January 27th, 2010 by Tash
Australia Day celebrations would have been commemorated around the country with a great BBQ! How many of you dusted off the old rusty BBQ on the wobbly cart to celebrate the day only to be reminded how much you love a BBQ meal? Our Australia Day celebrations included lots of great company, a few beers, plenty of flies and a fantastic BBQ- a butterflied and marinated leg of lamb, chicken kebabs, garlic prawns, juicy rump steaks and of course some token lamb chops.
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. So if you want to host the next Australia Day celebrations at your house contact us now for a free quote.
Categories: Outdoor kitchen options
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January 8th, 2010 by Tash
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.
Categories: Outdoor kitchen options
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December 23rd, 2009 by Tash
There seems to be a reoccurring pattern when it comes to planning for Christmas for me. Each year in late September/early October I tut and shake my head when I see Christmas paraphernalia in the shops already. I wonder to myself ‘who is actually buying this stuff so early?” Surely it’s too early to start thinking about Christmas. Then November comes and I set the goal of getting organised- then what happens? Christmas eve sneaks up on me and I’m still left with last minute shopping and preparations to do!
For those that are eager enough to be hosting get togethers with family and friends have endless amounts of planning and preparations. A well designed outdoor kitchen can help aleviate the stress of being stuck in the kitchen cooking. It doesn’t feel as though you’re stuck in the kitchen when you’re outside in the midst of the festivities . Most guests are more than eager to have a hand at cooking their own pizza too so share the cooking load and relax!
Each year after Christmas when the sales have died down and the Easter eggs appear on the shelves at the supermarket I think to myself ‘here we go again’. There must be a lesson to be learnt from my mistakes- It’s never too early to prepare for the next big event. Whether it be Christmas, Easter, New Years or a significant birthday bash- if you’re planning to host the event start planning your outdoor kitchen now. You’ll be glad it’s in sooner rather than later and it’ll make for stress free entertaining.
Enjoy the festive season and stay safe!
Categories: Entertaining outdoors
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December 3rd, 2009 by Tash
As soon as the sunny weather sets in and Christmas is in the forefront of every body’s mind, the thought of entertaining around BBQ hits. An investment in an outdoor kitchen is a fantastic investment in your lifestyle, especially over the silly season when family and friends come around to celebrate and many people have time off to relax.
The investment in your outdoor kitchen is a worthwhile one and is one that needs planning and careful consideration. You need to do your homework about the kinds of appliances you’ll benefit from and the best construction materials to suit your needs as well as how the design and look will fit in with the rest of the surrounds.
At Sebastiano’s Outdoor Kitchens, we specialise in designing a kitchen that will not only look fantastic but have all the features you want and nothing you don’t need. The designing stage can take up to a month for custom designs when you consider that ideas and needs may change from the original plan. Although installation may only take a couple of days you’ll need to allow at least 6-8 weeks for design, planning and scheduling of your new outdoor kitchen.
So if you want to make the most out of this entertaining season, start planning now and you will be able to enjoy cooking and eating in your outdoor kitchen throughout the early months of 2010. Plus it’s never to early to start planning for next Christmas!
Categories: Entertaining outdoors
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November 10th, 2009 by Tash
When it comes to planning an outdoor kitchen many people don’t know where to start even thinking about what features they want and how to design the kitchen. Then once you start to investigate the task it can seem even more daunting because you’ve been inundated with information. Here’s some of the most important points you should consider:
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.
Categories: Outdoor kitchen options
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October 14th, 2009 by Tash
Not only is an outdoor kitchen a fantastic investment in your lifestyle but it is also one way to greatly increase to value of your property. The price of an outdoor kitchen can sometimes come as a surprise to some , especially when it’s compared to the price of one’s inside kitchen but in reality the two do not compare. The effect of adding an outdoor kitchen is more like adding a whole new room to the house, a whole new area to live in.
Could you imagine exposing your inside kitchen to the elements an outdoor kitchen is subject to? Laminated bench tops and vinyl wrapped doors are not going to last long nor will manufactured stone bench tops. Even in a covered area the temperatures an outdoor kitchen will be exposed to will vary more and will be more extreme than what you experience inside. That means you’ll want your bar fridge to be able to keep your drinks cold when it’s 40 degrees outside so you’re better off investing in quality products.
The appliances you use outdoors such as the BBQ and wood fired oven are very different to cooking with your conventional stove inside. You’re likely to have very hot fat or even ashes or embers land on your bench top from time to time and you don’t want something that is going to burn and can’t be repaired. Granite or porcelain tiles are smart choices for outdoor kitchens.
We all know when things heat up and cool down they expand and contract. We’ve all seen the dew on the grass on cold mornings. We’ve all felt the extreme heat that Perth’s summer brings. Your outdoor kitchen will be exposed to these extremes and it’s piece of mind knowing that you have paid for quality that is going to last outside. If you’re considering an outdoor kitchen you’ll need to be prepared to spend around $15,000 for a basic design and upward from that for more elaborate kitchens with more features. If you’d like an obilgation free quote contact us now and be prepared to brave the weather!
