| Outdoor
Kitchens
Few summer pleasures are as much fun as a cookout.
The smell of grilling food is mouth-watering, everything tastes great and
it's hard not to have a good time - that is, unless you're the harried host
running back and forth between the grill and the kitchen for the chicken and
steak, forks and knives, beer and wine, and ketchup and mustard. And when
everybody's done, all the leftovers must be lugged back inside.
An outdoor kitchen can help you slow down and
spend more time with family and friends by putting all the ingredients for
outdoor dining close at hand. It can be as simple as a storage cabinet for
cooking gear or as ambitious as a full kitchen with grill, refrigerator,
sink and eating area. Either way, your yard will gain an outside "room"
that's a natural gathering spot.
Planning Your Space
An existing backyard patio is a great foundation for an outdoor kitchen. You
can add a grill, counters and other elements without having to make
structural modifications. Decks, on the other hand, require additional
support for all but the simplest of outdoor kitchens.
Whichever route you choose, an outdoor
kitchen should be near the house to save you steps when you need to go
inside for supplies. But that doesn't mean it has to be visible from the
house. "You don't want to be inside and look at a stack of dirty dishes,"
says kitchen designer John Herbst. Undercounter shelves that keep dishes out
of sight until cleanup time are one way around that problem.
Also be sure the spot you choose will
accommodate everything you want the kitchen to hold. Here are some typical
space requirements for each component:
Grills.
You'll find grills with cooking areas from 24 to about 48 in. wide and 15 to
26 in. deep. You can also add a side burner or shelf, each of which can add
another foot or so to the width. Whichever grill you choose, place it so
smoke blows away from people eating.
Eating areas.
Tables typically range from 42x42-in. models that can seat four to
rectangular tables up to 96 in. long for six to eight people. Allow at least
36 in. and preferably 42 in. between the edge of the table and a wall, deck
railing or other fixed object so there's room to walk behind those seated.
And, for safety's sake, place tables at least 60 in. from stairs, even if
the eating area is just one level up.
For eating counters with high stools, provide
at least 24 in. of counter width for each stool. Also plan on 15 in. of
undercounter leg room.
Counter space.
You'll need plenty of open countertop space to prepare food and serve as a
holding area for a variety of items, so don't skimp. As with indoor
kitchens, plan on 36 in. of counter on each side of the grill if possible.
And to make food prep and cleanup easier, allow 18 to 24 in. of open space
on both sides of a sink.
Layout.
Because the grill is the heart of any cookout, build your outdoor kitchen
around it. Then arrange the items in the kitchen so they're easy to reach
when you're cooking. Don't forget hooks for hanging tongs, spatulas, forks
and other grilling utensils. If you include a sink, refrigerator and storage
cabinet, they should all be close to each other. But they don't have to be
arranged in the indoor-kitchen work triangle that ties the stove,
refrigerator and sink together. |
