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The United States has been battling scorching temperatures all summer long. But that doesn’t mean you can’t cook. The solution? No more ordering takeout. And you don’t have to eat ice-cold meals. You can still get cooking and use your stove if you follow these handy tips to keep your home and kitchen free of humidity and heat.
Read more: Best Foods to Stay Hydrated During a Heat Wave
In the summer, using your oven is the biggest cause of an overheated home. Our expert cooking tips can help you keep your home cool and save money while enjoying a hot meal. There are also other appliances you can use to cook food that won’t necessarily overwhelm the temperature in your kitchen, let alone your home.
Read on to find out how to keep your kitchen cool during a heatwave summer.
1. Prepare food instead of cooking it
Ceviche doesn’t need to be cooked. It might just be the perfect summer food.
Don’t want to heat up your kitchen? Then don’t cook. But that doesn’t mean you can’t eat. Focus on fresh, uncooked foods, like summer salads, ceviche, smoothies, and cold noodles. Even cutting up fresh fruits or vegetables like cucumbers and melons can be a refreshing and healthy summer treat. And uncooked foods help beat the heat in two ways: by not heating up your kitchen—or your body—while you eat them.
And if you cook, limit your time in the kitchen with a handy meal kit (these are the best meal kits for 2023). While you’ll probably still have to cook the food, you’ll have a lot less prep to do and spending less time in a steamy kitchen is definitely a good idea. Most services also offer lighter, no-cook meals in the summer.
Essential Equipment for Food Preparation
2. Use your exhaust fan
An extractor fan above the stove is most useful on hot summer days.
If you are going to use your oven, make sure the exhaust fan is running at full speed when you do so. Most people associate exhaust systems with reducing smoke, but these fans above the oven also suck up a lot of heat.
3. Cook outside with a grill or pizza oven
Home pizza ovens are on the rise and are an excellent alternative to cooking in hot ovens indoors.
Take the heat out of the kitchen by cooking outdoors this summer. BBQ grilled chicken or steaks are classics on the grill, but don’t forget you can grill summer favorites like corn cob or watermelonalso. You can feel warm when you are outside using a grill or a smoker to heat up food, but your kitchen can stay cool.
Essential gear for grilling and outdoor cooking, all tested and reviewed.
4. Use an air fryer or Instant Pot
Slow cookers give off much less heat than an oven.
Minimizing your oven and stove usage will help prevent your kitchen from heating up. Small appliances can cook your food just as well and give off less heat than larger appliances. Try a air fryer instead of your wall oven, or a panini press instead of the cooker. You’ll be amazed at how versatile small appliances can be. Your slow cooker and Instant Pot aren’t just for winter soups and stews, either. Think summer recipes you can make on your countertop, like Instant Pot pork carnitas. And don’t be afraid of your microwave, which can burn rice, quinoa, veggies, and more with virtually no heat.
Kitchen appliances that keep your built-in oven out
5. Meal prep is your friend during summer
Some Instant Pots can also be used as air fryers.
If you’re going to heat up your kitchen, make sure it’s worth it. If you do end up using your oven or stove, make larger batches than usual. That way, you can use pre-cooked leftovers, meaning you’ll have food ready to go without having to reheat your kitchen.
But with the right kitchen equipment, you can cook in large quantities And Keep the oven off. For example, make a bunch of pulled chicken in your Instant Pot (which puts out very little heat). Then you can use the leftovers to make tacos, chicken salad nachos, and other meals that don’t require turning on the oven.
Best Equipment for Batch Cooking
6. Cook during cooler hours
If you are going to cook, do it when it is cooler.
Cooking in your kitchen when it’s already hot outside (and possibly warm inside your house) will only add to the heat. Plan ahead and strategically schedule your cooking times for when it’s not as hot. The best times to cook to avoid the heat are in the morning or later in the evening. That may seem easier said than done, but you can bake bread in the morning or cook protein and pasta dishes while you’re making breakfast or an early lunch, so they’re ready to eat for dinner.
More cool kitchen tips
7. Add fans to the mix
We are big fans of air circulation in the summer.
Airflow can help cool down your kitchen. When you’re using your stove, turn on the extractor fan. This is there to not only remove grease, fumes, and odors, but also smoke, heat, and steam that can get trapped and heat up your kitchen while you’re cooking. Additionally, you can run a fan in your kitchen to move air and cool it down. You can also position your fan to blow hot air out, or cold air in with a cool, wet towel.
We are fans of this one
8. Limit lighting
Let there be (less) light.
Sunlight and even artificial indoor light can generate heat, and in the heat of summer, every degree counts. Dim the lights, draw curtains, close your blinds, and limit the number of lights you turn on. You don’t have to work in the dark, but be careful about turning on too many overhead lights.
Smart lighting for a bright kitchen
9. Stay hydrated
Water, water everywhere.
This strategy won’t lower the actual temperature in your kitchen, but it will make the heat a lot more bearable. Hydration is rule number one for any summer activity, and cooking outdoors or in a hot kitchen is no exception. Drink plenty of water—the recommendation is between 11 and 15 cups a day—and even sip more than you think you should when the mercury rises.
Want to spice things up? Try water infusions for more flavor and refreshment. Going to sweat? Add sea salt and lemon to boost electrolytes and flavor.
