Midsummer cooking can go from sweet to sweltering fast. With record-breaking heat waves becoming more common across the US and triple-digit temperatures hitting many regions this month, the thought of standing over a hot stove is enough to make anyone reach for a takeout menu.
But there are ways to manage. When it’s dangerously hot outside, a few simple adjustments to how and when you cook can help you stay cool and still get a great meal on the table.
It doesn’t take much — just a few smart moves, like choosing the right appliances and timing your cooking sessions strategically. The payoff goes beyond comfort, too: keeping heat contained in the kitchen means the rest of your home stays cooler and your AC bill doesn’t spiral.
Here are nine practical tips to keep you and your kitchen cool, even when the temperature is pushing you to the brink.
1. Prepare food instead of cooking
Don’t want to heat up your kitchen? Don’t cook. That doesn’t mean you can’t eat. Focus on no-cook, fresh foods, such as summer salads, ceviche, smoothies and cold noodles. Even slicing up fresh fruit or vegetables, such as cucumbers and melons, can be a refreshing and healthy summer treat. No-cook foods help beat the heat in two ways: By not heating up your kitchen — or your body — as you consume them.
When you do cook, limit your time in the kitchen with a helpful meal kit (these are the best meal kits for 2026). You’ll likely still have to cook the food, but you’ll do far less prep and spending less time in a sweltering kitchen is definitely a good thing. Most services offer lighter, no-cook meals during the summer, too.
Essential gear for food prep
2. Use an exhaust fan
If you’re going to use your oven, make sure the exhaust fan is on full tilt whenever you do. Most people associate exhaust systems with limiting smoke, but these above-oven fans suck up a ton of heat, too.
3. Use an outdoor grill or pizza oven
Take the heat out of the kitchen by cooking outdoors this summer. Barbecued grilled chicken or steaks are classics for the grill but don’t forget you can grill summer favorites like corn on the cob or watermelon. You might be hot while you’re outside using a grill or smoker to heat food, but your kitchen can stay cool.
Essential gear for grilling and outdoor cooking, all tested and reviewed.
4. Use the air fryer or Instant Pot
Minimizing use of the oven and stove can help you avoid heating up your kitchen. Small appliances can cook your food just as well while emitting less heat than large appliances. Try using an air fryer instead of your wall oven, or a panini press instead of the stovetop. You’d be surprised how versatile small appliances can be. Your slow cooker and Instant Pot aren’t just for winter soups and stews. Think of summer recipes you can achieve on your countertop, like Instant Pot pork carnitas. Don’t turn your nose up at your microwave, which can zap rice, quinoa, vegetables and more while generating practically no heat.
Kitchen appliances that keep your wall oven off
5. Meal prep ahead of heat waves
If you’re going to heat up your kitchen, make it worth it. If you do end up using your oven or stovetop, make larger quantities than normal. That way, you can use precooked leftovers, which means you have food ready to go without heating up your kitchen again.
With the right kitchen appliances, you can batch cook and keep the oven off. For example, make a whole bunch of pulled chicken in your Instant Pot (which gives off very little heat). Then you can use the leftovers to make tacos, chicken salad nachos and other meals that don’t require firing up your oven.
Best gear for batch cooking
6. Cook during cooler hours
Cooking in your kitchen when it’s already hot outside (and maybe already hot in your home) means you’ll only add to the heat. Plan ahead and strategize your cooking times for when it’s not as hot. The best time to cook to avoid the heat is in the morning or later in the evening. That might appear easier said than done, but you could bake bread in the morning, or cook proteins and pasta dishes while you’re making breakfast or an early lunch so they’ll be ready to go for dinner.
More cool kitchen tips
7. Add fans
Airflow can help cool down your kitchen. If you’re using your stove, turn on the range hood vent. It’s there to remove not just grease, fumes and odors but smoke, heat and steam that could get trapped and heat up your kitchen while you’re cooking. Plus, you can keep a fan on in the kitchen to move air around and cool it down. You can also position your fan to move hot air out, or bring cold air in with a cool, wet towel.
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8. Limit bright lights
Sunlight and even artificial interior light can generate heat, and when you’re in the heat of summer, every degree counts. Dim the lights, shut any curtains, close your blinds and limit how many lights you turn on. You don’t need to work in the dark but be wary of turning on lots of overhead lights.
Smart lights for a kitchen glow-up
9. Keep yourself hydrated
This strategy won’t lower the actual temperature in your kitchen but it will make the heat more bearable. Hydration is the No. 1 rule for most summer activities, and cooking outdoors or in a warm kitchen is no exception. Drink lots of water — it’s recommended to drink between 11 and 15 cups per day — and sip even more than you think you should when the mercury rises.
Want to punch it up a bit? Try water infusions for more flavor and refreshment. Planning to sweat? Add sea salt and lemon to boost electrolytes and flavor.
Hot tips to stay hydrated
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