Gone are the days of dirty charcoal briquettes and smelly lighter fluid (except for a few diehard old-school grillers, of course). Today, it’s all about the outdoor grilling centre.
An outdoor grilling centre includes fully-functional cooking areas for the chef and comfortable seating for the guests. Basically, it brings comfort and design to a natural setting, maximizing the use and appeal of your outdoor space.
Your location, space, the time of day when you most often entertain, and the type of entertaining you intend to do will influence which elements to put in your kitchen, i.e. Will you need a parasol? An infrared rotisserie burner with counter balance? Bar stools or a patio sofa set? Will you be cooking alone, or will you require multiple work stations? All of these details will come into play as you flesh out your design.
Here are a few outdoor grilling centre configurations to get you started:
The Basic
Even if you aren’t ready to spring for a full outdoor kitchen, you can get in the outdoor grilling game with a few essentials: a grill, a work surface, and a dining area. It’ll still be a great party!
The Next Step
But if you are serious about outdoor entertaining, you may want to upgrade with amenities such as side burners (ideal for veggies), an outdoor refrigerator to keep food cold and beverages handy, and an outdoor sink and faucet for convenient clean-up. After all, who wants to run in and out of the house when steaks are sizzling and drinks are pouring?
The Big Time
Or, if cooking in the great outdoors is your calling, the ultimate outdoor grilling centre is for you. It will feature a grill, of course – the bigger the better – either free-standing or built into an island, a bar, a refrigerator to keep veggies and drinks close at hand, a dishwasher for quick and easy clean-up, wine racks/cooler, storage, a garbage can, sauce/condiment rack, and comfortable, stylish patio furniture.
But why stop there? Pizza ovens, teppanyaki grills, steamers, and smokers offer even more variety –and fun– to your outdoor cooking experience. And if you add a weatherproof television and speakers, you’ll be the envy of the neighbourhood!