If you love to entertain, you might feel left out of the festivities when you're stuck inside in the kitchen whipping up your favorite dishes while everyone else is outside having fun. An outdoor kitchen lets you socialize with your guests while you're cooking. Add a bar for guests to sit at while you're on the other side, using the adjoining countertop space prepping vegetables, mixing up marinade or staging the ingredients. Choose surface materials that weather well and are easy to clean.
Grilling Station
The grill is often the inspiration for outdoor cooking. There are many convenience features in today's grilling stations for outdoor kitchens. Look for a versatile model that offers the choice of charcoal and wood chips or gas. Multiple food racks, a rotisserie, warming trays and storage compartments are must-haves for your grill. Some models also provide side burners for cooking sauces and side dishes. Other features available include a built-in thermometer, inner grill lighting and infrared searing.
Brick Oven
A brick pizza oven creates endless possibilities for dinner parties, family gatherings and casual dinners al fresco. Today's brick pizza ovens for outdoor kitchens add a new element to one of America's favorite foods for a crowd. Enjoy the aroma as you cook your own fresh pizzas, hot bread and roasts using a wood-fired brick oven. Easy clean-up is a bonus.
Sink
Plan ahead for preparing meals outdoors with a specially designed sink. A faucet with a single lever makes it easier to adjust the water temperature and force without getting handles dirty with your messy hands. A double sink adds convenience for multi-tasking when you're preparing dinner or washing up. If you have the means to adjust your plumbing, a garbage disposer is a handy and convenient addition to the sink. Some outdoor kitchen sinks come with a storage cabinet below.
Cold Refreshments
Add a modular outdoor refrigerator and an ice machine to keep refreshments cold. Choose a smaller model to store your marinades, perishables, soft drinks and juices. Some refrigerators allow you to adjust the temperatures for different compartments. An ice machine with a feature to turn it on and off can help you conserve when it's not in use. This also saves you from the inconvenience of a cooler or endless trips indoors.
Television
An all-weather outdoor large screen TV makes the most of every occasion and is an essential element to an outdoor living space remodel. You won't miss another game or your favorite reality show simply because you're outside cooking and entertaining. Choose a TV with surround sound or detachable speakers, a dust cover, built-in cable hook-ups and a DVD player. Select a fixed or swivel mount. They typically come in silver, white and black.
