With the summer months coming, many people are starting to think about their outdoor furniture. Dusting it off and getting it out of the garage is a good start. An even better idea is to start thinking about an outdoor kitchen.
You may not have considered having an outdoor kitchen before, but they are awesome for a few reasons. You can take dining outside to a new level by being able to cook while chatting with your guests in the evening sun.
Whether you like to barbecue, prefer a conventional oven or want a wood fire oven, there is the perfect option for you.
Popular Outdoor Kitchen Ideas
1. Bring the Outdoors Undercover
If you think you’d like an outdoor kitchen but are afraid of changeable weather, this is a great option. Because it is completely undercover, you will be able to use it all year round.
It has everything you could want; a massive barbecue and table for entertaining as well as a fire to keep warm. Or, use it to roast marshmallows!
2. Cook with a View
If you live somewhere with a marvelous view, why would you hide away cooking indoors? If you have a beautiful lake, farm or outdoor view, you’re going to want an outdoor kitchen.
There’s nothing more relaxing than cooking while listening to the sounds of the local flora and fauna.
3. Plenty of Bench Space
If you’re going to cook outside, you’ll want to be able to spread out – just like if you were inside. So, when choosing your outdoor setup, ensure that you have plenty of room to spread out. It is so much more fun cooking and creating flavors when you do!
4. Galley-style
Feel like you’re in the galley of a ship with this massive kitchen. It feels almost industrial in size. The great thing about having such a long kitchen is that you can place a row of bar stools along the other side of the bench. Create your own bar and chat away with guests while you whip up a meal.
5. Indoor/Outdoor Flow
You may prefer to have your kitchen undercover to protect the appliances. However, it seems a shame not to be able to sit and enjoy the food outdoors. So, what do you do? This kitchen seamlessly blends the indoors with the outdoors.
You can go directly from the kitchen to the table without having to bother with doors. You’ll keep cool while cooking by being out of the sun and in an open room, allowing air to flow through.
6. Design Features
Rather than having a plain kitchen outside, you may want to add an interesting feature to it. It may be an awesome painting or a funky backsplash like this one. It will draw the attention of any guests to your brand-new kitchen.
7. Kitchen and Dining All in One
By using the kitchen island as a place you can put bar stools, you create a kitchen and dining area all in one. You won’t need to add a separate table and it won’t be far to go to hand out plates of food. It’s the ideal solution if you’re working with a small backyard area.
8. All Hands on Deck
If you’re unsure where to put your outdoor kitchen but have a large deck – we have the solution for you. You can put your kitchen on the deck! This way you get to enjoy using your deck more often and get a view while you’re cooking. It is an ideal situation.
9. Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Some people aren’t huge fans of the look of outdoor kitchens. This kitchen offers a solution by blending in seamlessly with the style of the house. You get all the functionality of an outdoor kitchen without drawing the eye to it.
10. Kitchen in the Sun
If you are a sun lover, you don’t want to be inside slaving over a hot stove all day. Instead, be outside where all the action is. Your family can either help or, more likely, lounge around while you are in this kitchen. Putting the kitchen on a balcony could be the perfect place.
Having it on the second level of your home is unexpected but makes great use of balcony space. Add some hooks nearby for your kitchen shears and other cooking implements.
11. Woodfire Oven
If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating a woodfired pizza, you’re missing out. Adding a woodfire oven is a great asset to any kitchen.
You can cook not only pizza but also ribs, steak, corn cobs, sourdough and more. It adds an extra smokey flavor to whatever you’re cooking, which can make it even better.
12. Splash of Color
When designing your outdoor kitchen, you may be most focused on what appliances you’re going to have. Others, like in this kitchen, keep it simple and add color instead. The bright blue is eye-catching and makes this tiny outdoor kitchen look homely and inviting.
You may not want any appliances permanently outside but like this one, choose to purchase some you can bring outside when you want to cook. A portable gas burner is a great option for this.
13. The Bar
Who says you have to cook in a kitchen? Turn your outdoor kitchen into a bar and never want to leave your house again. No more overpriced drinks. We suggest purchasing a cocktail recipe book to perfect your skills. The only problem will be your mates constantly inviting themselves over.
14. Plenty of Seating
If you’re going to be cooking outside, you want to make it an enticing atmosphere. Add plenty of seating options for your guests. A large couch can be great for the appetizer and cocktail portion of your evening. Then add in a large dining table for a fantastic place to serve dinner.
15. Sliding doors
Many people start feeling cooped up in theirs inside kitchens in the summer months. It can get really hot in there due to not enough airflow. Solve this by installing massive sliding doors that can open all the way up.
