Hiring an outdoor kitchen contractor can be an exciting but stressful step in your journey to adding some more excitement to your backyard. While it’s great to make progress in getting the perfect outdoor kitchen for you and your family, it’s good to know some of the essentials you want for your space. Everyone is different and every outdoor kitchen is unique, so we here at College Station Covered Porch and Outdoor Kitchens have compiled a list of some of the key pieces you need for your outdoor kitchen.
- The Basics: Of course, there are definitely a few immediate items that are necessary to even make your outdoor kitchen a kitchen. First, counterspace! Counterspace is going to be one of the more important focuses, because you want to make sure you have plenty of room to do actual food prep in your kitchen, as well as space to set finished dishes down. Next is going to be a grill. There are many different types of grills that you can put in your space, and which grill you choose is totally up to you and your needs. Some people may want a small, simple grill that can cook a few pieces of meat at a time, and others may want something more industrial that’s better suited to serve dozens of people. A refrigerator is also quite important. You’ll need somewhere to store cold drinks and any regular food items you use when cooking that can’t be left out. Another important addition are side burners. These will really come in handy when you’re cooking a full meal outside, because you won’t want to be running from your indoor kitchen to your outdoor kitchen trying to cook the main course and sides all at the same time. Side burners aren’t absolutely necessary, but it’s good to strongly consider adding some to your outdoor kitchen. Many people decide against them and then later regret it.
- Storage: Another important feature you will want plenty of is storage space. You might think a single cabinet will be plenty but be sure to consider what all you’re going to be storing in your outdoor kitchen. Food, utensils, pots and pans, plates, glasses, etc. all add up and you won’t want to realize later on that you didn’t factor in enough storage for all of the items you have.
- Shelter from the Weather: This is really a necessity, but you might find that you’d prefer it for your outdoor kitchen. It can be incredibly frustrating to go through the effort of planning an entire dinner party or event in your backyard only for it to start raining last minute and completely throw off your plans. This wouldn’t be an issue, though, if you had a covering for your patio installed to keep the weather elements out.
- Lighting: This is one of those important features you might not have even bothered to consider. Making sure your outdoor kitchen has plenty of lighting is going to be really helpful. You’re not always going to have the option of cooking during the sunlight hours, so being able to see at night is essential.
- Bug Zappers: With having focused lighting outdoors, a bug zapping lamp is going to be your best friend. You cannot escape insects when you’re outdoors and spraying down with bug spray can leave you sticky and oily, which is not ideal. To minimize some of the pain, keeping an insect killer around should prove to be beneficial.
- Bar and Seating: Having plenty of space for guests to sit is going to make your outdoor kitchen a lot more enjoyable. Whether you have an actual island bar and stools, or a separate dining area, that’s up to you. You could also work in an outdoor living room if you really wanted to go all out.
- Trash/Compost/Recycling Bin: With all of the cooking and hosting you’ll be doing in your outdoor kitchen, you’re definitely going to need somewhere to throw away trash that won’t be so out in the open for bugs and critters to get into. Having a trash built into your counters will be the best option for you. And for those that are looking for eco-friendly options, you can have your trash bin sectioned off for recyclables and composting.
- Dishwasher: This is going to be a good option for those that plan on spending a lot of time in their outdoor kitchen entertaining. Having a million dishes to wash from a get-together can be daunting, but even more so when you have to carry all of those dishes inside to put them in your regular dishwasher. And then you might run into the issue of your regular dishwasher being full from causal use. Installing a dishwasher in your outdoor kitchen can help eliminate this problem completely, and it will keep your outdoor dishes separate from your indoor dishes, so there’s no confusion.
- Ceiling Fans/Heat Lamps: Finally, when you choose to exist outdoors, you obviously are at Mother Nature’s mercy when it comes to the weather. Installing ceiling fans will be helpful on those hot, humid summer days, and heat lamps will save your life during the winter months. You could also opt to install an outdoor fireplace or fire pit if you wanted a way to stay warm that’s a bit more aesthetically pleasing.
If you have a better idea of what you want in your outdoor kitchen, get in touch with us! Or if you have another project that you’re interested in hiring a contractor for, let us know. Our contracting expertise isn’t limited to covered porches and outdoor kitchens, we’re much more than that:
- Outdoor Kitchen Contractor
- Covered Patio Contractor
- Concrete Contractor
- Deck Contractor
- Pergola Contractor
- Swimming Pool Contractor
- Carpentry Contractor
- Masonry Contractor
- Fencing Contractor
- Landscaping Contractor
- General Contractor
If you think of any other projects you want College Station Covered Porch and Outdoor Kitchens to work on this winter, get in touch with us! We are based in the Bryan/College Station, Texas area, but regularly work in the following locations:
- Anderson, Texas
- Brenham, Texas
- Caldwell, Texas
- Conroe, Texas
- Franklin, Texas
- Hearne, Texas
- Kurten, Texas
- Madisonville, Texas
- Navasota, Texas
- North Zulch, Texas
- Plantersville, Texas
- Snook, Texas
- Somerville, Texas
College Station Covered Porch and Outdoor Kitchens is always sure to take care of any sort of building permits that are necessary for your projects. The only thing you’ll need to take care of is checking with your HOA (if you have one) to make sure we have the greenlight for construction. Everything else is properly handled by us. If you’d like a better look at the General Development Standards for College Station, TX, click here.
If you’re interested in working with College Station Covered Porch and Outdoor Kitchens, then all you have to do is give us a call or fill out the form on our contact page! Leave as much info for us as you’d like, and we will read it over and get back to you about your project.
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