How Do You Keep Cool When Baking?

[jesslane94]

We all know it's summer, and it gets really hot outside... and inside the kitchen. With that oven on, and all the moving around, along with the microwave maybe going... It gets intense! I get hot so easily and it's all I can do to stay in there and bear it! Anybody know a good way to keep the heat down in the kitchen? I'd appreciate that so much!!

 

[Mayvin]

I have actually broken down and used the oven a few times even with the air conditioning being out at the house, I just baked on days when it has been cool outside and for the most part it didn't effect the house, fortunately! Sometimes though it has gotten hot, I just bring the standing fan into the kitchen as well as take a cold damp cloth and wrap it around my neck and it keeps me cool.

 

[jesslane94]

I suppose I need to wait until winter to bake then! Ahh, that's a great idea! Bringing a lone fan so it's right in your face! I've also thought about doing the cool towel thing. If there was a necklace of ice cubes I could wear... I'd probably wear it!

 

[Marie]

I don't so much mind the heat if I know I'm creating something tasty by the end of it. I don't have air conditioning though, so usually bring a fan in so the kitchen can cool down for the decorating stage.. I hate making fondant decorations or even rolling balls of cookie dough with hot hands though, so I often run my hands and wrists under cold water for a few minutes every so often.. Makes me feel cool all over for a little while too.

I like the cold, damp cloth idea! Knowing me I'd probably end up with cold water dripping down my back, but if I was that hot I doubt that I'd mind too much..

 

[jesslane94]

I get that sentiment! The cold water idea is good. I have no idea why I haven't thought about doing that yet. Silly me! I wouldn't mind the water at all! haha :]

 

[Karen Watson]

I try to bake during off peak hours to save a little money and it's usually cooler then. If there is a heat wave I stick to no kneed bread or simple cakes that I can sling in the oven and get the heck out!

 

[ACSAPA]

I deal with the brutally Florida summers by baking on rainy days and sometimes baking in the middle of the night. The past couple of days, we've had thunderstorms so I took advantage of the weather to bake.

 

[jesslane94]

Yeah, leaving the kitchen every once in a while might help me out. lol! And night baking sounds fun. I don't know why I never do it to be honest! It has been super rainy where I live too, the temperature is always better!

 

[limcid]

I usually just let it get hot in the kitchen (why fight it?). I do keep the door closed, though. With the window AC units I can just leave the kitchen to get a refreshing break from the heat. I also like to use a smaller convection oven instead of a full-sized oven for most things. It generates a lot less heat.

 

[tiera patterson]

When I am baking I usually make a nice iced tea or a frozen drink to have while I am baking in the summer because baking in a kitchen with the oven on all day can be hell. I like to make a nice frozen non-alcoholic daiquiri or a strawberry ice tea to have handy while in the kitchen.

 

[jesslane94]

Thanks for the input! An iced drink while baking does sound delicious. I need to try that out sometime. haha

 

[stanfordsarah]

We all know it's summer, and it gets really hot outside... and inside the kitchen. With that oven on, and all the moving around, along with the microwave maybe going... It gets intense! I get hot so easily and it's all I can do to stay in there and bear it! Anybody know a good way to keep the heat down in the kitchen? I'd appreciate that so much!!

Nothing stops us! We are here in LA and my mom and I both baked this week and it has been in the high 80's...when you want it, you gotta have it!

 

[Shellyann36]

I wait until later in the evening when it is cooler outside to bake during the summer months. Our house gets way too hot with the 90+ degree weather and the humidity. I really wish I had an outside stove or a summer kitchen would be one of the best things! Our basement is finished and much cooler than the rest of the house and I have honestly considered putting a stove down there for summer cooking as well as canning.

 

[jesslane94]

A basement would be so nice!! I loved being in my aunt's basement, it was so cool down there. I'm a fan of cooler weather, so I can hardly handle this summer heat!

 

[Shellyann36]

A basement would be so nice!! I loved being in my aunt's basement, it was so cool down there. I'm a fan of cooler weather, so I can hardly handle this summer heat!

I really love our basement. I am really going to try to talk hubby into putting the stove down there but it will take some doing. If we purchases an electric stove we would have to run more voltage to plug it in. I have never had a gas stove before so I am not sure if they have to be plugged in as well. Hmm.... will have to do my homework on that.

 

[dramagirl26]

I try not to do much baking during the summertime. But if I have to get in the kitchen to cook, I turn on the AC and the fans to keep cool. I also have a glass of water on hand and take a break every couple of minutes to cool off.

 

[cefmac]

I keep the kitchen windows open, although I still roast. I just put up with it though as we don't have a fan or anything. It makes getting out of the kitchen while my baking's in the oven so much more pleasant. You know what they say, "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen"!

 

[LivetoErr]

The way our house is, the air conditioning doesn't reach the kitchen. It's not central air as our house is made entirely out of concrete. So, there isn't much I can do about the heat. Sometimes I run a fan but that gets annoying fast. Usually I just have a dish towel handy to wipe off any forming sweat and bear it.

 

[OhioTom76]

I run AC full blast in the summer. I cannot stand the heat at all. Of course my electric bills are through the roof, but it's fine because I almost never run my heat in the winter so it all evens out. But I hear you on the heat though, which is why I seldom run my full oven in the summer. Instead I try to use my toaster oven as much as possible. I have a rather large toaster oven which works really well in most cases. It doesn't heat the place up as much and not only that, it heats up much faster overall.

 

[cmckinney01]

When it's hot out, I am careful about what time I do my baking. I either bake early in the morning or in the evening when the temperatures start to drop down. If it's really hot, I avoid baking period.