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Grilled burgers and dogs are summer staples, but without a proper patio, grilling becomes a fire hazard. Don't give up! Stovetop grills lack romance, but they're cheap and easy to clean. Plus, they do brand your buns with the all-important grill marks. The Chefmaster Smokeless Indoor Grill is available for as little as $10 from Shop.com. Fancypants, however, may prefer the DeLonghi Indoor Grill, which uses both radiant and contact heat and features an enameled, cast-iron grate. It goes for about $90 at Williams-Sonoma.

Ice Cream
You don't need a lot of space to make ice cream, but it is handy to have an ice-cream maker. If you're hardcore, you can make one from two coffee cans and instructions easily found on the Internet. But it's easier to go to Strasser's and ask for a classic White Mountain hand-crank model. (White Mountains are pricey -- they run upward of $150 -- but they're high-quality.) When your arms are too tired to crank anymore, your ice cream is ready to eat. Smaller, electric versions are available for wusses.

Potent Potables
Question: Does sangria go with ice cream? Answer: Yes. Everything goes with ice cream. This is a very important principle of summer. In addition to sundae boats and parfait cups, Pryde's also stocks beautiful Italian-glass spigot jars perfect for filling with your own magic recipe of sugar, wine and fruit. Taller than they are wide, the jars don't take up much counter space, and when they're not holding summer elixirs, they're great for storage or display. If sangria isn't your thing, consider devoting this summer to perfecting your fresh lemonade recipe. (Hint: Add a touch of lime juice.)