Are you starting to plan your future outdoor kitchen?

If you are like us and love to cook and eat in the great outdoors, then an outdoor kitchen would be perfect for you. These are our ultimate outdoor kitchen design tips:-

1.  Weatherproof Countertops: An outdoor kitchen is going to be exposed to all sorts of weather which means the cabinets and benchtops need to be made for extreme heat and cold. You really don’t want a material that needs any ongoing maintenance. Of course, our number one material is concrete as it’s a weather-resistant material and durable enough to be fully exposed to all the seasons. Make sure when planning your outdoor kitchen design, you leave ample benchtop space for food prep and serving.

2.   The Perfect Grill: A durable, high-quality grill is the main feature of any outdoor kitchen and is likely the most used appliance in your outdoor kitchen. We went with the built in Weber. Other cooking appliances to think about are pizza ovens and smokers.

3. Alfresco Fridge. If you have the space, a fridge in your outdoor kitchen is really nice to have. It’s the perfect way to store marinated meats, and drinks close, so you aren’t going back and forth to the main kitchen for supplies and to top up drinks. Make sure you check the specs, and that the fridge is made for outdoors as it needs to be able to tolerate outdoor weather.

4.  Outdoor Sink:  It’s so handy to have a designated space to wash salads, have drinking water, rinse dishes and even to wash hands from the garden before heading inside when you have a sink as part of your outdoor kitchen. If you couldn’t fit a fridge in your design, then the sink can also be filled with ice and used as a drink bucket when you are entertaining outdoors.

5. Outdoor Lighting and Power: The lighting of an outdoor kitchen needs to be well thought out. Have a chat to your sparky as there are restrictions around where Power Points can be installed near water. You want to make sure you have enough lighting for your guests when eating but also while you’re on the BBQ. Lighting adds ambience and functionality to your outdoor kitchen. Tip: Put a PowerPoint where you can power up electronics, we’ve had many dance parties where the UE boom has needed to charge to keep the music (and party vibes) alive.

6. Storage Solutions: To keep your outdoor kitchen organised and clutter-free and really think about your storage options. You can consider cabinets, drawers or shelving but make sure you think about how to hide things such as the gas bottle and have a designated space for your cooking essentials, tools, and accessories. Having a fully stocked outdoor kitchen saves you going back and forth from inside to outside while the party is in full swing.

7. Location When designing your outdoor kitchen make sure its where you want to be when spending your time outdoors. It may be to face a special view, be close to the pool or close to your outdoor table. Both you and your guests want to be comfortable so make sure you have a dining set nearby so that you can still be close to conversation whilst grilling.

By incorporating an outdoor kitchen into your entertaining space, you can create the perfect setting for outdoor entertainment.