The Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen

It’s time to move meals outside! Here are the key ingredients that will help your outdoor kitchen host everything from large-scale celebrations to low-key snack breaks.

Photo courtesy of KitchenAid

The Grill Choose from basic, budget-savvy grills to models with “muscle” comparable to what you would find in professional-level kitchen cooktops and ranges. One of our favorite choices is the thirty-six-inch freestanding grill with three high-temperature BTU burners, shown, from KitchenAid. Models in the line start at $1,599.

Photo courtesy of Dacor

Specialty Cooking Appliances Go beyond the conventional grill with a smoker, rotisserie, wok burner, steamer, or warming drawer. Check out stand-alone or add-on options at home centers and appliance dealers where similar indoor counterparts are sold. Top manufacturers include Cal Spas, Dacor, GE Monogram, Jenn-Air, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, KitchenAid, Thermador, and Viking.

Photo courtesy of Viking

Sink/Beverage Center Include a stainless steel sink for easy food prep and cleanup. Or, for the ultimate indulgence, consider a refreshment center, such as the one from Viking, shown, that includes a sink and storage racks/cabinets and can be rolled around for flexible use and off-season storage. Prices for stations, such as this one, start at approximately $3,000.

Photo courtesy of GE Monogram

Refrigerator Keep drinks, meats, and other perishables cold with an outdoor refrigerator. Most options are finished with durable stainless steel, as is shown with the built-in model from GE Monogram; others come with cool glass doors just like indoor beverage fridges.

Don’t Forget Storage Plan on cabinets to conveniently stow outdoor serving pieces you plan to use through the season. Build a cabinet extension using the same material (brick or stucco, for instance) as your home’s cladding, or choose a wood surface (painted or stained) that complements the existing architecture. For wood, choose a more weather-resistant species, such as teak, mahogany, or ipe, if possible, and ensure it’s protected from the elements.

5 Great Gifts for the Grilling Aficionado Stainless Steel Tools This handsome six-piece set ($48) includes a spatula with a built-in serrated blade and comes with a handy aluminum case. Dacor, 888-438-3226 Cedar Grilling Planks Salmon, chicken, and vegetables take on the smoky flavor of cedar when placed on water-soaked grill planks ($19 for a set of four). Smith and Hawken, Galleria in Edina, 952-285-1110; 799 Grand Ave., St. Paul, 651-222-1140; and The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes, Maple Grove, 763-488-1876 Stainless Steel Wok. Holes on the bottom and sides of this twelve-inch Mr. Bar-B-Q grilling wok ($13.39) allow for even cooking. The Home Depot, twenty metro locations Add-on Rotisserie This seventeen-inch rotisserie ($33.49) fits most gas grills and comes with a heavy-duty motor. Do it Best Hardware, twenty-four metro locations Go-anywhere Grill Take your barbeque on the road with this portable 12,000 BTU tabletop gas grill ($49.97; propane bottle sold separately) by BBQ Grillware. Lowe’s, eight metro locations