These should open out to your outdoor area. This way, you can feel like you are outside even though you’re still in your house. It is the perfect compromise.
16. The Two-Part Kitchen
If you don’t have a lot of undercover space, but want to install an outdoor kitchen there, think about how to best use the space. This house has overcome the issue of an entrance in the middle of their useable space by breaking up the kitchen into two sections. This gives them more room than if they only used one side of the entrance.
17. Fold-Down Table
Many people have limited outdoor space. You may have enough for a kitchen outside, but not a table. You can overcome this by installing a fold-down table.
Like the one on the left of the picture, these can be folded out when you need them and then flipped up against the wall when you don’t. This means that when you’re not using it, it is out of the way.
18. Two Levels
This kitchen has a bench at a lower height than the bar area. This is a great use of space so that your guests can have a place to put their plates while leaving your bench clear. Or, you can put dishes up and out of your way while you’re cooking.
19. Keep it Simple
If you love barbecuing and grilling but wouldn’t use other kitchen appliances – just keep it simple. There is no point in purchasing things you are not going to use. Just buy the best barbecue you can find and enjoy making meals exactly the way you like.
20. Keep Crockery Close to Hand
By having outdoor cabinets near your dining set, you’ll have everything you need close by. Whether or not you have an outdoor kitchen, this will come in handy.
Even if you cook inside and eat outside, it will be useful to have your crockery and cutlery right there. This saves you from having to bring it outside. Or if you have a barbecue, place the cabinet next to it for extra space to put your cooked meats.
21. Firepit Fun
Having an outdoor fire pit is a great idea. Place it next to your outdoor furniture to keep warm on the chillier evenings. You’ll also be able to roast chestnuts, marshmallows and many other treats on it. It makes a great backyard feature.
22. Perfecting Illusion
If you want to feel like you’re outside without having to brave the elements, try creating the illusion that you’re outside. For example, in this kitchen, they have a whole wall made of glass. You get to enjoy the fantastic view and feel like you’re out in the open – minus the sunburn.
23. Build an Add-On
If you are looking to do full-on home renovations, consider building this add-on. Neither quite indoors nor outdoors, it is the perfect mix of the two. This outdoor kitchen is a perfect solution if your other kitchen is far away from your backyard. In this way, you can cook while being nearby your guests or family.
24. Standalone Mini Kitchen
This standalone kitchen may be small, but it has everything you need. You’ve got the barbecue to cook your food as well as the kitchen sink to wash dishes and vegetables in.
You could even add in a garbage disposal to it. The cabinets could hold all your crockery and serving dishes for easy access. You don’t need to get a big kitchen to have everything you want.
25. Food Truck Style
Many people buy vans or caravans they never end up using. If you are one of these people, you could consider renovating it into an outdoor kitchen.
Think of doing it up like a food truck. This will give you the option of a completely portable kitchen you could even drive around to a friend’s house.
26. Lounge Around a Firepit
If you haven’t had banana splits roasted on a firepit, you’re missing out. There are plenty of foods that can be cooked in a fire pit such as this. Wrap some potatoes in tinfoil throw them on to have tasty baked potatoes. Or try doing the same with fish.
27. Table Setup
Part of any outdoor kitchen is the table setup. There’s no point cooking outside if you’re not planning on eating out there too. You want a nice setup where you will linger all evening long.
This large table fits plenty of people, so it’s great for entertaining. The solar lights above will switch on when it gets dark, so your evening doesn’t have to end.
28. Close to Your Hot Tub
Some of you may be lucky enough to have a hot tub in your own backyard. If this is you, consider placing your outdoor kitchen close to it. Then you can go from preparing a snack to serving them to your partner in the hot tub in no time at all.
29. Use Pipes Behind Your Bench
The use of pipes behind the bench here gives your kitchen more room in an unexpected way. You could add plenty of hooks here to hold your tongs and serving spoons.
In this example, they have hung pots and pans as well as a kitchen towel. This could help to keep your benches uncluttered.
30. Purely for Looks
If you have an old sink or oven that doesn’t work anymore, you could try putting it outside. Why? Just to add an interesting look to your backyard. If you don’t like the simple look here, you could try turning them into planters or something else. It will certainly be a conversation piece!
Summary
As shown in this list, there are numerous outdoor kitchen ideas for all tastes. You can design an outdoor kitchen to suit your specific lifestyle.
Whether you’re happier behind a grill or a bar, there is a solution for everyone on this list. Just don’t forget to buy some citronella candles to keep the bugs at bay!
