An outdoor grill is a fixture in nine out of 10 American households, where many families grill year-round and in summer at least once a week. The top three reasons: the food tastes so good, the process requires little cleanup and it is fun to do outside what we do inside most of the year, according to surveys by the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA) in Arlington, Virginia.

 Grills are available in five basic designs: charcoal, gas, electric, dual-fuel hybrids and smokers—each with a wide range of prices and features, including exotics with granite inserts, wok attachments and other bells and whistles.

 Charcoal grills. Charcoal is the ultimate flavorful fuel for many grillers, starting long ago with the basic hibachi and dome-topped Weber, a 1950s classic. The Weber is still popular, with legs, wheels, a steel lid and bowl with adjustable vents for about $85. At 22 inches in diameter (among many sizes), it can handle a large cookout. Basic charcoal grills generally cost $50 to $100, according to the HPBA. If bigger is better, Cajun’s Stretch Grill may suit. Its six-foot-long steel trough holds a truckload of charcoal and provides almost 12 square feet of cooking area, for about $1,700. Grillworks, Inc. makes its Grillery to order, with twin rotisseries and a cooking surface you can crank up or down to get exactly the right heat and flame, for $1,975.

 Gas grills. Costs vary from about $100 to $10,000 and up for most gas grills. For instance, the 56-inch-long Solaire grill has standard, infrared and broiling burners; rotisserie; plus a stainless-steel refrigerator and storage for just under $15,000. But the HPBA says 80 percent of all gas units sold cost under $300. Gas grills offer convenient electronic ignition and flame control. Permanent installations, say, in a masonry barbecue, can be piped for natural gas. Portables you can move around the deck or patio require top-ups for LP (propane) canisters.

 Electric grills. With this type, there’s no charcoal or gas, just an oven-type burner element, a UL listing and a wattage rating. Typical electric grills range from about $150 to $300 and provide a 1,670-watt heating element. The compact units may be the only choice where there is a restriction on open flames from any fuel source, including wood, gas and charcoal.

 Hybrids. With dual-fuel hybrids (gas and charcoal), you can select either fuel separately for convenience or flavor. If speed is the objective, higher-end gas units like the Char-Broil TEC series (starting at about $700) provide one or more infrared burners. These grills feature tiny gas flames that heat a perforated ceramic or glass cover to almost three times the temperature of an open flame in only three or four minutes. With high, even heat, no flare-ups from grease and almost no drying air flow, you can quickly sear food to seal in moisture and finish cooking quickly. Infrared is fast and convenient, but it’s pricey and maybe a bit antiseptic.

 Smokers. These units, starting at about $40, infuse food with steam generated by boiling water with electricity, gas or charcoal. Stacked racks in large smokers can hold layers of different foods. Charcoal units are the most popular and tend to bubble away until surging through an intense steaming that can literally double the size of sausages.

 Back-Yard Fire PitsYou don’t have to rough it in the wild to enjoy a campfire. Back-yard fires can blaze in chimeneas, masonry enclosures, metal bowls, stainless-steel troughs, copper kettles, cast iron pots—you name it. But the most basic and popular is called a fire pit. There are many configurations, even some that contain a circle of controllable gas flames in the center of an outdoor table. Sure, you could just dig a hole and line it with firebrick to make your own. But the quintessential and more versatile fire pit is basically a huge bowl supported on short legs that’s portable and fueled with logs if you want to chop and split, or with natural or LP gas that eliminates cleanup and ashes.

 Aside from generating campfire treats like home-cooked s’mores, homeowners find that fire pits extend the outdoor season, with larger units casting up to a 20-foot-diameter circle of welcoming warmth. It may be enough to stare at the fire and the stars, though many units accept grills for cooking, kettle arms, warming racks and even teak covers to double as low tables.At one end of the spectrum you could buy just the guts—a fire ring piped for gas and enclose it in brick, stone, wood, copper or whatever suits. But because most units are large, heavy and therefore left outside, rust-resistant stainless steel is often used on prefab units. While charcoal and wood fires are typically handled by basic bowls, gas-fueled units open up many decorative options. If you’re not familiar with the wide array of outdoor-fire products, a number of Web sites, such as www.yardiac.com, display hundreds of models. The most prototypical unit may be the Tahoe from The California Firepit (about $700). Its 30-inch diameter, 120-pound forged-steel bowl stands 15 inches high with welded (not bolted) legs and rails, comes with a mesh spark screen, BBQ grate and kettle hook. To see what’s available at the top end of the line, check a Web site such as www.californiaoutdoorconcepts.com. Its 48-inch diameter Solano fire table features a dining-height slab of granite with a 16-inch center cutout. It accepts a granite disk to complete the table, and makes way for an 11,000 BTU stainless-steel grill or ice bucket, or modest fire pit. The assembly (about $2,500 with gas logs) uses disposable propane canisters but can be adapted for natural gas or propane.But there is a potential stopper. Before shopping for a fire pit it’s wise to check with your local building department. That’s because an increasing number of jurisdictions do not allow any appliances that produce open flames on decks, patios or out in the yard. Outdoor SpasThey’re called hot tubs, spas, and whirlpools, but by any name, a warm soak outside on a cool night is relaxing—and even therapeutic when you add bubbling jets. Some large models have more than 100 jets. But whether the unit is permanently plumbed or a portable filled with a garden hose, buyers sometimes fail to account for installation complexities and ongoing maintenance. Here are just a few points to consider.

 Meeting codes. You’ll need a thorough check, among many concerns, to stay the required distance away from overhead power lines. And if you aren’t required to install a fence, you’ll at least need a safety cover.

 New electric lines. Aside from wiring outdoor lights, even basic portables that plug in generally require a dedicated electric circuit (often a 220-volt line) with a ground fault circuit interrupter to guard against shocks near water.

 Structural work. Decks built to the strength of inside floors (carrying 40 pounds per square foot) won’t adequately support a 7.5-square-foot tub. Filled with water plus people, a typical unit can weigh 5,000 pounds, more than twice what an average deck is rated to carry. Installation might require major structural alterations, including the construction of new concrete support piers.

E xtras. Want to use the spa year-round? You’ll need a winterizing kit with insulation, an insulated cover and a thermostat monitor, in addition to a heater.

 Maintenance. Manufacturer’s recommendations vary, but you may need to water test before each use, chlorinate once a week, clean the filter and safety cover once a month, and drain and refill every three months.