The definitive guide to backyard barbecuing, outdoor living

Staycation. Holi-stay. Sit-about. Home-trip. Call it what you will, but more people are spending more time at home this summer than probably ever before.

A Zogby International poll found that 40 percent of Americans, apprehensive over the economy have limited or canceled their vacation plans. Instead, experts say, they will make use of that most traditional of American spaces: the backyard - albeit a souped-up, 2009-version of the backyard.

The days of a simple kettle grill and umbrella-topped table sitting on a square of paving stones is going the way of lawn darts. These days, more and more backyards are seeing multiple cooking devices, accessories that broaden menus light-years beyond burgers, furniture that looks like it should be in your living room, dedicated electrical and plumbing, greenery that both affords privacy and helps moderate poor weather, and an array of light and heating systems that extend grilling time well beyond noon on summer weekends.

"We have all been conditioned to think that the barbecue should sit on wheels and everything should fit within a 4-foot square space," says Jamie Durie, host of "HGTV Showdown," horticulturalist, landscape designer and founder of Sydney, Australia-based PATIO Landscape Architecture & Design. "(Patio design) has moved on by leaps and bounds. Technology has advanced to the point - that commercial fridges, cooktops and everything traditionally found only inside the house can now be integrated into exterior spaces."

The center of the patio is still, of course, the grill, but not just any grill. Any barbecuer worth his tongs these days must have a grill with infrared burners. The technology generates heat in excess of 900 F, compared to a typical gas grill at 600 to 650 F, so it seals in flavor, providing juicier steaks and chops.

"One of the quests for grilling's Holy Grail is, 'How do I get a steakhouse char at home?' Infrared burners go a long way to giving you that," says Steven Raichlan, grill connoisseur, author and host of "Barbecue University" on PBS.

Infrared burners, formerly only available on high-end $2,500-plus grills, can now be had from manufacturers like Columbus, Ga.-based Char-Broil LLC on models ranging from $500 and $1,000. And infrared isn't the only change to outdoor cooking.

"Multiple grill ownership is another trend," says Raichlan.

Just like a kitchen has an oven, a cooktop, a microwave and possibly other cooking devices, homeowners are finding that they want flexibility in outdoor meal preparation.

"They might use the gas grill for convenience grilling on weeknights, and the charcoal grill and the smoker on the weekend," says Raichlan.

Home smoking in general is growing much more common thanks to easier-to-use backyard models equipped with thermostats from companies like Horizon Smoker Co., Perry, Okla.

But it's not just multiple cookers that are upping a backyard's appliance count. Durie says most of his work these days incorporates entire outdoor kitchens, which can include everything from refrigerators and wine coolers to dishwashers and cabinetry.

"It's the hottest trend in home entertaining," he says. "On the one hand, the recession hampers things, but on the other, eating outdoors at home more often is a great antidote to dining at restaurants."

And an outdoor kitchen needn't be budget-busting. Several companies, including Coventry, R.I.-based Simply Outdoorz, sell outdoor modules so you can build the space as income allows.

Not everything is big-budget and high-tech, either. Dozens of modest accessories are pushing people to expand their grilling horizons: Onward Manufacturing Co.'s GrillPro Wing Rack promotes even cooking of wings, thighs and drumsticks; Grill Innovations' Grill Oven Plate turns a grill into a convection oven for baking; charcoal packed in self-lighting chimney packs make grill startup a snap; and silicone basting brushes don't shed bristles, clean up easily and last a long time.

None of the equipment will provide much benefit, however, unless you have the setting in which to utilize it. Durie says the key to the perfect patio is "creating a greater connection to your garden and getting you to fall in love with your own backyard again via creature comforts."

"There's no excuse for not using your backyard more," he says. "A lot of clients are staying put, nesting and improving their own homes. It's the greatest investment you can make for you and your family."