Before building your outdoor kitchen, a few important questions must be answered. Aside from personal style preferences and the unique vision of your future outdoor kitchen, the following components should be considered in order to make the most out of your investment.
What Type of Cabinetry Will Work Best?
Whether they’re indoors or outdoors, cabinets are an essential part of all kitchens. They provide necessary storage space, support appliances and tie together the look of your entertainment space – contributing to your unique style.
Consider what type of cabinets will provide the most efficient storage and accommodate the dimensions (and weight) of your outdoor appliances, such as grills, pizza ovens and refrigerators. Most importantly, consider the environment where you live. For example, coastal homes should use 316L marine-grade stainless steel for optimal durability.
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Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens manufactures cabinets that will bring the look of your outdoor entertainment space together. Our stainless steel cabinets arrive fully assembled for ease of installation. With multiple powder coat finishes and cabinet configurations, our versatile outdoor kitchen cabinets provide homeowners with seemingly endless layout and design options when creating their outdoor cooking area.
What Cooking Appliances Should I Get?
There are a lot of different options when considering what cooking appliances to install in your outdoor kitchen. Our in-house design team can help you narrow down the choices; selecting the best appliances for your cooking style and outdoor entertaining needs.
Gas grills are a convenient option, while charcoal grills provide more flavor and a unique live-fire cooking experience. Wood-fired pizza ovens are a fun addition to outdoor cooking environments and gas-fired ovens provide a more modern convenience. A dedicated smoker is a must for traditional American barbeque, while an outdoor side burner will provide boiling and frying options.
What Do I Need for a Cooling & Bartending Station?
A full luxury outdoor kitchen would be incomplete without refrigeration and bartending stations. Access to cold drinks, an ice maker, refrigerator and freezer will provide convenience and luxury to your cooking space.
Other appliances such as wine coolers and bartending stations will help you create the ultimate outdoor entertaining space. Whether your entertaining style is intimate dinner parties or luxurious summer soirees, outdoor cooling and bartending amenities are a must.
Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens offers a wide variety of styles and features from premier manufacturers. Keep in mind that many of these appliances will need a water line so make sure to research and plan all utility connections and outlets.
What Should Be Considered When Choosing Countertops?
Granite, concrete, and soapstone are typically the most popular materials used for outdoor kitchen countertops. Each of these options will require maintenance, as they are subject to various environmental stresses from the outdoors. Consider your surrounding climate. For regions with harsh winters, the repetition of freezing and thawing will cause chipping and cracking over time. We recommend using countertop materials that are resistant to thermal shock against heat, frost and thawing.
Additionally, each station in your outdoor kitchen will need adequate countertop space to support it. For example, the prep zone will ideally include easy access to a sink, trash bins, utensils in nearby storage drawers, and cabinetry. This area will get messy, so easy cleanup is important. As with an indoor kitchen, creating functional zones is a key part of planning your outdoor kitchen layout.
What Furniture Will Best Complement the Space?
The final aspect to consider before designing and building your outdoor kitchen is furniture. Tables, chairs and other furniture will tie your outdoor space together.
You should consider how much room you have, how many people you plan to entertain at a given time and how much space you’ll need to make everything comfortable and functional. As we’ve seen over the last few years, the outdoor kitchen trend is to separate the entertaining and cooking areas. If your outdoor space will follow this trend, consider different types of furniture for the spaces. Chair width, knee height, and traffic clearance are important elements to consider when planning the purchase of your outdoor furniture. Most importantly, the design and layout of your outdoor kitchen should create a natural flow between cooking and entertaining areas.
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An outdoor kitchen is a great feature that will provide years of outdoor enjoyment and entertainment for your family and guests. It will expand your dining and hosting space and allow you to spend more time outdoors. With proper planning and design, the perfect outdoor kitchen can be a reality for your home.
