Survey reveals the most iconic sensations of summer

The most quintessential sensations of summer are the smell of a grill, relaxing at the beach, and diving into the pool, according to a new survey. The nationally representative survey of 2,000 American grill owners found that grilling scents (87%), time near the water (68%), and pool hangs (68%) top the list of iconic summer feelings.So it’s not surprising that the majority of Americans (80%) agreed cooking outside is one of the joys of the season.This year, respondents said they’ve been looking forward to the best things of summertime for four months on average.And some of the activities they’ve been anticipating the most are soaking in as much time outside as possible (66%) and hosting backyard parties and cookouts (46%), with Gen Z being particularly stoked about backyard cookouts compared to other generations (59%).Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Tyson Foods, the poll found that summer is the favorite time of year for more than a third of Americans (36%), including more than half (52%) of Gen Z.And seeing how grillers are hoping to get the most out of the summer months, more than half (53%) are working on leveling up as grill masters this year. Hoping to not heat up the house during the hottest months of the year (52%) and enjoying time spent outdoors (52%), almost two out of three respondents (61%) plan to grill meals at least once a week during the summer.And most (69%) also said they’re motivated to cook outside simply because they enjoy all the smells wafting off the grill. Seeing what Americans have cooking up this summer, classics like hamburgers (82%) and hot dogs (73%) are popular, along with fancy fare like steaks (74%) and seafood (36%).A third (33%) even said they like to toss literally anything that’s “grillable” on the grill. Grillers reported they’ve already spent three hours in the last month consuming grilling content in hopes of improving their skills, and seeing where they’re focusing their attention, grill mast...