First-Class Cookout Outdoor Kitchens Allow Homeowners To Say Goodbye To The Traditional Barbecue Grill

As a child of the late 1960s, outdoor entertainment meant watching my folks fill the old Weber grill with charcoal briquettes, singe their brows igniting lighter fluid and strap on well-worn track shoes. Cooking outside meant jogging a trail from the kitchen to the grill to the kitchen to the grill to the kitchen to the grill to the kitchen…

Thirty years later, cuisine-artists have a whole new range of opulent options. The outdoor kitchen has officially arrived.

“It’s definitely a popular trend for people who love to entertain outside,” says Spokane Fireplace & Patio salesman Randy Wooly. “We’ve probably helped design and build four or five in Spokane so far this year.”

Just what is an outdoor kitchen?

“It’s a well appointed built-in outdoor barbecue,” Wooly says. “It’s a gas grill, cabinets, sinks, storage space, anything customers decide they’ll need.”

It’s the ultimate outdoor workspace, according to manufacturers like California’s EMCO Construction, and Season’s Hearth and Patio in Pennsylvania. It begins with a built-in grill of high quality and durability, permanently mounted in a cabinet that blends in with its location and can withstand the harsh conditions of an outdoor environment.

Depending on the whims of the cook, an outdoor kitchen can also incorporate other helpful improvements including a ventilation hood and ducting, a sink or wet bar, a refrigerator, storage, access doors, an ice maker, auxiliary burners, an outdoor fireplace, serving counters, bar and more. The only limit is a client’s imagination — and budget.

“They do tend to be pricey,” says Bernard, a South Hill resident who preferred to give only his first name. He added a pond, a waterfall and an outdoor kitchen to his backyard terrace in 1997 to the tune of $100,000.

Has the investment lived up to its potential?

“Absolutely,” Bernard says. “It’s wonderful. We probably use it a good six months out of the year. And whether we use it for smaller family gatherings or for one of the three or four larger parties we have a year, the food is always prepared right on the site. It’s something people seem to really enjoy.”

Do all outdoor kitchens require a great deal of space and money?

“Not at all,” says Wooly. “You can invest a lot if you have a lot to spend, of course; if outdoor entertaining is a priority. But more and more average families are installing outdoor kitchens. It’s like investing in a pool or a hot tub or anything else. It just depends on what you think is important.”

As for size, Wooly tells of a prospective client planning an outdoor kitchen for the roof of her townhouse. “Limited space doesn’t have to stand in your way,” he says.

Other experts agree that size is seldom an issue when cooking outdoors is the ultimate goal.

“The best part of having an outdoor kitchen isn’t impressing your friends,” Bernard says, though he admits a number of associates are planning outdoor kitchens of their own after experiencing the benefits of his Northwest oasis.

“The best part,” he says, “is the aroma. Nothing smells quite as good as food that’s prepared outside.”

Jim McKinley, an Idaho chef and cookbook author who recently hosted a weekend of outdoor cooking classes in Twin Falls, couldn’t agree more.

“We love to cook outdoors because we believe the food tastes better when we are closer to nature,” he says. “The smell of barbecue sauce or the juices from a steak smoking on the grill excites almost everyone’s taste buds.”

For all the bells and whistles outdoor kitchens proudly display, McKinley insists only one thing should be top priority on every outdoor cook’s list: sanitation.

“Regardless of what or where you cook,” he says, “your work surfaces need to be germ free. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meats and vegetables. And a good thing to have when cooking in an outdoor kitchen is apple cider mixed 1 part to 3 parts water in a spray bottle. It makes a healthy disinfectant without bleach.”

McKinley recommends every outdoor kitchen include a place to wash hands and cooking utensils.

“Any kitchen should have a place to wash hands, tools and food,” he said. “And don’t forget the smell of food attracts insects - especially flies and hornets. If you use insect traps, keep them a safe distance from food preparation areas.”

Bernard recommends planning your outdoor kitchen events around an energetic theme.

“We even hired a mariachi band for one of our parties,” he says. South of the border sights, sounds and scents brought his South Hill home - and his guests - to life.

Outdoor kitchens may not be for everyone. But every man, woman and child is bound to enjoy the experience whenever the wind shifts just the right way and sends that savory-scented reminder soaring.