How to Build the Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen and Get-Together Space

If you love cooking and you love nature, then why not build the ultimate outdoor kitchen? Nature meets nurture when you get to craft your greatest culinary creations while feeling the cool breeze and warm sun on your face. 

You’ll create the go-to place for all your friends and family, and you’ll feel your stress begin to melt away as you spend time outdoors. You won’t have any trouble hosting the next party if you build an outdoor kitchen with all the bells and whistles. 

Keep reading to learn about what you need to consider as you put together your dream kitchen outside. 

What Are You Cooking? 

Before you begin to plan the landscaping and purchase the best outdoor cooking equipment on the market, consider what you plan on cooking outside. What tools do you typically use in your indoor kitchen, and how can you have the same cooking tools outdoors. 

Cooking outdoors gives you some freedom that you don’t have indoors. For example, you can easily install a pizza oven. You have the freedom to cook with a grill as well as a smoker. 

Consider what you’d like to cook outside and then start planning the kitchen. 

What Vibe Do You Want To Send? 

Outdoor kitchen ideas have as much variety as indoor kitchen ideas do aesthetically. Consider if you’d like a sleek, modern-looking kitchen or a warm, earthy looking kitchen. Do you picture seating areas with hard chairs or big, overstuffed cushions? 

What is the feeling you want when you work in your kitchen and when others visit you? Determine this as well as what you’ll be cooking. 

When you answer these first two questions, you can begin to make your plans. You will know which appliances to get and how to start planning your seating areas and outdoor kitchen design.  

Outdoor Kitchen Cooking Equipment

You can begin planning your outdoor kitchen space at any time of the year. In the summer, begin thinking about how you currently entertain or want to entertain guests. Take note of what you’d use an outdoor kitchen for.

Then, take advantage of cooler weather and do the building in the fall or winter. Begin by shopping for whatever appliances you’ll need for your outdoor kitchen. You might even find a better deal for appliances when you do your outdoor kitchen planning during the offseason. 

An outdoor kitchen space needs specialized tools you do not typically put indoors. Furthermore, you’ll need some of the basics that you’d have indoors as well like a fridge or a freezer. Here are a few appliances to consider. 

• Grill: When it comes to grilling outside, go big or go home. You’re planning on going to the expense and trouble of building an outdoor kitchen, so put in a big, tricked-out grill. You won’t regret having the ability to make a rotisserie chicken or smoke a pig.
• Pizza Oven: A stone oven fantastic for making homemade pizzas outdoors. Pizza ovens tend to heat up indoor kitchens, but you don’t need to worry about heat with your outdoor, well-ventilated kitchen. The pizza oven will set your outdoor kitchen apart from your indoor kitchen and from other outdoor kitchens.
• Pool House: So the poolhouse isn’t an appliance, but it is a tool you can use to create a great kitchen. Consider using a part of the poolhouse as your outdoor kitchen, with big, open spaces that give adults and kids alike a place to gather.
• Vent Hood: We all understand why we need a vent hood indoors, but you need the same kind of ventilation outdoors as well. If a portion of your kitchen will be in a shelter, plan on installing a vent hood over your outdoor cooking appliances. This will vent the smoke and odors away from the cooking area and create a better space overall. 
• Refrigerator: You will want the ability to store vegetables in a cold place outside. Plus, you’ll want a place for a cold beer when friends come over and when you’re grilling steaks and watching a game on your massive TV set outside.  

Outdoor Kitchen Entertainment Elements

The kitchen can be functional and entertaining. You’ll cook in your outdoor kitchen space, but you’ll also entertain people. These are some great outdoor entertainment elements to consider:

• Bar: When you put a bar into your kitchen, people stay. You can craft cocktails and show off your hosting skills.  
• Seating Area: Have adequate seating. Picture where people will gather and plan accordingly. Do you want small pocket areas for a few people to visit or one lounging couch or both?  
• Eating Area: Picture where people will eat. Have an adequate amount of tables or table space for people to sit and enjoy whatever you’re cooking outside. 
• Television: If you’re a sports fan, you need a big-screen television outside. Friends will want to hang out, and neighbors will be jealous. This means you can tailgate at home in the comfort of your outdoor space.  
• Pool: Incorporate your pool into your kitchen area. Think about the vicinity of the pool to your kitchen and keep your guests and family safe by having an adequate space between the two areas. Keep the flow clear from one area to the next. 

Outdoor Kitchen Ambience

The materials you use to create the ambiance of your outdoor kitchen. Consider if you want wood, stone, or all-weather materials, and then incorporate them into these decorative elements. 

• Fireplace: The sound of a crackling fire and smell of wood paired with the beauty of a mantle brings the indoors outdoors and creates an overall relaxing atmosphere. Plus, your fire is contained.  
• Fire Pit: A fire pit accommodates more guests than a fireplace. Plus, you can roast s’mores and other treats together. The best conversations happen over these fires. 
• Lighting: You want to be able to see what you’re cooking but don’t want so much light that your guests lose the feeling of being outside. Plan for brighter lights over the cooking area but then soft lights in the dining and gathering areas. 
• Shade: Consider having a pergola installed over the eating and cooking area. This gives you a place to hang a fan and beautiful light fixtures. 
• Fountains or Waterfalls: The gentle sound of water cascading heightens relaxation and helps create a beautiful atmosphere for an outdoor kitchen. Consider how you can incorporate one of these water features. 

Call a Pro

An outdoor kitchen is a massive undertaking that can transform your patio and backyard. It will attract guests and create a place for your family to relax and enjoy nature. 

But it’s something you don’t want to tackle alone. If you want the best outdoor kitchen money can buy, hire a professional builder like us. We’d love to help you create the perfect outdoor kitchen. 

Contact us with your ideas. We’d love to help you turn your outdoor kitchen plans into reality.