Oh, you know Spring is just around the corner when the new barbecue grills get released. It's like Christmas in March.

Weber-Stephens, maker of grills under the Weber and Ducane brand names, announced a total of 23 new models for 2007, including an entire new line under Ducane named Affinity. Twenty three new models? Tailgaters and backyard chefs start marinating the meat and bagging the wood chips.

The new Affinity line opens with the 3100 at $349 and moves up to the top of the line 4400 at just $549. What do you get for under six bills? 605 inches of gas-fueled cooking area, four 48,000 BTU burners, a flush-mounted side burner, and a blue flame rotisserie burner and Rotis-A-Grate® cooking system with Smoke-It-Tray® you can use with those wood chips to add hickory or mesquite flavor to whatever you're grilling. (Isn't this the part where Tim Allen starts grunting?) That's a lot of flame-broiled bang for your buck.

All Affinity grills come in LP and natural gas versions, ($20 more for the gas versions), and are made with top-quality materials for durability and reliability. They're also backed by the same real-person customer service Weber has been known for.

Start shoveling a spot for it on the patio... I think I feel it warming up already.

www.ducane.com