Setting Up a Temporary Kitchen in a Riverside Summer

The hum of a small refrigerator working harder than it was built to is the sound of a temporary kitchen in July. Households that book through kitchen and bath riverside madame and me for a kitchen remodeling project usually find the hardest part is cooking in Riverside, CA, with no countertop, no range and a garage that hits triple digits by noon. A temporary kitchen only works if it respects that heat.

Choose the location by temperature

A garage is the common choice and the worst one in summer, because uninsulated walls hold heat until midnight. A dining room, spare bedroom or covered patio near the back door stays cooler and keeps food away from construction dust. The spot needs a nearby outlet on its own circuit, since a microwave, a toaster oven and a refrigerator on one cord will trip a breaker.

What the setup includes

A folding table or a borrowed countertop, a two-burner induction plate, a microwave, a kettle and a small refrigerator cover most meals. A bathroom vanity or utility tub works as a wash station if the kitchen sink is disconnected, and a plastic bin for dirty dishes stays out of the way. Paper plates cut the washing, but a small set of real plates avoids waste over several weeks.

Food storage in the heat

A full-size refrigerator stays in the house when possible, moved to a hallway or dining room with its own outlet. Dry goods go into sealed plastic bins, off the floor and out of sunlight, because dust and ants arrive with demolition. Freezer items are cooked down or moved to a cooler with ice if the freezer is temporarily unplugged during rough-in electrical work.

Cooking without heating the house

An oven running in a Riverside afternoon heats the whole house and fights the air conditioner. An outdoor grill, a slow cooker on the patio and cold meals handle most days. Cooking early in the morning or after sunset keeps the temporary space livable. The restaurants around the Mission Inn are an easy relief for a household that has reached the end of its patience with microwave dinners.

Running two projects alongside the temporary kitchen

When a bathroom is also being remodeled, the temporary kitchen shares the house with its tile dust and its water shutoffs. The crew gives notice before the water goes off so the household can fill jugs and finish dishes first. A kitchen sink moved to a temporary spot is not reconnected until the plumber has finished the rough-in inspection and the new lines are pressure tested.

When the temporary kitchen comes down

The setup stays until the new countertop is templated, installed and the sink and faucet are connected and tested for leaks. A countertop installed on cabinets that are not level or fastened will crack, so the crew finishes the cabinet install first. The new range and refrigerator come in last. Only then does the folding table go back to the garage.