Outdoor Kitchens Guide

The term Outdoor Kitchen is a fairly new one, and if you mention it in some areas you will get strange looks from the people around you. But if you live in one of the areas where outdoor kitchens are prevelant then everyone would know exactly what you were talking about. An outdoor kitchen is a term used to describe an outdoor cooking and/or entertaining area that can be as simple as a built in grill or as elaborate as a separate structure housing a grill along with everything else you would find in a regular kitchen. The difference of course is that everything is outdoors.

As I mentioned earlier, outdoor kitchens vary greatly in their size. This also means they vary greatly in their cost. You can have a simple built in grill with a small tiled counter top and storage beneath for anywhere from $2000 up to $8000. The reason for the large price range is because the grill you have installed might cost several hundred or several thousand dollars. There is a huge range in available grill sizes and quality.

Most people who add an outdoor kitchen to their home want a quality grill to be the centerpiece. The choice of grill starts with size. The most popular grill size is either 27″ or 30″, depending on the manufacturer. Some manufacturers measure their grills by the width of the cooking surface, while some measure from the outside of the frame. This is important in looking at comparisons. It is possible that a 27″ grill from one manufacturer might actually have a larger cooking surface than a 30″ grill from another manufacturer. Whichever you choose, a typical 27″ or 30″ is plenty big enough for most people. if you regularly entertain more than 15 people, you might want to look at the next level of grills, typically 36″, then up to 48″.

Once you have decided what the size of your grill will be, you have to decide on any upgrades and also the overall quality of the grill. Many outdoor kitchens are very simple things, and the grill chosen for them is a lower end, simple grill. Assuming you want a stainless steel grill that is warrantied for life against rust, the low end is going to be around $1000, give or take a little. Now you might go to your home improvement store and see stainless steel grills for a few hundred dollars less. Don’t be fooled. The grade of stainless you want is “304 stainless”. The nickel content in this stainless steel is what makes it impervious to rust. Your outdoor kitchen can be totally exposed to the elements, and a grill made with 304 stainless will not rust. The other metal parts that are not 304 stainless will rust, so pay attention to what is inside the grill. But, based on overall quality, it is fair to say the range for prices on a 30″ 304 stainless grill is anywhere between $1000 and $4000.

I will go into the differences between the low end grill and the higher priced grills in another article. But it basically comes down to quality, accessories, and name brand. There are many grills to choose from, from electric grills to more traditional types. When choosing your grill, keep in mind it is the center piece of your outdoor kitchen. Decide what you want your outdoor kitchen to be, then choose your grill accordingly.