This is such a simple change that I'm embarrassed to say that it hadn't occurred to me until I read Harold McGee's The Invisible Ingredient in Every Kitchen article in the New York Times. According to McGee, water in a pot with a lid on it can be brought to a boil in less than half the time it takes in a pot without a lid, which means you use less energy to heat up the water. Once the water is boiling, you can also turn the flame down (if you have a gas stove, as I do) -- food cooks in the same amount of time whether it's in slightly boiling water or rapidly boiling water.
I read the article back in January, and I've tried to cook with a lid whenever possible since then. It's a habit for me now -- tonight when I made dinner, I didn't even think about putting on the lid... I just did it. I have noticed a difference in how quickly things cook (it may not be twice as fast for all things, but it is definitely faster), and I've also noticed another upside: keeping the heat inside the pot means the kitchen stays cooler and it doesn't get steamy.
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