Picture the perfect summer gathering at your home. For most people, two main things come to mind: great food, and the great outdoors. Every year, more and more people are adding an outdoor kitchen to the entertainment space in their yards. Outdoor kitchens are the perfect way to combine the relaxation of being outside with the fun experience of preparing food with the people you love. Besides the social benefits, outdoor kitchens with the best outdoor kitchen components can also add financial value to your home–in some cases, by 30%!

If you’re already sold on the concept and are ready to start thinking about outdoor kitchen ideas and designs, you may be wondering what the must-haves are for this type of project. There’s countless ways to utilize design and function to make a custom outdoor experience. Looking for the best outdoor kitchen components? Look no further.

Cooking

Now, the most straightforward way to figure out what is essential for an outdoor kitchen may seem obvious: look at all the basic elements of an indoor kitchen. And what’s the most basic element every single kitchen needs? Something to cook with/on. The two main cooking components in outdoor kitchens are ovens and grills.

Grill

If your main goal of outdoor cooking is to host a barbecue, you’re in luck because barbecues and outdoor kitchens go hand in hand. Barbecuing is a near-impossible task indoors, but with an outdoor barbecue kitchen, you have plenty of room to grill and let that yummy-smelling smoke soak into the air, leaving your guests’ mouths watering. Your grilling space doesn’t even have to be big to be nice. People with little room can easily design small outdoor bbq kitchens that are still beautiful and practical.

A grill is already an outdoor entertainment staple, but if you’re looking to take the grilling experience to the next level, luckily there’s a lot of options. The DelSol brand is known for designing a high quality, stainless steel, durable outdoor grill. Though on the pricier side, DelSol grills are a good investment for people that are planning to barbecue a lot and are looking for a superior grilling experience. Stainless steel adds a modern feel, and if you know what you’re doing, the food will always turn out great.

There’s a lot of different ways to incorporate your grill to fit with the rest of your outdoor kitchen design. An increasingly popular and elevated way is through a bricked in outdoor grilling station. Not only is brick functional because it’s heat resistant and insulated, but the brick design adds an old school and classy element to the outdoor space. If you like the look of your grill standing alone, a grilling island is a fashionable and functional way to do so. Add a unique stone overlay to the island, along with some outdoor grill racks and attachments, and you’ve got yourself a good looking grill space.

Oven

There’s many simple and affordable outdoor oven options for your outdoor kitchen that don’t require a lot of space, depending on what you’re mainly going to be cooking out there. If you’re wanting to use your outdoor kitchen to make pizzas, your main three oven options are a brick pizza oven, a wood-fired pizza oven, or a built in natural gas pizza oven. All three options result in different variations of delicious homemade pizza, and they all have the potential to look great and authentic when incorporated into your outdoor space.

Storage

Just like any indoor kitchen, every outdoor kitchen should definitely have storage areas. Storage can be categorized between “dry” and “cold.”

Dry storage refers to cabinetry, like built in outdoor cabinets for utensils, dishware, and dry ingredients, while cold storage refers to refrigeration. If you’re wondering how to keep a fridge outside, it’s a fair question. Many companies make appliances that can withstand indoor and outdoor elements, so an indoor/outdoor refrigerator is more than possible. If you’re looking for a separate appliance for drinks and such, or maybe you just don’t think an entire fridge is necessary, a minifridge or an outdoor kitchen cooler is a good idea that gets the cooling job done, and also saves money.

Storage doesn’t have to be an eyesore, though. There’s a lot of ways to incorporate modern design into the necessity of having places to put things when not in use.

Fort Lauderdale Outdoor Kitchen

Other possible components

To keep your appliances and designs in tip top shape and protect from weather and other outdoor elements, you’re probably going to want some sort of covering for the area. A pergola is a beautiful way to achieve this. If you’re preparing food, you’re also going to want a sink to wash your hands, ingredients, and possibly dishes. Some outdoor kitchens even have dishwashers, but that is more of a luxurious addition than an absolutely necessary one.

Outdoor kitchens allow for a communal and convenient cooking experience. Customize the space to fit your needs and personal style, and you’ll be the go-to gathering spot for your friends, family, and neighbors.