Outdoor Kitchens are an incredible addition to your Outdoor Living Space! With proper Design and Planning, you can have the Outdoor Kitchen of your dreams!
Planning for an Outdoor Kitchen
Outdoor cooking has gained in popularity in the last decade. What was once thought of as simply outdoor grilling now encompasses all manners of cooking and it’s meant for everyone - from amateur to professional chef! So, how do you build the right outdoor kitchen for you and your family?
One of the best things you can do to make your outdoor entertaining space more fun and usable is to include an outdoor kitchen in the design. It is difficult to host guests outside and have a good time when you are stuck in the kitchen preparing food and running back and forth to serve.
With an outdoor kitchen in your entertaining space, you can be part of the action, even if you are still cooking when guests arrive. The extent of your outdoor kitchen space is up to you. It’s a good idea to have a water source and even space to store silverware and flatware. An outdoor dishwasher can make your life much easier after entertaining outside. As for cooking implements, it is up to you whether you want to include a stove and oven or simply use a nice built-in grill to complete your outdoor kitchen.
At Casual Furniture World, we’re here to help you navigate through this! With a little proper planning, you can be enjoying the outdoor kitchen of your dreams this spring!
Space Requirements
As you begin to plan your space, be sure to separate your future kitchen into zones, such as for cooking, mixing drinks, eating, etc. Think about what your hopes are for the outdoor kitchen and what you’d like to accomplish. Are you looking to entertain? Will this primarily just be for you and your family? Will it be a combination of both?
Depending on whether your outdoor kitchen will be entirely open-air or “transitional” (partially covered, with open-air elements), you may need to vent your cooking surfaces with a grill hood or vent panels. Bring your plans by one of our locations and we’ll be happy to take a look and advise you on which appliances will work with your project and what you should be aware of (hint: it will involve measuring!)
Choosing the Right Appliances
Keep the heating appliances together and the cooling appliances together by having a “heating” zone and a “cooling” zone. Seems so obvious it might not be needed to be mentioned, but it’s true. You will want to have some space between built-in grills and refrigerators. Your outdoor refrigerator will thank you!
2 Incredibly important tips:
- “Measure Twice, Cut Once”. It’s sound advice from Bob Villa. With Casual Furniture World’s 30 Day Grill Guarantee, you can return your grill if it’s not the right fit. It’s much harder to return granite once it’s been cut.
- Make sure your appliances have been rated for Outdoor use by the manufacturer. These appliances were constructed with tested materials and can withstand quickly changing weather.
When it comes to the appliances you’re going to use in your outdoor kitchen - grills, griddles, and even refrigerators, come to Casual Furniture World! We’ll be happy to work with your builder on specs.
Bringing it all together
We want you to be able to enjoy your outdoor kitchen as soon as the weather allows. This may mean placing an order soon so you can take advantage of the beautiful spring weather. If you have any questions about lead times, our friendly and knowledgeable staff is here to help! We have over 35 years in the business. We’ll work with you spacing requirements and the actual appliances - after all, in all of our years in outdoor cooking, we’ve rarely heard that someone had too much counter space.
If you are doing a full-scale renovation or building a completely new outdoor living space, our Designers will work with your hardscape developer to discuss the important details. One of the important components to a successful outdoor kitchen implementation is how it will be enjoyed once it’s complete. We can also help you with the softscapes, such as seating, cushions, pillows, and any additional décor needed to transform your space.
Still have questions? Our Designers are here to help - no project is too large or too small! Book our 1 hour free design consultation!
Or, just come to one of our 3 locations! Find your local Casual Furniture World store.