Categories: Outdoor kitchen costs
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September 1st, 2009 by Tash
In a recent addition to the Sebastiano’s family we created an outdoor kitchen that was designed by the owners and was aimed at creating an all year round working kitchen that could take the place of the indoor kitchen when the cooking is likely to get messy.
Having the outdoor kitchen adjecent to the indoor kitchen, the clients did not require any storage or refrigeration only a larger oven and prep area and to match the indoor kitchen as well as blending into the alfresco area all the while sticking to a budget set by the client.
We at Sebastiano’s were only happy to help. We were also faced with the challenge that like most outdoor kitchens this kitchen was going to be subject to a degree of weathering, so we had to consider the type of construction materials that could be used. While our competitors quoted on a modular stainless steel unit that was going to take 8 weeks to complete, we took all of the clients needs into account and created a masonary kitchen with a rendered finish and colour matched to the existing alfresco area, finished off with a porcelain tiled bench top which matched the indoor bench tops and we delivered in 2 weeks.
Finally we said thank you to this lovely couple by throwing them a catered party for them and their friends. Our chef Nathan cooked up a 3 course meal in the new outdoor kitchen. It included chicken and sage rolls for entree, roast lamb with vegetables for mains and served up for dessert was a traditional Italian Tiramisu.
This is a prime example of what clients can expect when dealing with Sebastiano’s, we create customised kitchens to the needs and budgets of our clients. YOU
Categories: Outdoor kitchen designs
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August 25th, 2009 by Tash
For anybody in the process of building their new home, renovating or simply considering it then you should take the outdoor kitchen into consideration before the work begins. Simple planning could save you thousands of dollars on your new outdoor kitchen.
Most BBQ’s can be converted to run on naural gas to save you the hassle of keeping an eye on the LPG gas bottle so you don’t run out of gas in the middle of cooking. It’s also cheaper to run the BBQ on natural gas, but it can be a costly exercise to run a natural gas supply to the BBQ, especially if there is a lot of site works like pulling up pavers. Having the gas connected before any paving or decking is laid will save time, money and disruptions.
For those who would like a conventional oven in their outdoor kitchen means a whole new circuit will need to be installed for the oven to run on. This too can be costly if the house is a double story and access is limited. Any electrical work for the outdoor kitchen including powerpoints for appliances can be done during the building or renovating and will work out to be much more cost effective. A little bit of planning too will ensure powerpoints are placed in the right spot and won’t need to be moved.
Decking areas are a popular site for an outdoor kitchen but quality stainless steel modular units that sit on top of decking can be more expensive. A solid brick pizza oven is extremely heavy and would not be able to sit on decking which means the decking would need to be cut to be able to build a solid base for the pizza oven. A little bit of foresight means your outdoor kitchen can be built prior to the decking being installed which means you’ll be able to choose a more affordable kitchen. Furthermore the decking will be installed up to the kitchen which will give a nicer finish and saving you on the extra decking area that would only be covered up by your outdoor kitchen anyway.
At Sebastiano’s Outdoor Kitchens we can work with your builder or architect to include your dream outdoor kitchen in the planning stages to save you money. What better way to host a house warming party than with a BBQ or woodfired pizzas in your outdoor kitchen?
Categories: Outdoor kitchen designs
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July 30th, 2009 by Tash
The word Teppanyaki literally means to grill on an iron plate, so essentially any flat hot plate could be considered a Teppanyaki, but what’s Teppanyaki without the entertaining chef? Teppanyaki cooking is traditionally a western infulenced style of Japanese food and is probably most well known for the skill and tricks performed by the chef as he prepares and cooks the food in front of diners.
Teppanyaki cooking is very versatile as well as healthy and packed full of flavour. Meals from noodle dishes, rice dishes, steaks, fish and stir fry’s can all be cooked using the Teppanyaki. That’s not to say you can’t use it to cook the humble sausage or chicken kebab either. Teppanyaki grills have powerful burners and thick cooking plates so they retain heat for longer for efficient cooking.
The most important aspect to Teppanyaki cooking is the set up which usually consists of the large grill being centred around the dining area. Teppanyaki cooking is fast so you need to have the right storage to have all your ingredients and utensils on hand but most of all it’s for entertaining so you want it to look fantastic. Don’t wait until the party season has stared to think about getting your Teppanyaki installed, contact us now and be prepared to party. Book in an obligation free design consultation for your very own Teppanyaki and remember all our Teppanyaki kitchens come with your first launch party for free including a Teppanyaki chef with flair!
Categories: Teppanyaki grill
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July 9th, 2009 by Tash
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.
Categories: Outdoor kitchen options
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