There are plenty of ways to prepare meals faster and more cheaply, filling you up without maxing out your bills
Speed up cooking times with smaller ingredients. Choose little pasta shapes such as orzo, or bake medium-sized potatoes rather than the usual gigantic jackets (two 150g potatoes per person makes a good-sized serving).
When boiling or roasting vegetables, cut them into small dice rather than large cubes, and try mini chicken fillets instead of whole breasts. Check smaller prepared products, such as chipolatas, to find out if they are the same price per kilogram as their full-sized counterparts. If not, buy big and cut them down.
Despite what the recipe might say, you don’t need to bake a macaroni cheese or cottage pie in the oven for 45 minutes to achieve a wonderful, golden, crusty top. Heat it through fully in the microwave then finish off with a few minutes under a medium grill.
Many of the vegetables you usually roast, such as peppers and courgettes, will get equally good results under a grill too. And why not try spatchcocking and grilling your Sunday chicken? Check the settings and ensure you only turn on as much of the grill area as you need.
Choose the smallest pan and use the least amount of water you can get away with. Whenever possible, cook with the lid on, as less heat escaping means the water boils more quickly, and the temperature can be turned lower. Green vegetables only need a few millimetres of water, a close-fitting lid and the briefest cooking.
Measure rice in a teacup and add twice the amount of water rather than draining away the excess after cooking.
The thinking is even changing on the best way to cook pasta, which we’ve always been told to simmer in large volumes of water. All you really need is a pan big enough for pasta to move as it cooks without the water boiling over. A little of the starchy water can then be used to emulsify sauces.
Yes, even for baking. Most models have a range of functions, including baking, grilling and reheating. For speed, efficiency and great results, the air fryer gets top marks. A powerful fan means food cooks evenly and quickly and only a minimal amount of oil is needed to achieve a crispy finish. The baskets are usually suitable for dishwashing so cleaning up is easy, too. I find mine especially useful for preparing small quantities – it’ll knock out a portion of fish fingers and crispy French fries, roast a punnet of cherry tomatoes or warm an individual pie in the time it takes the oven to heat up.
On average, it takes twice as long and uses twice as much energy to reheat soup, stew or any leftovers, if you warm them directly from the freezer. Unless it’s a packaged product which states it should only be cooked from frozen, remove from the freezer the night before and leave to thaw fully in the fridge before reheating until piping hot, in half the time.
Currently enjoying a dramatic comeback due to their speed and fuel-efficiency, pressure cookers are taking centre stage in our kitchens once again. They’re easy to use and you can expect to create a tender and deeply flavoured casserole in less than 40 minutes.
Electric models usually have pre-programmed options for the type of dish you’re preparing, such as soup or grains, and will calculate the cooking times and pressure for perfect results before flipping into “keep warm” mode until you’re ready to serve up.
Pricier models are multi-functional and can be used as a slow cooker, rice cooker or yogurt maker. Some even air fry.
We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism.
We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future.
Thank you for your support.
Visit our adblocking instructions page.