In the blink of an eye, Summer is here, and the weather is getting warmer by the day. We all know Summer is about good times with family and friends, and of course, tons of delicious eats. But what do you do when it’s scorching outside, and you still need to cook up some grub?
When Summer heats up, your kitchen can go from a cozy haven to a torture chamber of heat in an instant; and cooking can go from a pleasant task to a grueling, taxing chore. Fortunately, you aren’t doomed to suffer through the hottest months of the year with just a little preparation.
To help you beat the heat, here are five of the easiest summer cooking tips to help keep your kitchen cool and comfortable, even when Summer is at its hottest.
1. Don’t Turn the Oven On
For our first tip on keeping your home cool when cooking, we’re going to start with an obvious one: don’t turn your oven on. If keeping things cool in your kitchen is the goal, your best bet will be to cook or prepare things that don’t involve your oven.
Instead of using your oven, consider firing up your grill, mixing up some cold salads, or even using your blender to create some tasty dishes. If you absolutely have to stay in your kitchen, consider limiting the heat to just your stovetop and ideally using recipes that get cooked over low to medium heat.
2. Slow Cooker
Just when you thought it was only reserved for more frigid days, a super smart method to keep the heat out of your kitchen when cooking this summer is to utilize a slow cooker. Slow cookers are a fantastic option for preparing meals while you’re out of your home and will keep the heat relatively contained.
And as an added bonus, when you get home from work or come inside from summer fun, you’ll just have to serve it up and it’s ready to go! Extremely easy, and your home won’t even notice the heat − but it may leave a mouthwatering aroma!
3. Close Curtains or Shades
If have windows throughout your home and cooking in the kitchen is your only option, this next tip is crucial in keeping excess heat out. If you love that natural light that comes into your kitchen every morning, unfortunately, those rays can really heat up your kitchen!
Whenever possible, keep the curtains or shades drawn to limit the amount of heat your letting come through the kitchen. Having the curtains or shades drawn will help keep your kitchen cool, as well as the rest of your home, and can be a huge difference maker on those piping hot days.
4. Use Fans
It’s a common myth that fans can cool down a room since air circulation fans merely move the air around. However, turning fans on when you’re slaving over a hot kitchen can definitely make the time inside your warm home a little more tolerable.
On those days where you’re cooking up a storm inside and the air outside may be cooler than your kitchen, we highly suggest placing a fan next to an open door or window to help bring in that cooler air. This is good to keep in mind during the evenings after the sun sets, but your house still seems to be an oven.
5. Cook Outside
We alluded to it earlier, and quite frankly, the best way to keep your kitchen cool while you cook this summer is to simply cook outside. On the days where it’s bearable to be in the heat, dusting off the grill and cooking outside is a foolproof method to keep your kitchen cool this summer.
Nothing says it’s summertime more than grilling up meals outside, and that’s why if it’s too hot in your home or kitchen, cooking outside is hands-down the best option every time.
Cooking during Summer can sometimes be an uncomfortable chore, but there are many ways to cool down that can make the experience much more pleasant. If you have any additional questions on how to cool down your kitchen this summer,
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