In the past, an outdoor kitchen consisted simply of a barbecue, lighter fluid, and a bag of charcoal when the weather was cooperative. Things have changed over the years. Outdoor kitchens are planned with almost as much detail as kitchens inside homes in many areas of the UK.
Whether summer or winter, these private backyard retreats can accommodate family and friends comfortably and in style. The truth is that in newer, high-end homes, outdoor kitchens are expected features. Appliances and gadgets are getting more techie.
Check out these hot trends if you’re considering installing or upgrading an outdoor kitchen in 2021.
1. Creating functional zones in outdoor kitchens
If you plan the outdoor kitchen, you should plan a flow that is easy to follow from the refrigerator to the counter area and back to the cooking area. You should consider how you will store food and drinks, as well as what you will retrieve from inside your home.
Usually, homeowners do not plan enough counter space for their outdoor spaces. Consider socializing and cooking the entire meal outside with your guests seated outside – not just barbecuing. It’s also much less messy outside than inside to set up a buffet.
2. Weather-Resistant Cabinets
Historically, built-in barbecues were built using stuccoed cinder blocks and porcelain tile countertops, but these days they’re made from weatherproof cabinetry and granite countertops. Paving stones are also commonly used to build barbecue islands.
In addition to looking good, stainless steel cabinets can handle rain, insects, spills, and rust, which makes them an excellent choice for cabinetry. With stainless steel cabinets and drawers, along with gadgets like pull-out trash bins, you can easily customize your kitchen.
The popularity of powder-coated metal cabinets, on the other hand, is growing because of their toughness and variety of colours. A special process can be used to powder coat metal so that it appears to be wood-like. In the UK, there is excessive moisture in many areas, so it’s essential to powder coat your metal cabinets. Even powder-coated cabinets can get rusty sometimes.
3. Barbecues Do it All
If you enter a Home Depot or similar store, you can’t help but be attracted to shiny new barbecues. A majority of springtime displays seem to emphasize how important outdoor cooking is in UK’s households.
Adding bells and whistles to luxury barbecues has resulted in lower prices in the last few years. Let’s forget about the meat-only barbecues. Wouldn’t it be better to buy a model that comes with a rotisserie, warming racks, griddle, and even a couple of side burners for cooking side dishes or heating sauces?
Furthermore, some barbecues have more than one fuel option. Would you like to try wood-smoked salmon? Nothing to worry about. Grilled charcoal burgers sound great, don’t they? You can do all of this on some gas grills.
4 Smokers, Open-Flame Cooking and Pizza Ovens
Consider the types of cooking you wish to do outside with your outdoor kitchen that your indoor kitchen cannot accommodate when you plan it. For example, smokers are capable of cooking food that is extremely tender and flavoursome due to the way the wood burns off inside. Perhaps you would like to recreate an open-flame barbecue. In residential kitchens, there’s no way to cook over an open flame.
A pizza oven is currently one of the most popular appliances for outdoor kitchens. Homeowners are even spending up to £9000 to install wood-burning versions. A wood-fired pizza oven made of cast iron that costs less than £400. These amazing ovens are usually built-in, but freestanding models are also widely available.
Take into account your neighbour’s comfort and wind direction. Does using a smoker for long periods bother anyone? You could also consider a solar oven for eco-friendly cooking.
5. Put yourself undercover
There are many more protections available these days for outdoor kitchens than umbrellas and trellis. In order to prevent sun and rain as well as hungry birds from destroying their outdoor kitchens, homeowners are building open-air patio structures. Weather-proofing cabinets, appliances, and countertops can prolong their lifespan as well. In any case, if you intend to use outdoor refrigeration, you should consider appropriate shading. Cooling a small refrigerator requires more energy when it is hot outside.
6. Everything is connected
No, the barbecue isn’t all that matters anymore. There are many outdoor kitchen options available to you including sinks, beer taps, beer refrigerators, smokers, barbecues, wine refrigerators, ice makers, ceiling fans, etc.
Guests are also enticed to linger outside if there is an outdoor TV or entertainment system. Weatherproof TVs are available that withstand rain, dirt, extreme temperature fluctuations, snow, and wind. In addition to cranking up the brightness, these TVs also increase contrast. If you plan to install your TV somewhere other than your bedroom, you’ll also need to hook up cable or DirecTV.
7. Create a cohesive space for the entire yard
Creating an outdoor party space where swimming pools, kitchens, and living areas can be used together instead of separate sets the stage for a perfect party. This is easier to do when starting from scratch, however. When the option of having a swim-up bar in the backyard is available, it is unnecessary to travel to a place like Mexico or Hawaii. When the outdoor kitchen is near the living area with sofas and a fire pit, you can include more guests in your social time.
Make your outdoor kitchen more appealing with these trends
You can enjoy your backyard more than ever with these outdoor kitchen trends and essential features. You might even find that your backyard replaces your living room as the room where the family gathers to socialize as soon as the weather permits! So, if you are planning to build an outdoor kitchen in your house, make sure to make it according to the latest trends with all essentials.