Cooking up a Hot Kitchen for the Outdoor Chef

So, you love to cook but cooking indoors seems so secluded and restrictive.  When you have guest over, you want to entertain them in a nice setting while you prepare the food but you feel like you can't do that in your indoor kitchen.  Maybe it's time to do a little home improvement, and build an outdoor kitchen, filled with all the necessities and more to give your backyard the attention it deserves.  To get started, here are some important things to keep in mind during the planning process.

Floor
First things first, you have to start from the ground up.  Establish what type of layout and material you want to be the foundation of your kitchen space.  Be conscious of the weather climates and situations you live in.

Utilities
Knowing where your gas and electric lines are is critical for choosing the location of your outdoor kitchen.

Location
When thinking about where your outdoor kitchen should be, take into account these factors:

• Views: Keep away from windows or doors that face the backyard, be considerate of your neighbors, and make sure your guests' view from the sitting area isn't unpleasant.
• Wind: You don't want smoke from the grill blowing into your home so check for wind patterns and orient your cooking space accordingly. 
• Sun and Shade: Depending on where your house faces, you want to make sure you prepare for the amount of sun or shade your kitchen space will get.  To help hide your space from too much sun, add umbrellas or canopies or simply build your kitchen nearby the trees in your backyard. 
• Traffic flow: You don't want to build your kitchen in an inconvenient place where people will be moving in and out of the house.  Build it off to the side and out of the way from heavy traffic areas and play areas.

Appliances
Decide on what appliances you want in your outdoor kitchen.  Depending on the size of your space, you may not be able to fit everything you want, so chose the most important appliances.  Take into consideration that the appliances you choose will have to be able to withstand rain and sun.  Choose reliable appliances with easy maintenance so you won't have to stress out if something goes wrong.

Storage
Depending on how much space you have, you'll want to include some storage options in your kitchen.  They also must be waterproof and temperature durable.  You'll want to add enough counter-space and hide0away storage so you don't have to keep running inside to prepare something or get something.

Entertaining space
If you're planning on having guests over often, you'll need to set aside a place for them.  Make sure you'll have room for patio furniture, décor or whatever else you want to add to create a touch of ambiance.

Wardell Builders | info@wardellbuilders.com  | 858-793-4190 | Solana Beach, CA 92075