Picture this: it’s a hot summer Saturday and you’ve worked up an appetite from spending the early afternoon lounging at the beach, reading your favorite book. “What should we do for dinner?” little Johnny asks. All of a sudden it comes to you: burger night. You get home and start cranking up the tunes, turn on the grill, and pop some rosé. You’re surrounded by close friends, family, and music. Your floor is grass, the ceiling is the 7 pm summer sun. The sweet smell of smoking corn is radiating in the air. And all this was made possible by your outdoor kitchen. Now if there’s one thing the pandemic taught me –– it’s how to have a good time in your own backyard and this, for me, is the best way to enjoy doing the otherwise mundane task of cooking dinner.
In our team zoom call last week, Emily and I had a debate on what is actually needed in an outdoor kitchen. I love those “non-essential” cooking gadgets (when they actually work well) to shake up the dinner-making process, so I was trying to convince everyone of the really cool, best ones that can give you and your family endless amounts of fun. Emily on the other hand thinks these gadgets can be a lil’ unnecessary and never get used as much as you think they will (like she talked about in this post). So she would rather have a simple outdoor kitchen without fancy built-in pizza ovens or Brazilian charcoal grills (we’ll get to that later). Now she’s not TOTALLY wrong, but I think all of these gadgets and gizmos can be VERY fun and can get used a lot depending on the person. We both agreed however that if you’re going to build an outdoor kitchen, there really are only 3 really essential items you need and then everything else is just a bonus. So we’re gonna break it down into the basics and then I’m gonna send you down a list of weirdly fun doodads that I’ve used/want to use that you could totally try out this summer (and the summer after that and the summer after that, you get the picture).
1. The Grill
I mean DUH. I know it’s self-explanatory so please don’t click away yet bc we’re about to get to the fun stuff. But for the people in the back, if you don’t have a grill, definitely start here. I’m linking some well-reviewed gas, charcoal, and electric grills below and I’d love to hear which you guys love and use in the comments too. Also note, grills and really any gas stoves, in general, aren’t the best for the earth (and according to this article, propane grills are slightly better for the earth than charcoal grills, and then electric grills are probably the best planet-saving option). We feel like there is a total hole in the market for awesome, better-for-the-earth options since the electric grills aren’t reviewed as well in terms of actual cooking experience… if you know any other grills that are more sustainable or if you have any more insight on this please let us know in the comments — it’s a very important topic and we want everyone to shop smarter and more sustainably. Okay now onto some of the best-reviewed grills:
1. 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill in Black with Built-In Thermometer and Side Burner | 2. 4 Burner Propane Gas Grill | 3. HERO Portable Charcoal Grill System | 4. 18″ Portable Electric Grill | 5. Precision Charcoal Grill | 6. Charcoal Grill | 7. Large Charcoal Kamado Grill and Smoker | 8. Everdure CUBE Portable Charcoal Grill | 9. George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill | 10. 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill in Stainless Steel with Side Burner | 11. Mon Oncle BBQ V2 | 12. Weber ® Slate Blue Performer Deluxe Charcoal Grill
Apparently, according to Chris Loves Julia’s IG stories, everyone is head over heels for this Weber grill linked above as #1 (the reviews are basically that it lasts A LONG TIME which is also important when shopping sustainably). Also, I just got Instagram marketed for these new grills (#5) which are apparently supposed to be “grills that are designed beautifully” (and boy they are pretty). Lastly, my boyfriend LOVES to cook at the beach/lake so I got him this HERO portable grill (#3) as a gift and we’re very excited to try it out this summer.
