The Outdoor Lifestyle Blog

Cooler temperatures are on their way, and for some of us that means it’s time to close down the outdoor kitchen for the season.

Of course, there’s still plenty of fun you can have in your outdoor kitchen during fall and winter—especially if you have an outdoor fireplace or fire pit to cozy up around. But if you know you’re not likely to spend much time outside until spring, you’ll want to make sure everything is properly prepared for the dormant season.

Here’s a checklist of tasks to winterize your outdoor kitchen:

When you invest in an outdoor kitchen, you want to keep it clean and beautiful for years to come. We’ve already covered keeping your grill grates clean and cleaning and maintaining your fire pit, so this week we’re going to look at cleaning your countertops.

Here’s a quick guide to special cleaning requirements for the most common types of outdoor kitchen countertops:

As you’re in the brainstorming phases of designing your outdoor kitchen, you’ve got many aspects to consider. One of the most basic questions is where you’re going to put it. Many of our clients choose to put their new kitchens on a patio—but what if the best space you have available is an elevated wooden deck? Can you build an outdoor kitchen on a deck?

The answer is yes—but proceed carefully. Here are some of the important questions you’ll need to answer before starting this project.

How much weight can my deck handle?

Your deck has been crafted with a particular amount of weight support in mind. If you have documentation from your builder or contractor, check to see its weight limits. Then plan the size, features, and building materials of your kitchen accordingly—keeping the weight far below the maximum. Remember that your deck will also have to support the weight of the people gathering around the kitchen as well!

Do you dream of having an outdoor kitchen, but are afraid your backyard is too small? You can still have a beautiful and functional kitchenette in your small yard if you plan carefully!

Pick what matters most

If you’re limited on space, focus in on only those appliances and tools that you really want. For most people, a high-quality grill is a must. (And keep in mind good doesn’t necessarily mean large—you can get a great grill that doesn’t take up all of your available space.)

Are you at the early stages of planning your outside kitchen? One of the questions you’ll need to ask yourself as you plan is which appliances you’ll want to include. Your outside kitchen should reflect your needs, so be sure to choose the appliances that fit your lifestyle and your cooking habits best.

You’ll also need to make sure you choose appliances that can withstand the rigors of the outdoors. Your outdoor kitchen is an investment, and you don’t want issues with rust or mold to shortchange you!

Here are some common appliances for outside kitchens, and some considerations for making sure they withstand the elements:

Dreaming of a custom outdoor kitchen for entertaining friends and family? As you’re collecting ideas for what elements you’d like to include, be sure to consider the countertop.

Not only is it the surface where you’ll be doing a lot of practical prep work, it’s also one of the features your guests will first notice when they step into your outdoor living space.

Here’s a quick overview of outdoor kitchen countertop options:

Are you in the early stages of planning an outdoor kitchen and are starting to look for the right appliances to bring your new addition to life?

Here are a few things you should keep in mind as you continue shopping for outdoor kitchen appliances that will help you make the right choices when it comes to durability, functionality, and convenience. We even threw in a few maintenance tips so you'll know exactly how to protect your investments. Enjoy:

While the idea of cooking in an outdoor kitchen is fun, the decision to have such a large home addition custom built needs to be taken more seriously.

We understand it's easy to get caught up in the potential parties and family gatherings, so to keep you grounded in reality and focused on the most important parts of the project, here are 5 questions we want you to ask yourself before moving forward with your grand plans:

An outdoor kitchen is a lot more than just a grill, so you're going to have to put a lot more thought and care into how this new addition is going to function in your backyard. To help you guarantee your new kitchen will work well, function efficiently, and look great, we've put together these 8 tips for better outdoor kitchen design:

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: