It's one thing to have an idea of what you want for your outdoor kitchen design; it's quite another to have a plan.
At Unlimited Outdoor Kitchen, we don't like to give our clients "cookie-cutter" kitchens because, ultimately, that's not what they want either. We're all about building custom kitchens, which means our designs are unique to the individuals we're building them for.
However, there's a great amount of skill, experience, and planning that goes into designing a customized outdoor kitchen that's also smart and functional. The last thing a client wants is a beautiful one-of-a-kind outdoor kitchen that's complicated to cook in. That's why we rely on our expert outdoor kitchen designers to take our clients' big ideas, filter those ideas through a lens of functionality, and then give them a design they love!
As you're dreaming up your outdoor kitchen and trying to make it as unique as possible, we want to give you the tips and tools you need to grow your creativity while also grounding your practicality,
Since addressing every part of an outdoor kitchen would fill a book rather than a blog, we're tackling just one feature in your outdoor kitchen — the pizza oven and where to put it.
If you want a pizza oven that looks like a brick oven...
One of our favorite places to install outdoor pizza ovens is above the fireplace. Surrounded by the brick or stone of your outdoor fireplace, a basic pizza oven nested above a fireplace resembles brick pizza oven (even though it's metal).
It's that easy to make your outdoor kitchen in California feel like a loggia in Florence, Barcelona, or some other European destination. When it comes to pizza ovens, location, location, location is what sets the tone.
More reading: Want to something tasty in your pizza oven for every meal? Get ready for a 24-hour pizza marathon!
If you want your pizza oven built into your countertop...
Perhaps you don't have a fireplace in your outdoor kitchen, or maybe you don't like the idea of standing in front of a hot fire to check your pizza. Either way, above the fireplace is not the only attractive spot to install a pizza oven.
Many homeowners like to have their pizza ovens built into their countertops. This convenient location allows you to easily transfer the pizza to and from the oven. The less distance you have to travel with a pizza, the less opportunity there is to drop it or burn anything in your path — just something to consider if you're cooking with kids.
More reading: Make the most of your outdoor pizza oven by learning how to make pizza so good, you'll never need to order again!
If you want to treat your pizza oven like a traditional oven...
Many homeowners prefer to have their pizza ovens under the counter, like where you'd install a traditional oven. That's a great idea, too. After all, it's your outdoor kitchen, and you're the cook!
If you're installing your pizza oven under the counter, and you're also planning to have a smoker or a grill in your outdoor kitchen, you may want to have them stacked, which would result in the ultimate double-decker oven for the outdoor kitchen enthusiast!
A safety precaution to keep in mind, though, is that if your oven is low to the ground, then children have more access to it and may be at a greater risk of getting burned when the pizza oven is fired up.
More reading: Is this blog making you hungry? Make a snack in your pizza oven!
We have more design ideas and tips!
This blog article was just the tip of the iceberg (or a bite of the pie, if you will) when it comes to design advice for you outdoor kitchen. To learn more, talk to our professional outdoor kitchen designers by clicking on the banner below!
