Your Guide To Outdoor Kitchen Appliances and Design

Summer is finally here and it's the perfect time to get inspiration for your dream outdoor kitchen! If you're thinking of ditching your stand-alone grill for an expansive custom outdoor living space you've come to the right place for inspiration. We'll guide you through choosing outdoor cabinetry, design, and appliances.

Outdoor Cabinetry

The first step in designing your outdoor kitchen is to get an idea of what line of cabinetry you want to use. When it comes to outdoor cabinetry, quality matters. You need a line that will stand the test of time in any weather condition. Luckily, we work with a few cabinetry lines that have perfected the science of shielding the outdoors.

Our designers use outdoor cabinetry lines that look like real wood but won't crack, fade, or warp due to outside conditions. Depending on our client's budget and preferences, we typically use NatureKast, Danver, or Brown Jordan cabinetry.

Danver outdoor cabinetry is made of stainless steel coupled with a powder coat finish and is offered in an array of exclusive designer colors and door styles. Other outdoor lines, like NatureKast, use a combination of Resin and PVC to create a durable cabinet that looks like real wood. Check out their websites to see the door styles and finishes each line offers.

Outdoor Appliances

Like outdoor cabinetry, you will want durable outdoor appliances. We'll go through a few of our favorite brands and options for gas and charcoal grills, pizza ovens, and outdoor refrigeration.

Gas Range

Alfresco grills have been around since 1999 and are made in the USA. They can be used with a propane tank or natural gas. All of Alfresco's gas grills feature an integrated rotisserie (with the motor on the inside), an adjustable warming rack, a smoking drawer, and LED lights on the knobs. Alfresco is comparable in price to Wolf ranges, but they have a separate line, Artisan, that is more basic and less expensive.

Wolf carries a line of outdoor appliances that are slightly pricier than Alfresco. Wolf offers free-standing and built-in gas ranges that vary in size from 30" to 54". The gas ranges feature a sear cooking zone, two individually contained 25,000 Btu grill burners, halogen lights, and a rotisserie cooking function. Their line of outdoor cooking extends to side burners and warming drawers.

If you're looking for a more customizable and perhaps stylish option Hestan may be your choice. Apart from built-in and stand-alone grills, Hestan offers an Outdoor Living Suite which is an all-encompassing outdoor kitchen available in 8' and 12' models. You can incorporate a grill, ceramic egg base, sink, beverage center, and whatever else you may need. Hestan is definitely one of the most high-end and consequentially expensive options out of the list.

You can also customize each appliance from a selection of 12 different colors ranging from vibrant orange to turquoise to stainless steel. Definitely a great product if it fits within your budget,

Charcoal Grilling

When it comes to non-gas grilling options, Coyote has a great ceramic grill. The Asado Smoker is a kamado-style grill that burns charcoal or wood chips and can be built into your outdoor kitchen or stand-alone.

The grill features a dual vent system and a signature cooking grate to get those even sear lines. You can even cook pizza on the Kamado with their pizza stone add-on. Check out some Fourth of July inspired recipe's from the Coyote blog.

Another option for charcoal grilling is the Cast Aluminum Kamado Grill by Blaze. The Kamado is known for its extreme durability that is guaranteed to last a lifetime. It is constructed of cast aluminum that is at least an inch thick all around allowing for a tight seal that retains heat and provides temperature control. Aside from functionality, the shiny aluminum provides a sleek and sophisticated look for your outdoor space. The price for this grill is a few hundred dollars higher than a standard ceramic egg. This video explains the difference between ceramic and aluminum egg grills well.

If space and budget allow- our designers will often incorporate a built-in ceramic grill and gas range in the design of an outdoor kitchen. The more grilling options the better!

Pizza Oven

Pizza ovens can be such a cool addition to your outdoor space. There are stand-alone ovens or ovens that can be built into the side of a wall. There are stand-alone ovens or ovens that can be built into the side of a wall.

Alfresco makes a pizza oven that can be built into a wall or sit on the countertop. The oven has a preheat time of only 15 minutes and can be used for baking, broiling, or roasting just about anything.

Refrigeration

When it comes to outdoor refrigeration you can get as fancy or basic as you prefer. Perlick is a high-end line of refrigeration that has a reputation for durability and quality. While they are a more expensive option, they have a more expansive line of outdoor refrigeration options from a beverage center to refrigeration drawers to a wine reserve unit.

Sub-Zero is another option for outdoor refrigeration. They are slightly less than Perlick and offer superior products. For a more budget-friendly option, U-line is a quality product with fewer features, however, they do carry an outdoor keg refrigerator! Don't forget to add the icemaker! Most lines that carry outdoor refrigeration will carry an icemaker as well and they make all the difference for summer chilling.

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