An outdoor kitchen could be your next DIY project and we will show you how easy it can be, from design to build. It’s summer and sometimes the thought of heating the house with cooking just isn’t appealing. Most of us have grilled outdoors for a long time, but outdoor kitchens give you all your kitchen amenities in your backyard!

Designing Your Outdoor Kitchen to Fit Your Family

The first thing to take into consideration when thinking of building an outdoor kitchen is your family’s needs and how often you entertain. The size and amenities you will want to choose for your outdoor kitchen will be based on how and what you cook and drink, along with how many people you usually cook and serve from your outdoor kitchen.

Second, think about your available space and how much of your backyard area you want to allocate to your outdoor kitchen. Next, it’s really looking at some simple space measurements and going from there. Measure the available ara both width and length, multiply those numbers to come up with your backyard square footage, and finally choose how much of your space you want to allocate to your outdoor kitchen, possible bar seating, and dining table and chairs. After you figure out available square footage and your outdoor kitchen footprint, we can start talking about outdoor kitchen components.

Outdoor Kitchen Components

This is where design gets fun because you have the opportunity to design your unique outdoor kitchen to meet your family’s needs.  So, let’s look at the different kitchen components available and then figure out the best layout for your outdoor kitchen:

Do you want or need:

• An outdoor sink
• Outdoor stove
• Pizza oven
• Outdoor cooker or deep fryer
• Outdoor kitchen grill
• Outdoor warming oven
• Refrigerator
• Wine cooler
• Glass storage
• Smoker
• Kitchen and pantry storage
• Cutting block
• Food preparation area-how much counter space do you need?
• Do you want outdoor lighting and fans?
• Are awnings, overhangs, or a gazebo in the plans?
• Do you want a bar area with stools?
• Do you want or need your outdoor kitchen to be weatherproof?

Designing Your Outdoor Kitchen Layout

There are several different outdoor kitchen layouts to think about and which of those would fit your needs and the size available in your backyard space best.

• Island Outdoor Kitchens-The beauty of an island kitchen is it can be self-contained and built just about anywhere. You can design an outdoor kitchen island as the outdoor kitchen or as an additional space to your outdoor kitchen design. With an extending bar countertop, you create a built-in bar with room for lots of components and storage underneath.
• L-Shaped Outdoor Kitchens-This is a simple way to separate food preparation and cooking, with storage in each area. This layout works extremely well if you are going to use the back of your home as one of the walls of your outdoor kitchen.
• Galley Outdoor Kitchens-Many indoor kitchens are set up as galley kitchens and this works well for outdoor kitchens also. You can use one of the back walls of your house as one of the sides. A galley outdoor kitchen is great if there is going to be more than one cook in the kitchen, it gives you space and lots of options.
• One Wall Outdoor Kitchen-This is probably the simplest and most minimalistic of outdoor kitchens, utilizing the back wall of your house and one countertop with appliances and food preparation all in one line.

Outdoor Kitchen Building Preparation

After choosing your location and design for your outdoor kitchen it’s time to make sure you have the basics in place before you start your building project:

• Foundation-A solid foundation, whether slab, deck, or pier and post foundation.
• Electricity-Be sure to have all your rough electrical in place, not only 110 volts for lighting and blenders, but also 220 volts for ovens and such.
• Normal Wind Direction-This will help you design the layout and also what walls you might want to build for your outdoor kitchen, given which way the wind and rain usually blow. You also want your outdoor grill at least 10 feet away from your house for safety reasons, same with your grill and smoker.
• Storage-Think storage ahead of time so you aren’t always making runs to your kitchen for supplies, that sort of defeats the idea of an outdoor kitchen.
• Dining Table and Chairs-How many people will be seated regularly? How many children and how many mature adults would benefit from a chair with arms? Do you have family or friends that need access by walker or wheelchair?
• Comfort-This takes in lighting, but also fans for moving air and keeping bugs at bay. Outdoor heating is also something to take into consideration for cooler months and evenings in the spring and fall. Do you want portable propane heaters or do you want to use wired overhead heaters? If using a fire pit and especially if you have small children consider buying one with a glass safety guard around the fire.

Choosing the Facia for Your Outdoor Kitchen

Most of the time for longevity we encourage people to use stone or tile for the facia of their outdoor kitchen. Wood requires paint and more upkeep and is impacted more by weather elements. Keeping your outdoor kitchen appliances in stainless steel, with stainless steel cabinets, along with slab countertops of granite, soapstone, concrete, or tile keeps your outdoor kitchen looking f=great over the years.  Slab countertops are great for cleanup, but you need to keep them clean and sealed regularly to keep them functional and looking great for years.

An outdoor kitchen will give you years of great memories and service and makes for a great DIY project this summer. We would love to see your finished DIY project, so send us your pictures at info@shedwidowsandmore.com. Happy cooking and grilling this summer!

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