If you're planning an outdoor kitchen for your home, it can be challenging to know where to start. With the wide array of possibilities and product options on the market, many customers find themselves struggling. Like anything else, when you're looking for guidance on a home improvement project, it's a good idea to go to the experts. That's why it's good you're here at the Kickass Grills Learning Center. We've got a library of great resources for designing your own custom outdoor kitchen. This guide will help you get started in designing your own outdoor kitchen to suit your needs.
Outdoor patio kitchen designs present all kinds of options, so we're going to break things down into sections to help make them easier to digest. We'll start with the shape and style of the grill island, as that will be the first part of your project you'll need to nail down. After that, we'll take a look at some of the product options available to you, starting with grills and ovens and then moving to the array of possible accessories you can use to customize your experience.
Shape & Style
The first question you'll need to answer when designing your outdoor kitchen is the overall layout, size and shape of the installation. Once you've decided on the layout of your outdoor kitchen design, you can start thinking about materials, appliances and more. Obviously, the design of your outdoor kitchen will be dependent on the available space. Outdoor kitchen designs for small spaces have to make more economical use of the room they have available.
Once you've accounted for the amount of space you have available, the sky is pretty much the limit when it comes to laying out your outdoor kitchen. Much like an indoor kitchen, it's best to keep in mind things like the relative placement of your appliances to maximize convenience and providing sufficient counter space for prep. If you're in need of some guidance, our expert team can use innovative 3D modeling software to help you design the perfect outdoor kitchen.
Grills & Ovens
After deciding on the layout of your outdoor kitchen, it's time to start shopping for the centerpiece: a high-quality built-in grill. These great appliances offer all the cooking flexibility of a traditional freestanding grill while integrating seamlessly into the countertop of your outdoor kitchen.
We won't go into full detail here about shopping for a built-in grill (check out our built-in grill buying guide for that). Here are a few key tips to keep in mind when shopping for a built-in grill:
- Fuel Type - Gas grills run on one of two types of fuel: liquid propane or natural gas. Generally, if your home receives gas supply from a municipal source, you'll need a built-in natural gas grill. If you're planning to use a portable or privately supplied tank, you'll want to select a built-in propane grill instead. The two fuel types are not interchangeable, so it's important to know which you need ahead of time.
- Size - Most of the built-in grill models we carry come in a range of sizes, from compact 24-inch models up to showstopping 56-inch behemoths. With a larger grill comes a larger cooking surface area, with some models approaching 1000 square inches of grilling space. While it can be tempting to buy the largest grill your budget allows, it's important to remember that bigger isn't always better. A larger grill takes up more space, of course, but it also requires more energy and time to heat up.
- Price - Because we curate our offerings to include only the best grills on the market, we still carry products covering a wide range of price points, so there's something for almost any budget. While a cheap grill from a big-box store may seem appealing, you also need to take longevity into account. A higher-dollar stainless steel grill head that lasts many years costs less in the long run than a "budget" grill that needs to be replaced after a few summers.
You may also want to customize your outdoor kitchen design with an outdoor oven, perfect for making pizza or other baked dishes. These increasingly popular outdoor cooking appliances offer exceptional flexibility, making them a great choice for homeowners who are passionate about outdoor cooking. For more details, check out our list of the best outdoor ovens.
Island Accessories
To finish off your outdoor kitchen design, you'll want to shop for some island accessories to round out the package. The options are almost endless, so we won't go into all of them here, but you can check out our outdoor kitchen accessory buying guide for more details. For the purposes of this general guide, we'll just go over a few of the high points.
Here are a few of the most popular outdoor kitchen accessory categories as well as some resources to help you find the right one for your project:
Side Burners
The perfect way to increase the cooking capacity of your grill island, side burners provide a great solution for cooking up sides and sauces alongside your meat on the grill. Check out our side burner buying guide for more details.
Outdoor Refrigerators
If you're looking for somewhere to keep your beverages, ingredients and condiments cool, an outdoor refrigerator is the way to go. They eliminate the need to run back inside during the grilling process. Take a look at our list of the best outdoor refrigerators.
Doors & Drawers
Speaking of storage, you'll also want a place to keep your grill tools and other accessories. Read our outdoor kitchen storage FAQ to learn more.
More Resources about Outdoor Kitchen Design
If you're still looking to learn more about outdoor kitchen design, be sure to check out some of these resources:
If you'd like more personalized help, our expert team is here! Just reach out via phone, chat or email for assistance in designing your dream outdoor kitchen.