The Rise of the Outdoor Living Space

In recent years, spending time and money on one’s backyard has become vogue. Despite the recession, most people have decided to remodel or upgrade their leisure space. In fact, the recession has changed the paradigm of shopping for outdoor accouterments, forcing most to search for a way to get more bang for their buck. All of this has contributed to the continuing growth of the outdoor product market.

Most people have at least one grill. The weekend warrior in all of us demands as much. Those of us that are diehard grill masters have even taken it further and own several different grills to suit our various needs. Whether your fuel of choice is charcoal or gas, there is no doubt that everyone enjoys barbecue. Throughout its history, the outdoor grill charcoal market has seen its fair share of changes. The effects of these changes spread outward to everyone connected including customers, retail outlets, and big box stores. However, make no mistake, there are more exciting and varied options than ever before. Grills come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and fuel types.

Among the fuel types gas is still the most common. This is most likely due to sheer convenience. Of course, there are some of us out there that still prefer charcoal. Charcoal has the added ability to add flavor to your food while it cooks. Charcoal comes in just as many variations as the grills you can put it in. It can be lump, hardwood, and/or infused. Lump is, in this author’s opinion, the best type of charcoal. It takes a little more work to light lump charcoal but the burn time and flavor is second to none. Charcoal isn’t the only way to infuse the meat with additional flavors. Various wood chips and planks, as well as injectors, allow one to reach maximum flavor and tenderness potential.

Fire pits and other fire features have exploded in popularity. They either come packaged as a prefabricated product or as a do-it-yourself kit. With the aid of a do-it-yourself kit, it is possible to build a small fire pit and with a prefabricated insert, you can include a fire feature in a stone wall that burns wood or gas logs. There are even modern units that have colored glass. In fact, fire features have become so popular that businesses including hotels and restaurants have added them into the décor and builders are even adding them to their construction plans.

The list of fire features is eTiki Torchver growing and encompasses products such as tiki torches, tables with burners, and spa and pool heaters. With the use of a spa and pool heater, one can extend the pool season or even run one’s spa or hot tub all day. Gas units, in particular, take less time to reach the desired temperature. A heater like that creates comfort without breaking the bank.

In short, make every day an outdoor day. Get out there and grill, enjoy friends and family, swim in a heated pool, and then stay cozy and warm by your fire. Make it a great day.