Smart, Stylish Designs for Outdoor Kitchens
Kitchens are moving outside and are expected to be a top design trend in 2017.
An outdoor kitchen can greatly improve the value of a home, and it brings family and friends together. Whether it’ s having your neighbors for a weekend barbecue or a big family gathering, everyone loves being outside.
Big or small, the basic principles of outdoor kitchen design remain the same. Get started by understanding these basics:
Get the right heat— It all starts with the grill, which is the centerpiece of the outdoor kitchen. Russ Faulk, chief designer and head of product for Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, suggests basing your selection on the cook you aspire to be, not the kind you are now. Remember that there are no uniform depths, heights or widths when it comes to grills, so future upgrades can be a challenge.
More homeowners are also expanding their cooking capabilities with specialized products offering different types of heat. Smokers, pizza ovens and charcoal or wood-fired grills are options to keep in mind as they can enhance the outdoor cooking experience.
Assess the space— Think about how you envision the relationship between your indoor and outdoor kitchens. If they are relatively close together, an outdoor kitchen can utilize the indoor kitchen’ s capabilities, such as prep space and storage. Conversely, a fully independent outdoor kitchen with refrigeration, warming cabinets and cabinetry is more self-reliant, but will require more space and connections for gas, water and electricity.
In the zone— You’ ll get the most out of your outdoor kitchen when you have different functional zones designated. Plot out where you will position four key zones, wet, cold, hot and dry, to make prepping, cooking, serving and cleaning much easier.
The cold zone should be next to the wet zone. This will simplify moving food from the refrigerator( cold zone) to the sink( wet zone) to wash and get ready for grilling in the hot zone.
Also plan for uninterrupted counter space or landing areas for placing platters and utensils while cooking. Grills should have at least 24 inches to one side and 12 inches to the other. Sinks should have 18 inches on both sides for room to wash food or place dirty dishes.
Be sure to dedicate enough space for each zone and think about the relationships among them for cooking and serving activities.
Left outside— Being outdoors means your refrigeration and cabinetry will need to be equipped to handle the elements. When considering refrigeration for an outdoor kitchen, Faulk stresses foodsafe rated options. With these products, meats won’ t go bad and drinks will stay cold, even when it’ s above 95 degrees outside.
Cabinetry should be equipped to handle rain and protect the items inside. Weather-tight cabinets have seamless rain gutters around the door and drawer openings to help divert water.
By incorporating the right design principles, an outdoor kitchen can be the place where you and your guests enjoy delicious meals for years to come.
9 Steps to a Better Backyard
Follow these simple steps for building your dream escape— right in your own backyard.
Enlist an expert. Much like you might consult an interior designer, deck contractors can help make your dream outdoor space become a reality. Unless you plan to build the deck yourself, the first item on your to-do list should be hiring a contractor. When researching contractors, look for someone who specializes in decks— conduct interviews, review portfolios and gather references.
Make low-maintenance a high priority. Everyone wants to spend time outdoors, but no one wants to spend that time sanding, staining or replacing worn-out wooden deck boards. For enduring beauty with minimal upkeep, consider high-performance composite decking that resists fading, staining, scratching and mold— and won’ t rot, warp, crack or splinter.
Photo courtesy of Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet.
Photo courtesy of Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet.
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