Use your microwave, prep before heating, and use some commonsense cooking tips to keep your kitchen cool.

Can't stand the heat? Get the heat out of the kitchen.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Our great-grandmothers had stand-alone summer kitchen buildings for a good reason: Cooking and washing dishes generates much heat and steam, two things we could use a lot less of on hot summer days. But even in an unending heat wave, you don’t need an outdoor kitchen to tolerate a good home-cooked meal (though having one would be really nice sometimes!). If you want to keep your home cool—and your air conditioner from kicking into overdrive during dinnertime—here are 15 quick and easy summer cooking tips that will cut both your oven’s and your AC’s energy use.

1. Make lots of salads, cold soups, and other fresh, raw dishes. Enjoy the local bounty from your garden or local farmer's market and save both cooking and transportation energy.

2. Heat or cook things in the microwave whenever possible, rather than on the stovetop or in the oven. It’s energy-efficient and heats only the food, not the air or a lot of extra water.

3.Prep before heating. Do all the slicing, dicing, and measuring before you turn on the heat.

4. Use the smallest pot for the job and put it on the smallest burner that will work. If you have a gas stove, adjust the flame so it isn’t licking up the sides. And consider cast-iron cookware, which retains heat, allowing you to turn your burners down lower.

5. Use as little extra liquid as possible. When boiling vegetables, add just enough water so it covers the vegetables, not so much that you have a full pot.

6. Cover your pots, allowing you to turn down the burner and get the same cooking power.

7. Don’t peek! Every time you lift the lid or open the oven door, heat escapes into your home.

8. Turn your burner or oven off just before the food is done, and let the residual heat finish the cooking process.

9. Use a pressure cooker to cook grains and beans. They’ll cook far faster and emit less heat. Try using a slow cooker to do the cooking while you’re out of the house.

10. Cool foods or leftovers at room temperature for up to an hour before putting them in the refrigerator to reduce the amount of work your appliance has to do. Not only does cooling hot food require more energy, but your fridge also generates heat that is released into the house while doing so. And open its doors as little as possible for the same reason—no gazing into the depths and thinking.