2. The Surface/Prep Area
You’re gonna need to put your corn on the cob and burger patties SOMEWHERE…why not make it fashion?? Here are some awesome prep counter/storage cabinets that you can add to your kitchen (for minimal to no renovation costs!!!) including this one that Emily just got from Pottery Barn for the mountain house that they’re planning to use for both a cooking surface and then also toy/outdoor activity storage underneath. She also wanted me to inform you guys that they had to get metal because wood ––or really any other material–– don’t do great out there because the seasons can be so extreme. So if you live in a climate with real seasons (unlike LA), definitely consider that before you buy. Alright, onto the options:
1. Kitchen Sink & bbq | 2. Sherly Counter Height Trestle Dining Table | 3. Indio Metal Kitchen Double Cabinet | 4. Black Stainless Steel Grill Island | 5. Portside Outdoor Kitchen Collection | 6. Kitchen Island Shelf Unit | 7. Big Green Egg Cart | 8. 5-Piece Modular Outdoor Kitchen Cabinet |9. 8 Foot Table for Large Green Egg | 10. Outdoor Kitchen Series 3-Piece Modular Kitchen | 11. Everdure by Heston Blumenthal Mobile Prep Kitchen | 12. Portside Bar Island
So #3 is the one that Emily just got for the mountain house which is AWESOME. Also a huge fan of #11, which is a genius designed if you look at the video on amazon…there’s a hole cut out so you can slide your trash straight into the trash once you’re done chopping. Also for a more affordable option, this ikea one is a steal for $129!!
3. The Mini Fridge
Okay before I start, this is only REALLY needed if your outdoor kitchen is really far away from your normal indoor kitchen. If you are, then a fridge outside is a GAME CHANGER. You can store all the meats and veggies and whatnots you’re gonna cook right under your cookin’ station along with some ice cold beers, La Croix (or Spindrift…we have a debate about which one is better going around EHD currently), or just cool refreshing water. I’ve personally never had an outdoor fridge by my BBQ, which also works out okay, but would it be better if there was a fridge?? Absolutely. Also, note that the fridges below are not all weatherproof, but you could certainly build them into a cabinet or just have them under a covered pergola or something if that’s your thing.
1. Freestanding Mini Fridge Freezer Compartment | 2. Galanz Retro 3.1 cu ft True Freezer Dual-Door Refrigerator | 3. Built-in Indoor/Outdoor Undercounter Double Drawer Refrigerator | 4. Frigidaire 4.5 cu ft Single-Door Refrigerator | 5. Outdoor 19 in. 2.1 cu. ft. Commercial Refrigerator in Black | 6. Kenmore 4.4-Cu. Ft. Retro 1-Door Compact Refrigerator
So like I said, some of these are probably better if they’re under a covered patio or at least in a fridge cabinet especially the awesome retro ones…(#2 and #6). Otherwise, the really expensive (#3) one on the top right says it’s indoor/outdoor which is awesome, but if you’re looking for a more affordable option, this target one is also great!
A Heated Debate On The Outdoor Sink
A real internal debate has sparked at EHD and we need to share it with you. I personally think it would be AWESOME to have a sink in your outdoor kitchen for washing your hands in between seasoning meat and whatnot. However, Emily thinks it’s the least essential thing to have in an outdoor bbq area (and they’re not planning to put one outside at the farmhouse). Her argument is that it basically just becomes a dumping ground for dirty glasses and dishes that all eventually end up getting moved into the kitchen to go into the dishwasher. I totally get this point, and from a guest’s perspective, I also get why they would put their dirty drink glass there, but as the chef, I’d love to have a place to rinse flour off my hands when making pizza or whatnot. So what do you guys think?? Are you on team outdoor sink or team no outdoor sink?? AKA WHO DO YOU LIKE MORE… ME OR EMILY? Wait don’t answer that. Just comment your opinions below, please.
The Bonus Fun Stuff
NOW TO THE FUN STUFF I’VE BEEN WAITING TO TELL YOU ABOUT. I love the idea of having a giant outdoor kitchen with all these fun things. Some of them are decently affordable (and portable) and others are like full-on custom built-in situations that cost thousands of dollars that are definitely less attainable… but are fun to dream about. Let’s begin.
The Smoker
Let’s start off with the big one that everyone loves to talk about. THE SMOKER. Anyone else watch The American BBQ Showdown on Netflix?? They use a smoker for pretty much every single round in this competition and it’s no surprise why. If you’re a bbq kind of chef, the smoker is the greatest tool you can have. It’s a low and slow process (like seriously you can cook stuff for like 24 hours) which is perfect for making ultra-tender brisket, ribs, and whatnots. We want one SO BAD.
