Annam Naturals
Sustainable Kitchen & Food

Low-energy cooking: pressure cookers, retained heat and the haybox

The way you cook can cut gas and electricity use sharply. Many of the best techniques are already in Indian kitchens.

2 October 2026 · 7 min read

Stainless steel pots on a gas stove

Chetanya Goel · Founder & Editor

Chetanya started Annam Naturals after two years of keeping a household waste diary. Chetanya writes about the boring, repeatable habits that hold up in a real week.

Cooking accounts for a significant share of household energy use in many homes. Before buying a new appliance, it is worth looking at technique. Some of the most effective energy-saving methods are ones Indian kitchens have used for decades.

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The pressure cooker

The pressure cooker is one of the most energy-efficient cooking tools there is. Higher pressure raises the boiling point, so food cooks much faster, and the sealed lid keeps the heat in. Dals, beans, rice, potatoes and meat all cook in a fraction of the time they would take in an open pot.

  • Soak pulses and beans beforehand to shorten cooking time further
  • Cook several items at once using separator containers
  • Turn off the flame a little early and let the pressure release naturally; the food keeps cooking

Lids on

An uncovered pot loses a lot of heat. Covering pans while bringing water to the boil and while simmering saves energy and time.

Match the pan to the burner

A small pan on a large flame wastes heat around the sides. Use the right burner size, and keep the flame under the base of the pan.

Retained-heat cooking

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Retained-heat cooking brings food to the boil and then keeps it hot in an insulated container so it continues to cook without more fuel. The traditional version is a haybox: a box packed with hay or other insulation. A modern version uses a thermal cooker, or simply a heavy pot wrapped in blankets.

This works well for rice, porridge, stews, dals and soaked beans. It takes longer, but uses far less fuel.

Other habits

  • Boil only the water you need
  • Use an electric kettle for water rather than a pan on gas
  • Use residual heat by switching off a little before the end
  • Batch cook when using the oven so it is full

Which appliance is most efficient?

Pressure cookers, induction hobs, electric kettles and microwaves are among the most efficient options for the jobs they suit. Our induction versus gas guide looks at the main cooktop choice in detail.

Small changes, every day

Because we cook every day, small savings add up. A pressure cooker used well, lids on pans and a little retained heat can noticeably reduce gas or electricity bills over a year.

For more of this kind of testing, the sustainable kitchen & food hub collects everything we've tried in that area.

Frequently asked

Do I need to buy anything to get started?

No. Every method here begins with what is already in your cupboards. We only recommend a purchase when something has genuinely worn out, and we say what it should cost.

How do you test the things you write about?

Minimum four weeks of ordinary household use, with notes. For anything involving energy or money we use a plug-in meter and record the readings before and after.

Are your recommendations paid for?

Never. Brands cannot buy placement. Some outbound links are affiliate links, which we mark, and they do not change what makes the list.

What if a method doesn't work in my home?

Write to us. A surprising amount of our best material comes from readers explaining why something failed in a flat, a shared house or a very cold winter.

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