The UK is having a bona fide heatwave, as you have probably noticed. The week began quite hot but now it has gone full Scorchio, with temperatures set to soar into the 30s over the next few days. It even promises to be hot at the weekend. While good weather is a cause for delight, really hot weather can be rather unpleasant but thankfully there are plenty of great gadgets and gizmos you can buy to help you stay cool. A bit of summer shopping will also help boost the UK's ailing economy, so it's a win-win.
Already in this UK Heatwave Week, we've looked at how to get the most out of portable air conditioners and how to avoid those mistakes that everyone makes with fans. If you're in a hurry, you could move straight on to our guides to the best portable air conditioners. We also list the best Dyson fans, for those who are fans of fancier fans. These are all highly practical devices, but they aren't a lot of fun. So here is a list of more enjoyable ways to stay cool in the summer heat of the UK's scorching heatwave of 2022.
Enjoy it while it lasts; it'll probably be snowing in a week's time.
1. Sage The Smart Scoop
There is nothing better on a hot day than an ice-cream. And there is no more satisfying ice cream than one you've made yourself. And it's even better if you've got cooking-mad kids who can do it for you while you relax in an ice bath, or wrestle with the BBQ – although do take heed of our guide to mistakes people make with charcoal grills.
This Sage ice machine makes things very easy indeed. All you need to do is pre-cool it at the touch of a button, put in your ice cream mix and The Smart Scoop does the rest for you. It notifies you when it's time to add 'drop-ins' such as chocolate chips, nuts and so forth, and can even be set to tell you it's finished by sounding an authentic ice cream van-style chiming alarm. Very cute.
My top tip for home-made ice cream is not to muck about with blending ingredients to make the base. Just buy a tub of posh custard or live yogurt (Greek or, er, non-Greek) from the supermarket and flavour it how you like. Easy peasy.
Scroll down for some much more affordable ice cream makers…
2. Super Soaker Freezefire 2.0 Water Gun
Hot weather is a great excuse to soak people with water – and about 60% of the time, they won't even mind! As the name of this water blaster suggests, the soaking will be even cooler than the norm here, thanks to a special over-sized ice cube reservoir in addition to the usual water tank. Be sure to shout things like 'Ice to see you' and 'Chill out, dude' as you use it on family, friends and strangers at the local bus stop. You could also presumably use it as an iced margarita dispensing device.
You can find plenty more great water blasters in our best water guns guide.
3. Meaco MeacoFan 260c Cordless Air Circulator
Okay, this small but mighty fan is arguably less enjoyable than hand-made ice cream and water fights, but it's considerably cheaper than the former and less likely than the latter to lead to arguments and accidents. You really won't believe how good this fan is, given its low price and diminutive size.
Its battery lasts for 14 hours and the small size means it can carried with you wherever you go and used as either a hand or desk fan. Take it on public transport and people will almost literally melt with jealousy. Meaco says you can 'cool the whole room' with it, but that might be a bit of a stretch. Luckily the brand has plenty of other, larger fans for doing that job more thoroughly. Take a look at our guide to the best fans for more info.
4. KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker 5KSMICM
KitchenAid has long provided an ice cream maker attachment for its much-loved Artisan Stand Mixer, but this is a new and improved version that scrapes the sides down as it goes. All you have to do is freeze the bowl, put in your mixture and favoured flavourings and KitchenAid will do the rest.
This is a device for the larger kitchen, admittedly. It not only requires you to own a KitchenAid mixer, it also needs to be deep-chilled in the freezer before use – and it's a thick walled, 1.9-litre bowl, so that will require a certain amount of deep freeze real estate. You just know the results will be super creamy and opulently delicious though, right?
Scroll down for some much more affordable ice cream makers…
KitchenAid also has this rather outrageous ice shaver. It's perfect for making granitas, frozen cocktails and, it says here, 'the famous Hawaiian ‘shave ice’, Puerto Rican piraguas or Japanese kakigori – there’s plenty of shaved ice desserts and drinks to try!' It's also a snip at just £109 (opens in new tab) although shop around and you may be able to 'shave' some money off that price.
More ice cream maker deals right now
5. JML Chillmax pillow
The JML Chillmax is in fact not so much a pillow as a gel-filled pad, a bit like one of those neck pillow things you take on flights, but bigger and shaped like an actual pillow. You can use it au naturel and the gel and plush exterior will keep your face – or whatever else you put it on – cool. Alternatively, refrigerate your Chillmax before use and it'll keep you really cool.
In normal British weather this could be a rather unpleasant sensation but in a heatwave, it's an absolute delight, and will help give you a rapid cool-down and help you sleep too. It also has various therapeutic and sleep-enhancing uses, as JML's thousands of joyful customers will be all too happy to tell you on Amazon. It's only a tenner, what's not to like?