I linked this awesome Traeger pellet smoker because it’s SUPER affordable at only $117. The dream smoker though would definitely be the pro wifi Traeger because you can check the internal temperature of your meat straight from your phone (which is awesome when you’re smoking it for hours and hours and hours). I was once at a family party where they were smoking a brisket that took 18 hours (or longer) to cook and I got swept up into a 3-hour conversation about different smokers, how to use them and what they do. Traeger is probably the most famous smoker brand (at least according to every country song ever) and apparently, the tale goes that an employee from Traeger was fed up once the company got HUGE and thought their quality of product started to decline, so he started Pit Boss which is another awesome smoker brand that you should check out if you’re in the market. But honestly, I’ve heard great things about both brands so you can’t go wrong. Also, Carmeon did an awesome brand partnership with Traeger in this post, which honestly made me want one even more:
The Pizza Oven
Have ya heard about the portable pizza oven phenomenon that’s going around right now??? It’s all thanks to Ooni, which are seriously great, small pizza ovens that have both wood-pellet ovens and gas-powered ovens. They range in size but can be as small as 12″ and 23 lb (that’s the one we have) which makes it perfect for those who don’t have space or funds for a built-in pizza oven since it can be stored away nicely when you’re not using it. I bought one for my boyfriend for Christmas last year –– it took 3 months to ship because they’re that in demand… and let me say we’re not disappointed. Our first pizzas weren’t perfect, but once you get past the learning curve these are a lot of fun for summer.
If you want a built-in pizza oven but are not down to pay the cost, you can also build your own from this cool kit on Etsy! Would be so fun & you could paint the brick if you wanted to just saying…
The Evo Grill
Sam the Cooking Guy is a legend over at my house and if you watch any of his videos, you’ll see he cooks on an Evo grill, which is basically a hibachi grill but more circular and just looks so cool. For sure this is a splurge, but it’s super awesome because you can use it like a stove and put a pot or pan on it OR you could literally grill stuff up directly on it. We’ve been wanting one for so long and I can’t even tell you how many giveaway competitions we’ve unfortunately lost. One day…
The Kegerator
Bruh (the bruh seems like a fitting way to start this paragraph in particular), having a keg at your house is like the ultimate party trick. Of course, if you don’t want to install one, you can totally get what I have which is a small device that turns any can or bottle on draft in seconds (it’s pretty cool too and it can be battery operated or plugged in which is cool). Also, shoutout to this thing which I think is also a keg and definitely gets the award for being the prettiest of the bunch.
The Brazilian Outdoor Grill
Sam the Cooking Guy also has a custom version of this and I just think they are SO COOL. It’s a charcoal grill where you can raise and lower your food depending on where you want it to sit on the flame below. This is another splurge and a lot of people do custom builds into their outdoor kitchens like these from Etsy, so if you’re looking for something interesting and fun, try these out:)
That’s all for this post!! Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend, everyone xx.
Opening Image Credits: Design by Velinda Hellen Design | From: How Does E-Design Even Work?? Velinda Shows Off Three Client Reveals She Never Saw In-Person
We got rid of our propane in favor of a Traeger. Sure we smoke food on it, but we also use it on High for grilling. Flavor is great. Our newest gadget is a Blackstone flattop. That thing is amazing, fun and useful.
An outdoor sink is great! It’s not a dumping ground for glassware, it’s very HANDY.
Also note, a Traeger is $700 not $117 (that’s a payment option)
yes, I was going to point that out. All traegers are in the range of at least 600.00 but so worth it. Just made smoked salmon dinner last night. Delicious and so easy!
This is all so helpful! Just here to say that in 8 years in our house, our outdoor sink’s pipes have burst during the winter 6 times even after we have a plumber come winterize it every year. NOT WORTH IT!!
That’s a good point. I’ve only lived with one in a warm climate state. I imagine you’d have to turn it off in cold months like the hose pipe in freeze zones
Agree. Ours is basically a spider web catcher, is how often we use it. Not worth it at all.
