Table dishwashers or table top dishwashers are a great space saving solution for washing crockery in the smaller households.

Models such as the Bosch SKS50E18EU table dishwasher are aesthetically pleasing, come in an array of colours; white, red, yellow, black and silver. At just (H)45.0 x (W)55.1 x (D)50.0cm it fits into any corner of the kitchen but certainly doesn’t skimp on performance or programme quality. 

The machine offers an A rated wash performance for six place settings. It has four programmes and four temperatures to give you the best wash depending on the dirtiness of your plates and their material.

It uses just 7litres of water per wash and has an A energy rating so you can rest assured you’re doing your bit to save energy.

So you’ve got a 6kg washing machine that’ll take 30 shirts but you’ve only got 10 to put in the wash. You can’t wait because you need at least one clean shirt for your big meeting/ mate’s wedding/ night out on the tiles. What do you do?

The Bosch WAE24364GB gives you a solution! Its half load function allows you to thoroughly wash half a load of clothes without wasting energy and money. The function uses a fraction of the amount of energy and water as a normal programme, so you get clean shirts without the wastage.

Additionally, to make life a little easier, the Bosch washing machine 1200spin has a mixed load function so you can pop in several fabrics at once in a single cycle. This saves you time and means you don’t have to wait till you’ve run out of clothes to wash a full load.

Beko is taking dry clothes to a whole new level with its automatic sensor tumble drying. On its 7kg models, including the DRCS76, you can use an innovative automatic sensor drying function. The means an electronic control system automatically stops the dryer when clothes have reached the selected level of dryness.

On the 7kg models you have the decision of the following three special sensor programmes:

• Shirts – gentle programme in low temperature to protect shirts from damage and loss of colour
• Jeans – for thicker fabrics, ideal for drying the seams of clothes
• Rapid Dry – time saving programme which dries 1kg of washing in just 30 minutes.

These programmes help save energy because they don’t continue to run after the programme has finished, unlike timed cycles. The Beko DRCS76 condenser tumble dryer has 15 programmes in total, 11 of which are sensor drying cycles.

Wish your dishes would wash themselves? AEG’s Sensorlogic brings you one step closer and saves energy in your wash at the same time.

Sensorlogic uses two sensors in the dishwasher to measure the size of the load and the level of soiling. It then electronically adjusts the selected programme to the specific needs of the wash load to give the best possible result, adjusting water and temperature accordingly. Basically, Sensorlogic delivers the best wash performance whilst keeping water, electricity and detergent use to a minimum.

So no more worrying about correct temperatures or length of cycle, or detergent levels – just pop on and your dishes will come our perfectly clean every time.

The AEG FAVORIT40010VI is A rated for energy efficiency, wash and dry performance. So the energy conscious among us can guarantee cleanliness and cause minimum impact on the planet at the same time.

It also boasts an Eat-Load-Go function, which delivers an ‘A’ wash result in just 30 minutes!

A big green family

If you have a large family and do a lot of washing you may wish to invest in a larger capacity tumble dryer. The 8kg tumble dryer from Beko is large enough to wash even a king sized duvet. Great when research shows duvets and pillows should be washed at least every six months to control dust mites, bed bugs harmful allergens and bacteria.

Most families, put off by the trek to the launderette, don’t wash their duvets nearly enough, so a larger machine could help greatly in minimising allergens and promoting cleanliness.

But if you’re worried about the impact on the environment as opposed to that of a standard sized washing machine, Beko even has an answer for that. The 8kg Beko WME8227B washing machine includes an automatic half load feature, saving water when the machine isn’t filled to capacity.

It also has an A energy rating allowing you to save energy, reduce bills and reduce your carbon footprint. So, large families don’t have to put aside their green ethics when buying large capacity appliances, just ask Beko.

Many cooks choose gas cookers, especially gas hobs for their quick response which allows for easy regulation of temperature. But depending on how you use your gas cooker you can cause a lot of wastage or save energy. Read our five facts about gas cooking. Can you save energy with a gas cooker?

1. Although gas ovens typically use a tiny amount more energy than electric ovens, the lower CO2 output per unit of gas far outweighs this difference.
2. Electricity emits twice as much CO2 per unit.
3. Electricity is about four times more expensive than gas. A household could save £50 a year by switching from an electric cooker.
4. If you cover the pot on a gas stove it will boil in a fraction of the time of a pot with.
5. Using a pan which covers the entire ring ensures no heat is lost and heats the pan more efficiently.
I hope these tips will help reduce your energy bills and make your household greener!

Most people understand the basics of green living – turn off the lights, don’t let the water run while brushing your teeth, reuse plastic carrier bags, etc. However, we can always go further to protect the planet.

