Design Your Ideal Outdoor Kitchen

Are you considering installing an outdoor kitchen for your home?

The benefits of an outdoor kitchen or patio kitchen as they are sometimes called, are numerous and varied. Outdoor kitchens are becoming increasingly popular for both entertaining and everyday home cooking. Outdoor kitchens make entertaining exciting and fun, allowing you and your guests to enjoy the weather and atmosphere outside.
Outdoor kitchens are a lot more than just a grill—they allow you to prepare an entire meal outside, interact during the meal preparation, and enjoy the meal in that fun, friendly atmosphere. Furthermore, installing an outdoor kitchen now will add value to your home.


Outdoor kitchens have a great rate of return on your investment. Cooking outside can also be much easier than cooking inside. It will keep your home free of smoke and keep your house cooler during hot summer months. It will also keep your home more free of odours from food, especially those of seafood or other pungent menu items.

Grilling your food will help you to create meals that are both healthy and delicious for the entire family, and having an outdoor kitchen can significantly increase the total living space of your home.
There are, however, many factors to consider when buying and installing an outdoor kitchen system for your home. This article will discuss some of the important things for you to think about as you select and design your unique outdoor kitchen.

Many people choose to buy and install an outdoor kitchen setup that is partially enclosed. This allows you to enjoy the outdoors, but also provides shelter for your equipment in case of inclement weather. It can even provide shade while you cook on sunny days. If you live in an area where the weather is highly changeable or summer thunderstorms are common, you may want to consider a partially enclosed kitchen

You will also need to decide how large to make your outdoor kitchen, as well as the specifics of your kitchen layout. Of course, your kitchen layout should be practical, make good use of the space available, and fit well into your lifestyle. Consider the size and shape of your outside space and ask yourself how much of that space you would like to convert into a kitchen.

 You should also consider how often you plan to grill and how frequently you entertain others at your home. If you plan to grill often, then you may want to install plenty of grill space in order to accommodate your grilling needs. If you entertain regularly, you may want to plan for lots of seating space and a larger total area in your outdoor kitchen. The design of your kitchen should allow your guests to enjoy themselves and interact with you and each other, even while you are grilling.

The materials you use to build your outdoor kitchen are also extremely important. You will want to use durable materials built for all types of weather. The walls of outdoor kitchens are usually built of concrete blocks, which can easily be covered with masonry, stone work, stucco, or brick. Granite, stainless steel, tile,concrete and slate are all good options for counter top materials. 

In deciding what equipment to plan for and purchase, consider once again your entertaining habits and needs. If you plan to grill frequently, make sure that you have a wide variety of burners and grill space to fit your needs. If you have a large family or plan to entertain large groups, you will probably want a grill that is at least 36 inches. This space will allow you to cook larger amounts of food at once, so you do not have to grill all day in preparation for your party or barbeque. In addition to your grill, you’ll want to decide on:-

• Dishwashers
• Sinks
• Refrigerators
• Freezers
• and more.

Think about how you cook and how you want to cook, and create a custom kitchen that suits your needs.
Having all the appliances you need right there in your outdoor kitchen will save you lots of trips back and forth from the house. Don’t forget the smaller items of equipment as well—things like trash bins and paper towel holders are also extremely helpful when you’re entertaining.

In order to be able to use your outdoor kitchen in all types of weather, you may want to consider installing heating,lighting and air conditioning units. These are available in many outdoor kitchen systems and can be weatherproofed to make sure that they will last.

Selecting the perfect outdoor kitchen for your needs can be difficult, because there are so many important factors to consider. However, the fun and convenience a well-designed outdoor kitchen will bring will outweigh all the effort.