$2300 for an outdoor prep space is way out of reach for me. We have a propane grill outside our back door on the deck and it has 2 prep areas attached to it which are fine but undersized. We use the grill in all 4 seasons. In some areas of the country an electric grill isn’t going to be best for the planet when coal fired power is how electricity is supplied to the grid. I guess it depends on where you live.
Yeah, here in SoCal, we have a flex power alert today asking us to cut back on electric usage from 4 – 9 PM. If you were going to use an electric grill, I guess you’d have to eat early or late!
The sink is ESSENTIAL! I don’t have an outdoor kitchen myself, but the friends that do use their sink constantly. Rinsing out glasses between drinks, pool-soaked kiddos washing hands before eating (instead of tracking their soggy selves inside), rinsing produce, etc…
I’ll also say, they DO do their dishes outside, but I believe they also have dish storage outdoors and separate sturdy plastic dishes for outside.
ooh that’s great to note!! Thanks!
We’re using ours for the first time this summer, game changer for entertaining, ppl rinse their own cups out, and we wash as we go, less gross clutter inside.
We have a weber charcoal grill , a picnic table, a folding table for serving food, and a cooler for drinks (all of them found or hand-me-downs). We set it up in our driveway, so everything has to be put out and away for each event. But we still have frequent outdoor parties, and the guests often help us set things up and then pack all the stuff away back into the garage or house. Many hands make light work, and I enjoy the comraderie as everyone pitches in at the end of the evening.
Aw that’s so sweet! Emily always says “many hands make light work” we love that quote around here 🙂
The thing I use most other than the grill is a portable induction burner that I bought at Costco for $50. Highly recommend.
I think an outdoor sink would be nicer than the refrigerator, although that would probably be easier than the ice chest or bucket with ice we usually use. I’ve long wanted an outdoor sink, not so much for an outdoor kitchen, but for a potting station. My backyard doesn’t have a good place for one, though, because of where the electrical panel is on the back of my house and the outdoor cellar entry.
We just built a detached garage and I made space for a potting station and I am SO EXCITED!! We currently have our laundry set up there while we renovate the rest of the house but I kept the original cast iron sink with drain boards on either side to go out there.
We have a detached garage, and I’ve thought about running plumbing out there for a potting sink. I want proper drainage, so I know it’s a big project. On the list. So exciting that you have an old cast iron sink with drain boards. I love those! It’ll make an awesome potting sink.
Our neighbor has a smoker and it’s kind of a nightmare for my vegan family. When they get it going, our entire house smells like meat for days. Just a plug for considering your neighbors if you live in a city 😬
I hear you! My neighbours make something inside their kitchen @ once a week and the exhaust blows onto my driveway and ugh! It smells like a cadavar they dug up a month after it was buried.
🤮
God, yes. I’m also vegetarian, and I gag when my neighbors start grilling, or when I need to drive by the take-away BBQ food truck.
And then my unreconstructed dogs are licking their lips and drooling…
Of course – dogs eat meat
you can grill tofu on the grill or traeger and it’s absolutely delicious and smokey flavored…
I love how all of you vegan and vegetarian people think that the world should stop what they like to do to accommodate you. I live in a farm area and smell the fertilizer that grows your food and I don’t complain. Grow up. 🍴 🍖 🐄 🐔 for life.
Yikes, I can see that vegans are really missing out by not having you in our lives. I guess if you live in a rural area you can have a “screw anyone who disagrees with me” attitude, but we city folk do have to consider our neighbors when doing something that will cause the whole block to smell like smoke for a few days.
As a city folk i do consider my neighbours and my family. Everyone of us should tolerate each other’s odors – I have to accept their cigar smoke and they have to accept the occasional grill odors… that is life in a densely populated area 😉
You should check out a kudu grill. Brazilian style but allows you to move different things on and off the heat. I know quite a few chefs who use them.
I’ll check it out, thanks!
I am very pro outdoor sink! Having to walk back in through the house with dirty hands to wash (while not watching the grill!) is the worst. I guess if your sink is very close it might not be an issue, but I’d love an outdoor sink! Plus it’d be great for watering flowers, washing up after working in the garden, washing dog paws/kid hands before going inside, etc.
