In general, the basic concept encompasses an area to prepare, cook and entertain. An ideal scenario allows for your guests to enjoy your food, as far away from the heat and smoke from the grill or cooking appliances as possible. Whether you want an expansive, U shaped outdoor living space to imitate the effects of being sent away on a tropical paradise vacation, an L shaped outdoor kitchen full of your indoor kitchen comforts, or a basic in line grill island, whatever the decision, you would want to implement the basic design elements in your next outdoor kitchen project. Let’s dive in and check more about How to Build an Outdoor Kitchen – Location, Design, and Materials

The amount of people you plan to cook for on a regular basis or entertain for on occasion can affect the design as well. If you want to extend the season or have your guests comfortable outdoors all year long, there are other design elements that can come into play as well. There is currently an incredible selection of products to make your outdoor entertaining space one of the most pleasurable aspects of your home. Having this amount of selection is wonderful, but it can become overwhelming or make you feel like items you must have in your kitchen, thus affecting the overall design, plans, and costs of your project.

Rule of thumb:

Don’t let the available items be your primary concern. The projects with the most satisfying result are usually initially dictated by space allotment! and budget. Sometimes simple is better and sometimes it’s nice to have a few luxurious amenities. Take your time and make the choices that best fit your family’s needs then, add the desires.

Far too often we see people choose everything they want and force them to fit in the space allowed!, making everything appear cramped together. In other cases, people eyes are bigger than their budget and they simply choose the lowest priced items from multiple brands and the island ends up looking like a Frankenstein creation. Neither of these lend itself to a well thought out design, nor will provide an attractive result. If the budget is a concern, choose a quality grill and go with a single more affordable brand for all the doors and drawers.

This will ensure the stainless on the front and all the handle styles will match. It is true that an outdoor kitchen or basic bbq island can bring overall value to your home, but usually only at a rate of 1/3 of an indoor kitchen, so regardless of your budget, count your costs wisely and select your items accordingly.

In line or Small Islands:

This island style is the most common and with a basic design element comes into play with these. Simply keep the bbq grill or source of heat as far away from your guests as possible. Nothing is worse than trying to enjoy a cooking meal while being engulfed in smoke and heat. If an outdoor refrigerator, ice chest or sink is part of your plans, these would instantly create your serving area and you would want the grill at the opposite end of the kitchen. Depending on overall dimensions of the kitchen cabinet base, it might be best to install a door/drawer combination cabinet under the grill and a single access door under the sink.

Though more expensive than a door, a combination cabinet is a great utilization of space. If your fridge is going to be placed next to your sink, you don’t have to use an access door. The cutout opening for the fridge will provide ample space to install your sink. The only drawback is if you need to winterize the supply lines, you will have to pull the fridge out.

Location:

The location for your outdoor kitchen is a very important decision and depending on the layout of your property, there may be several options. It may be under an existing covered structure or simply out on the patio exposed to the elements. We have found that clients in certain geographical locales prefer to have their kitchen located under a roof structure, protecting them from either the extreme heat of the sun or to allow them to utilize their kitchen during rain or other bad weather. This is a great idea if your space will accommodate this design and dramatically increases its usability.

This design does create challenges for properly ventilating your cooking appliances as smoke can easily build up inside a covered structure. The addition and utilization of a vent hood will remedy these issues. It is recommended that the vent hood be 6-12” wider than the appliances to ensure that all possible smoke is captured.

U or L shaped Outdoor Kitchens

If you are designing an expansive outdoor entertaining space or a commercial kitchen, the layout would broken into different “zones”. The location of each zone is placed strategically in order to create a harmony within the space of operation. This is called or term “functionality, flow, convenience and comfort.” Regardless of the specific zone’s purpose, you want to ensure that the zone itself is ergonomically intuitive, that is, having all the essential items need for that zone to function easily. It’s essential to keep everything within arms reach to minimize the steps taken by the chef.

This not only lessens the amount of fatigue that the chef could experience, but it also increases the harmony, pleasure and enjoyment of working within that space. The zones consist of a preparation zone that you would use to wash and cut the needed meats or vegetables, a cooking zone to cook the prepared food, a plating zone to arrange the side dishes and plate the cooked items and finally a serving or entertaining zone where your guests can comfortably enjoy your meal and receive refreshments and libations of their choosing.

Depending on the layout of your backyard or the proposed location of the commercial project, you can also extend the entertaining season by adding a heat source, either an electric or gas heater, luxurious outdoor fireplace or even a simple fire pit. Ones are even installing televisions, stereos and artwork specially made to be weather-proof. Whatever you decide to do on your next outdoor kitchen project, contact the outdoor living experts at the BBQGrills.com for all your outdoor living needs.

