How to Build an Outdoor Kitchen | Simple Ideas & Plans

How to build an outdoor kitchen

Here we will be covering all your concerns regarding an outdoor kitchen. First, we go through how to build an outdoor kitchen, and then we share some simple outdoor kitchen ideas. So, stick with us to create your outdoor kitchen by yourself.

Outdoor kitchens are becoming more and more appealing to people. Many homeowners are leaning towards them for various reasons. One of them is enjoying the fresh air while you are cooking. Having an outdoor kitchen makes cooking more enjoyable because of the relaxing environment around you. Also, if you have got guests around then you will be able to interact with them while you are cooking.

When people think about an outdoor kitchen, they get worried about the money. In truth building, an outdoor kitchen doesn’t require much skill or a lot of money. You can do all the work on your own at a reasonable cost. If you have got the appliances you need then you won’t have to worry about going overboard with the cost.

 

Why have an outdoor kitchen?

Before we dive into all the practical stuff let’s get some idea of why you should have an outdoor kitchen. Does that serve any special purpose?

Well, to start things off a simple argument would be cooking in an open space. When you are cooking in your kitchen you might have suffocation due to the cramped-up space. With an outdoor kitchen, cooking becomes much more relaxing. Apart from that, there are some other benefits of an outdoor kitchen too.

Easy cleaning

When you have an outdoor kitchen cleaning up will become very easy. You can just wash your kitchen thoroughly with water without having to worry about wetting the ground. Besides, you won’t be damaging any of the other household items either. You can clean up the whole kitchen using a garden hose if you want.

Interactive space

How many times you have failed to entertain your guests because you were stuck in the kitchen? With an outdoor kitchen, you can change that forever. You will be able to interact with your guests much more to entertain them. An open space is great for chatting and having fun while you are cooking.

Saving up money on electricity

This is something that happens unintentionally. You can save up some money on electric bills without even wanting to do it. Just think of this when you cook in your kitchen you have to keep the air conditioning and lights on. But when your kitchen is outside you can keep them off. This saves up a lot of energy costs.

Efficient for parties

Imagine going running back and forth at your house because you are cooking inside and grilling outside. That would be troublesome for you. But if you have an outdoor kitchen you can do everything in one place. You don’t have to go through that much hassle. In short, you can enjoy your BBQ parties with your friends and family at one place.

Well, these are some reasons you might consider having an outdoor kitchen at your home. As you can tell they are pretty convincing and worth your money, time, and effort. So, if you are ready to build one at your place then let’s get on with it.

How to build an outdoor kitchen

Building an outdoor kitchen isn’t very difficult. With a proper plan and some basic skills, anyone can do it. The kind of kitchen you want to build mostly depends on your locale, your budget, weather conditions, and space. So, based on that you have to plan out your kitchen first. First, let’s get done with the planning phase then we will move on to the actual building phase.

Planning your outdoor kitchen

In your planning of the outdoor kitchen, you have to consider some things like the space you have. Also, where you want to build it. So, location is a factor as well.

Location

It’s best to keep your outdoor kitchen somewhere around your backdoor. Because it stays fairly close to your house and it’s not something people will see when they enter your house. Aside from that, you have to consider getting electricity to your kitchen. So, you would want to build it somewhere near an electric source.

Once those things are done you have to check for spacing. If you plan to have a lot of parties then you have to go for a broad space. You will need to consider setting up some tables and some chairs as well. You don’t want a cramped-up space because that can create a lot of mess. So, choose a spot where you can set everything up properly and which leaves a bit of space for you.

The next thing you would consider is the ventilation system of your kitchen. You don’t want the smoke going into your house and suffocate. So, set up your kitchen in such a spot where smoke can blow far away from your house. It’s best if the smoke can go upwards through a chimney.

Weather resistance is another factor to go through. You need to plan for unforeseen weather conditions. You have to build it like a shelter so it doesn’t get affected by rain or heavy air. You need to consider all these things while choosing a location.

Accessories and appliances

Once you have chosen a spot you have to move on to the next phase of planning. Here, you choose what kind of outdoor kitchen you want and what things do you need. Now, choosing these will depend on your budget and needs. Usually, you will need the following things-

  • A sink refrigerator specifically made for outdoor kitchen
  • Cooking stove or electric stove
  • An oven
  • Cabinets and countertops
  • Furniture

These are some necessities for an outdoor kitchen. Now, you might have to spend some money on this stuff. Apart from these, you can add a BBQ machine or a smoker to your liking. After you have got it all done you can move on to the building phase of your kitchen.

Building your outdoor kitchen

To build your outdoor kitchen you don’t need any special skills. With some helpful tools, you can do it pretty easily. We will go through a basic building plan of an outdoor kitchen. You can follow it along with your outdoor kitchen design and you will be good.

The tools you need for building your kitchen are-

  • A saw (electric circular saw works better)
  • A drill
  • Tin snippers
  • Hammer
  • Staple gun
  • Mortar tub
  • Drywall hawk
  • Pointing trowel
  • Finishing trowel
  • Miter saw
  • Power grinder
  • Masonry hoe
  • Notched trowel
  • Bar clamps

You might need to visit a hardware store to get some of these tools. If you have them already then that’s great.

Let’s go on ahead with the building process.

Building a frame

To make your outdoor kitchen you will need a base or a frame. So, you have to start by making a sturdy frame for your kitchen. To do that you can cut eight similar lengths of wood. Try cutting the wood pieces with proper thickness so they can take the load of the countertops and cabinets. You can use a circular saw to do the job. The length of the wood pieces will determine the height of your kitchen.

