Outdoor Kitchens Guide

When planning your outdoor kitchen, you will no doubt spend some time considering which outdoor kitchen appliances to include in your design. In the end, it really comes down to what you can fit in your outdoor kitchen, but for now I will assume you are past the outdoor kitchen design stage. Of course, you want to include a grill. I have discussed the size and quality considerations in grill choice in a previous article.

Let’s focus on the other outdoor kitchen appliances you might want to add to your outdoor kitchen plans. If you have a water source and more importantly, a drain in the outdoor kitchen area, you will want to include a sink. Many people install small bar sinks in their outdoor kitchens, but I would suggest you go with something bigger. A sink in the 20 inch range is ideal for an outdoor kitchen. This size sink, especially one with a depth of at least 8 inches allows you to not only wash glasses, but also deal with dirty plates and utensils. You might not think you would use the sink all that much, but most people end up using their outdoor kitchen sink far more than they thought they would. Another sink option is to use an outdoor kitchen bartender. these units include a small sink, plus small areas for ice and drink condiments. I strongly advise against using these bartenders, as the sink is generally very small, and the faucet typically cold water only. A much more functional approach is to go with the larger sink described above. The overall size of your planned kitchen will help you decide on the choice in sinks. A small outdoor kitchen might need a smaller sink to save space. Small outdoor kitchens tend to make people plan smaller in several areas.

Are you planning a refrigerator in your outdoor kitchen? If so, make sure you shop around as the price range for outdoor rated refrigerators is very wide. The entry point for  outdoor refrigerators that are LP approved and warrantied for outdoor use is around $1300. The more popular brands really start at around $1500 and go up to well over $2000. The standard size for an outdoor refrigerator is 24 inches wide and around 35 inches tall. Some people choose to use a refrigerator that is not intended for outdoor use. This is a gamble. The refrigerator may last a few months or a few years, there is no way to tell. If you are in a hotter climate, it will not last very long. The problem with designing and building your outdoor kitchen with a refrigerator not intended for outdoor use is that most other refrigerators are a bit smaller than a standard outdoor refrigerator. And on top of that, there are a lot of different sizes of under counter refrigerators sold at home improvement stores. This means if you decide to upgrade to an outdoor refrigerator in the future, it will probably not fit into the refrigerator hole in your cabinet. Of course, you could have the outdoor kitchen built to accommodate an outdoor refrigerator even if you do not use one. The problem with that approach is you will have a refrigerator that is smaller than the opening and it will be obvious.

The nice thing about any of the higher end outdoor appliances is that it is very easy to get replacement parts. You can get parts for your grill that might have cost you several thousand dollars just as easy as you can get igloo cooler parts!

Other outdoor kitchen appliances commonly used are ice makers, kegerators, and various kinds of single or double side burners. these are all personal choices for you to decide based on budget and knowing how much use you would get out of them. The best suggestion I can make is when buying refrigeration of any kind for your outdoor kitchen, stick with outdoor rate, UL approved units. You will be glad you did. As for the various burners, consider your cooking style and your budget and make the best decision for you.