How To Build an Outdoor Kitchen

Transform any outdoor space into a deliciously functional retreat for friends and family when you learn how to build an outdoor kitchen on your deck or patio. Make your outdoor cooking area every bit as functional and fashionable as an indoor kitchen by starting with a phenomenal BBQ and adding all the convenience of additional kitchen elements. Outdoor refrigeration solutions, storage essentials, appliances, and sinks combine to create an outdoor work station worthy of an avid home chef. 

Step 1: Make a Plan for Your Outdoor Kitchen

Once you know you want to dedicate a portion of your outdoor living area to an outdoor kitchen, it’s important to flesh out a detailed plan.

Evaluate How Much Space You Have

To begin, evaluate the outdoor area you have available and take careful measurements of the space you can allocate for your outdoor kitchen. If you are planning on adding a deck or concrete patio, you’ll have more freedom to build an area appropriate for the kitchen. If you already have a deck or patio in place, you may need to work within the confines of the space you already have.

Decide What You Want to Feature in Your Outdoor Kitchen

How do you like to cook outdoors? What elements would you like to feature in an outdoor kitchen? The best outdoor kitchen plans start with a clear vision, and that can be very different from one home chef to the next. Some items you may want to feature in your home kitchen include: 

• Gas Grill: When you want to grill outdoors on a regular basis, gas grills are an extremely convenient choice. Select a free-standing grill or incorporate a built-in grill into your design. Fire them up in seconds and throw on your favorite ingredients. They can operate with a propane tank or with a hard-wired gas connection. 
• Charcoal Grill: When you want that distinct taste and have a little more time on your hands to finesse your heat, charcoal grills provide a traditional and reliable choice. 
• Smoker: Introduce incredible depth of flavor into your favorite meats and vegetables when you slow-cook them on a smoker fueled by your favorite wood chips or pellets. 
• Side Burners: Make additional sides for your meal without stepping away from the grill when you include side burners in your design. 
• Outdoor Refrigerator: Keep your ingredients and favorite beverages cool and convenient by incorporating a refrigerator into the design. 
• Kegerator: Flavor is always on tap when you introduce a kegerator into your outdoor kitchen layout. 
• Wine Cooler: Serve up your favorite vintage to friends and family when you include a wine cooler in your outdoor kitchen design. 
• Ice Maker: Keeping all those beverages nice and cool doesn’t require a trip into the kitchen when you feature an ice maker. 
• Bar Sink: Wash your hands, prep ingredients, and make clean-up from outdoor meals easy when you include a bar sink into the design of your outdoor kitchen space. 
• Pizza Ovens: Ditch delivery and make mouth-watering pizzas at home when you include an outdoor pizza oven as part of your plan. 
• Storage Solutions: All those fun grilling accessories and outdoor dinnerware pieces you’ve collected need a place to live between uses. As you design the outdoor kitchen, make sure to include enough storage solutions to conceal propane tanks, organize grilling tools, and more. 

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If choosing individual components seems daunting, check out the prepared island packages available.

Decide If Work Space and Serving Space is Necessary

Once you have the key components of the design determined, think about how much additional work area you’d like to have and how much additional room you still have available within the space allotted. You can include a prep countertop in the design or choose to elevate the look further by creating a serving countertop around your outdoor kitchen. This gives friends and family a place to sit and visit with you as you prepare a meal. All of these elements will play into the custom design of your outdoor kitchen.

Determine an Overall Design Style for Your Outdoor Kitchen 

An outdoor kitchen is a true extension of your home, and as such, it should look the part. Once you know what you want to include in your outdoor kitchen, you must also consider what overall style you want the kitchen to have. Are you looking for something rustic, beachy, or elegant? Understanding the style of your outdoor space will help you choose materials and finishes that will help you achieve that vision.

Step 2: Set the Foundation

If you don’t already have a concrete slab or deck area available on which to build your outdoor kitchen, that will be an essential first step. You need to make sure you have a secure and level foundation to construct your outdoor kitchen on top of. This foundation can be a concrete slab, arrangement of pavers, or even traditional decking.

Step 3: Choose Your Equipment

During the planning process, you determined what type of equipment you want to include in your outdoor kitchen. Now it’s time to select the exact model of each of those elements. You’ll need the dimensions of each one to help you measure out and design the kitchen surround you’ll create in the next step.  

If you are limited on space, consider the size and shape of the items you’re selecting. If you are building them into a kitchen surround, you’ll also want to choose a good-quality product that will hold up to years of outdoor use.  

Once you have all the different pieces of equipment in your yard, start putting them in roughly the place you want them and practice moving around the space. You want to make sure you’ve created a comfortable and functional layout before you start building additional pieces. This is a great time to make any last-minute adjustments.

Create the Frame or Choose Modular Sections

The frame is the supportive structure around the grill and other elements you’re selecting. Built it like an island off to the side of a free-standing grill or include the larger kitchen appliances into the design itself. If you don’t want to build a custom framework, you can save time by choosing finished modular sections and arranging them on either side of your grill or BBQ.

Add the Appliances

With the initial frame constructed, start moving the large appliances into place. The grill should be the main focal point and be placed in an area that allows for proper traffic flow as you fire up your favorite meals. Keep in mind that grills produce an incredible amount of heat. When installing a built-in grill, make sure to provide 24 inches of clearance between the grill and any flammable materials, such as wood cabinetry or siding. When installing your built-in grill, make sure to include an insulated jacket. Don’t worry — each manufacturer offers insulated jackets built specifically for their grills.

Add Storage Components & Final Elements

Once the big pieces, such as grills and refrigerators, are nestled into place, it’s time to install all the additional elements you’ve selected for your outdoor kitchen. This is when you can add access doors, drawers, prep sinks, faucets, and small elements that will play a big role in how you entertain friends and family.

Install All Finishes

Once the appliances are in place, it’s time to make your outdoor kitchen beautiful. Paint, stain, or clad the outdoor kitchen in decking materials, stone, or tile. The different finishes you can use to complete your outdoor kitchen are as infinite as the number of layouts you can select for its design. If you have a two-tiered design with a countertop for serving, a backsplash may also be needed.

Furnish & Style the Outdoor Kitchen 

Your outdoor space is an opportunity to deliver added style to your home. Once you have all the functionality of the outdoor kitchen in place, it’s time to bring a little of your personality to the design. Incorporating a counter with bar stools is also a great way to promote conversation while you cook. The styling portion of your process is also a time you can choose things that will help the area function better. If you plan on cooking after dark, incorporate outdoor lighting solutions into your design. 

Creating an outdoor kitchen is just one way to make your outside space into a functional living area. Complement your new outdoor kitchen by using a portion of your deck or patio to create an outdoor dining room. In a matter of seconds, you can take items off the grill and serve them right to your table for a casual meal al fresco.