The Outdoor Lifestyle Blog

To plan a perfect outdoor kitchen, you really kind of have to work backwards. You have to choose where the structure is going to go in your backyard... but before you're able to choose the location you have to know how big your kitchen is going to be. Before you know exactly how big it will be, you'll need to know what appliances and features you need to create the perfect outdoor kitchen for you!

So, beginning with the end in mind will help you with planning the size of an outdoor kitchen, then everything else will fall into place pretty easily. For example, all you have to do is:

Let's face it, it's too hot to even turn on the oven, let alone eat large, heavy meals. To help you satisfy your summer appetite, we've curated this list of summer snacks that incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables as well as tried and true favorites.

We suggest you try one of these recipes next time you're looking for something to enjoy by the pool or to munch on between meals: 

The grill is the heart and soul of an outdoor kitchen; it's where we use one of Earth's most basic elements — fire — to transform simple ingredients into delicious meals. Because of how important the grill is, choosing the the right grill is not a decision that should be taken lightly.

To help you make such an important decision, we've laid out some "dos" and "don'ts" to keep in mind as you're trying to make this special selection for your backyard:

If you're going all out and investing in a custom outdoor kitchen, you're going to need to be sure you're pouring your heart and soul into every meal you prepare for your friends and family.

You probably already know that we pride ourselves on welding the body of your kitchen together so that it can handle more weight, compression, tension, and even seismic activity from earthquakes. There's another reason, however, that we choose to build our kitchens with steel frames.

Wood-framed outdoor kitchens are ticking time bombs that are dangerous and risky investments, and we cannot bring ourselves to build such inferior structures. Why? Well, we're glad you asked:

There are a few skills you need to master in life — things like how to do laundry, how to balance a checkbook, and how to make and grill the perfect burger!

While we hope you already know to separate your brights and your whites, maybe you haven't quite perfected your hamburger technique yet. To help you hone your skill to perfection, here are our tips for making and grilling a perfect hamburger:

While your outdoor kitchen may not be used as often as your indoor kitchen, it has far more opportunities to get dirty. Knowing that it'll be exposed to dirt, pollen, grass, and rain, it's smart to have a plan in place to keep everything looking as pristine as the day it was installed.

To help you establish some cleaning habits that will keep your outdoor kitchen looking as good as ever, we've listed 5 easy ways you can keep your investment looking and working like new:

Having an outdoor kitchen doesn't make too much sense if you're just going to cook your food outside then bring everything inside once it's done. It makes way more sense to host your whole party outside, so as you start planning your dream outdoor oasis, don't forget to include spacious outdoor dining areas with comfortable seating for your guests.

We've compiled some helpful tips for you to keep in mind as you're planning your outdoor eating spaces so that you and your guests can sit back and relax in maximum comfort:

We always love an excuse for a party, and what better reason is there to host a get together than celebrating our country! With 4th of July right around the corner, we thought we'd share with you our favorite party snacks, entrees, and treats!

We know how much work goes into building an outdoor kitchen, so there's little we hate more than seeing the entire project botched thanks to careless mistakes. And we're not talking easy-to-fix mistakes that happen toward the end of the process like forgetting to fill the propane tank for the grill, but mistakes early on in the planning process or in the actual building that affect the entire outcome and quality of the finished project.

To help you avoid some not-so-obvious yet oh-so-unfortunate mistakes, we've compiled a list of the problems we often see and each of their solution to guarantee a smooth, safe, satisfactory build: