Outdoor kitchens are a great way to bring the outside in, and they make your garden feel like an extension of your home. They’re especially useful during the summer months when you want to spend as much time outside as possible. With an outdoor kitchen, you can now cook and entertain guests at the same time. In this blog post, we’ll explain what an outdoor kitchen is, why you should build one, and how to build your own. An outdoor kitchen isn’t just a luxury, it’s also a practical investment that will pay off, again and again, all summer long. Even if you don’t have the space for a full-scale outdoor kitchen, there are smaller ways to bring its benefits into your home, like with a DIY fire pit or build-your-own BBQ island.
Table of Contents
- What is an Outdoor Kitchen?
- Why Build an Outdoor Kitchen?
- How to Build an Outdoor Kitchen?
- 5 Steps for Building Your Own Outdoor Kitchen
- Galvanized Framing System
- Cabinex
- DIY Kitchen Examples
- Final Words
All About Outdoor Living specialise in building bespoke outdoor kitchens and creating dream outdoor living spaces that suit our client’s needs. We are happy to guide and assist DIY enthusiasts through this process and also offer a discounted buying facility to give you an all-in-one package. Along with help and guidance to create your very own self-built outdoor kitchen.
What is an Outdoor Kitchen?
An outdoor kitchen is a versatile space that you can use for any number of cooking, entertaining, and dining activities. Outdoor kitchens can be used for cooking food on the grill, but they are often equipped with other appliances as well — like refrigerators, cabinets, sinks, and even fireplaces. Outdoor kitchens can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. Some people choose to build outdoor kitchens that are fully equipped with appliances and even have the ability to connect to natural gas lines. Others prefer simpler setups that focus on grilling and other outdoor cooking activities. The outdoor kitchen is not a new concept in the least. In fact, outdoor kitchens were a common fixture in many gardens throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s. Back then, they were mainly used to entertain family and friends and to create an outdoor “room” that was separate from the rest of the garden.
Why Build an Outdoor Kitchen?
There are many reasons to build an outdoor kitchen. In fact, research shows that a majority of homeowners have plans to create an outdoor kitchen in the next couple of years. Whether you’re building your first outdoor kitchen or adding to an existing one, these are some of the top reasons you’d want to do so:
Ease of Cooking
An outdoor kitchen makes it easy to cook while entertaining. Instead of having to move food from the kitchen to the garden and back again, you can do everything you need to in one central location.
More Privacy
If you’re adding an outdoor kitchen to an existing patio or garden, you might want to consider adding some sort of enclosure that provides some privacy.
Better Flow
If you have an area on your property that gets a lot of foot traffic — like a patio — building an outdoor kitchen in that area will allow you to better control the flow of people and activities in that space.
More Storage
An outdoor kitchen gives you a place to store appliances, pots, and other items that might not otherwise have a place in your garden or patio.
Improved Outdoor Experience
An outdoor kitchen can transform your outdoor experience and make you much more likely to spend time in your garden or patio.
Better Outcome for Summer Parties
Outdoor kitchens make it easy to cook and prepare food for larger groups.
More Room for Improvement
Outdoor kitchens are rooms that you can continually upgrade, add to, and experiment with.
How to Build an Outdoor Kitchen?
Building an outdoor kitchen can be a big project, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start by mapping out a rough plan for the space and how you want it to function. You can always change it and make adjustments along the way. Once you’ve got a general idea of what you want your outdoor kitchen to look like, you’ll need to consider how large the space should be. You’ll also want to think about where the appliances will go and how you can best optimize the space you have.
Space
First and foremost, you’ll need to consider the size of the space. What are the dimensions of your back garden? How much space can you dedicate to an outdoor kitchen and still have room for other activities?
Appliances
From the very beginning, you should have a general idea of what appliances you want in your outdoor kitchen. You can always change or add to your list as time goes on, but you’ll want to have a starting point.
Materials
What materials will you use for the countertops and other features? Where can you source those materials? Do you have the funds to purchase them?
5 Steps for Building Your Own Outdoor Kitchen
Now that you know what an outdoor kitchen is and why you should build one, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of actually building one. Before you begin, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the general process of building an outdoor kitchen.