Your kitchen is undoubtedly the most energy consuming area in the house with its constant heating, cooling, washing and drying. Did you know that all of our electric hobs, ovens, kettles and microwaves use as much electricity in a year as British street lighting does in six years?

So how can we make our kitchens more environmentally friendly?

I’ve scoured the web looking for the most helpful hints for a green kitchen and compiled the top 10 for you to peruse and follow at your leisure. None of them will cost you anything and some are so glaringly obvious I don’t know how I didn’t think of them before!

1. Cover pans while cooking to prevent heat loss.

2. Freeze leftover food – don’t throw it away (if safe to do so, some foods should not be reheated).

3. Try meals which can be made in one pan e.g. soups, stews, stir fries and casseroles so you don’t have the hob, grill and oven glaring out heat all at once.

4. Use seasonal ingredients, preferably locally produced.

5. Cook the same meal for your entire household – people coming and going, cooking what they want at different times wastes energy (yes, this could be a tough one with teenagers).

6. Stop over-boiling food. A gentle simmer uses less energy and often means your food tastes better.

7. When preparing a meal get all the ingredients out of the fridge at once, don’t open and shut the door repeatedly.

8. Wash fruit and vegetables in a bowl rather than under the tap.

9. Got a big burner on your kitchen hob? Use a big pan. Heat and energy escapes if your pan is too small to cover the burner.

10. Never put warm food in the fridge. You’re asking it to work harder to maintain the proper temperature, leading to increased energy usage.

So there are my top ten tips. Do you have some? Let me know.

Last week I blogged about how dishwashers save water and to back up my claims the Hotpoint FDD914 dishwasher has successfully won a Waterwise Marque.

This award takes place annually and is awarded to products that are water efficient. Hotpoint was awarded top marks in promoting water efficiency and availability and the judging panel also commented on the product’s high performance level and good design.

So, get your pots in the dishwasher, put your feet up and think about the good deed you’re doing for the environment!

As I writhed on the kitchen floor yesterday evening shining a torch into the deepest, darkest nooks and crannies of my oven I sincerely wished there was an easier way to go about cleaning it. My oven is relatively new as it came with the flat but is seriously lacking in the extra features department. Yes ok, it does its job and it does it relatively well but by night I dream of steam cooking functions, induction hobs and Pyrolytic easy cleaning technology.

After last night’s elbow grease escapade, Pyrolytic cleaning in particular tickles my fancy so I went on a Google hunt this morning to find out more. I have summarised by findings below…

• Pyrolytic cleaning basically involves heating your oven to very high temperatures (about 500°C).
• It disintegrates burnt on food into a small pile of ash which can be swept away. No more scrubbing!
• Pyrolysis is an emerging green technology. The process doesn’t involve using any harsh chemical cleaning products so pyrolysis is more environmentally friendly than traditional cleaning methods.
• It takes considerably less time and effort to perform the task.
• If you think heating your oven to these extreme temperatures will cost a fortunate think again, it costs about 50p per cleaning. And let’s face it, most of us don’t clean our ovens more than three times a year.

Personally I find the downside to Pyrolytic cleaning is that I can’t install it on my existing oven (which is so new it doesn’t yet warrant a change). But for those of you looking to replace your old cooker in the near future I’d certainly recommend oven packages including Pyrolytic cleaning.

Energy Saving Week runs from 19-25 Oct and is all about finding ways to save energy and fight climate change.

There are many ways you can save energy at home, one of which is washing clothes at a lower temperature. There are now several brands of detergent which will allow you to effectively wash fabrics at 30°C.

AEG has gone one step further however, working with Proctor and Gamble to produce the world’s first cold-wash washing machine.

The new SuperEco coldwash technology saves 83% of energy compared with easy-care 40°C washes and 72% compared with easy-care 30°C washes.

The washing machine conserves energy but not at the expense of your wash results, it works using cold activated washing powders and solutions. The washing machine uses just 0.1kWh of energy consumption per wash, against an average consumption of 1.24kWh.

And in addition to these energy saving credentials the AEG-Electrolux Super Eco L64580LE uses only 41 litres of water, 9 litres less than the average wash.

This washing machine will be launched in November but until then why not implement some more energy/water saving schemes into your laundry routine?

• Pre-soak very dirty clothes then wash at a lower temperature
• Wash a full load when possible – a full load uses less energy than multiple half loads
• Don’t over-dry clothes. If you take clothes out of the machine while they are still slightly damp you reduce the need for ironing.
• Auto-drying settings as opposed to timers are useful as your machine judges the length of time needed to dry and won’t use excess energy.
• Dry clothes outside on sunny days! Eliminate the need to use your dryer altogether.
• And my personal favourite… if you have a tumble condenser dryer, use the collected water to feed your house plants!