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Outdoor Kitchen Must Haves???

Posted on 6/25/25 at 10:44 am
Posted by Doug_H
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Sep 2013
2642 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 10:44 am
Looking to start building an outdoor kitchen soon. Will probably be DIY build for the most part as I've looked into BBQ guys and others and their prices are out of my budget.

L-shaped. Long side is against a brick bedroom wall of the house about 12.5' long and will probably have L on the back end of patio be about 9'. We'll also have an island, roughly 4'x6 or 7' which will have an overhang to put bar chairs under.

Leaning towards building out of cinder block with a stucco siding and concrete counter tops. I found some good edge molds from ConcreteCountertopSolutions that I believe I'll use.

I have electrical and a gas line ran. No water, and probably won't as this is being added to an existing patio and house.

I have a Traeger Pellet grill that I'll take the legs off to put in the kitchen in a drop in cutout. Same with my Blackstone griddle.
I also have a gas stove top that I'll put in.
Currently I have smaller table top Grill but but I am looking to upgrade this and curious to hear recommendations.

Any tips, or "dont's"??? Thanks in advance
Posted by Ranger Call
Lonesome Dove / Montana
Member since Apr 2023
674 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 10:53 am to
Make sure you have:

-good fans
-plenty of storage


You will undoubtedly wish you had run water to it. Might as well do it while you can.
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
46085 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 11:06 am to
hot and cold water and a big arse deep sink
Posted by Sir Saint
1 post
Member since Jun 2010
5468 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 11:11 am to
quote:

No water, and probably won't as this is being added to an existing patio and house.


you are going to regret this. If it is beyond your budget I would probably wait on the project until I had the money saved for water/sink.
Posted by wileyjones
Member since May 2014
2688 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 11:25 am to
make sure you install a vent hood. biggest you can. especially over smoker and griddle.
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
46085 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 11:28 am to
quote:

No water, and probably won't as this is being added to an existing patio and house.
if you have an outdoor hose bibb close by you have a water source. Undercounter instant water heater. This is cheap and easy
Posted by dukesilver72
Texas
Member since Feb 2015
1105 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 11:30 am to
Water, Sink, Pull out trash can drawer, and drawers for storage. Vent hood would be nice too.
Posted by LemmyLives
Texas
Member since Mar 2019
12765 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 11:31 am to
I'm assuming you have a slot for the fridge, right? It's handy to have your proteins, cheese, condiments, etc., chilled and ready.

Pay attention to the dominant direction of the wind in your yard, especially for the griddle. You don't want to put a sink or whatnot downstream from the grease splatter being carried by the wind. My splatter pattern was always from my 4 o clock to my 11 o clock because of the wind. For you that might be the difference of the splatter nailing the same window over and over.
Posted by Duck Island
Member since Aug 2017
142 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 12:12 pm to
If you have a hose bib you might be able to tie into it for water. Strongly suggest having a sink.
Posted by wm72
Brooklyn
Member since Mar 2010
8984 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 12:31 pm to
quote:

If you have a hose bib you might be able to tie into it for water. Strongly suggest having a sink.


Yeah, my house in Pensacola has a screened in brick porch with built-in grill and hot/cold sink.

Having the sink with water there is much more useful than a stove.

Posted by LNCHBOX
70448
Member since Jun 2009
88541 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 12:50 pm to
quote:

if you have an outdoor hose bibb close by you have a water source. Undercounter instant water heater. This is cheap and easy


I'd imagine getting water there isn't the issue. Where the water goes after it goes down the sink is probably the harder/more expensive issue.
Posted by deeprig9
Unincorporated Ozora
Member since Sep 2012
72553 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 12:58 pm to
quote:

I'd imagine getting water there isn't the issue. Where the water goes after it goes down the sink is probably the harder/more expensive issue.
I have a fish cleaning station that operates this way, the wastewater goes into a five gallon bucket that you gotta keep an eye on, and have a good place to carry and dump it.
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
46085 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 1:00 pm to
mine just dumps into the yard, it’s not that big a deal to manage
Posted by Tmar1no
Member since Jan 2014
571 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 1:12 pm to
I love a great outdoor kitchen, but i just cannot justify paying premium to get what is basically a grill and a table top.

Posted by Doug_H
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Sep 2013
2642 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 1:37 pm to
quote:

Make sure you have:
-good fans
-plenty of storage

You will undoubtedly wish you had run water to it. Might as well do it while you can.

Got a few fans already installed since my patio was recently finished and it's fine for what we have used thus far, but I do still have room to mount some oscillating fans if need be when July/August roll around if the heat is too much. Also had a few buddies recommend evaporator coolers like Hessair that they have and love
Posted by Doug_H
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Sep 2013
2642 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 1:41 pm to
quote:

if you have an outdoor hose bibb close by you have a water source. Undercounter instant water heater. This is cheap and easy


I'd imagine getting water there isn't the issue. Where the water goes after it goes down the sink is probably the harder/more expensive issue.

We do have an outdoor hose bibb I could configure and tie into, and we actually do have neighborhood pong that my yard backs up to. I did think about trenching a PVC water line from hose bibb and drain line from sink to pond which I could do myself for cheap, just don't think the neighborhood would like my drain running to the pond lol
Posted by Doug_H
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Sep 2013
2642 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 1:47 pm to
quote:

I love a great outdoor kitchen, but i just cannot justify paying premium to get what is basically a grill and a table top.

Same here. I'm trying to find a sweet spot that makes sense/cents for us to be functional & plenty "nice" but not be $10k

My next problem is patience or lack thereof. Now that my patio is finished my focus is on the kitchen and it's an internal struggle to slow myself down to say let's just invest one piece for the moment to get it like we want & wait for the rest later if all that I want is not in the budget right now
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
46085 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 1:56 pm to
quote:

just don't think the neighborhood would like my drain running to the pond lol
why not? Just use camp soap, it’s perfectly safe
Posted by billjamin
Houston
Member since Jun 2019
16261 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 1:56 pm to
High pressure gas service hook up for a boiling pot.
Posted by Randall Savauge
Member since Aug 2021
525 posts
Posted on 6/25/25 at 2:57 pm to
people saying he needs a sink... getting water there is easy... getting water away is the hard part.
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