Domestic LPG price hiked by Rs 29 per 14.2kg cylinder: 10 tips to reduce your LPG consumption by 50%

Domestic LPG is the lifeline of any Indian kitchen. From breakfast to dinner, no meal is complete without using LPG. Amidst the wars and global crisis of commercial fuels, the impact is now going to affect the pockets of commoners as well. According to a PTI report, domestic LPG prices have increased by Rs 29 per 14.2kg cylinder, marking the second hike in the last three months. With the latest revision, the price of a 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi has gone up to Rs 942 from Rs 913. The revised rates came into effect on June 7. This increase follows an earlier hike of Rs 60 per cylinder on March 7 a revision that came after the conflict in West Asia disrupted global energy supplies and pushed up international fuel prices. This price hike is largely going to impact the pockets of commoners. Keeping that in mind, Dr Nandita Iyer, Health Coach, recently shared a list of practical health advice tips on Instagram that can help reduce your LPG consumption by 50%. Take a look. According to Dr Iyer, pressure cooking reduces cooking time by 30-70%, especially for dals, beans, potatoes and meats.She also states that soaking reduces the cooking time significantly. She explains that typical soaking times are 8–10 hours for rajma or chana, 30–60 minutes for dals, and 20–30 minutes for rice. According to her post, soaked foods cook 30-50% faster, saving LPG.On most Indian gas stoves, small burners are used for tadka, tea, or reheating. A large burner is for pressure cooking or boiling water. Using a larger burner for small vessels wastes gas. Don't use the large burner for all the cooking.According to her Instagram post, cooking with a lid retains heat, reduces evaporation, and speeds up cooking. This also reduces fuel use by 20-25%.Smaller pieces cook faster because of more surface area, faster heat penetration and quicker cooking. For instance, diced potatoes cook faster than larger chunks. She also suggests that many foods continue cooking with trapped heat. Hence, in such cases, one can save LPG by switching off the flame. This technique can be used for rice, khichdi, boiled veggies, and dal after pressure cooking. Turning off the flame 2-3 minutes earlier can save fuel.She suggests stacking in a pressure cooker: dal below, rice above, and vegetables in a small bowl. By practicing this, one-flame multi-cooking can cut fuel use dramatically. Even in smaller cookers, you can keep one vegetable directly in the cooker and another in a cup over it.Blocked burner holes cause inefficient combustion. She suggests cleaning burners every few weeks to ensure a blue flame, faster heating, and low LPG use. She states that heavy-bottom cookware distributes heat evenly, reducing cooking time. Best materials to use are stainless steel with a thick base, triply steel, and cast iron (for slow cooking). Thin vessels waste heat and burn food.She also suggests practicing smarter cooking tricks. For instance, use an electric kettle for boiling water for tea, pasta, blanching veggies or to add to a pressure cooker. Batch cook rice, dal, beans, and potatoes for 2-3 meals. Refrigerate the extra portions. For the same fuel consumption, you get double the meals cooked.