I don’t want a grill or an outdoor fridge but I’m excitedly waiting for my first outdoor kitchen item to ship – Ooni pizza oven, hurry up! In the meantime, I appreciate the links for prep space. That $129 Ikea model looks perfect. I’m also on team outdoor sink – I’m hoping to set up a little cold water hose bib sink for hand washing or quick rinsing. It would be a must if I was going to invest in a serious outdoor kitchen.
As a gardener I think an outdoor sink would be the one thing I wanted, I would prioritize it over a fridge! If you are planning on growing veggies (or even flowers for cutting) on your mini-farm, an outdoor sink in invaluable for cleaning veggies or prepping flowers.
We have an outdoor sink and love it! It’s an antique cast iron sink with a drainboard ($50 on Craigslist) and we installed it on the side of our house on one corner of our patio near our grill. It is so handy to be able to wash kids’ hands before and after meals, wash veggies from the garden, clean our hands while grilling etc. We use the drain board as a counter as well. It’s connected to our outdoor spigot so we only have cold water and we have to detach it in the winter. But we also don’t have to work about pipes freezing!
amazing!!
This is just what I need! We have a spot in the back of the house that would be perfect for an outdoor kitchen. I think I’d prefer an outdoor sink to a fridge. You can get sinks that hook up to a hose bib and drain into a bucket, so you don’t need to have them plumbed. I’m leaning that way (but make it cute). And if the water isn’t too gross, I can dump it on the grass. That’s a win-win in drought country.
Also Team Spindrift!
My husband is a big “cook over open fire” guy, so we have an Argentinian wood-burning grill with brasero from Norcal Ovenworks (https://norcalovenworks.com/argentine-grills/) dropped into a concrete BBQ island. It’s fantastic for those days when you have time to tend the fire, so we typically do all our grilling (dutch oven, grilled veg and meat, roast tomatoes, etc) for the week + s’mores on Sundays. We have a small sink for handwashing in the same area, and near the garden a larger sink (stainless steel with drainboard from restaurant supply) to manage bigger items, which we’ve found indispensable. We use our Ooni probably once a week, it’s amazing for pizza!
A sink is 1000% necessary and if I’m designing an outdoor space, you can bet your buns I will have one (even if its just cold water only). Just last weekend we were at a friends BBQing, I wasn’t even cooking but I used their outdoor sink at least 3 times in the span of about 4 hours. I would put it in a spot where its convenient for everyone to use (not just the chef). Imagine how easy it will be to have kids wash their hands if they dont have to go inside to do it… I promise, if you are outside people, you will never regret an outdoor sink.
Sure I agree that an outdoor sink *sounds* great until the spiders and bugs start making it a lovely place to hang. I would only have one again if it had some sort of secure cover to keep it bug free.
We don’t want another sink to maintain. I have a spray bottle of water with a stack of hand towels for washing hands. If I am feeling fancy, I put some lemon juice in the water. When the kids were little, they washed their hands with the hose or they were already in the sprinkler.
We have a “little griddle” which is like a hibachi top that sits on your grill. So good!!!
So glad you mentioned Santa Maria style wood grills! I have one from JD Fabrications (found on their website and also available on Etsy) and it’s an amazing way to cook meat and looks so legit in our backyard. We get tons of comments on it. Ours is free standing but I think they can also work on a built-in option too.
Also, I’m team sink, if you can sway it 🙂
Fyi – the traeger you’ve got at $117 is actually almost $700. The $117 is one installment on the payment plan.
