Among the advantages of living in Georgia is the year round enjoyment of the outdoors. Homeowners are seeking to leverage their investment by maximizing the comfort and utility of their outdoor living spaces. As homeowners embrace outdoor living, demand for outdoor lifestyle products continues to grow.
The “outdoor kitchen” is a central theme of the outdoor lifestyle, and has evolved from luxury amenity to mainstream feature. Well designed and engineered outdoor kitchen components offer limitless opportunity to create a satisfying outdoor cooking and entertainment experience. A carefully crafted outdoor kitchen strategy can help a homeowner successfully navigate the maze of options available. Some suggestions to consider when installing an outdoor kitchen:
Imagine
Imagine the end product. Envision the cooking and entertainment experience desired. Inspire your imagination with what you dream of your outdoor kitchen to look like.
Identify the space
Unlike a conventional kitchen in the interior of your home, the design of an outdoor kitchen has few boundaries to restrict imaginative, functional and comfortable interpretations.
Research is important
to help you filter through the components of an outdoor kitchen and the cooking experiences they deliver. Lifestyle magazines, technical journals, product catalogs, consumer reviews and personal experiences are excellent sources of clarity and inspiration.
Prepare a budget
Grill islands can be constructed in place or purchased in pre-fabricated form. Whatever your choice, the grill remains central to all outdoor kitchen designs, including gas grills in liquid propane or natural gas, charcoal grills, electric grills, infrared grills, combination grills, pellet grills, metal smokers, ceramic smokers, etc. A refrigerator, sink, warming drawers, storage shelves, ice maker, refreshment center, pizza oven, side burners, searing station, ceramic smoker and many other amenities rarely found indoors can be incorporated into the design. The choice is limitless, as is the level of quality and investment.
Assistance
An outdoor kitchen is often part of a greater outdoor living strategy. It can also be crafted as a do it yourself project. With the breadth of quality, selection and functionality of outdoor kitchen products, it is desirable – and ultimately less painful –to enlist the assistance of outdoor living specialists to help you navigate the myriad of options available.
Buy Quality
Finally, buy quality and avoid disappointment. We speak from experience on this point. Your outdoor kitchen has to withstand the elements year round and should ideally be constructed with materials that offer optimum performance in all of conditions. For example, high grade, high performance gas grills and grilling related components are generally constructed with rust and fatigue resistant commercial grade stainless steel and casted aluminum burners.
Homeowners are “investing in place” and seek greater comfort and utility from all areas of their homes, including outdoor living spaces. An outdoor kitchen represents an investment that increases the value of your home and enhances the enjoyment of your outdoor living spaces. Smokers, searing stations, and other outdoor kitchen amenities enable you to prepare flavorful meals with greater variety and sophistication than are often possible indoors. Outdoor kitchens are fast becoming central gathering points for entertaining family and friends. After all, it is said that people gather in the home where they are most comfortable.