Questions before starting

• Will the proposed bbq island be against the house and attached to its utilities?
• If it is close to the house make sure all fire codes are considered. If you’re running separate utilities consider underground obstacles. Is the current patio and yard drainage sufficient?
• Do you want to provide some shelter from the wind, sun, or road noise?
• What is the sun exposure, and how will you ensure adequate shade in hotter climates?
• What are the set back requirements for any new structures?
• Are permits needed for the outdoor kitchen or any pavilions or other structures you’re planning? Check with your local building department before starting work.

Utilities

Has the gas line size and pressure been confirm? Natural gas should be 7” water column. Bulk propane should regulated to an 11” water column. Has the plumber or gas technician planned for the total BTU volume of all the BBQ equipment!? If additional gas appliances are running off the same line such as Fire pits, Pool Heaters and Patio Heaters a load test may required. Will the kitchen plumbed for water supply? Hot and cold, or just cold? An under counter water heater installed below the sink is usually less expensive than running hot water lines and performs better.

Have you provided a shutoff valve and a drain to winterize the water lines? Do you plan to get rid of the waste water with a french drain or attach it to the city’s sewage? Have electrical outlets planned throughout the kitchen and above the counter? Be sure to provide a dedicated circuit to any refrigeration as these typically need more amperage.

Outlets for standard appliance should also be on a separate circuit. Outlets above the counter can used for blenders, rotisserie motors and the like but you will also need outlets below the counter for the outdoor refrigerator, BBQ lights, BBQ ignition, water heaters and things such as these!. If a TV is plan for the outdoor space, be sure to provide conduits! to run the cable lines and or HDMI cables from where the TV box will be house. Low voltage wire (telephone, Cat 5 or Cable) cannot run in the same conduit as high voltage (110 volt) power which will be require to run the TV.

If considering High Voltage (220 volt – 440 volt) patio heaters make sure that a dedicated min. How to Build an Outdoor Kitchen – Location, Design, and Materials 50 amp breaker is use for this type of install! and that a load test is calculate to consider all uses. It is always best to install switches for any outlets! that run refrigeration so that the units can be turn off without them having to pull them out to unplugged.

Construction Methods

Are you building the kitchen on an existing patio? Does it have enough support? (Note: We always recommend that new masonry Islands be build with their own separate foundation rather than just over an existing patio, for a couple reasons. The weight of the island will typically be too much for standard 4” thick patios. If you ever wanted to replace or change your patio surface the island would be in the way. To prevent water from entering into the island it’s always best that the foundation for the BBQ island be ¼” – ½” higher than the surrounding patio. Are you building your island out of wood? If so you will need to purchase and in some cases have made, an insulating liner to go under the grill. How to Build an Outdoor Kitchen – Location, Design, and Materials .

We always recommend that island be built from galvanized steel studs or concrete block. Steel studs are typically faster and cheaper! and also leave more room inside the cabinet as they are not as thick. It’s always best to have all utilities stubbed through the floor of the BBQ! Island so as not to be see on the outside. If you do choose to use metal studs for the construction, it’s also nice to install stainless steel sheeting! on the inside of the island attached to the framing for cosmetic purposes!. This way when you look inside the island its clean looking and leaves no room for little critters to nest.

Materials and finishes

Are the counters, patio materials and veneers suitably freeze/thaw resistant? What about planters and other accent pieces? Are the counters and patio materials highly grease and stain resistant? Are you and the homeowners familiar with the supplier recommendations regarding sealing of the chosen counter and patio materials? Have you specified a solid brass faucet using ceramic valves or a solid stainless steel one? Do not use any zinc coated or pot metal materials in outdoor plumbing. How to Build an Outdoor Kitchen – Location, Design, and Materials These are the one normally found in local stores. Is the outdoor sink 304 stainless steel, plastic or solid copper? If not, are you certain it is suitable for outdoor use?

Appliances

We always recommend that all of your outdoor components be UL Rated for outdoor use, cooking appliances be certified! and all products outdoors are constructed with 304 grade stainless steel. These will provide protection from the elements for the long haul. Grade 430 stainless steel is a widely use product for middle to lower end products. Where this steel may hold up in certain locales with care, it is absolutely not! recommended near swimming pools, brackish or salt water environments. In most cases when you buy something that is more expensive! in the BBQ world that usually means it’s of a higher quality and well worth the money. How to Build an Outdoor Kitchen – Location, Design, and Materials.

There are a couple exceptions to the rule though. There are very well-known product brands that are simply price high because their branded name allows them to do so. . Also, do not mix and match built in appliances. Each manufacture uses a specific stainless steel polish and technique that can be quite noticeable when not using the same brand for the entire project. The only exception would be utilizing a single brand for all the major cooking appliances and a single, opposite! brand for all the front cabinet doors and drawers. Having a slightly different finish of stainless steel here is not as noticeable. There are manufactures across the price spectrum that complement one another. BBQGrills.com has nearly every brand of item on display and our highly trained experts! can ensure your project has not only a satisfactory, but amazing appearance.

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Outdoor Kitchen Inspiration