Introduction

The concept of an “Outdoor Kitchen” is certainly not a new one. People living in temperate climates have been using outdoor kitchens for hundreds of years. In recent years however, the basic outdoor kitchen has grown from a simple wood fired oven to fully stocked professional grade kitchens, including cook tops, sinks, trash compactors and even pizza ovens, and can cost upwards of $100,000 dollars. Even those of us living in the northeast have embraced the concept, despite our lack of warm days.

The following is a primer on outdoor kitchens. Future posts will include design ideas and product reviews to help you create the ultimate outdoor kitchen!

Location

A key factor when planning an outdoor kitchen is location. Locate it too close to the house, and you’ll be filling your windows with smoke and grill smells; too far away, and it becomes a hassle to use. A good rule of thumb is to locate your outdoor kitchen one room’s length (20 – 30’) away from the door closest to your indoor kitchen. This ensures easy access between both spaces, but maintains a safe distance between them. This also provides an opportunity to create a transitional space between them such as an herb or flower garden.

Finishes

The finishes you select for your outdoor kitchen are crucial to ensuring that the components weather the elements and also work aesthetically with the landscape. My personal opinion is to keep things simple and fool proof. Wood components such as cabinetry and furniture should be a hard wood such as teak or mahogany. These hard woods are rot resistant, and weather to a beautiful grey hue. Appliances should be stainless steel to protect against rusting and ease of cleaning. For countertops, I recommend concrete. Concrete is relatively new on the countertop scene, however has grown in popularity in recent years. Concrete can be formed to virtually any shape, and stained any color. Stainless steel also works, however it makes things look a little sterile for an outdoor space.

Appliances

As previously mentioned, every appliance you use indoors is also available indoors; just be sure the appliance is designed for performance outdoors. Which appliances you ultimately buy depends on what you can afford, and how much you plan to use the space. At a minimum I recommend a high quality grill with 2 side burners, an under counter beverage fridge and a small sink. These 3 pieces ensure that you won’t need to run back into the house every five minutes, and provides flexibility for expansion in the future. You also want to be sure to incorporate enough cabinetry and counter space to support whatever level of entertaining you plan to do. Beyond the basics, you may consider a dishwasher, a double sided sink, and an oven.

Amenities

As with appliances, your choices of amenities are endless, and often spill over into the rest of outdoor space. A covered dinning area, outdoor lighting and patio heaters extend the usability of your space, especially for those of us in the northeast. Additional amenities to consider as part of your outdoor kitchen are an outdoor speaker system, a flat panel TV and a built in bar.

For more helpful information and tips about creating an outdoor space that is right for you visit our website at GreatOutdoorSpaces.com.