Kitchen Deals -> Kitchen furnishing

The EnergyGuide label on new refrigerators will tell you how much electricity in kilowatt-hours (kWh) a particular model uses in one year. The smaller the number, the less energy the refrigerator uses and the less it will cost you to operate. In addition to the EnergyGuide label, don't forget to look for the Energy Star label. A new refrigerator with an Energy Star label will save you between $35 and $70 a year compared to the models designed 15 years ago. This adds up to between $525 and $1,050 during the average 15-year life of the unit.

The way you cook is also key to deciding which type of range cooker to choose. No-frills heat storage ranges such as Agas retain heat they have gradually built up and generally have two ovens without temperature controls - the hot oven is for roasting and baking, the cool one for slow cooking/keeping warm.

To remove fat from soup or stock, use one of these techniques:

• Remove fat from soups by allowing a lettuce leaf to float on top of the soup. The lettuce will attract the fat and then the fat and lettuce leaf can be removed.
• Add ice cubes to the soup, stir to allow fat to collect on the ice cubes, and then remove before they have melted.
• Crumple up a piece of plastic wrap and skim the surface of the soup with it. The plastic wrap will attract fat from the surface.
• Allow the soup to cool, place it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and when it is removed, the fat will have solidified on top and can then be easily scraped off.