Using charcoal in cooking to save.

Philippines
May 17, 2008 10:51pm CST
Now a days it's really hard to think how to save. Like me I love cooking, so I'm thinking of ways to save a little money. If I'm not in a hurry I used charcoal instead of gas. And it really work I save a lot. You have to spend extra time for it but it's ok I have enough time to cook our food. Gas now is expensive and 1 tank of gas containing 17kilos is not enough to consume for a month. One sack of charcoal here in the Philippines is worth 160 pesos and you consume it for more than a week it's a lot of savings. Cooking gas is getting higher and higher so we have to find ways to save. In using charcoal you have to prepare everything you need so that the flow of cooking is continue before the charcoal run out. Cooking in gas is more convenient and yet expensive unlike using cooking gas is cheaper but you need to be wise in using it. How about you do you experience using charcoal as a substitute in cooking gas. Or are you contented in using cooking gas even if it's too expensive now a days. Feel free to share your ideas and experiences...
5 responses
@dhangski (3194)
• Philippines
18 May 08
You are absolutely right. LPG is too expensive nowadays. I am using charcoal now as an alternative way for cooking. We have to be practical nowadays, with the never ending rising of prizes in the market. When I have to cook beef, pork that needs to be tenderize, I cook it on charcoal, but if I will be just sauteeing I cook it in gas stove. I agree that it is more convenient if you use LPG, cooking in charcoal takes a lot of time. But if you think of the money that you can save using charcoal, it will be a great help for your budget.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
18 May 08
Yes it true it's a good alternative in cooking specially when you cook meat that need to be tenderize it use a lot of gas if you cook it in a stove. In the morning we use gas specially if the children will go to school and your running out of time.
@cricket1 (486)
• United States
18 May 08
Are you talking about cooking outside, like on a grill? We love to barbeque outside and we now use wood for it which is free as we live in the country and just go out and cut a little hickory tree for it. It makes a very good flavor. It is a little more work, but it is worth it. charcoal is around $5 a bag here, for 1 meal, yikes! It's very woodsy here and we use trees that need cut anyway so it works out good. I know you can't do that if you live in town though. I think gas here may be cheaper than buying charcoal.
• Philippines
18 May 08
Wood also is a good alternative in cooking in order to save. Well maybe it depends to the country you can try every thing just to save in cooking. If charcoal is more expensive than gas in your country well using wood is also a good one. Not only in grilling but also in many dishes/recipe.
@GreenMoo (11834)
2 Jun 08
We use wood when we're cooking outdoors. I'd never actually thought about it being a money saver, but I suppose it is. To cut down on our fuel bill, I am trying to cooke pasta and rice and stuff like that on top of the woodstove. And if I am not cooking something there then I keep a pan of water so that there is always water that's already hot if I need to make tea or wash dishes. It's a case of remembering to do it though. I've not got into the habit yet enough.
@snakequeen (1299)
• India
18 May 08
It is a good idea to use charcoal, but for extra time it takes. Actually in my house we were using charcoal only, till some years ago. Nowadays, not only cooking gas,but prices of many items are soaring. If you save on one, you lose on one! Don't you have an additional gas cylinder?
• Philippines
18 May 08
Well we got addition gas cylinder at home. And we buy one to replace for the other but still it higher to use gas than charcoal.
• Philippines
19 May 08
hmm.. its nice to use charcoal but its so damn smokey... it gets me all teary eyed...