I'm with the "who would want to clean two kitchens" group. I have a large deck which I love but have to wash outdoor table and chairs every day.

We do grill a lot, and having a fridge to store prepped food, countertop, and sink would make the grilling more enjoyable. But that's an extra expense we don't need to take on right now.

ljhh6,
I got a couple of table covers with elastic so I wouldn't have to clean my glass top tables so often. When using them I simply remove the covers. They are waterproof so can be kept on year round in California.

Who's a clever girl then? :-) :-)

Rachuba, we considered an outdoor fridge, but decided against one b/c good ones are expensive & we just wouldn't get enough use out of it to justify it. I wanted water, too, but cost of bringing water & drain precluded that option. The counter space makes it easier when you have platter w/ protein, corn on cob & veggies in mesh pan to organize. JanaDiane, our "sideboard" (pic above) stores furniture covers, among other things.

Yes, my husband would like one but says it would be extravagant for our current home. I personally think it is just another space to clean, I have enough trouble getting my husband to clean the grill. However, I have allergies and we cannot cook certain things inside so having another area to cook that won't mess with my allergies would probably be nice for my husband. So basically, it's worth considering.

No, I don't like to cook enough to put one in. I have a lovely indoor kitchen, and a stainless BBQ and nice eating area outside, that's plenty to have to keep clean. It's too windy here much of the time to be out there, anyway. AND hot!!!! No one wants to eat out there when it's over 100 degrees outside.

Love to cook especially outdoors!

I live in FL it's hot as hell in the summer here. Anything to keep from cooking indoors and heating up the house even more.

Our summers are not terribly hot and the evenings are delightfully cool; so I would opt out for a full kitchen area. We do use the BBQ most of the year though.

(1) spiders, mosquitoes, biting gnats (2) mice, snakes, possums and raccoons (3) bats (4) humidity and afternoon/evening thunderstorms - no, thank you!

Cjccoc

proper planning

1. keep within budget of the use and your long term plans

2. the quality of the limited time spent is where the value is

I love outdoor kitchens! Premier Custom Built project attached

It really depends on where you live!

Maybe just the usual barbeque with a sizeable sink for quick clean-ups... but not a full-on kitchen.

It's either too hot or too rainy where I am and I don't cook that often in the indoor kitchen, so NO!

My answer is No. I live in hot climate which outdoor kitchen will tends to cover by dust. Might attract rat, cockroach, lizard, flies and etc. Cleaning job must be done before and after cooking, whereas indoor kitchen only require to clean after cooking

We had a built-in bbq and removed it. I opted for a roll around bbq to hide behind the fence when not in use. I prefer a back yard that feels like I'm on vacation, rather than a reminder (and job) of another kitchen to cook and clean in.

No thanks. It's just another food prep and cooking area that needs to be cleaned before and after any time it is used. And let's face it all food prep starts in the kitchen, so not only do you have to clean the kitchen after an outdoor event you also have to clean the outdoor kitchen, unless you have a couple of kids to help clean, or have been financially blessed to have a maid or cleaning staff it's just another time burner.

All I want outside is a good gas grill and a grill grate for my fire pit.

Hmmm.. Do all of the "yes" votes actually have an outdoor kitchen? It seems the comments are saying "NO' but the votes are yes? It may be a nice "dream" for some but in reality folks, it's not a great thing. Save the 5K and buy "disposable" stainless steel grill. :) Clean the kitchen and enjoy your back yard. :)

We have an outside underground oven ( for roasted meat) and two outside sinks next to each other, one is normal height which we use a lot to wash all the barbecue stuff and grills and the lower one for washing misc stuff like crates that hold veggies from our farm .

We have another big kitchen (room) outside for when we get really busy with guests and when we want to cook fish etc. The inside kitchen is used a lot too but for stews and oven dishes. More than one family uses the kitchens, we have turns at times.

I hate kitchens. Outdoor kitchen would be fantastic. If I could build my ultimate dream house it would have the kitchen completely separate from the main house connected via a breezeway. Make it a social destination - kitchens are over rated.

Living in Southern California you have to have an outdoor kitchen!

No thank you! It's either too hot or too rainy where I live plus lots of humidity. I get hot enough cooking inside my air conditioned kitchen!

As I said above nearly a year ago, we have outdoor kitchen (OK) & love it. We use it year-round, but almost every night in summer. We don't have A/C so using OK prevents heating house. Plus, during our K reno, w/ OK we were never w/o cooking. We used to have Weber charcoal grill, but use new gas one a lot more b/c it's instant-on, no waiting on coals.

No outdoor kitchen necessary, just a bbq area for me :)

Yes!!! Great for get togethers and family events!!! It is an added space to clean but that is why you have guests, to help you clean up after!!! :)

Exactly! Many hands!!!!

An outdoor kitchen is too much. I just need a Weber grill .

