Today through Saturday, The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo (North America's largest indoor-outdoor living showcase) is hosting a lot of grill-happy folks - 288 leading hearth, patio and barbecue manufacturers and suppliers who are showing-off the latest and greatest to over 7,000 attendees. They are exhibiting and demonstrating their latest home heating solutions; grills, grilling accessories and fully-equipped outdoor kitchens; casual patio furniture and outdoor accents; water and landscape features; all-weather entertainment products and more.

WHAT'S HOT - Among the Expo's top trends are:

The Expandables: It's easier than ever before to expand your grill-abilities with the latest "add-on" products. For example, the new Gourmet Barbecue System from Weber-Stephen Products LLC offers six affordable separately sold, heavy-duty add-on grill features, including a cast iron wok and griddle that gives chefs delicious new versatility.

Grill-ovative Accessories: New accessories are keeping outdoor cooking fresh and fun. Moistly Grilled from The Companion Group is a two-piece cast iron vessel and vented lid, an innovative gadget that adds humidity to the grilling environment. Just add water - or any other cooking liquid - to make the most succulent, flavorful grilled meet.

Portable and Compact: Perfect for tailgates, picnics and backyard barbecues, portable grills bring the heat on-the-go. Fuego North America offers the Element Portable Gas Grill this year as part of its contemporary line of gas grills - which all include a handy roasting lid and dual zone burners.

Generation Grill: With the outdoor cooking arena constantly evolving, manufacturers continue to rethink convention. This year Carson Rotisseries brings the technique of Brazilian slow-turn barbecue to the traditional American grill for the first time with the Brazilian BBQ. And for personalizing meals, the Poco Pizza Oven from Bull Outdoor Products features a stainless steel oven with smokestack, designed for pizza cooking perfection.

Clean up in a Cinch: Making clean-up less of a chore, Grill Pillow from Grill Pillow is a new biodegradable pillow that absorbs drip pan grease from outdoor grills, making the removal of unwanted grease easy and mess free.

By the Way: Gas grills continue to top the charts as the most popular type of grill, followed by charcoal and then electric.