I have just watched a video where Kenya Power is demonstrating how to cook githeri using an electric pressure cooker.
The cooking time was 68 minutes and it only consumed 0.368 units of electricity. For a person using over 100 units a month and being charged KShs 21.87 per unit, this would translate to KShs 8 and for someone using less than 100 units a month it would cost KShs 6.
It even took more time because the lady fried the onions and other stuff first. If it was just boiling, it would take just 40 minutes and consume even less power.
This is certainly cheaper than using gas, kerosene or charcoal. We have always feared cooking using electricity because of the cost. It seems our fears were not well informed. Even if you cook githeri daily, this gadget would only consume KShs 240 in a whole month at most.
Now imagine if the cost of power reduced to KShs 12 per unit. Cooking the githeri would cost you KShs 4!
In these hard economic times, the cost savings are surprising. The time saving is also impressive. Cooking beans using gas can take almost two hours but this gadget does it in 40 minutes. Since it uses a digital timer you don’t waste time checking if the food is cooked. It can also keep the food warm for up to 8 hours.
If more people cook with electricity, we will deal with the issue of idle power. This will create room for further cost saving. Besides, we will lower our LPG consumption and save the country from wasting forex on unnecessary imports. We will also save the environment.
I never knew about these electric pressure cookers. I have always feared pressure cookers because the manual ones come with horror stories. But this gadget is totally safe. It automatically lets you know when it is safe to open it. You can even open the pressure valve and release the steam if in a hurry.
While these gadgets are expensive at KShs 10,495 for a 6 litre one, the cost savings in the long-run are immense. At least today I have learnt something that will be very helpful. You can even use the cooker to cook food normally without covering it with its lid.
