This year, the world day of pasta falls in a particular period, that is while half of Italy is wondering precisely about the passive cooking technique of pasta to prepare spaghetti and half sleeves, saving energy in the bill. Sportsgaming.win also talked about the topic weeks ago, concluding that yes, cooking pasta “passively” (ie turning off the fire shortly after throwing it in the pot) can help lower costs without harming the goodness of the dish.
On the occasion of this World Pasta Day then our selection of gadgets could only be a kit to prepare the best dish in the world while keeping an eye on consumption: from the perfect pot for passive cooking to alternatives to pressure, passing through timers and accessories for energy saving in the kitchen.
The right pot
The procedure for passive cooking of pasta is now well known to almost everyone: the fire goes out as soon as after having thrown the pasta into the boiling water, and wait for the thermal energy stored by the liquid to cook the pasta. The process takes longer than normal cooking over high heat, but it works and allows you to turn off the stove well in advance of the times shown on the package. It goes without saying that to save a few minutes on preparation, a pot capable of retaining heat better may be useful. This model has a triple-layer bottom that serves to insulate it better, is made of a material that is easy to wash in the dishwasher and works with both traditional and induction cookers.
The pressure alternative
In addition to the passive cooking method, another way to save energy in cooking pasta is to use a pressure cooker. With their sealed cooking chamber these utensils substantially optimize the energy supplied by the gas or induction cooker by bringing the environment inside them to a higher temperature, more quickly; the result is that the pasta cooks earlier, that is, using less gas or less electricity. There are classic or fully electric variants of pressure cookers, to be connected to the mains and with timers and integrated programs to cook any dish.
A good timer
Cook water with the passive method or with a pressure cooker means respectively lengthening or decreasing the normal cooking times, which is why a simple timer is once again a precious ally even for expert cooks. There are now all kinds of them on the market: from the classic mechanical timers to the open source gadget made by Barilla, to the magnetic ones to hang on the refrigerator or on the doors to always have them at hand. The most technological can turn to the variants integrated within the smart speakers such as Google Nest and Amazon Echo, which work with voice commands. For those who do not want to spend, just use the appropriate function on their smartphone.
For those who want to push savings even further, the pasta cooking water can be reused in numerous areas: from preparing broth to washing dishes, up to to the preparation of legumes. The only problem is finding a way to store it, but the first step is simple: go from the classic colander in the sink to a basket to leave inserted in the pot during cooking. When the pasta is cooked just lift it to drain it leaving the soaking liquid ready to be poured elsewhere. Many dedicated pans already have this accessory, but finding it online separately is not difficult: this model fits pans with a diameter of 22 cm, but there are all types and sizes on the market.
