Going green in the kitchen saves you money

While going green in the kitchen will save you money on energy costs, eco-friendly products have a reputation for being expensive, frumpy and difficult to find.

The good news: Earth-friendly products are available in a wider range of styles and costs than ever before, letting you go any shade of green you desire.

According to "Good Green Kitchens" author Jennifer Roberts, when you're contemplating how to make your kitchen eco-friendly, don't assume you need to spend big bucks. Ask yourself, "What environmental problem am I trying to solve, and what are some easy steps to take for maximum impact?" Roberts says.

Here are her recommendations:

1. Eat sustainably

"This is easily the most important step," Roberts says. "If you grow some of your own food or buy as much locally grown produce as you can, you're more than halfway there in terms of having a green kitchen."

2. Work with what you already have

"People think making a kitchen green means you have to go out and buy new stuff and throw out what you've got," Roberts says, "but the greenest approach is actually to try to work as much as possible with what you already have." Think "refresh," not "remodel."

3. Remodel with recycled materials

Buy lightly used cabinetry at a building salvage shop, find countertops and backsplashes made of recycled aluminum or glass and purchase locally made new materials.

4. Choose energy-saving appliances

"At the top of this list is the refrigerator," Roberts says. "If it's more than 10 or 12 years old, it's time to replace it with an energy-efficient model. These days you can get a really great refrigerator that will consume fewer than 400 kilowatt-hours per year, which is low." (Older fridges consume as much as 1,200 kilowatt-hours per year.)

Dishwashers can also be a great place to save energy. If you're purchasing a new one, compare labels to find those that use the least energy and water, and if you already have one with water-miser and heat-free dryer settings, use them.

5. When cooking, think small

"Use smaller appliances whenever possible," Roberts says. "If you can cook in the microwave rather than the full-size oven, it saves energy."

(For thousands of other ideas visit www.hgtv.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)