Plan Out a Customized Outdoor Kitchen: 7 Features You'll Want in Sunbury and Westerville OH Areas

Even though some of the best times of summer can be spent having meals outside with friends and family, it’s truly something you can do year-round. Even if you don’t have the space or need for a full outdoor kitchen, you can still live your dream of bringing everyone together in your outdoor living space. Here’s how to plan out a customized outdoor kitchen: 7 features you’ll want in Sunbury and Westerville, OH areas.

Start to plan your outdoor kitchen as if it’s a small kitchen, using only the things you know you’ll actually use. When planning efficiently, you’ll never feel that your outdoor kitchen is missing anything. Firstly, decide which appliances and elements you really want: the basics - grill, counter, storage, and sink. From there, you can customize even further.

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Wood-Fired Pizza Oven

There’s a reason pizza is one of the most popular foods around the world - everyone loves it! Make your outdoor kitchen become the magnet of the neighborhood by making delicious pizzas right from your backyard. Combine the oven with a small grill outside and you have your bases covered for so many types of food!

Pergola

Especially on hot, sunny summer days, cooking outside can become oppressively hot. A pergola strategically placed over the busiest part of the kitchen will allow for several different types of shade to help cool your outdoor kitchen. Combine with a few fans and you’ll have the shade and air flow to keep going during the hottest parts of the year.

Bar Peninsula

Now we’re talking! Add extra seating and extra storage by extending the countertop in an L-shape or to match the shape of your patio. Add a few cooking elements and some other fun features and you’ve got yourself a styled-out gathering space.

Herb Garden

Your cooking credibility will go through the roof when your friends and family see your beautiful vertical herb garden. Plant a variety of different herbs to choose from so that your dishes have the freshest seasonings possible. What a way to amplify your outdoor eating experience!

Grill or Plancha

One of the outdoor essentials for any backyard, a grill can enhance any time spent outside. Have professionals build a grill into your outdoor kitchen countertop or have a standalone grill elsewhere on your patio. You can choose between a wood-fired, charcoal, natural gas, or propane grill to keep your food tasting like summer in the outdoors.

Why not a Plancha? The Spanish style flat-top grill is a great way to cook something fast and hot while retaining all that delicious flavor that might drip into the fire with a typical backyard grill. With the right temperature/oil combination, you can sauté with a pan, braise in aluminum foil, or sear on the plancha itself.

At Least Two Sinks

Being outdoors can make cleanup more challenging than in your home kitchen. That’s why it’s important to dedicate one sink for handwashing only. This helps present cross-contamination between dirt and food. The other sink should be much deeper and wider to allow for tasks such as washing vegetables, filling water bottles, or washing dishes.

Keeping Things Cold

It wouldn’t be summer without a healthy amount of ice-cold lemonade. Place a small fridge for drinks underneath your bar countertop for easy access to beverages. Is wine a regular occurrence outside at your house? There could even be room for a separate mini wine cooler outside. Don’t forget to install a fridge with a small freezer unit with an ice cube maker to make sure those lemonades (or cocktails!) come out the right temperature every time.

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