So you love Florida outdoor living, and you are ready to design your outdoor area. Here are some tips for your consideration.
1. The Budget.
Decide what your budget will be. This will help to determine what types of appliances your kitchen will be using. Premier Outdoor Living and Design carries top quality appliances. Their warranties range from 15 years to lifetime. By deciding on your budget up front this can also help determine the length and features of the cabinets.
2. The Location.
Consider the location of the outdoor area. This is a very important step in the process. If your outdoor kitchen is under a covered patio, it will require a vent hood to eliminate the smoke and contaminates from grilling. This is required by the manufacturer specifications, and is also required by your local building codes. If you want to save the cost of installing a vent hood, you may decide to set your kitchen out on an open patio. This is also acceptable. When setting your kitchen in the direct sun, the counter top surface can heat up from the direct sun exposure. You can keep the surface cooler by installing an umbrella to shade the counter top.
3. The Utilities.
Utilities, if you already have water, sewer, electric, and gas where you want your new kitchen, then there wont be any added cost. However, if you need to run these utilities, this can put a dent in the budget depending on how long the utilities have to be ran. One important thing regarding the plumbing, not every municipality will allow a "cold water drain." This is just running cold water to your kitchen, and having the drain run in to your yard. In fact most building codes do not allow this. You should check with your local building department if this is allowable.
On the other end of this situation, if you have your outdoor kitchen sink tied into your sanitary line, you can not allow rain water to get into the sink. You will have to have a roof over the outdoor kitchen. The building codes do not allow for a cover only over the sink. The inspectors say this "cover" can be forgotten, but a roof can not be forgotten.
4. The Appliances.
We get asked a lot about other options or appliances that our customers may not consider. Here are a few appliances that are often overlooked.
The Trash Center is one option that is often over looked, and can help keep your outdoor kitchen looking clean. No one likes to see the proverbial 30 gal black trash bag lining a industrial garbage can, everyone has to walk around it because its in the way.
Another overlooked appliance is the Power Burner. With its higher BTU, and its larger cooking surface, it can quickly heat up those large deep pots for lobster boils. We set these power burners down lower then the rest of the cook surfaces so it can accommodate those larger pots, and the cook can easily view the contents.
A Warming Drawer can also lend itself as a useful appliance. Imagine having a all day event with guest showing up at all different times. You wont have to fire up the grill every time another guest shows up, you can prepare extras and keep them warm and fresh for new arriving guest.
Conclusion.
Outdoor Kitchens are great for those who love outdoor living. If you are considering building an outdoor paradise in your backyard, please contact Premier Outdoor Living and Design to set an appointment for a free design and estimate in the comfort of your own home. Also see our "Project Portfolio" for some photos of completed outdoor kitchens.