From Grilling to Gourmet: Enjoy the Possibilities of an Outdoor Kitchen in the Timonium and Ellicott City, MD Areas
Of all the Timonium and Ellicott City, MD Areas outdoor living features that are growing in popularity, the outdoor kitchen is at the top of the list. By extending the living room and kitchen beyond the four walls of a house, the outdoor kitchen space offers expanded possibilities to entertain, relax, and enjoy glorious days of lovely weather. Whether you want an outdoor kitchen to create culinary delights or prefer a deluxe grill station to practice your smoker skills, there is an outdoor kitchen design for you.
Outdoor Kitchen Positioning
Positioning the outdoor kitchen near the backdoor can make stocking the outdoor kitchen with ample supplies easy and quick while placing it away from the rest of the outdoor spaces can designate it as a destination. Adding an outdoor dining area to the kitchen can offer comfortable dining near where the meal is prepared, allowing them to help themselves to seconds.
Outdoor Dining
The dining experience is integral to eating al fresco so ensuring optimal comfort for visiting enhances the meal. Incorporating a retaining wall with built-in seating expands the seating options so guests can sit at the table, on the cushions of the built-ins, and on top of the retaining walls where the surface is flat. Shade can be an important comfort feature. To ensure there is shade, a pergola or full gable roof protects your guests from direct sunlight and adds a vertical feature that merges this area with the natural elements of the landscape.
Efficient Kitchen Layouts
The single most important part of any outdoor kitchen is a functional cooking triangle that allows you to prep, cook, and serve foods without running around the space. An ideal kitchen design that has been used for thousands of kitchens is to have the refrigerator, sink, and cooktop in a triangle formation, offering the most efficient way to handle meal preparation.
Standard and Not-So-Standard Appliances
Appliances are crucial to creating meals you want to cook and love to share with friends and family. While you might like the idea of feeding your guests breakfast on the Blackstone grill, be sure this is an appliance you will truly use before adding it to your outdoor kitchen. The same can be true of a pizza oven. Although it might seem cool to make pizzas for the group, you could end up with a pizza oven that sees little use if this is not the food you prefer to cook.
Investing in high-end, state-of-the-art appliances such as stainless steel refrigerators, gas grills with multiple cooking options, and an efficient dishwasher can make cooking there a pleasure.
Countertops and Cabinets
Weather-rated cabinets and durable countertops like granite or soapstone lend longevity to an outdoor kitchen, able to withstand the seasonal weather changes and patterns that can cause wear and tear. Fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice beauty and style for an appealing outdoor kitchen design.
Bar Space
Planning a bar space is common in outdoor kitchen designs, incorporating a wine fridge, pebble ice maker, and a kegerator. Coffee drinkers will appreciate having dessert coffee options as well as standard black coffee. Cabinets will hold coffee supplies, heat-proof cups, and all the syrups to make any drink special.
About the Author
With nearly two decades of experience, Valley Deck & Patio has grown into a full-service landscape design and construction company known for our custom work. Our talented team takes on the challenge of complex projects, and we are always ready to roll up our sleeves and exceed customer expectations.