You don’t need to go out to enjoy a genuine alfresco experience. An outdoor home kitchen gives you the option to grill in style and to create culinary masterpieces for your friends and family in a comfortable and relaxing environment.

Create special memories without spending a fortune by hosting family and friends in your own garden. With an outdoor kitchen, you can entertain, cook delicious meals, and spend time with family and friends. 

An outdoor kitchen offers plenty of other benefits as well. Here is your guide to getting started: 

Choosing The Right Outdoor Kitchen BBQ

The first thing to consider when choosing a BBQ for your outdoor kitchen is the space available for the BBQ. Make sure you measure the space you’ve allocated for the outdoor kitchen BBQ before browsing online or in-store.

The dimensions should include the height, width, depth, and any spaces needed for gas outlets and hoses. In the event that the BBQ doesn’t fit the space, you can either adjust the space (if you haven’t already built the area out yet) or move on to the next BBQ.

Most outdoor kitchens should include a large burner gas BBQ if you want to do most of your quick grilling outside. Another charcoal barbecue or smoker may be used alongside this to cook meats that have a delicious smoky flavour.

You should decide whether you will run a gas line to your outdoor kitchen or rely on gas bottles to fuel your barbecue. It may be physically impossible to run a gas line to the barbecue in some cases.

Invest in Outdoor-Rated Kitchen Appliances

Appliances are specifically designed for indoor and outdoor environments. Using indoor appliances in your outdoor kitchen is a recipe for disaster, as your appliances are going to fade, discolour and ultimately fade – with a voided warranty because they were never meant to be used outside.

Outdoor appliances are built to withstand harsh weather conditions, sudden temperature swings, and exposure to the elements. 

Take The Wind Into Consideration

You should consider the prevailing winds while arranging seating and dining areas. There is nothing more annoying than trying to enjoy a nice evening outside and always having smoke blown into your face.

What Would You Like To Store In Your Outdoor Kitchen?

There are many accessories that you can include to enhance the cooking and dining experience. An outdoor kitchen usually includes a refrigerator for keeping drinks cool and cabinets for storing dry goods. Preparation work and clean up are made convenient and easy with an integrated rubbish bin and paper towel holder. A built-in ice maker is perfect if you enjoy hosting cocktail parties. So that you don’t have to run from your indoor to the outdoor kitchen, you can add a drawer to store tools and utensils.

Ensure You Have Proper Ventilation

Building an outdoor kitchen provides the opportunity to use grills that aren’t available indoors. But these barbecue pits still emit smoke and fumes.

It’s imperative to ensure adequate ventilation. Outdoor kitchen vent panels and hoods are the most effective means for addressing this issue and ensuring that your outdoor food preparation area is safe and enjoyable.

Cooking and Cooling Appliances Shouldn’t Be Placed Next To Each Other

Always separate the cooling appliances and the cooking appliances when designing an outdoor kitchen. Don’t install your refrigerator directly under or next to your grill.

Heat is a major factor in making the fridge work harder than it should. When internal parts are overheated, they are more likely to fail sooner. 

The refrigerator should be installed at least one metre away from your grill or side burner. Make sure there is a solid barrier between the two appliances within the island structure if there is limited space. It is important to plan your layout in order to keep your appliances at a reasonable temperature and, as a result, prolong their lifespan.