Research
Before you start building anything, you’ll want to do some research. Make sure you’re up to code, and that everything you want to do is allowed in your area. You’ll also want to research different outdoor kitchen designs to get some ideas for your own space. Contact us via email or give us a call so we can discuss the project, we will ask for pictures of the outdoor living space, plus a few of the properties to determine what type of kitchen would be suitable.
Site Analysis
Before you do anything else, you’ll want to analyse the site where you want to build your outdoor kitchen. What is the weather like in that area? How often does it rain? What time of year do you spend most of your time outdoors? We will also need to know locations for power supply, water, and waste.
Understand Your Needs
Before you do anything else, it’s critical that you understand your needs. Do you have a large family that likes to eat together? Do you have many guests or parties during the summer months? Do you have children that need a safe place to play?
Galvanized Framing System
We use a unique galvanized framing system that is light in weight but strong enough for the job. We avoid the use of brickwork or blockwork as it becomes very messy.
This system allows us to make adjustments to suit the base and create a fantastic frame structure for the kitchen. We can incorporate sinks, Fridges, Gas BBQs, Charcoal BBQs, wood-fired BBQs, Electric BBQs, Argentinian BBQs, and South African-inspired Braai BBQs.
Pizza ovens, Kamado, Green eggs, side burners, Smokers, the list is endless.
We will advise you as to what you really need.
We can suggest a pre-made galvanised steel frame assembly delivered to the site. Or you can build your own frame using dimensional drawings and helpful tips from us. Alternatively, you may want to build your kitchen in solid brickwork or blockwork, this is a popular option but involves a certain amount of skill or the employment of a competent bricklayer.
The DIY bespoke outdoor kitchen will need to be designed and drawings produced, giving opening sizes and dimensions to assist with the build.
Either of these options leads to the same result a solidly built box that will support and include your appliances and door options.
Budget
Once you understand your needs and have a general idea of how much it will cost to build an outdoor kitchen, you can create a budget. Keep in mind that outdoor kitchens are not cheap. It’s important to understand that you’ll likely spend much more than you originally expect.
Design
After you understand your needs and you have a general idea of how much it’ll cost to build an outdoor kitchen, you can start designing it. If it’s the bespoke look you are after we can look at several different ways to construct your frame.
All About Outdoor Living will provide these drawings for you to work on. Making sure that all of the appliances are correctly positioned and that the openings are shown with all of the dimensions you will need.
We are available for help along the way as well, we can offer a frame build-only service, where we construct the frame and hand it over to you to complete the pre-tiling boarding, tiling or timber cladding, and installation of the worktop.
If this all seems too much work we can help with the tiling or timber cladding if required, we can put you in touch with our specialist stone masons to carry out the worktop installation. There are many options for worktops you may have your own ideas for such as polished concrete., timber, or tiled surface.
Where do we make our money?
Well, we will charge a small fee for the design work and providing the drawings. We will make a small margin on the trade price supply of the appliances and doors. We will hope to get retail recommendations from you in the future. Offering you an incentive to do so.
Cabinex
DIY Kitchen Examples
BeefEater 3000 Series 4 Burner Outdoor Kitchen – Priced from £10,000
BeefEater 3000 Series 5 Burner Outdoor Kitchen – Priced from £10,000
The Cabinex 5 Burner Outdoor Kitchen is the outdoor entertainer’s dream machine. Whether you’re cooking up a feast for a large group or simply grilling for a small one, the Cabinex 5 Burner Outdoor Kitchen has enough room to accommodate a wide variety of guests. Cabinex offers a 10-year limited warranty on all parts and components. All Cabinex modules are delivered in flat-pack format for ease of transportation and assembly. Full installation support is available upon request.
Total measurements for this kitchen:
2815mm(w) x 670mm(d) x 570mm(h)
(without BBQ)
Grill surface: 4608 sq cm
Power output: 95 MJ
Final Words
Now that you know what an outdoor kitchen is and why you should build one, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of actually building one. Before you begin, you’ll want to familiarise yourself with the general process of building an outdoor kitchen. Once you’ve got a general idea of what you want your outdoor kitchen to look like, you’ll need to consider how large the space should be. You’ll also want to think about where the appliances will go and how you can best optimise the space you have. From there, follow these seven steps to build your own outdoor kitchen. Now you can start cooking outside year-round and invite more friends and family over to enjoy the experience.
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