A Step-by-step Guide To Creating Outdoor Kitchens

By Author: Samantha Dale
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A kitchen is the universally-acknowledged centre of any household. It is also the undisputed life of any party hosted at home. However, travelling back and forth, while trying to spend quality time with your guests, can be rather tiring. In such a situation, having an outdoor kitchen can be extremely hassle-free and fashionable at the same time. Here is a step-by-step guide to creating outdoor kitchens – the easy way.

• Plan and Conceptualize: You could choose to spend sizeable finances on a customized outdoor kitchen, but you would be surprised to know just how efficient and good-looking a simple single-island kitchen could be. It all depends on how you plan the layout. First, map a convenient location for your kitchen space outside the perimeter of your house. Then decide on the potential size of the kitchen. Unused space on your patio or back yard can be a potential candidate for the kitchen location.

The next step in creating outdoor kitchens is to know what the various functional areas and zones would be. You need to map out a dry zone for the storage space and actual cooking; the wet zone for the sinks, ...
... ice stacks and beverage stores; the cold zone for the chillers, freezers and refrigerators and the hot zone for the cooking range, grill, microwave and oven.

When you are calculating the area needed, factor in the counter space as well. Also make a mental note of the landing area – a stocking zone for all the pots, pans, utensils, plates, vessels and miscellaneous cookware, which should all be within easy reach.

Lastly, think about the kind of people you would like to entertain, how many guests you want to entertain at a time, the space needed to seat that many people and the space required to be converted into the storage area.

• List Materials Required: Durability is a key factor when deciding on the materials and equipment when creating outdoor kitchens. More often than not, it is essential to use rust-proof material and equipment that is not affected by exposure to direct sun rays, rain, soil moisture and dew. For the kitchen itself, try stone veneer if you want a low-maintenance material – it does not need to be sealed or painted. Actual stone can be cumbersome to work with – try cultured stone in its stead. To start off youroutdoor kitchen project, you will need some basic materials including a medium-sized refrigerator, lumber, kitchen sink, plumbing material, counter top, plywood, electrical wiring, sink and cooking range, among others.

• Construct: Start building by constructing a sturdy framework using beams and simple butt joints. Ensure that you add additional beams to the top, to enable the framework to be sturdy enough for the counter top, sink and foundation as well. Immediately after you have successfully set up the framework, set up the plumbing and electrical network and be sure to consult your building codes in the process. To be extra sure about the plumbing and wiring, you could also enlist professional services for the same. Start the decking process by nailing plywood to the prepared framework and create your sink area. You can then lay out some kitchen tiles on the plywood itself, connect the sink plumbing and set up the refrigeration and cook top. For the latter, using an electric girdle is the best option before the wiring is put in place. You can then go on to set up the miscellaneous items such as cook ware, microwave and storage cabinets.

Building an outdoor kitchen can look like a daunting task at the outset, but it is really not that difficult. Invest less than $1,000 (excluding cook top, grill and other such fixtures) and if you stick to the basics, you can complete your dream outdoor kitchen project within two weeks. Enjoy!

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