(FORTUNE Magazine) – Last year over 15 million grills were sold in the U.S. "Some people build entire outdoor kitchens," says Bobby Flay, chef and author of Boy Meets Grill. "But that's not necessary." Well, of course not--but any griller worth his barbecue salt knows that when it comes to sizzle, size matters. Here, Paola Hjelt takes a close look at the top of the line, Frontgate's Ultimate Grill, the 2001 Edition.

Contrary to popular belief, it's temperature, not time, that makes for perfectly cooked meat. The Ultimate Grill comes with a digital thermometer; for $89 more, you get a wireless remote thermometer--it comes with a beeper that lets you know when the meat's ready.

New Englanders barbecue more often than people in other regions of the country; when the days start getting shorter, a clamp-on halogen light comes in handy.

New this year: tool bar, ergonomic knobs, stain-resistant Corian side shelves (for chopping or serving). Flay says another mistake people make is to cut vegetables so small that they fall though: "First grill the vegetables, then cut them."

Two side burners allow for cooking while grilling. When asked what grill he owns, Flay says, "I have a Viking--a really big one with rotisserie and side burners. Don't remember which model, but it's big..."

In its cupboard the Ultimate stores a 20-pound propane tank. Gas grills have taken over as the most commonly owned grill (67% of people who own a grill own a gas one; charcoal is down to 50%).

Located between the 25,000-BTU burners and the grates, the ceramic radiants help distribute heat evenly, making grease vaporize (back up into the meat, ideally) and minimizing flare-ups. What grease there is drips down to a removable tray.

Hungry neighbors drooling over your hedge? Invite 'em over! The Ultimate Grill (48 by 26 inches, with side shelves down) can handle 45 burgers at a time. Flay says the most common mistake people make is throwing something on the grill and then lifting it up to see if it sticks--which is exactly what happens when you lift too soon. Porcelain grates don't stick, but unlike these stainless-steel ones, they can chip and then rust.

If 45 burgers aren't enough, roast a pig--or 40 pounds of chicken--on the electrically powered rotisserie. It rotates across from 15,000-BTU infrared heat. Infrared light "isn't used much for burners because the light is very susceptible to damage--for example, grease dripping on it," says Eric Deng, director of engineering at Dynamic Cooking Systems, which manufactures the grill for Frontgate.

For that smoky flavor, soak wooden pellets--preferably overnight--and drop them into the smoke box. Over the past decade, the amount of wood chips sold for smoking has quadrupled.