Bush's Baked beans recently surveyed a cross-section of Americans about their burning passion for open-flame cooking. Whether it is hostong or attending summer barbecues, an overwhelming 78 percent of Americans plan to participate this summer.

Is it barbecue time?

• Americans gather around the grill an average of four times per month.

• 25 percent of outdoor chefs desire food from the open flame more than once a week.

• Nearly 40 percent of Americans plan to attend more barbecues this year than five years ago.

The good news

• 91 percent say that food is the best part of a barbecue.

• 77 percent say baked beans are a barbecue must.

• 31 percent choose steak as their favorite grilled main dish.

• Friends and family are the most important barbecue “ingredients” for 85 percent of Americans.

• 38 percent enjoy the ease of clean-up grilling creates.

Where's the party?

• 88 percent say the backyard is the best place to fire up the grill.

• Other places include the park (6 percent) or the beach (2 percent).

What's your style?

• 32 percent of Americans say traditionalist style is their favorite way to barbecue, meaning a checkerboard tablecloth, “kiss the cook” apron and chef's hat.

• Romance-by-the-grill was only chosen by 2 percent of participants, showing us that charcoal and matches are the only things making sparks at American barbecues.

Celebrity Grill

• Whoopi Goldberg took top honors as the celebrity Americans want to barbecue with (23 percent).

• The guest list at your next cookout could be a battle of the sexes:

- 29 percent of females choose George Clooney as the person they'd like to barbecue with as opposed to just 6 percent of the males.

- Cameron Diaz, on the other hand, was selected by 21 percent of men and only 11 percent of women.

The proper equipment

• Casual clothing is a plus for barbecue-goers.

- 61 percent wear shorts.

- 52 percent wear T-shirts.

• Barbecuing is just not possible without the right tools.

- 93 percent of outdoor chefs won't step to the grill without tongs and 77 percent wouldn't be caught without their basting brush.

How Americans plan to heat up the last barbecue season of the century

• “We are going to Hawaii for a Luau.”

• “By attending the world barbecue competition in Memphis.”

• “Have more people over...attend more barbecue events.”

Where is the wildest place Americans have barbecued?

• “On a glacier.”

• “Alongside the road when traffic was backed up.”

• “Bottom of the Grand Canyon.”

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This survey was conducted online on behalf of Bush's Baked Beans. The questionnaire was placed on a private web site and selected members of the CyberPulsesm Advisory Panel, representing a cross-section of the Internet and matching the demographics of the U.S. population, were invited to take the survey. A total of 3,057 men and women participated in this survey. The sampling error for this survey is +/-2 percent at the 95 percent level of confidence. All answers add up to more than 100 percent due to multiple responses.

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