Photograph by Kiyoshi Togashi

It s never hard for neighbors to know when Mark Graban is hanging out on his patio not with that telltale aromatic smoke rising over the fence. Indeed, most weekends, the 36-year-old health care consultant from Keller, Texas, and his wife are out puttering for hours in their outdoor kitchen, as they experiment with some favorite spicy Southwestern recipes. But they re not always grilling up chipotle chicken or mesquite-smoked steaks. The pride and joy of their outdoor cooking efforts? Wood-fired pizza.

These days more Americans are tantalizing their neighbors with backyard-cooking aromas. With unemployment high and the economy uncertain, six out of 10 people ate more meals at home during the recession, according to research firm Mintel International and a majority of them say they sparked up the barbecue more frequently. In fact, the average grill owner spent nearly six hours a week cooking over the coals (or gas) last year, up more than 27 percent from 2008. And it s not just burgers and dogs. The trend of installing full-scale patio kitchens may have slowed some since the recession began, but industry watchers say backyard chefs looking for fancier, more flavorful fare are continuing to invest in restaurant-caliber accessories, from rotisseries and smokers to infrared grills that promise a high-tech
way to sear in the juices.

But with this year s barbecue season in full swing, ambitious grill-meisters are learning that mosquitoes aren t the only bane of alfresco food prep. The cost of all those extra cooking toys can add up fast; builders say a fully loaded patio kitchen can run anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000. And for those accustomed to turning on the gas, slapping on the burgers and serving a meal in 15 minutes, smokers and wood-fired ovens can seem like Stone Age style cooking, with some taking hours just to warm up. Still, as Americans continue to succumb to the thrill of the grill, the backyard cooking options are only expanding.

High-Tech Grills

Outdoor cooking has been an American tradition since colonial times, when even George Washington wrote in his diary about attending a Virginia barbicue. According to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, 82 percent of U.S. households owned a grill in 2009, up from 72 percent in 2003. The basic concept (food meets flame) hasn t changed, but the $2.2 billion grill market now includes bells and whistles our forefathers never had, like wireless thermometers, built-in rotisseries and marinade drawers.

The geekiest development in the grill market? Infrared technology. Proponents say traditional grills heat up the air surrounding the food (to as high as 450 degrees), which can dry it out; by contrast, they say, infrared uses heated ceramic, glass or stainless steel plates that emit intense radiant energy, heating food to two to three times the temperature of a regular grill locking in juices and flavor. Because infrared can be so scorchingly hot, most makers offer the technology as a side burner add-on to a traditional grill. But pioneering manufacturer TEC Infrared Grills sells high-end infrared-only versions (price range: $800 to $8,000) that can be turned down to as low as 200 degrees.

Smokers

Another, low-tech grill toy that s taking off with barbecue connoisseurs: smokers. These contraptions, which use slow cooking, indirect heat and low temperatures to produce tender, intensely flavorful foods, were the fastest growing portion of the grill industry last year, with market share up nearly 20 percent over 2008, according to research firm NPD Group.

Newbies often start with inexpensive ($50 and up) bullet-shaped water smokers that place a pan of liquid between the heat source and the food rack. Purists like Bill Jamison, coauthor of Smoke & Spice: Cooking With Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue, say that when it comes to taste, only charcoal or wood-burning dry smoker models produce smoked-meat nirvana.

But traditionally, those have involved constant fire stoking and vent adjusting; plus, you have to wait six hours or more to bite into that brisket. That s why manufacturers are rolling out a range of easier-to-use electric and gas-based smokers. Viking has a different solution: a gravity feed model ($3,100) that automatically drops new charcoal into the fire as the old coals burn off, while a damper valve helps control air flow and regulate temperature. Either way, veterans know to shelter their smokers from the wind to avoid sending sooty clouds into neighbors yards.

Burgers, steaks and dogs still top the barbecue hit parade, but Americans are increasingly cooking other faves outdoors, as well. To try to replicate the chewy crusts and smoky flavor of restaurant wood-fired pies, more pizza aficionados are indulging their inner Tuscan baker, building brawny stone-hearth ovens onto their back patios, complete with hefty price tags (from $6,000 to $10,000).

But like smokers, wood-fired pizza ovens can emit excessive smoke. They may cook a pie in only minutes, but they can take hours to heat up, says Alan Zielinski, vice president of the National Kitchen & Bath Association. A cheaper, easier alternative, to produce a crispy crust: Many grills can be fitted with a pie-size pizza stone instead. And one manufacturer, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, sells a gas-fired countertop pizza oven ($6,495) that it says heats up in only 20 minutes. Says Russ Faulk, the company s vice president of product development: It s got the open flame in the back, so you still have that romance.

Portables

According to a recent survey, 64 percent of tailgaters bought grills specifically for park-and-party use. Below, three portables:

Margaritaville Tailgating Grill ($400)
This propane grill, which attaches to your vehicle with a swing-out steel arm, boasts a fold-out side tray and rack room for up to 20 burgers. But don t park on an incline, say some users, since there s no way to level the grill once it s attached. The manufacturer, Jarden Corp. (also behind the Mr. Coffee and Oster brands), says most parking surfaces are flat.

$140
This nifty lightweight unit, originally invented as a way to burn corn cobs as fuel, runs on just eight or so charcoal briquettes but still reaches up to 400 degrees under its stainless-steel dome. (The outer base stays cool.) Try not to open the dome too often during cooking, says U.S. distributor Chris Holloway, or the briquettes can burn out in just two hours.

Son of Hibachi ($75)
Once filled with charcoal, this diminutive two-sided grill folds up like a suitcase to foster quick heating. Unfold it to cook, then, when done, fold it again so that ashes fall into a drawer. Plus, the grill can be stowed while still hot inside a snuff out carrying pouch.