When some folks hear the term ‘outdoor kitchen’ they think a grille and a couple of patio chairs. There was a time in the not-too-distant past when they would have been right but today outdoor kitchens have taken the whole concept of outdoor entertaining to previously unimagined levels with architects, landscape designers and even appliance manufacturers lending their skills and resources to the movement.
Making Sure Your Outdoor Kitchen is the Best it can be
Today’s outdoor kitchens are extensions of the home that bring the interior and exterior elements of your house and property together to create one seamless environment. They’re so far removed from the day of the simple backyard grille as to be from a different conceptual universe. Today you can prepare, cook and serve entire gourmet meals outdoors with a full complement of appliances to support your efforts and a full array of home entertainment devices to help create atmosphere and enhance the overall experience.
Some key elements of any successful outdoor kitchen today include:
- The grille – While the old days of rolling the propane grille out of the garage twice a year are gone the grille nonetheless still occupies a central role in any outdoor kitchen design. Even if you opt to include a full gas stove/oven you’ll still want a grille as well to handle barbeque items. Before purchasing the grille for your backyard kitchen carefully consider how many people you’re likely to be entertaining so you get a grille that can handle the crush.
- Refrigerator – No backyard kitchen should be without a refrigerator. The more people you intend to entertain the larger it should be so that you’re not wearing yourself out running into the house all the time for drinks and desserts. If you’ve done your food prep in the house you can transfer that to the outdoor refrigerator before everyone arrives and save yourself more trips later. And it’s always good to have a few chilled bottles of wine at hand.
- Bar – The bar area is the fourth pillar of your outdoor kitchen space along with the cooking area, the main seating area and the dining table. Give the folks at the bar a lovely view of the pool or your beautifully landscaped gardens and watch them linger contentedly while you finish preparing the meal.
- Sink and electricity – Don’t underestimate the value of running water in your new backyard kitchen. Not only will it make cooking easier but it will also make for a much easier cleanup at the end of the night. Likewise having electrical outlets sprinkled about the backyard kitchen area will make food prep easier and open up lighting and entertainment possibilities; all without having to run extension cords from the house.
- Fireplace – More and more homeowners are opting to include a fireplace in their backyard kitchen area. As the evening wanes and folks begin to settle down after eating there’s nothing like getting a fire going to generate a cosy atmosphere.
The backyard kitchen is no longer constrained by anything other than imagination and budget. These modern entertainment plazas embody all that is best about contemporary living and their appeal transcends all boundaries of age, culture, background and taste.
Toronto Custom Decks is the area’s leading outdoor kitchen design and construction resource. With over a decade of experience in all aspects of custom deck design, landscaping and home additions as well we can create a backyard kitchen for you that will easily exceed your wildest expectations. Call us today on 647-878-8780 to learn more about outdoor kitchens and how they can elevate your Toronto home from the mundane to the spectacular.