Outdoor Kitchens

Outdoor Kitchens are becoming extremely popular in warm climates to allow a better cooking experience outdoors and enhance the outdoor entertainment experience.

The variety of Outdoor Kitchens is quite large, with the standard grill or Barbecue to a fully fitted stainless steel cooker and stove with workbench and fridges.

A Camping Kitchen can simply be a Gas stove and can be classed as an Outdoor Kitchen, these are generally gas powered and are extremely portable. Newer models tend to have wheels or fold up to fit neatly in the trunk of your car.

Barbecues vary widely in their quality and features. Decide on a budget before going shopping as it is easy to quickly jump in price when you see a better quality BBQ next to a lower model. Knowing what features you need or want, and then matching them to your budget can be tricky but will help narrow down the options to allow a decision to be made. You may need to forgo a rotisserie or heating rack in order to stay within budget, but a compromise is generally available.

Other items in an Outdoor Kitchen can include a sink and tap to wash any utensils or dishes and to have access to running water. Also a Gas outlet may need to be included in your Landscape Design plans in order to reduce the need for bottled gas.

Fridges can be incorporated into an Outdoor Kitchen particularly if the kitchen area is covered or has an Awning that can be extended to protect it. The fridge is a great way to store drinks and food whilst entertaining to reduce the amount of times you need to go into the house.

When designing your Outside Kitchen, make sure you think about its accessibility and proximity to the entertaining area or Decking area. Some houses build a room onto the back of the house which opens up into the garden. The Kitchen is often built into the side of this room to allow interaction with the guests or family whilst the cooking is happening.

Outdoor cooking is a lifestyle choice, but can help remove the cooking odors from the house, as well as give the food a more exciting and natural flavor. Some people prefer to use a charcoal or wood fired cooking device such as a kettle drum or Chimnea. These can give great natural smoked flavors to meats and fish as well as provide extra heat and a fire on a cool summer evening.

The choice of Outdoor Kitchen will depend on your climate, budget, and amount of use you will have for it. I recommend paying more for a quality rust proof kitchen to extend its life and make it more functional as there is nothing better than cooking and eating in the Outdoors.