An outdoor kitchen might sound like an overkill for some people, but this is something many people consider a necessity and it is. How can a kitchen be a waste of space, if it’s filled with things you need? Whether you’re getting a patio with an outdoor kitchen built by a patio contractor or building an outdoor kitchen on your already-made patio or deck, here are some features that are a winner in most outdoor kitchen designs.

Outdoor Kitchen Features

Gas BBQ Grill

Besides a gas stove, that’s a necessity, a gas BBQ grill is going to be the cherry on top of your outdoor kitchen and it’s going to complete everything else. You can go for an electric or charcoal BBQ grill, but there’s just something so efficient and fun about a gas one where the flames are just blaring out uncontrollably.

You don’t think you will need a BBQ grill until you go ahead without it. It’s a fun little activity that you can do with your friends and family, especially during summer and spring, and you can fire up the stove and enjoy a good BBQ with your loved ones.

If you’re someone who’s a huge fan of outdoor cooking and want to get the full experience, then definitely go for it because you will have a grand time.

Also, having a BBQ grill in an outdoor kitchen is a win-win because you don’t need to worry about the smoke building up in a tiny space and there’s loads of ventilation available. So, you can go to town with your BBQ skills and have yourself a great time in your lovely kitchen.

Pizza Oven

This feature is a pretty unique one and a lot of people love the rustic appearance it has. A stone pizza oven might just be the next thing you fall in love with. Now, you might think that you don’t need a pizza oven, but it’s quite versatile and multi-functional. You can make lots of things in it, besides a pizza. You can use it as a broiler, as a makeshift oven, and you can even use it to keep things hot for longer.

A pizza oven will also add a lot of aesthetics to your kitchen and you will fall in love with it all over. Again, this is something that will fit perfectly in an outdoor kitchen, because the smoke can travel up into the open space and you’re not going to suffocate yourself in the process of trying to get the oven to fire up.

You can go for a stone pizza oven or a ceramic one, but the traditional and most efficient one is the former because it stays hot for longer, has an insulated interior, and it will give the most authentic baked and charred pizzas you’ve ever had in your life.

Storage & Shelter

A kitchen, regardless of the fact if it’s an outdoor or indoor one, is incomplete without storage. You can’t function in a kitchen without proper storage, which is why if you’re trying to make your outdoor kitchen a place that has everything, then don’t forget about this addition. Storage is more like a necessity than anything else and the goal is to make your kitchen not only trendy but also practical and classic at the same time.

You can get creative with the storage and come up with ideas that can include hidden spaces all over the kitchen so that you can organize your kitchen and fill every available space up with pantry essentials and your utensils.

Since your kitchen is an outdoor space, you’re also going to need to think about the shelter of the kitchen. Of course, you can’t just have a kitchen right in the center of your backyard with no roof or shelter. Cooking under the blazing sun and pouring clouds isn’t the most appealing of all ideas, so having proper roofing on top of the workstation of your kitchen is also important because it’s going to make working in the kitchen a breeze and you won’t have to skitter away as soon as bad weather comes around.

An Attached Sink

A lot of people think that a sink is not a good feature in an outdoor kitchen, but that’s not true at all. A sink is most definitely a feature that you need to consider because you will to have a space close by where you can wash your hands, certain food items, and even some dishes, if you need them urgently.

There is nothing more frustrating than getting your hands dirty in the outdoor kitchen and then having to walk inside to your main bathroom or kitchen sink and wash your hands there. Save yourself time and have an integrated sink attached to your outdoor countertop workstation. This is going to lead to a much better experience in the outdoor kitchen.

When choosing a sink, you want to think about durability and longevity. Since you’re going to be using it outside, you want it to be able to sustain all kinds of damage, so the right material and faucet fixtures will make all of the difference. The last thing you need is a material that’s not going to be strong enough to be used outside and that’s a total bust.

Refrigeration

This might seem like something you can skip, but just wait until you see all of the things it has to offer. Having refrigeration outside is also an important thing to consider. Sometimes, people can use their existing refrigerator for the outside, but getting a separate mini-fridge for your outdoor kitchen is going to help you out a lot.

There are a lot of things that need to be cooled or frozen before you can use them in recipes. So, instead of making the walk all the way inside and getting your ingredients from the fridge, why not have a small one available right by your working space outside? This has a couple of benefits that you won’t be able to overlook.

First of all, it’s a great backup option for you. Let’s say your existing fridge has broken down and you have perishable ingredients in it that can go bad. Well, you can easily transfer everything from that fridge to the outdoor one and call it a day. Nothing will be spoiled and you will save your ingredients. It is also much more convenient to have a fridge where you’re working outside because you can stock it full with all kinds of treats and beverages.

An Outdoor Pantry

If you want all of your cooking essentials and produce to be in one place that’s within reach, then an enclosed outdoor pantry is a must.

This is different from your regular pantry because it’s smaller, but it’s also enclosed and nothing can get in or out of it unless you open the door. This is also quite easy and functional and it’s going to take your productivity to new levels and working in the kitchen will be a breeze, to say the least.

Conclusion

An outdoor kitchen will pop with these additions and you will want to cook in that space all of the time. So, talk to your outdoor kitchen contractor Long Island about these features and don’t skip them.