Drying uses much more energy than using the dishwasher to wash your dishes. Often, your dishes will dry sitting there on their own, or they can be dried quickly with a towel as you pull them out.
10. Refrigerators
Fridges are one of the most energy-consuming appliances in your home. If you’re starting to convert your home into an energy-efficient haven, consider starting with your fridge. This is because if it’s not an eco-friendly, energy-efficient model, it’s likely to use a lot of energy in your home.
Shop for an Energy Star-labeled model. Many of these models are smaller. However, a smart organization within your fridge will leave you plenty of storage space.
Suppose you currently have more than one fridge or freezer in your home, you can reduce your energy consumption by downsizing to one model or choosing a small freezer or efficient refrigerator instead of a second, full-size model.
11. Washer And Electric Dryer
The average American does 300 loads of laundry annually, using a surprising amount of energy and water consumption. Next to your fridge and dishwasher, your washer and dryer are the next biggest investments you should consider making if you don’t already have energy-efficient models.
An Energy Star-rated laundry machine will use less water and energy, saving you money and the environment in one swoop.
We also recommend using your dryer less and switching to wool or plastic balls instead of dryer sheets. Hanging your clothes on a clothesline can take up some room, but it’s an easy way to dry your clothes and may even be better for the fabric in the long term, allowing your clothing to last longer and look better.
Dryer balls are another great environmentally friendly choice because they reduce wasteful dryer sheets and decrease how much trash you’re adding to landfills.
Many dryer sheets are made from toxic chemicals, which can harm your kids or pets if they eat them and may irritate your skin when you’re wearing clothes that come into contact with them.
12. A SodaStream
Do you love soda or carbonated beverages? A SodaStream is an excellent, eco-friendly kitchen appliance that takes up little space in the kitchen while providing you with delicious drinks.
A SodaStream will save you a significant amount of money because you won’t need to purchase drinks at the store anymore. It will also dramatically reduce plastic bottles and aluminum cans in your household, reducing your carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions.
13. Space Heater
A space heater can double as a heater and a fan in most cases. Space heaters are an eco-friendly alternative to cranking up the heat or air conditioning in your home. Most of us aren’t using all areas of our homes at all times, so heating or cooling just the space you’re in is a great option.
On top of that, many energy-saving space heaters have thermostats and sleep timers, preventing the heater from running after the room has reached the desired temperature.
14. Vacuum Cleaner
If you’ve ever shopped for a vacuum cleaner, you know how expensive it can get. The Shark NV501 Rotator Pro Upright Vacuum strikes a good balance between price and performance.
Home vacuum cleaners use between 500 and 3000 watts of power, but if you go too low, you might end up with a model that doesn’t work. The NV501 is only 1200 watts, which saves energy.
It has a detachable pod for cleaning under furniture, advanced swivel steering, and a HEPA filter that traps dust and allergens.
Benefits Of Eco-friendly Appliances
When you buy new appliances, you are simply making an investment. Most times, they cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars and are meant to last for a long time. It’s normal to be hesitant, but there are many great reasons to get rid of old appliances and replace them with appliances that are better for the environment. They are as follows.
1. Eco-friendly home appliances can help you use less water
Let’s not forget that appliances that use water, like dishwashers and washing machines, can waste way too much of our most valuable resources. Again, look for third-party certifications like Energy Star and WaterSense. Energy Star takes into account both the amount of water used and the amount of electricity used.
2. Sustainable appliances can help you use less energy
Appliances that use less energy can cut your energy use by 10 to 50 percent, especially if you are replacing an old one that uses a lot of energy.
When looking for green home appliances, look for those with an Energy Star label. This means they’ve been tested by a third party and use a lot less energy than similar appliances that don’t have this label.
In turn, this helps lower the greenhouse gas emissions from your home, which contribute to climate change.
3. Eco-friendly Appliances help you save money
One of the best things about switching to appliances that use less energy is that your annual energy costs will go down. Even though sustainable appliances can cost more upfront, you can save money on your energy and other utility bills, like water, over time to make up for the cost.
4. Green kitchen appliances can help reduce food waste
Food waste is a problem around the world. About a third of the food made each year is wasted. Using a kitchen appliance like an electric composter, you can turn your trash into nutrient-rich dirt that you can then use to feed your indoor and outdoor plants.
How To Know If A Product Is Good For The Environment
When you know why choosing eco-friendly products is good, it’s not hard to start looking for them. But it’s smart to think carefully about how a product helps the environment.
Unfortunately, some companies have used this as a chance to market their products by saying they are sustainable or suitable for the environment when that is not the case. This is called “greenwashing.”
Look for products certified by reputable groups like the Environmental Protection Agency, the Energy Star program, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic, or Green Seal Certified. This will ensure that you buy products that are truly good for the environment.
Conclusion
Energy-efficient and eco-friendly home appliances are good for the environment and help us use less energy and water at home.
We hope our list of the most eco-friendly home appliances enables you to decide which ones to buy next as you continue to make your home greener.
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