Information travels faster than ever, and at AquaTerra Outdoors, we believe this is one of the driving factors behind the growing trend of outdoor living environments, especially outdoor kitchens. We have access to more inspirational photos than we can absorb and as designers, we love it! This immediate access to inspirational photos from resorts, luxury homes, yachts, and more fuels our client’s imagination and allows us to be more creative than ever. Outdoor living trends are growing, and we find ourselves designing and building more elaborate outdoor kitchens than ever.
Here are a few tips for selecting your outdoor kitchen appliances:
START WITH THE GRILL
The best place to start is with the grill and build outwards. We recommend purchasing all or most of the components from one manufacturer, so the finish and quality of all the appliances match.
A few practical questions you should ask yourself when beginning this project are: what’s your goal, and budget, what are you looking to achieve with this grill, and what functions do you want with it? A built-in rotisserie or a tuna searer?
Twin Eagles offer a number of different grill units at different price points, and one that we recommend is the 36” wood-fired pellet grill and smoker. It offers performance, convenience, and cutting-edge technology all under one grill hood.
Lynx also offers a luxury grill with amazing quality and hand craftsmanship. They also have a lower price point grill called Sedona.
If you’re looking for a quality grill, but want to be at a lower price point, explore Delta Heat or Bull Outdoor Products. We’ve had great success with all of these grills and manufacturers!
COOKTOP BURNERS, PIZZA OVENS, SMOKERS, WARMING DRAWERS
Now that you’ve selected your grill, what else do you want to cook outdoors? Do you plan to boil crawfish, steam vegetables, or smoke ribs? All these manufacturers offer many more cooking options than just grills, so explore your options and decide what’s best for you.
VENTILATION
If your grill is under a covered patio or a confined area, you may want to explore vent hoods. Don’t think you are limited by the vents sold by the outdoor grill manufacturers, we have often custom designed and fabricated options for outdoor kitchens.
REFRIGERATION, SINK, AND BAR
The days of simple under-counter refrigerators are over! We often include keg dispensers, margarita stations, an outdoor bar/beverage center, oversized sinks, refrigerator drawers, wine refrigerators, and more. Again, decide how you will cook and entertain around your outdoor kitchen, and incorporate the accessories that will make it function for your intended use.
OTHER ACCESSORIES
Every outdoor kitchen needs a slide-out trash can, storage, and maybe dry-sealed storage for those items you want to keep away from bugs. Incorporate plenty of storage and think about convenience items like paper towel holders, bottle openers, or ice chests to complete your dream outdoor kitchen.
At AquaTerra Outdoors, we suggest working with an experienced design + build firm with years of experience developing outdoor environments. Professional designers cannot only create a beautiful outdoor kitchen but save you from making costly mistakes.