Outdoor Cooking and Grilling Surfaces
Consider These 4 Outdoor Cooking Options
If you are planning on creating an outdoor kitchen cooking and grilling space, you first need to decide how you would like to cook your food. Your outdoor kitchen can have just one method of cooking, or you can use a variety of different cooking and grilling methods. Four of the most popular options are:
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Smoker for an outdoor kitchen cooking and grilling
An outdoor kitchen cooking and grilling will be a step up a notch with a smoker. If you want to have a smoked flavor to your meats and other foods, you should consider adding a smoker to your outdoor kitchen. These do take longer to cook food since the point of a smoker is to smoke the food under lower heat for longer periods of time. However, you get tender and juicy meat that falls right off the bone has a smoky flavor you can’t get any other way.
Fireplace or Fire Pit for outdoor kitchen cooking and grilling
Using real fire is a definite option for cooking food in your outdoor kitchen. This gives it a natural flavor similar to when you’re camping. The first way you can use fire is by placing an outdoor fireplace in the kitchen area. There are a variety of outdoor fireplaces to choose from, based on the size and layout of your patio kitchen. It is not only great for cooking, but can also make it feel more like a cozy living room setup for night evenings with your family.
You can also use a fire pit in your outdoor dining space. These provide an even better place to cook food over a real fire, just like you in the middle of a campground. You can set the fire pit in the middle of the dining area so that you are cooking your food while enjoying time with friends and family. To use a fire pit for cooking, you can either place a grate on top of it or use skewers or a rotisserie over the fire.
Thinking about a firepit read up on the essentials here.
Outdoor Oven– Pizza Ovens for outdoor cooking and grilling
There are ovens that can be used in your outdoor kitchen, though they might cost a little more than these other cooking options. However, this gives you the option of mastering your brick oven skills or even installing a fun pizza oven for this space.
Check out Nikki Wills How to Build a Wood Fired Pizza Oven Tutorial
Barbecue Grill
A natural choice for an outdoor kitchen cooking and grilling surface is a barbecue grill. The great thing about full-size outdoor kitchens is that it doesn’t have to just be a traditional standing grill, but one built-in to the custom kitchen. It is right in the countertops, allowing you to have grilled food and the natural char flavor, with a grill that appears more like a stovetop. You can still choose between the basic types of grills, including gas, charcoal, or electrical.
How to Choose the Right Barbecue Grill
One of the fundamental parts of an outdoor kitchen is the cooking method, which often includes using a barbecue grill. The type and size of your kitchen area often determines the best type of grill, but there are also some other things to consider when choosing the right one.
Consider a Built-In or Stand-Alone Grill
The first decision to make when choosing a barbecue grill is to decide between a standard grill or one that is built-in. Some outdoor kitchens, whether prefab or custom kitchens, will come with the option to have a built-in grill. In this case, you will either need to go with whatever grill comes with it, or in the case of a custom kitchen, you can still choose from other options. However, if the outdoor kitchen is a smaller setup, a small stand-alone grill might work better for you.
Stand alone
Choose the Method of Fuel
After you have decided between a built-in grill or a stand-alone grill, you then need to decide what method of fuel to go with. Many outdoor kitchens use electrical grills with other electrical outdoor appliances, but this isn’t the only option. You can also get built-in grills or stand-alone grills that use natural gas or charcoal. This will give your food more of a classic barbecue flavor that an electrical grill doesn’t always provide.
Consider Alternative Types of Grills for your outdoor kitchen cooking and grilling
Basic barbecue grills are not the only options available to you. There are also some other methods of grilling your food, from placing a grilling grate over an open flame to using a smoker with your grill. There are some smaller smokers meant to go over a grill, so that you are able to use your grill, but you get that slow-cooked smoky flavor. You can also get a portable grill if your outdoor kitchen is made with an oven, but there isn’t room for a large built-in style grill. Another option is to use an outdoor fire pit and place a grilling grate on top to get the best of both worlds.
Think About the Size and Cost
This is, unfortunately, something you will need to think about when choosing the type of barbecue grill to add to your outdoor kitchen. Naturally, large built-in grills are going to cost you the most, but you get the convenience of having them blending well with the kitchen and being more convenient. Electric grills do tend to be a little pricier than gas or charcoal grills, though the size and types of features they come with can also adjust the price as well.
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