Most in U.S. own grill, grill on holidays

ALATINE, Ill., May 20 (UPI) -- When U.S. families gather to eat, they gather in large numbers around the grill, even for birthdays, a survey indicated.

The 23rd annual Weber GrillWatch Survey indicated 71 percent of U.S. adults own an outdoor grill and/or smoker, and almost three-quarters of U.S grill owners use their grill at least once a week during their grilling season.

Seventy-one percent of American grill owners said they would fire up their backyard grill on Memorial Day, a 10 percent jump from last year's survey.

"We continue to see a rise in the number of people grilling for nearly all major holidays, including Memorial Day, the Fourth of July at 90 percent, Father's Day at 53 percent and even birthdays at 76 percent," Brooke Jones, director of marketing for Weber-Stephen Products LLC, said in a statement.

Weber commissioned Toluna to conduct the survey of 1,000 U.S. adults who own a charcoal, gas or electric outdoor grill or smoker. The sample was divided between 50 percent males and 50 percent females and was balanced demographically to represent households across the United States.

The three foods grilled most often were hamburgers at 73 percent, chicken at 41 percent and steak at 40 percent, the survey said.

Thirty-five percent said they considered dessert the most challenging food to grill followed by fish at 30 percent and pizza at 28 percent.

No further survey details were provided.