Keeping the Kitchen Cool This Summer: Appliances to the Rescue

When the summer heat rolls in, everyone wants a cooler kitchen. Rethinking your cooking methods can make a world of difference. The good news is, you don't have to sacrifice delicious meals. A range of modern kitchen appliances is an excellent alternative to firing up your traditional oven or stovetop, helping to keep your kitchen significantly cooler and cleaner. Some, like the InstaPot, cook quicker with no attended cooking time needed. Bonus!

Here are some top contenders that minimize heat output:

• Instant Pot (Multi-Cooker): This versatile appliance is a champion of cool cooking. As a pressure cooker, it cooks food rapidly and efficiently, trapping most of the heat and steam inside. Whether you're making soups, stews, rice, or even yogurt, the Instant Pot keeps kitchen temperatures down while delivering tender, flavorful results. One tip: rice and grains should be cooked with half the water required for the stove because the water does not evaporate while cooking in this appliance. One cup of rice to 1 cup of water is best. Consider the wide InstaPot, one of their newest options, which cooks more evenly. We can cook brown rice in 30 minutes instead of 45 minutes. Most items cook in at least a third of the time unattended.

• Toaster Oven: Far more than just toasting bread, a modern toaster oven can handle a surprising array of tasks – from baking small batches of cookies and roasting vegetables to reheating leftovers or toasting sandwiches. Its compact size means it heats up quickly and uses significantly less energy than a full-sized oven, thus radiating less heat into your kitchen and saving on electricity costs.

• Air Fryer: For that satisfying crispy texture without deep-frying, the air fryer is your go-to. It's essentially a small convection oven that circulates hot air rapidly. Because it's enclosed and efficient, it produces much less ambient heat than a conventional oven, making it perfect for "frying" fish, chicken, vegetables, and oven-fried potatoes, without warming up your entire home.

• Panini Grill: This countertop hero is perfect for quick meals. Beyond classic panini sandwiches, you can grill chicken breasts, fish fillets, vegetables, or even make quesadillas. Its direct contact heating means food cooks quickly and efficiently, with minimal heat escaping into the room.

• Hot Pot: While designed for communal cooking, a hot pot setup (an electric burner with a pot) also keeps your kitchen cooler than a stovetop. The heat is concentrated directly under the pot, and the steam is usually localized around the table. It's a fantastic way to enjoy a fresh, customizable meal without a hot, steamy kitchen, as the cooking is done at the table.

By strategically incorporating these smaller, more efficient appliances into your cooking routine, you can enjoy delicious, home-cooked meals year-round, all while maintaining a comfortable and cool kitchen environment.

If you shop around, you can save money by buying these items on sale or as used/refurbished. Garage sales and Facebook Marketplace often feature options that are like new because they were never used.