Is your Instagram feed filled with tasty avocado salads and delicious quinoa muffins as far as the eye can see? Are you already looking forward to your next barbecue, even though it’s weeks from now? If only you had an outdoor kitchen … Then you could experience all of life’s little gourmet pleasures outdoors, but still in the comfort of your home!
Why install an outdoor kitchen?
We all love noshing on a nice meal in an exquisite setting, but going to restaurants all the time tends to be, well, rather expensive. The solution? Cooking outdoors and eating in the privacy of your garden. An outdoor kitchen allows you to cook and barbecue whenever you want, in the company of your guests and with all the tools you need at your fingertips.
Outdoor kitchens have long been trending in warm regions including Southern Europe and the southern part of the United States, but recently they’ve started to pop up in more northern regions as well. After all, contrary to what many people assume, it doesn’t have to be 28 degrees outside to enjoy an outdoor kitchen!
The ultimate ingredients for an outdoor kitchen
Installing an outdoor kitchen is, of course, not something you do overnight. If you want to make sure you’ll get plenty of use out of your patio/outdoor kitchen, these tips are worth a read:
-
- Provide your outdoor kitchen with a roof or patio cover. Without a proper aluminium pergola, there’s always a chance the weather will ruin your outdoor cooking plans, and your kitchen will quickly become dirty as well.
- Make sure there’s plenty of seating under the patio cover. Come rain or shine, your (winter) barbecue will continue as planned!
- Do you prefer cooking in the shade? The decision is entirely yours if you opt for a louvered canopy.
- You’ll be needing two types of outdoor lighting: task lighting above your work area and cosy ambient lighting above the dining table.
- Finally, pay close attention to your choice of patio flooring. Spills are inevitable when you’re cooking, so opt for stain-resistant outdoor tiles or easy-to-clean decking boards.
The flexible alternative to an outdoor kitchen
Is an outdoor kitchen not within your budget or infeasible for practical reasons? No worries. Even without an outdoor kitchen you can have plenty of fun cooking outdoors, no matter the weather. All you need to do is install a portable barbecue set, a side table and a dining table plus chairs under your patio cover. Bon appétit!