4 Tips for Handling the Heat in a Commercial Kitchen
If you can’t handle the heat, we get it.
The Cambridge Dictionary’s entry for the saying “If you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen” reads “A way to tell someone that they should either stop complaining about a difficult or unpleasant activity, or stop doing it.” We get where they’re coming from, but as temperatures across the midwest set records this week, we understand the complaints. Kitchens are often hot places to work, and outdoor temperatures sitting in the high 90’s for a week straight aren’t doing chefs any favors.
So what can you do about it? Unfortunately, as you know well by now, kitchens are hot by nature. That tends to happen when several ovens, ranges, griddles, and broilers occupy a small, crowded space filled with fast-moving people working at a breakneck pace. But, there are ways to keep yourself cool during a busy shift that don’t involve dunking your face in a sink full of cold water. During service, chefs probably don’t have time for that anyways, so read on to see what we suggest instead.
1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
This one is self-explanatory, but drinking enough water goes a long way in regulating your body temperature. We’ve all seen that screenshot of Chef Carmy from The Bear drinking out of a deli container, and he’s setting a great example here. Keeping a container of ice water at your station makes it easy to take quick drinks while you’re working hard, and doing so consistently will really help you avoid heat fatigue.
The CDC recommends avoiding fluids high in sugar and sodium when avoiding heat exhaustion, so plain old water with an optional electrolyte additive is probably your best bet.
FX's The Bear showcased a common kitchen trick - rehydrating via deli container.
2. Cold towels work wonders.
It almost sounds too simple to be effective, but a damp towel or bandana tied around your forehead or draped around your neck is surprisingly good at cooling you down. Through evaporative cooling, a damp towel absorbs body heat and expels it as the water in the towel evaporates. After enough water has evaporated, simply dunk the towel in more cold water to restart the cycle. Just don’t use that towel to grab a hot pan unless you want to burn your hand; wet towels + hot metal = instant steam.
3. Lighten your clothing.
A chef’s coat always looks good, but it’s not always the coolest choice temperature-wise. Switching to a short-sleeved shirt or workwear made of sweat-wicking materials is a great temporary move to keep yourself cool in weather like this. Some restaurant attire companies even offer kitchen-specific clothing made of those materials, which can come in handy for open kitchens where looking professional is important.
Additionally, wearing well-ventilated footwear like Crocs can help keep your lower half cool. Just make sure they’re the nonslip, closed-toe variety!
4. Maintain your kitchen’s ventilation system.
The single most important thing you can do to keep your kitchen as cool as possible is to properly maintain your HVAC system. That includes cleaning and changing out grease traps when necessary, keeping hood filters and fans clear of and buildup, and ensuring your entire restaurant’s air conditioning system is clean and functioning properly, especially if you have separate HVAC zones for the kitchen and dining room.
Doing all of this is a lot of work, but it will result in cool air being properly routed to your kitchen, while airborne grease and other vapors are captured and hot air is expelled. Preventative, on-time maintenance is key to avoid HVAC issues coming to a head during heat waves like this week’s, and you’ll certainly thank yourself (and your team) when you can work in a busy kitchen without melting.
A well-maintained hood will exhaust hot air and steam, keeping your kitchen cooler.
Conclusion
Once you nail the proper self-cooling routine (and double check that your equipment is well-maintained), you’ll be on your way to a more comfortable kitchen despite the outside heat.
If you found any of these tips helpful, or if you’re in need of some upgrades to your exhaust hoods, grease traps, ice machines, or any other foodservice equipment, we hope you’ll visit our new restaurant equipment page to see what we have available. We also offer design services, used equipment, and we’d love to help keep your kitchen running cool, so give us a call!