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An outdoor kitchen is the ultimate dream for many people who enjoy backyard entertaining. Imagine gathering your friends or family for a summer barbecue or a cozy winter cocktail in the comfort of your own garden. Here are some great tips for designing your outdoor kitchen.
1. Design ideas
Pinterest is a great resource for finding design inspiration and compiling your plans. Just go to pinterest.com, sign up for an account, and type in “outdoor cooking ideas.” There are a multitude of design options out there. Take a look at some of these tips!
- modern and elegant
Concrete or richly colored woods are a great way to create a modern design aesthetic. Most classic or traditional kitchens use bleached or light colored wood to create the look, so go the opposite way for modern ones! The minimal furnishings and features also help create a modern feel. This also helps with maintenance and cleaning. Take a look at these images for inspiration.
- Classic or Country
White wood, blue accents, and exposed stone are a great way to give your outdoor kitchen a rustic, classic appeal. Flowers and plants that grow along the sides of walls or arbors are great for creating softness and traditional appeal as well. Think whitewashed cabinets, light-wood benches, and large rustic dining tables.
2. Grills
So many options for grilling! There are 6 main types of grills to consider for your outdoor kitchen. Think about what you enjoy cooking the most and what you can get the most out of before choosing your grill.
- open grills
This is the simplest setup of all the grills. It consists of a metal or stone box with a heating element (wood, coal, gas) and a metal grate over the top of the box directly over the fire. Open grills are best for direct grilling over high heat and are best suited for quick-cooking foods such as kebabs, steaks and thin chops, and fish.
- covered grills
Add an open grill cover and it will allow you to add indirect grilling and smoking functions to your outdoor grill. Covered grills are best for thicker steaks, ribs, or whole chickens and ducks. You can also add different types of wood to your grill, close the lid, and let the meat slowly absorb the aroma of the wood.
- ceramic grills
Ceramic grills are made of thick walls that allow heat to radiate down the sides of the walls for even cooking. Ceramic grates are usually much deeper than typical grates and are generally used to cook bread (such as Indian flatbreads or naan) directly on the side walls. The grill part of ceramic grills is more suitable for thinly sliced meat, kebabs, fish or vegetables.
- Grilling racks
A rotisserie grill adds a rotating spit to the grill to allow even cooking of thick slabs of meat or whole animals. The food is slowly cooked over several hours, resulting in crispy skin on the outside and tender, moist meat on the inside. Rotisserie grills are best suited for thick steaks, fatty meats, or whole animals like chickens, ducks, or even whole pigs (if your grill is big enough).
- smoking grills
A smoker grill simmers meat for several hours over aromatic wood chips for tender, flavorful meat. The most common woods used for smokers include maple, walnut, mesquite, oak, and walnut. Smokers are best suited for tough cuts of meat that slowly soften while in the smoker. Meats like brisket and ribs are perfect for this.
- Campfire Grills
A fire pit grill allows your whole family to feel like you are camping in your backyard! Firepit grills are like campfires but with a metal grate placed over the fire to cook food. The grill grates are height adjustable so that food is raised or lowered to be closer to or further from the fire. This makes campfire grills extremely versatile and can handle anything from delicate foods like fish, vegetables, and S’mores to thick cuts of beef and whole animals.
3. Appliances
Take a look at these links to get some ideas for your appliance purchases.
- pizza ovens
Here is an affordable portable outdoor pizza oven.
- space to grill
It is a complete and versatile barbecue specially designed for outdoor use.
- beverage center
This is a great option for those who really want to entertain! Store your drinks and drink accessories in a stylish design.
4. Decoration ideas
There are so many options to consider when it comes to furnishing. Do you prefer a table and chair setup, or a bench and stool setup? Consider what type of gatherings you’ll be using your kitchen for to help you decide which one is best.
- Colour: Try to think of what color combination you will like and enjoy over the years. You don’t want to choose a bold and crazy color palette that you end up getting tired of after one season. For a bold and bright touch, use interchangeable pillows, cushions, and bedspreads. You can choose shiny appliances or flowers to add color as well. That way, your base palette stays neutral while you add pops of color that are easy to switch up.
- Fabric: Obviously, you should choose a weather resistant fabric for your outdoor furniture, especially if there is minimal top cover. Treated canvas and olefin fiber are good choices for outdoor furniture.
- Shade sails and covers: It is important to protect your appliances and furniture from the weather and potentially aggressive elements. If you live in an extreme climate, consider the type of protection you want to use for your outdoor kitchen. You can build awnings to shade the patio area, or you can build a structure, such as an arbor or pergola. Basically this has a sturdy roof and side pillars. You can also install weatherproof curtains on the side pillars that you can close to act as walls if you want some privacy on your patio.
- Finishing Keys: Once the heavy appliances and furniture are installed, take a step back and think about what else the space needs. Here are some ideas for finishing the braces:
– Ornaments
– Lamps
– Small side tables
– Trays and decorative bowls
– Vases and artificial flowers of good quality.
– Waterproof blankets and blankets for the winter months
5. DIY options to save money
You don’t need to rely on the expertise of others for every aspect of your outdoor cooking needs. You can handle some yourself if you’re up to it!
- Use reclaimed wood and old furniture/benches from thrift stores or yard sales. Recycle yourself and get to work making your chairs, benches or shade sails.
- Go outside and find weather-resistant fabrics at fabric stores or furniture sales. You can reupholster your outdoor furniture to suit your own personal aesthetic.