Summer and in some climates year round we enjoy outdoor entertainment, cookouts, and barbecues with your neighbors and friends. However, outdoor entertainment can be quite tedious, especially with all the running around with food and serving dishes. Therefore, instead of running back-and-forth this summer, why don’t you invest in a modern outdoor kitchen? Here are some of the most beautiful outdoor kitchen ideas that can transform your backyard into a cooking oasis.
11 Beautiful Outdoor Kitchen Ideas
1. Outdoor Kitchen Storage
Every cooking area deserves an ample storage space, and an outdoor kitchen is no exception. So, make sure you create some storage space for your outdoor kitchen. You can include several cabinets and storage solutions.
Stainless steel is the best material for building your outdoor cabinets. Remember, stainless steel cabinets are rust-resistant; therefore, you will never have to worry about your kitchen being damaged by moisture during winter.
2. Add Outdoor Seating
Whether indoors or outdoors, no kitchen is complete without a beautiful seating area where your family members can enjoy their meals. Therefore, you can make your outdoor kitchen more comfortable by building some beautiful seats and tables using some simple power tools. In fact, the best tool for cutting your pieces of lumber into the right size is a circular saw. Remember, a circular saw can handle a wide range of cuts, including rip cuts and crosscuts.
3. Add a Wood-Fired Oven
At times, we get tired of the same old hamburgers, hotdogs, or pizza cooked in an electric oven. So, give your family a different flavor by adding a wood-fired oven in your patio kitchen instead of an electric oven. Other than trimming down your energy consumption, a wood-fired oven can improve your food’s overall taste. The flavor of your food is enhanced by the even distribution of heat in the wood-fired oven. Therefore, all the ingredients cook at the same time. Plus, the smoky flavor will leave your family members and friends satisfied. With Alfa wood and gas-fired ovens, you can enjoy baking, grilling, and cooking while entertaining your guests.
4. Don’t Forget the Lighting
A huge percentage of outdoor cookouts take place at night, so ample lighting is crucial. After all, nobody wants to cook using a flashlight! Cooking in a poorly lit kitchen can be very dangerous, especially since you will be dealing with sharp knives and hot ovens. So make sure you invest in a reliable ceiling light and fun. Multipurpose ceiling light and fan will help lower the temperature during a hot summer afternoon and keep the kitchen well-lit at any given time of the day.
5. Outdoor Refrigeration Drawers
No outdoor kitchen is complete without outdoor refrigeration drawers to keep your drinks cold. Summers can be very welcoming, but as the afternoons wend on, the day can become really hot. So instead of always going to the house for some cold drinks, why don’t you install a refrigeration drawer in your kitchen? These drawers can also keep your drinks cold when entertaining guests in the evening.
6. Add Unique Outdoor Flooring
Before you even think of purchasing a giant grill or building beautiful seats, you should select the best type of flooring for your kitchen. Beautiful flooring makes your patio kitchen standout. And a beautiful patio kitchen can improve the overall appearance of your entire backyard.
Some of the most common materials used to build outdoor flooring include natural stone, brick, and concrete. Ceramic tiles are also very common, especially since they offer a wide range of finishes and colors for you to choose from. So, look for the type of flooring that compliments your backyards décor.
7. Outdoor Sink
A sink is mandatory for patio kitchens, especially since you will be dealing with raw meat. With an outdoor kitchen sink, you can wash your utensils after everybody has finished eating. Plus, you can wash the ingredients there as you prepare your meals. So go the extra mile and hire a professional to add a sink in your patio cooking area.
8. Turn It Into a Real Room
Look at your outdoor kitchen like a real room and add all the amenities that will turn it into a comfortable place. After all, nobody likes cooking in the rain or direct sunlight. You can add a roof, a ceiling fan, a cupboard, a vent, and a wide range of cooking appliances. Remember, you will spend a lot of your time there when hosting a barbecue or dinner for your family members and friends. So, try and make it as comfortable as you can.
9. A Patio Kitchen With a Retractable Canopy
Cooking outdoors under the hot sun or on a rainy day can be quite overwhelming. Therefore, most patio kitchens come with a roof that provides shade from direct sunlight. However, if you love watching the stars on a clear summer night, you can opt for a retractable canopy. With a retractable canopy, you can enjoy the morning sun or watch the stars at night while cooking. At the same time, you can protect yourself from the rain and direct sunlight when it gets really hot.
10. Add an Outdoor Kitchen Island
A kitchen island can provide extra sitting space for you and your family members in your outdoor kitchen. It can also house additional drawers and cabinets where you can store your cooking appliances when you have a cookout. But, most importantly, it can be a great addition that compliments your kitchen’s décor.
11. Add a Small Patio Kitchen Bar
No cookout or evening outdoor entertainment is complete without your guests having a few drinks. So, you should consider adding a small bar to your outdoor kitchen. People love an indoor space that opens up to the backyard. You can build a long counter that extends from the exterior parts of your house to the interior. And add a classic French style window. This way, you can extend your indoor bar to the outside without taking up too much space. Plus, it can also serve as a link between your two kitchens, minimizing movements from the outdoors to the indoors.
Final Thoughts
There is nothing more satisfying than preparing and eating your meals outdoors when the weather is pleasant and warm. With a patio kitchen, you can cook and enjoy your meals under the stars or warm sun. And thanks to the above outdoor kitchen ideas, you can have your outdoor cooking area or backyard into a beautiful kitchen oasis.
-----------------------------------------------------
Used by permission from Alfa Forni, Italy.
Visit The Great Outdoor Pizza Ovens Company for more great ideas and outdoor pizza ovens, discover the new Rossofuoco line of products or the new Alfa One portable oven.