We had (actually still have, but don't use it) a Weber. Loved it until we installed outdoor K. Our grill has much more cooking surface than Weber, a back burner, a removable rotisserie & an upper rack for keeping things warm away from flame. Island also has 2-burner side burner & oodles of surface area. Island also has storage cab & drwrs. Stand-alone Weber has none of those conveniences, & guests can't sit around Weber like they can island & be chillin' w/ chef while she's grillin'.

Addendum: Lest one thinks I'm being sexist w/ previous closing comment, I used to do grilling, but my wife loves outdoor K so much she relegated me to runner & bartender.

Bruce that all sounds really neat , but it's just me and Mom. My actual kitchen is five steps from the yard through french doors. You don't sound sexist though. Cooking is for whoever enjoys it. The advantage we have is our yard is nearly half an acre if you don't like your seat you have lots of spots to move to. Sounds like a great party though. Enjoy it this summer, I know we're all ready.

Nope. Too spendy.

I consider it a luxury and unnecessary (for our situation). Despite being an ardent remodeler, we are still very frugal and strive to keep our house and its contents to what is needed, not what is cool and extraneous.

So, I agree with rollinggirl, all the way! We have a Weber grill and it does every thing we ask of it, without complaint! $50 invested and our outdoor kitchen is done. :)

To counter your argument, Bruce Crawford, we have absolutely no problem entertaining outdoors. We have had many a friendly gathering, sitting in lawn chairs nestled up to our firepit (hand made from hand picked field stones for free), hanging our in our make shift "outdoor living room", or watching movies in our "outdoor movie theater" under our screen tent during the warm months. Grand total for all of that has been $97 for the screen tent.

While an outdoor kitchen is certain a blast for you, don't equate your luxury to a necessity for entertaining.

Ben Hart, we did lots of entertaining when we only had a Weber, also. The outdoor K w/ island greatly enhances it. I never represented that it is a necessity, just an enhancement. Before my wife retired, during warm months she cooked out there most nights. After work all she had to do was push a button and fire's ready. Same during our K reno. After peninsula w/ range demo'd, she cooked out there every night until our K island w/ rangetop completed. Not having to fuss w/ charcoal and having to wait for temps to come up really made both much less hassle.

My patio is for relaxing. Not working in the kitchen. Summer flies fast enough!

Outdoor kitchens add a lot of value to the home, especially when you incorporate it into an outdoor living area to relax and enjoy your grilled recipes. Here's one of our favorite creations.

@ Midnightrose we in the US who live more north and experience snow do so because of many reasons, yes jobs, and sometimes yes because we like the change in seasons and winter outdoor activities but I would say a larger percentage of folks who live in any area warm, cold, mountainous, urban, rural, desert, costal, etc. do so because that is where they were born and raised. People live where they live and sometimes like it, sometimes don't but not always able to just move to a hot climate - that's just unrealistic. It makes for good retirement dreams and vacation plans though.

Though I live in canada my answer would definitely be a yes. I had an OK built last year by infinity gardens(http://infinitygardens.ca/residential/). The winters can be really cold and harsh but the spring is really soothing and relaxing and it is great to cook outdoors. Outdoor kitchen has a lot of benefits like it is a great place to entertain your family and friends. It helps in keeping your house cool by avoiding a lot of unwanted smoke and lingering smells caused by cooking indoors. Cooking outdoors means cooking healthy food. Grilled food is way less greasier than any other food. Grilled food retains moisture in the food thus giving it an extra flavour. And finally it gives an added value to your house. If you are planning to sell your house anytime soon the outdoor kitchen will make your house look more appealing to the buyers.

Here's a couple pics that show part of our OK. The night time pic shows
the island w/ pergola in background. It covers a firepit. Its colored lights are programmable so you can have different color & flashing schemes depending upon the occasion. The daytime
pic shows the powered sideboard which matches the island. The outlets
are for coffee pots, crock pots w/ chili, bread warmers, etc.

Tore out my outdoor kitchen. Too much work to keep clean. Too big. Now I can enjoy my backyard.

We have a simple OK with BBQ, Talavera sink that goes with the tile and a mini fridge. We use the grill almost daily. We entertain often as well. This photo was taken a day or two,after we took occupancy .
There is shaded and sunny seating, and the pool is nearby.
This is our third home here in La Paz and each one has had an OK.
I posted this photo and a comment earlier, but I do not see it in the thread.

Bug magnet if you live in a warm climate. No way.

Outdoor Kitchens are the way to go!

love an outdoor kitchen!

definitely got to have an outdoor kitchen...!

I love my outdoor kitchen. It's small, only about 2'x3' and says "Weber" across the front. (Hint: It's a bbq)

Outdoor Kitchen is Far Better!

Yes! I cook outside most of the time, so I like having the grill and exhaust set up. The kitchen counter open up to the patio so I don't need an additional sink, or fridge.

Its really nice to see all you people loving outdoor kitchens. I am just starting a business going into this industry with some of my Masonry friends and getting feedback like this always helps to see. Outdoor Kitchen guys

I love the idea of an outdoor kitchen, but in a warm climate unless you spend half your life clean8ng and scrubbing it is a magnet for all kinds of bugs... pass.