What to Include in Your Custom Outdoor Kitchen: A Checklist

The sky’s the limit when it comes to designing your custom outdoor kitchen. As the industry continues to expand, homeowners have more options than ever before. We’ll go over some of the basic components that any outdoor kitchen needs as well as the additional components you can add to make the kitchen uniquely yours.

When you meet with our design team, we’ll go over what components are must-haves for your outdoor kitchen, and make suggestions for the design and some of our trusted suppliers and manufacturers.

The Grilling Zone

Let’s start with the grilling zone.

Basics

Every outdoor kitchen has a built-in gas grill. We suggest you upgrade to the nicest grill you can get, because it will be the workhorse of your kitchen.

Add-Ons

If you love to grill and love to cook outdoors, you have a lot of choices. Here are just a few add-ons for the grilling zone:

• Side Burner(s)
• Power Burner
• Rotisserie Kit
• Kamado Grill/ Charcoal Grill
• Smoker
• Flat-Top Grill
• Pizza Oven
• And More

Food Prep and Serving Zone

Now we move over to the food prep zone.

Basics

Every custom outdoor kitchen needs a sink, refrigerator, and countertop space for prepping and serving. You also need cabinets for basic storage. We upgrade to granite countertops and stainless-steel cabinets and appliances. The façade can be natural stone or manufactured stone.

Add-Ons

There is an amazing array of add-ons in the food prep area. What add-ons you choose will depend on your style of cooking and how you like to entertain. Some of your options include:

• Additional Storage
• Pull-Out Trash Drawer
• Wine Cooler
• Kegerator
• Ice Maker
• Compact Freezer
• Dual-Height Countertops
• Task Lighting

Think of the amenities you have in your indoor kitchen. You can add many of those features to your custom outdoor kitchen.

Related Reading:

• Top Benefits of an Outdoor Kitchen
• Outdoor Kitchen Design: Top Considerations

Make Your Kitchen a Covered Outdoor Kitchen

Lastly, while it’s not a kitchen component or work zone, we advise all of our clients to at least consider a covered outdoor kitchen. Housing your kitchen under the protection of a pavilion allows you to use it in inclement weather, and out of the harsh rays of the sun.

And a roof protects the kitchen components as well.

Related Reading: Why a Covered Outdoor Kitchen Is a Smart Choice

Lighting and Entertainment

If you opt for a pavilion, you don’t have to grill by the light of an entryway light o portable light. You can add pendant lighting above the bar area, task lighting in the food prep area, and task lighting for the grill area. You can even add a ceiling fan with lights or a chandelier over your outdoor dining table.

Consider adding a sound system and an outdoor TV to enhance your experience on game days. You can use both during family movie night as well as parties for years to come. Again, we recommend opting for the best outdoor TV and outdoor sound system. Do your research to find the audiovisual components best suited to your family.

Make It Exceptional. Make It Woodfield.

If you’re looking for custom outdoor kitchen contractors in central Maryland, we can help. Our design/build team takes your outdoor kitchen ideas and turns them into reality. We use the highest quality materials and components to provide you with an exceptional outdoor living experience.

We work with clients throughout the Baltimore area, including Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Cecil County, Harford County, and Howard County. Schedule a call today.