I’m old school. If I want to wash my hands outside I use the hose, although our laundry is also easily accessible to outside with sink and a second fridge (although I’m trying to get rid of the second fridge). We don’t have an outdoor kitchen, just a barbecue and do all the prep inside. It’s only a few steps from the kitchen to the backyard, but I can’t imagine doing food preparation outside because where I live, the flies would quickly send you insane and get on the food. Everyone eats outside doing the Aussie salute the whole time they eat ie waving away the flies from themselves and the food. It’s reflexive, we don’t even notice it half the time. I’m massively into gardening and would not want to give too much space to an outside kitchen when there is a kitchen already within metres, but I do care deeply about where we sit and eat, and how comfortable it is, what plants provide shade, shelter and ambience etc. For that reason, I’m much more likely to focus on the eating space, the table and chairs, the pot plants and surrounding garden than gadgets. I do feel that… Read more »
I love to cook on my grill. I got the Weber Genesis last year at Ace Hardware, they do assembly and delivery for free! I do wish I had an outdoor sink, really just a legit kitchen. We found someone on FB marketplace who made us a prep/storage cabinet with a concrete countertop for $500!!!! We put our mini fridge for drinks in it (side note I got it as a Fathers day gift one year for my husband and filled it up and he loves it!) However you didn’t include my most necessary part of my outdoor kitchen, outdoor dishes!!! With little kids I was always nervous about bringing our regular dishes outside so I got these Room Essentials at Target. I got enough for 32 people, including bowls and cups and some serving ware , because we have so many people over in the summer I’m reducing my waste that way. Plus at $.50 a pop they’re a steal. I love them and they perfectly match my patio chairs!!! https://www.target.com/p/10-5-34-plastic-dinner-plate-pink-room-essentials-8482/-/A-81305131
I’d like to add and make a plug for local makers. I found someone to also make my patio sofas on FB Marketplace. They’re pretty simple but they’re made of treated cedar. My guy only charged $450 for each sofa (I got the cushions off of Frontgate in an insane sale and had the sofas made to size). Comparably I’d be paying $2k+ online for something like this and mine is real wood and will last forever.
Team Outdoor Sink! I surprised myself with how much I use mine (every day during the outdoor months). It’s so convenient for cleaning veggies and flowers from the garden, filling watering cans, and yes washing hands. We had our plumber install shut-off valves on the h/c water lines so they could be easily drained before a hard freeze. You can also get a sink with a drain cap to prevent critters from taking up residence. It has worked out great for us!
Also, get a Big Green Egg if you want the option to grill, smoke, make crusty pizzas on a single unit. My husband loves his.
I’m pro sink. We picked up a Green Mountain Grill pellet smoker and we use it year round.
I’m very curious if anyone on the team is vegetarian/vegan or other readers – we’ve been considering getting a grill, but not sure it’s worth it. Grilled veggies are sooo good, but is it worth the extra expense if we’re not cooking meat? We used to have a small charcoal grill and it really only ever got used when our omni friends came over, but now with impossible burger and beyond meat, I’m wondering if we would use it more.
A sink is the #1 thing I wish I had on my patio! I don’t do a ton of cooking outside; but I do garden, take care of chickens and a rabbit, and clean up after dirty kids. I would love to be able to wash my hands with soap. Currently I open the sliding door with my elbow desperately trying not to get grime all over the place on the way to the kitchen sink.
Fun fact – I live in the same neighborhood as Sam the Cooking Guy and see him all the time at our local grocery store…
Also… We are planning an outdoor kitchen (just met with architect) and I would like an oven outside (I hate the idea of heating up the kitchen with an oven in the summer). Has anyone heard of this? I can’t find examples or options on line and was wondering…
I’m also Team Outdoor Sink. We entertain outdoors frequently and our outdoor kitchen is set up with an Outdoor Sink, Blackstone Grill, a Portable Propane Burner, a Large Yeti Cooler on a stand, a Kegerator (it’s awesome), and a Stainless Restaurant Prep Table. If needed extra stuff can do in the Kegerator for refrigeration but the Yeti stays colder than a mini-fridge would. The Blackstone is a dream to use and the propane burner comes in handy for items that can’t go on the flat top. While I definitely appreciate those that prefer having a smoker or traditional grill, I’m at home in front of the Blackstone griddle. But I couldn’t get all the prep work done without that deep sink. The other, critical piece you missed was having an accessible garbage bin that’s not obtrusive. The sink is definitely more important than the fridge.
Is there an image source for the image in the article title?