We are finally at that point of the year where the weather is going to start getting warmer and we will start spending more time outdoors. This also means that you might have started to think about an outdoor kitchen.
These are nice because they allow you to spend some time outdoors, it’s a great option to extend your living space, and it’s also a fun way to entertain during those warmer months! Before you think about cooking in an outdoor kitchen, first you need to design one. Here are a few features to consider that will make your kitchen more functional.
The Right Kind Of Lighting
Task lighting is essential for any outdoor kitchen. Not only are you going to need lighting while you are prepping food and cooking it, but lighting can also create ambience and keep your guests safe during the gathering.
An Ice Maker
Instead of having to go inside, again and again, have an ice maker in your outdoor kitchen. This will offer functionality, but also save time and make it more convenient for you and your guests.
A Wine Refrigerator
This is a cool option to have in your outdoor kitchen, unlike with a regular refrigerator, a wine refrigerator only cools bottles of wine. Again, a major convenience, but also very functional if you plan on entertaining outdoors more now that it’s getting warmer. A wine refrigerator can be as big or small as you want or have space for.
Warming Drawers
A warming drawer is also very useful for when you are cooking food for a medium to a large number of people and want every to be served at once, eat at once, and everyone’s food to stay warm. Not only can you put actual food in a warming drawer like steaks, burgers, and hotdogs, but you can use a warming drawer to warm plates and to keep bread and buns warm.
Pizza Oven
If you have the space for it, a pizza oven is a really fun option to add to your outdoor kitchen. These come in several different options from portable ovens to built-in wood-fired ovens. If you eat a lot of pizza, have pizza parties or your family loves pizza; a pizza oven is going to be a great investment regardless of the size.
A Beer Tap Or Dispenser
If all that pizza talk is making you thirsty, you also might want to think about a tap or dispenser for beer. These are an absolute NEED if you like to entertain a lot, have people over for games, or you just have some beer lovers in your circle.
An Actual Bar
If you plan on having a beer tap, you should think about a bar as well. This is a good idea because it’s not meant for just one type of drink – and people can sit at the bar if you need extra space for seats. A full bar will allow you to make any drink you have the ingredients for.
A Coffee And Tea Bar
A coffee and tea bar is significantly smaller than a full bar, but it creates an organized space where you can streamline making coffee and tea for your guests. These tend to be a cart or a standing counter area where you would have a coffee maker, teapot, perhaps a sink, and a place to store the coffee and tea. You could also add drawers to this space for dessert plates and forks.
These are just some of the many options to consider when designing an outdoor kitchen, but the sky is the limit. If you want the biggest and baddest grilling station or the most advanced ventilation system – you can have it. The very first order of your outdoor kitchen should be the design though. This will help create an aesthetically pleasing, functional, and organized space.
View our outdoor kitchens here.