Cooking outdoors has many benefits, and a properly designed outdoor kitchen is much more than just a grill. No matter what your budget or cooking style, you can have an amazing outdoor kitchen for the ultimate in culinary satisfaction.
Why Have an Outdoor Kitchen?
An outdoor kitchen is more than just a place to cook. Just as the kitchen may be the most popular room of your home, an outdoor kitchen can be the hub of your outdoor living space. By cooking outdoors, you are in the center of your entertaining, and that space can dramatically increase your home’s value. An outdoor kitchen disperses odors and allows you to cook with the freshest ingredients just a few steps away in your garden. You can enjoy fresh air and make the most of all your outdoor living space if you’re able to craft amazing meals without ever stepping indoors.
Designing Your Outdoor Kitchen
There is no limit to how you can design an outdoor kitchen, so long as it can meet your individual needs and preferences for cooking style and functionality.
- Location: An outdoor kitchen should have easy access not only to indoor facilities, but to outdoor entertaining areas, dining, and pathways.
- View: Orient outdoor appliances not only so they are easy to use, but so they offer great views of your outdoor living space even while you’re cooking.
- Appliances: Choose appliances for the cooking you prefer, such as a grill, smoker, pizza oven, or stovetop burners. Don’t forget other appliances as well, including a fridge and sink.
- Storage: Outdoor kitchen storage should be ample for utensils, cutlery, dishes, and other needs, such as extra fuel tanks and furniture covers. Don’t forget storage for trash!
- Workspace: Incorporate enough counter space so you can chop, mix, and take other preparation steps as needed, with enough space left for plating, serving, and other needs.
- Shelter: Adding shade with a roof, awning, or adjustable shades to the cooking area can keep you comfortable no matter what the weather.
- Lighting: While natural light may be abundant outdoors, if you will be using your outdoor kitchen late in the evening or at night, be sure you have good lighting available.
- Seating: An outdoor kitchen should be near an outdoor dining room, and you can add extra seating such as bar stools or benches to bring even more functionality to the space.
- Extra Touches: There’s always room for flair in any outdoor living space. In your outdoor kitchen, consider adding a beer tap, wine cooler, ice maker, television hookup, music speakers, or integrated herb garden to make the space even more spectacular.
An outdoor kitchen doesn’t have to be a gourmet hotspot to be the hottest outdoor room in your home. By creating a space you love to cook in and one that meets all your culinary needs, you’ll enjoy amazing meals in a truly amazing space.
