An outdoor kitchen designer will help you design a functional and stylish plan for your outdoor area, provide you with 3D drawings of the proposed outdoor area and provide a written fixed price quote so there are no nasty surprises to take you over budget. You get the advantage of having your works done by trusted and reliable tradesmen without the worry of having to plan, organise and supervise the job.

A recent renovation project involved turning a cluttered carport into a spacious entertaining area. We started off with some demolition to open up the area, then built a partition wall to keep some storage space, texture coated the area to match the exisiting house, lined and insulated the ceiling for a functional and stylish finish and organised the plumbing and electrical work. We have also staged the renovation to fit the budget. The pizza oven has been installed to make the most out of the renovated area and the remaining outdoor kitchen will be installed at a later date.

An outdoor kitchen designer is only too happy to listen and work with you to deliver exactly what you want. A designer can take the hassle out of renovating and give you a lifestyle that is priceless.

I was reminded yet again how easy and enjoyable entertaining can be with the right outdoor kitchen. With the right kitchen entertaining even the masses is a breeze! If your outdoor kitchen has a fridge and some storage cupboards you can stock up the kitchen beforehand eliminating the need to ferry anything to and from the house while you’re entertaining. Prepare and season your meats beforehand and store them in the bar fridge, keep your  paper towels, oil, tongs and serving platters in storage next to the BBQ and you’re ready to cook. 

For me the best part of having a great outdoor kitchen is being able to mingle and be in the kitchen preparing or cooking at the same time. It’s important to consider the position of your kitchen, BBQ  and prep areas to that you can still enjoy entertaining while you’re in the kitchen.

Simply Magic Liner

A recent bike ride around the Swan River saw us stopping to cook some sausages on a public BBQ- the perfect chance to test out our new “Simply Magic Liner”!

This clever little product sits directly on the BBQ hot plate- eliminating the need for us to clean the public BBQ before using it. It would also come in handy for those with allergies who a weary of using a public BBQs. Using it an home will also mean no need to clean the BBQ afterwards! Unlike foil, the BBQ mat was totally non stick and didn’t need any oil at all- perfect for cooking delicate fish, frying eggs or even cooking marinated meats without the sticking. I can see it will also appeal to those who don’t enjoy the generic charcoal flavour that some foods on the BBQ can have.

The liner can withstand heats up to 260 degrees- that means it’s suitable for even the hottest of hottest grills. The mats can also be used for baking and other conventional cooking.

You’ll be able to buy them from our online shop which will be up and running shortly. In the mean time visit www.simplydelighful.com.au for the “Simply Magic Liner” and more non stick cooking products.

1. Quality. An outdoor kitchen is going to need to withstand the elements so you need to use quality materials. Granite bench tops are an obvious choice but porcelain tiles and timber bench tops are also great option. Stainless steel should be 316 marine grade to prevent staining and corrosion, especially in coastal areas.

2. Services available. The cost of installing natural gas appliances may not be economically viable if the services are not readily available. If there are extensive site works and the gas pressure needs to be increased it may not work out cheaper in the long run to have the appliances running on natural gas. Same goes for dishwashers that need to be connected to the mains. It may end up costing a lot more than just the price of the dishwasher if there are extensive site works involved.

3. Kitchen Shape. Think beyond an outdoor kitchen that is tucked away up against a wall. Think about where you will be spending time preparing food and try to have those areas facing towards where guests might be seated. It’s always good to be able to look out at a nice view while cooking. Think about adding an island or an L shaped kitchen to take advantage of the views.

4. Value for money. Think about how often you will use your kitchen. Would you use it more if you could store all your cooking utensils, crockery and glassware near by? Would you be more inclined to use it if you didn’t have to track everything inside to wash up? By the same token be realistic about how often you will use the features you choose. There is no need to fill every inch of under bench space with cupboards just for the sake of it.

5. Complement the surrounds. Try to design your kitchen to fit in with the feel of your surrounds. A Kabana style kitchen with a bar would suit nicely next to a pool. Where possible you can try to match the finish of the kitchen with the finish of the house, for example matching face bricks or rendered finish. Rock cladding and texture coatings are also popular.

If you need some design inspiration for your outdoor kitchen contact us for a free consultation and get ready to enjoy the summer months ahead.

Porcelain tiles that replicate a granite look can be used for outdoor kitchen bench tops

Having a kitchen outdoors means the quality of the materials used needs to withstand some harsh elements which is why granite is a popular choice for outdoor kitchen bench tops. While granite does look great it really bumps up the price of the outdoor kitchen, especially if there’s a large area of bench space or lots of cut outs required for pizza ovens, BBQ’s, side burners or sinks. A tiled bench top is significantly cheaper than a granite bench top and has the advantage of an almost limitless choice of styles, colours and sizes.

For many the idea of a tiled bench top brings to mind an old fashioned 70’s country style kitchen. One trip to your local tile shop will change your mind! There are metalic finish tiles to match in with stainless steel, tiles that have the same look as granite, tiles that have texture, and tiles in larger sizes (even as big as 600mm x 1200mm) so you can still get a streamlined look.  There are so many fashionable tiles to choose from to compliment your outdoor kitchen.

Porcelain tiles are the best choice for outdoors. They are a dense tile fired at a high temperature so they are tough and have a superior resistance to chips. They are resistant to fading, salt water and chlorine safe and will not absorb spills from food or oils so they can be safely used next to the BBQ without the risk of staining. They are the perfect choice for an outdoor kitchen bench top.

For those that simply have a BBQ on a stand outside it means ferrying the meat, veges, oil, salt, pepper, paper towels, tongs, barbe-mate, plates, cutlery etc, etc, etc outside and then back inside once you’re done! Not to mention having to head inside each time you want a drink. What a hassle. No wonder the BBQ gets covered in cobwebs.

Our outdoor kitchens come with a choice of outdoor storage solutions to make using your BBQ  and wood fired oven easy so you’ll get great value out of your purchase. Our cabinets and drawers are sealed to prevent dust, water, insects and vermin from getting in so you can safely store everything you need to cook, eat and entertain in your outdoor kitchen. This makes cooking and entertaining outside so much more efficient and enjoyable.

Our ‘Cosmo’ kitchen also has a large storage area under the bench seat which comes in handy for stashing away everything from gardening tools, cushions, mosquito repellent,  Jamie Oliver cook books, even the kids toys that usually scatter the back yard! We can custom design your outdoor storage solution that is functional and stylish.