Your Kitchen Needs a Fan. Here Are the 5 Best to Buy Right Now.

There’s something not quite right about having an air-conditioning unit in the kitchen. For starters, if you’re lucky enough to have a window in your kitchen, it seems a damn shame to block that window with a big, ugly AC unit. You’re losing natural light AND the ability to open your window and let fresh air in. Also: Air conditioners are noisy and my favorite things to do in the kitchen involve talking to my friends and listening to NPR. Do you want to talk over your rattling AC or turn up the radio so loud your neighbors start thumping on the ceiling? I don’t.

So, how should you keep your kitchen cool?

You should definitely consider keeping your oven off as much as possible. Lean on smaller appliances, like a toaster oven or your slow cooker, which will get the job done without turning your kitchen into a sauna.

You should also invest in a fan. A great fan will change your life during the dog days of summer and also in the slightly-sticky days leading up to peak summer and on those rare 90-degree days in October.

Related: I Spent $30 on a Window Fan for My Rental Kitchen, and It’s Made a Huge Difference

Here are 5 of the best fans to keep you and your kitchen cool this summer.

This oscillating fan is quiet and lightweight (so you can easily move it around), with a small footprint and slim design that’s ideal for small spaces.

If your main goal is to keep the cook (that’s you!) cool, consider this compact and super-cute fan from Vornado. Set it on the kitchen counter and point it directly at your face.

This bladeless fan will cool your space without you even noticing it’s there. Your friends will notice, however: The sleek design makes it a talking point. No, it’s not cheap, but we’ve had one of these in the Kitchn offices for years and are extremely happy with it.

If you have a full-size window in your kitchen, a box fan may well be the best $30 you will ever spend. You can have it circulate air from the outside, or the reverse way to get rid of hot air in the kitchen. Yes, it will block your window, but unlike an AC unit, it’s easy to pop in and out.

This small-but-mighty fan offers great bang for the buck. It’s super-strong without being super-loud and its compact size means you can move it around for maximum cooling.