After you have cut down the woods you will need to screw them together with a drill. Use long deck screws so they are stuck together properly. Put them all together and check if they are sturdy enough or not. You can add some wood pieces in the bottom-middle part of the frame for supporting the cabinets as well.

Covering the frame

Once you have completed the structure of the frame you will need to cover it up with wood. Think of building a box and cover the frame from all sides with the same dimension of wood. Make sure to screw them together properly. You can use plywood to cover the framing and create the box. Later on, you can create cabinets using plywood as well.

Then you will need to attach felts around the plywood for protection. Attaching felts will help the plywood from getting wet or damaged. You can use the staple gun to attach the felts quite easily.

Incorporating the lath

You will need to add some lath sheets into your construction now. You have to cover the whole box with lath sheets. So, start the work off by figuring out the outer part of the lath. To easily find that out you can run your hands over the lath sheet. If it feels like a grater then that’s the part you would want to keep outside.

Next, you just align it with the box and nail the lath to the plywood. Make sure to use thick nails so the lath doesn’t come off. When you have completely covered the whole box cut off the excessive lath with the tin snippers.

Coating the box

About now your outdoor kitchen setup will be coming together. It’s time to cover up the box with some mortar to give it an actual construction built. Use your masonry hoe with a trough and mix up some mortar with water. Try to keep the consistency enough so it sticks to the trough upside down.

Now using the trowel, you can start to coat the box. Use at least half-inch thick layers of mortar to cover it up. Make sure the lath doesn’t move at all, if it does then nail it around that place to the felts. Keep spreading the mortar in a downward motion. You can finish when you can’t see any mesh pattern on the box. Then let it sit for an hour.

Scoring the layer

Take up the notched trowel and start scoring the mortar surface. You have to do this process horizontally. Score the whole construction, you can use different angles to get the job done. Make sure to keep track lines parallel to each other. They will work as guidelines for setting up the stones.

After you score the whole thing let that be for 24 hours. Then you can set the cabinet boxes that you made earlier. Set them into the opening. Secure them with deck screws into the base of the frame that you began with.

Sorting the stones

You are nearing the end right now. For the finishing touches of stones, you have to sort them out in different categories. Gather stones that you want to use as corners, then go for rectangular ones. Finally, you can sort them based on short and long stones.

Once you have sorted them start with the cornerstones. Cornerstones will have an L shape on them. To attach them to the construction you will need to butter the stones on the back using inch-thick layers. End the layering with some V-shaped air pockets. Create the pockets using a trowel.

Setting up the stones

Now, you have to start setting the stones on your construction. Simply begin with the corners with the L-shaped stones. Press the stone into the scratch coat and clear out the excess mortar that comes out. You have to keep doing this throughout the construction.

You can use the power grinder to shape the different stones. Make sure you shape them according to one another so they sit tight and there are no gaps in between. Also, try cutting the large stones to a shorter length. Start layering the stones up. If you misplace a stone then remove it and start over. When you are complete setting up the stones let them sit for 24 hours.

Finishing it up

After a day you can install the cabinet doors Simply attach the doors to the flanges of the cabinet boxes. Finally, you can install all the other items such as countertops and the grill to finish up building your outdoor kitchen.

Well, this is the basic process of building an outdoor kitchen. You can do a lot of other things with your kitchen based on your preferences. Or you can try out some of the simple kitchen ideas from below.

Simple outdoor kitchen ideas

Here are some simple yet elegant outdoor kitchen ideas you can try out. You can find many more on the internet. We focused on the DIY aspects of these and tried to keep them as simple as we can.

DIY food kitchen with crate shelves

Need to save up some space? Well, why don’t you go unique with your crates? You can use the crates to create a shelf over the cooking counter. It’s not that difficult neither expensive you can easily do that with some wooden boxes and angular frames. And the look you get is quite impressive as well.

DIY Stonewood kitchen

Create more of a cozy environment to spend those family evenings with this setup. It doesn’t require too much space. Just a preparation area with a stove and a grill on the side. Two cabinets for storing all the necessities. And you can complete the whole look with just bricks and woods for the setup. A wooden table and some chairs on one side bind the feeling of family time with comfort.

DIY outdoor kitchen with reclaimed wood

Go for a unique yet simple setup of an outdoor kitchen using some reclaimed woods. You can create an appealing and interesting visual with the countertop. The whole base made of reclaimed wood will surely complement the whole thing. A rounded corner design and the kitchen on the inner side will give this setup an outdoor bar vibe. While all that sounds super attractive, it’s really simple to do.

DIY patio outdoor kitchen

Like to hold a lot of backyard parties? Well, this is the best setup for that. It’s quite simple and classy with all the things you do. For entertainment purposes, you can also hang a TV on the wall. Enjoy some games on the TV while having some delicious BBQ. You get to have cabinets, counters, a sink, and a stove. Top things off with some extra wooden shelves over the counter and you are all set for a fun weekend with family.

Well, these were some DIY ideas you can try out at your home for your outdoor kitchen. They are simple and require less space than a full-on outdoor kitchen. You can simply do all this at a reasonable cost.

Conclusion

Now, you know how to build an outdoor kitchen. You don’t need any service or any worker to do the job. If you have got the tools and vision of doing the work you can do it on your own. And to start with the planning you can take a look at some of the simple outdoor kitchen ideas that we shared. Even if you don’t follow them completely you can still get some ideas based on them.

Having an outdoor kitchen at your house adds a lot of value to it. You can get a lot of use out of it whether it’s a BBQ party or a family weekend. It’s always a fun and relaxing way to cook and enjoy your time in an outdoor kitchen. Apart from all that you get a higher resale value of your house with an outdoor kitchen in the backyard. So, it’s worth the money you spend. Hope this article helps you in building your dream outdoor kitchen.

 

 

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