Outdoor kitchen plans are designed around having fun. Take the cooking outdoors! Enjoy the great weather and enjoy some of the best tasting fire-grilled foods. But remember, your outdoor kitchen success depends much on having smartly designed outdoor kitchen plans.
Start by placing your outside kitchen strategically in relation to any other backyard elements, such as the patio, garden or pool. Consider them all as if you are planning a natural flow of traffic between “rooms.” Your outdoor kitchen plans should have a natural flow of space from the grill to the seating area. Leave an open plan so the kids can wander to and from the pool as they get hungry or bored.
Easy access between the indoor and outdoor is a smart idea, whether it is through the patio door or even an open window. But importantly, don’t neglect the cook! Sometimes it is easy to locate the grill in an isolated area for fear of smoke or fire. Lots of modern grills have fans or exhaust to lessen the smoke, so feel free to design your outside kitchen island with lots of grill-side counter seating!
If you intend to host a mini bar outdoors, incorporating a fridge into your outside kitchen plans is a smart idea. The fridge can keep the drinks cold and accessible; in addition, it is handy for food prep. To expand upon the bar theme, add a touch of authenticity by incorporating beer dispensers, wine chillers, martini bars- maybe even an ice maker! Look at outside kitchen plans online to get an idea of how to build an island to seat your thirsty friends and family. Don’t forget small touches, such as a built in bottle opener or a towel holder, to give your outdoor kitchen a “real” bar feel.
Most importantly, the trend within the past years has been to try to recreate the feel of a traditional indoor kitchen to the outdoors. If this is your intention, then an outdoor fridge is a necessity. If you have a fridge installed because you intend to prepare food outdoors, a strategic setup for your outdoor kitchen plans would be to have the sink and food preparation area between the fridge and the grill; this will follow normal food prep process. Consider having a set of utensils and tools to keep strictly for outdoor purposes.
Outdoor kitchen plans almost always include a grill. You can go with the traditional charcoal or gas grill, or even a hybrid grill. Hybrid grills tend to more expensive, but the versatility may be worth the extra cost. There is even the option of electric grills. If you balk at this trend, consider the fact that tastes are expanding.
People crave for versatility at the grill in order to accommodate the rise in popularity for Chinese, Indian, and other Asian cuisines. Also, the use of gas or electric grills mimics indoor cooking, thus expanding your outdoors cooking repertoire from steaks to stir fry. Prepare a traditional lobster bake outdoors. Or install a wood oven. Think about how pleased your kids will be to eat oven-baked pizza prepared and served pool side.
Of course, these fancy outdoor kitchen plans come with a price. For more budget-friendly options, consider a portable fridge or cart that you can transfer indoors or out to suit your purposes. Look into pre-fabricated outdoor kitchen islands online. Concrete or brick may be a reasonable, cheaper alternative to stainless steel or tile. With some research into online outdoor kitchen ideas, you can design an outdoor kitchen to fit any budget and purpose.
