An outdoor kitchen can add a significant amount of value to your home. You may be able to see as much as a 200% return on your investment. So if you’re looking to sell your home, adding an outdoor kitchen is a great way to increase the asking price.
Even if you aren’t looking to sell your home, an outdoor kitchen is still a great addition to your home. Imagine entertaining your friends and hosting your family on a gorgeous patio and the easy access you’ll have to cook and serve food.
These outdoor kitchen ideas will transform your backyard into a beautiful, personal basis.
Add a Grill Island
Of course, no outdoor kitchen would be complete without a grill. A nice grill is often the base for an outdoor kitchen. After all, why else would you have people over to enjoy the patio if you aren’t going to grill hot dogs and burgers?
You can make the grill a feature of the entire outdoor kitchen by choosing a stunning centerpiece like a black stainless steel grill island. Grill masters can even customize their grill by adding features like a fridge or a beverage center.
There are infrared, electric, and propane grills available, each providing its own benefits and tastes to the food.
Full-Service Wet Bar
No dinner would be complete without a delicious drink to go along with it. Add a wet bar that will rival your favorite neighborhood gathering spot. Wet bars have plumbing running to them so you can have hot and cold water outside.
Wet bars usually include a sink, ice machine, and mini-fridge. These features are ideal if you’re looking for an outdoor kitchen that has all the features or similar features to an indoor kitchen.
Wet bars are also great for homeowners who like to entertain. They’re mostly used to make mixed drinks and punches. But if you have a sink in your wet bar, it can serve as the sink for the entire outdoor kitchen.
Dine Next to a Fireplace
After cooking some delicious food, you should enjoy it with a view. Build a fireplace or fire pit to add a cozy atmosphere to your patio. Dining next to a fireplace will make cooler evenings outside much more enjoyable.
A fireplace also extends how long you can use your patio, especially if you live in a place that experiences cooler weather. You can turn on the fireplace and enjoy sitting outside well into the fall.
You can set up a dining space or a lounging space next to the fireplace. A dining table is a more formal option, while eating or drinking on sofas and settees is much more casual.
Or, if you want options where both are near the heat source, use a dining table with a fire pit in the center and place the lounge space near the main fireplace.
Kids and adults will both love using the fireplace to roast marshmallows and make s’mores after a delicious dinner.
Add a Patio Covering
Any chef can tell you that cooking in the kitchen can get hot. Add the heat from the sun on a summer day, and you’re guaranteed to be boiling. You can solve this issue by adding a patio covering over your cooking and dining space.
A pergola will add some covering while still allowing you to have a view of the sky. You can add climbing or vining plants or curtains to add an extra layer of protection from the sun.
If you want total protection from the elements, add a roof over your patio. This would allow you to enjoy your patio in most kinds of weather. For added ventilation, you can add fans in the cooking area to keep your home chefs cool.
Beverage Station
Create a dedicated area to store and serve drinks. You can customize a beverage station to fit the kind of drinks you like to enjoy. From wine to beer to soda, you can get creative with how you store them.
A wine fridge is a great option to keep your bottles cold and ready for serving. A Kegerator can do the same for beer to allow you to have drinks on tap. You can also have a soda dispenser for kids to use. It’s also a good idea to have a regular fridge where you can keep liquor, lemonade, or drink mix-ins.
Don’t forget to dedicate some counter space to making drinks and crafting cocktails.
Don’t Forget Storage
It’s easy to get wrapped up in all of the exciting features of your outdoor kitchen. With new gadgets and a stylish design, it’s sometimes hard to think of the practical or logical items you’ll need for your outdoor kitchen design.
One of the most simple outdoor kitchen ideas is to add storage. Cabinetry and drawers are a must to store all of your cooking tools, pots, baking sheets, cleaning supplies, and other kitchen needs.
Outdoor storage will also prevent your indoor kitchen from getting too cluttered with double the kitchenware in one space. The only thing you probably do not want to store outside is food as that can attract animals. But your go-to grill spatula will be happy to have a dedicated drawer outside.
Create a Pass-Through to the Kitchen
Indoor-outdoor living is the current trend when it comes to backyard design. This trend involves making the transition from the inside of your home to the outside as seamless as possible.
You can accomplish this by creating a connection from your indoor kitchen to your outdoor one. A pass-through window is a great way to create this connection. Do this by adding a window that opens out to your patio.
This allows you to easily pass serving trays, ingredients, or dirty plates from the inside and outside. A pass-through is especially great if you’re using both kitchens or preparing a large meal.
There are many foods people would rather prepare or keep inside. If you don’t have a large outdoor space, you can make your indoor kitchen feel like part of your outdoor kitchen with a pass-through window.
Add a Pizza Oven
Who doesn’t love pizza night? How about making it fresh and eating it al fresco? There’s something about having a pizza made from a wood-fired oven rather than a traditional oven.
For many outdoor entertainers, a pizza oven is a must for outdoor patio cooking. You can find some that use wood to give the pizza that delicious wood-fired taste. But there are also gas and hybrid options for homeowners who want a more modern or easier method of cooking.
Though it’s called a pizza oven, you can bake other food inside it. Bread, dessert, and even meat cook well in a pizza oven. If you’re looking for a versatile appliance to add to your outdoor kitchen, a pizza oven is a great option.
Side Burners and Griddles Are a Must
You should have a variety of cooktop options so you can cook a variety of food in your outdoor kitchen. It doesn’t have to stop at burgers and pizza outside while the rest of the food is prepared in the inside kitchen.
Side burners can be used in a similar way to your indoor stovetop. This appliance is ideal for making sides and boiling pasta. A griddle will allow you to make your favorite breakfast foods like pancakes and bacon.
Both of these appliances are a must if you’re looking to add features that make your outdoor space feel like a full kitchen.
Ample Counter Space
With all the cooking you’re doing, you’re going to want to have the space to prep and serve food. You’re also going to want to have space enough space to place your appliances and still have room to perform your cooking duties.
Consider creating distinct areas in your outdoor kitchen dedicated to each step of the cooking process. Prepping, active cooking, and serving are the three main areas you’ll need to prepare food.
Appliances you have to consider are the sink, griddle, burners, and stone cooktop. If you’re planning on adding these—or even only one or two of them—you should plan to make up counter space elsewhere in the outdoor kitchen. An island is also a great way to add more counter space.
A great tip is to plan your outdoor kitchen as you would an interior one. A good layout and outdoor kitchen design should be a top priority.
Outdoor Kitchen Ideas to Transform Your Backyard
Imagine an evening surrounded by friends and family. The stars are out; everyone’s laughing and enjoying each other’s company. You’re able to serve all of your guests something delicious right from the grill or the bar. All of them are impressed and satisfied.
This evening is possible when you have a gorgeous outdoor kitchen. These simple outdoor kitchen ideas can transform your backyard in a big way. So what features are in your ideal outdoor kitchen.
If you’re looking for more tips and tricks for food and home, check out more articles on our blog today!