Can't Stand The Heat? Tips and Tricks For Keeping Your Cool In The Kitchen.

My first summer restaurant job was working in a BBQ restaurant located in what has generously been described by some of my co-workers as a smoky shack in a run-down lot. The kitchen was cramped and uncomfortable. We frequently exceeded our maximum capacity in the dining room, and to top it all off, the single window unit that was responsible for cooling the entire restaurant went out within my first week. Needless to say, being trapped between a char-grill and a 15ft smoker in those already miserable conditions, I quickly picked up on some tricks of the trade for keeping cool in some less-than hospitable conditions.

So, this is it! A comprehensive guide to keeping it icy on a hot line. It should be noted however, that if you feel as though your working conditions are unsafe and unacceptable you should file a claim with OSHA here -> https://www.osha.gov/workers/file-complaint

Tip #1 - Water, Water, Water!!!

I know this seems obvious. You get hot you drink water. Right? Maybe not. According to the National Institutes of health, 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Restaurant workers are no exception. The conventional wisdom is to drink six 8oz glasses of water a day. However, for cooks, this may not be enough. Personally, I try to take a water break every thirty minutes or so. It doesn't have to be a long one. Just take long enough to swallow a few gulps of water. I find that it also helps to turn water breaks into a team exercise. Having everyone drink water together is a great way to boost morale, reset the teams momentum, show that you care about the health of your colleagues.

Tip #2 - Use Floor or Mounted Fans

Use fans to circulate air through the kitchen. A small breeze can go a long way toward increasing comfort in a sweltering kitchen.

BONUS TIP: Make sure your hood vents are in proper working condition. The whole point of these vents are to pull the smoke, steam, and heat out of the kitchen. If your vents aren't fully functional, they need to be repaired ASAP!

Tip #3 - Cool Towels

For this next tip all you need is a container of some kind (1/6 or 1/3 pans work perfectly), ice water, and a couple of towels or bandanas. Put it all together and keep it on the bottom shelf of your low-boy cooler*. Keep a couple of towels in the pan at a time so that you'll always have a fresh one.

*Just remember to remove it if a health inspector walks in.

Tip #4 - Go "Clean" the Walk-in Cooler

The excuse for this doesn't have to be good because everyone already knows what you're doing. So, tell chef you're going to the walk-in to polish the tomatoes and take a few minutes to just sit on a pickle bucket. While you're in there you might as well check labels and change pans. At least you can say you were doing something.

Tip #5 - Ditch the Chef's Coat

The best thing you can do to stay cool in the kitchen is wearing the right clothes. Make sure that you are wearing something light and breathable. If your boss allows it, switch from a chef's coat to a t-shirt. Switch your jeans out for light-weight chef pants. Instead of a baseball cap, try a bandana, skullcap, or a hairnet.

You can find some of my favorite light and breathable chef uniforms here:

https://www.chefworks.com/cool-vent-collection

Not an Office Job

Unfortunately, working in a kitchen will never be a comfortable job, but you didn't get into this field to be comfortable. You got into this industry to take care of others. Hopefully these tips will help keep you and your colleagues healthy and happy while you do just that.