5 Tips To Keep Your Home Cool While Cooking For The Holidays

Even though food can be one of the best parts of this time of year, cooking for the holidays can sometimes add extra difficulties you don’t plan on, such as your kitchen heating up your entire house while you cook. As the holiday season rolls around, you might start thinking about how you can solve of the biggest problems families can run into over holiday meals: the house being too hot because of all the cooking! Ellis Air Conditioning and Heating is here with a few tips to help you prepare for that extra heat this holiday season.

Use Your Oven Sparingly

There’s no getting around the fact that your oven will probably be used over the holidays. However, if you could use your oven in “shifts” as opposed to all at once, your home’s temperature will stay at a more constant and manageable level. Cooking some of the dishes ahead of time– perhaps the day before- will allow your oven to cool down halfway through the process and give your AC unit time to regain control of the temperature, no matter how big of a job cooking for the holidays is.

Use A Slow Cooker

Some dishes can be cooked in alternate appliances such as slow cookers or an air fryer. While cooking something as large as a turkey or a similar food usually requires using a large oven, there are many dishes that will be just as delicious if they are cooked in a smaller appliance. Those smaller and more contained appliances will keep the hot air from seeping into the room while you’re cooking for the holidays.

Keep Fans On

Keeping the air moving in your kitchen and the surrounding rooms will do wonders for the heat. Ceiling fans are invaluable when it comes to air circulation, and turning those on throughout the house will keep hot air from sitting in the house and heating it up. If your kitchen does not have a ceiling fan, or if the fans aren’t making a big enough difference, you can add some space coolers or portable fans to the space to keep that air circulating.

Open Your Door

Around this time of year, the outside temperatures should be getting pretty low throughout the day. Keeping the front or back door open while you’re cooking for the holidays will let some of that hot air out in exchange for a cool breeze. Plus, you’ll know if any of your guests arrive early when you hear them approaching your open door! Your air conditioning unit will thank you for the extra help of that natural cool air running through the house.

Outside Cooking

Outside grills can be a great way to keep some heat out of your home. While cooking for the holidays is traditionally done inside, spreading the process into the outside areas will keep the kitchen from experiencing a little extra heat. Whether you cook your turkey or other main dish outside, or just grill some veggies for a side dish, any food you can cook outside will be beneficial to the temperature of your kitchen.

Call Ellis Air Conditioning and Heat To Keep Your Holiday Guests Cool

When you’re cooking for the holidays this year, don’t let the holiday cheer get dampened by an overly hot house! To make sure your AC is working properly, call Ellis Air Conditioning and Heating and we’ll send one of our skilled team members to come and check things out.