Outdoor Kitchens are still a pretty new idea for your backyard. There are many different ways that you can entertain and cookout in your backyard. You can have an island that contains a grill with some counter top area and storage doors, these start around $5,000.00 which believe it or not is a pretty basic setup. The more popular way to have an Outdoor Kitchen is to have a Custom Designed Kitchen built. You can easily spend quite a bit more building an Outdoor Kitchen than an indoor kitchen at times. Your kitchen will have to be able to endure the elements of the outdoors from the coldest and snow filled day of the year to the hottest day of the year, as well as heavy winds and rain.
There are many things to take in consideration when you are designing your outdoor entertainment area. Let’s start with the amount of room that you have available, you will want to determine that the structure will enhance the area and you will be able to entertain without a lot of obstacles. You should then decide how much area you will need for cooking and preparation. Make sure that you will have room for your platters and serving dishes. Next we need to look at possible seating areas. This could be an area for something as simple as a table and chairs, to a built-in area such as a raised counter top with stools.
Appliances are another very important part of your Outdoor Kitchen. Let’s look at grills first. You will want to make sure that the grill you purchase is of a very good quality. The last thing that you want to do is buy a cheap grill that will have to be replaced in a couple of years, the next grill may not fit into your current kitchen. The most common type of grills cook with propane, but these are not the only type of grills that are available. One of the newest type of grills use wood pellets to cook with, these grills can cook, smoke and sear your food. There are also a lot of interest in ceramic cookers, these use wood charcoals, but do require some time and skill to work properly. Choose your grill wisely. A lot of people want refrigerators in their outdoor kitchens, the current trend is to get away from outdoor refrigerators. These tend to cost anywhere from $1,500.00 or more, because they have to be handle the elements outside. Beverage centers are your best option for keeping your drinks cold outside, these are insulated coolers built right into your kitchen.
One thing that most people do not think about is shade and protection from the sun. You can have an umbrella, pergola, awning or even a roof structure. Always remember that planning an outdoor kitchen is supposed to be fun. Plan properly and you will be able to have years of enjoyment in the great outdoors!