This year the solstice brought with it a record-breaking heat wave for much of the US. When the temperatures and dew points both spike this high, standing over a hot stove for any length of time is unappealing, to say the least. Keeping cool while cooking in the midst of a heat wave is difficult, but there are ways to both eat well and avoid overheating. Recipe sites are all publishing their best 'beat the heat' options: The Pioneer Woman has some quick and easy recipes on tap and The Independent offers five quick summer salads, just for starters. Visit almost any food website and you can find inspiration in the form of chilled soups, air fryer and Instant Pot recipes, and salads galore.

Using small appliances is a great way to minimize heat. My kitchen faces southwest and the sun beats down on it all afternoon, making it uncomfortably warm even with air conditioning. My plan when this happens is to use the toaster oven and Instant Pot as much as possible. The toaster oven will accommodate a large pie or 2-quart casserole dish and produces much less residual heat than the large wall oven. The Instant Pot tackles tasks that normally would take place on the stovetop, such as sweating vegetables and cooking rice and beans.

For the same reason, I don't run the dishwasher until the evening - adding extra heat AND humidity during the day makes no sense. Utility companies appreciate this, because air conditioning units during peak daytime hours use a tremendous amount of electricity. Limiting use of all large appliances until after dark helps manage the electric grid to avoid brown outs, equipment failures, or the use of auxiliary power plants, which are often not climate-friendly. Some utilities even charge less for off-peak use so it could lower your electric bill. How do you keep things cool in the kitchen?