I can't comment of the Coyote brand, but I can confirm that the copper for my porch roof (actually 2 of them) were very expensive. I would also wonder about having the awning over the egg when grilling. Looks pretty, but just thinking about the smoke when mine is in use......

I have done a lot of research about outdoor kitchens because DH is a big time griller and smoker. If you're going to put it next to the house (what happens in flair ups especially if you put a fabric awning over it) you will need am outdoor hood to clear the smore away from the house.

Both excellent thoughts. The awning would for sure be down the road. I guess we'll see if we really need it. I know the outdoor kitchen is just going to get filthy. We are hopefully using materials that will be easy to keep clean- granite counter, stucco, and stainless steel. And it will just need a good wipe down once a week. (my thoughts anyway;)

Lauren,

I spent quite a bit of time last year researching outdoor kitchens. Below is what I have learned:

1. The drawers and cabinets are not always inserted units but just fronts. I wanted my cabinets and drawers to be rodent proof so I used inserted units for the drawers. These cost more money. To make the units rodent proof, the doors have to have some method of sealing. The units I ended up with are hermetically sealed (using magnets). There are a few options in this realm. This also prevents water from getting into the drawers when it rains. My outdoor kitchen does not have an overhang so this was important because the unit is always exposed to the elements.
2. My drawer units are from an Italian company called Ronda and has limited sizes. My other option was from Kalamazoo Kitchen but it was really expensive so I decided to forgo it. The outdoor kitchen was getting expensive. I used some battery operated lights (Hafele Battery Operated Loox lights) in the units so that I can see into them at night.
3. I don't have a gas grill, just a Komodo Kamado which I use for all my grilling. I did investigate gas grills because many of those companies sell and make cabinets inserts. There is a BBQ forum on GW which has some recommendations although not very current. Weber gets really high marks for a gas grill (Balance of quality and price).
4. Be careful with using appliances outside that are not made for outdoors. Animals can nest in them and really cause an issue or worse fire. In the picture you posted, that fridge is not outdoor rated for instance.
5. I did not put in a sink and don't regret it. I rarely need to wash or rinse anything while I am at the grill.
6. I don't have a hood and don't feel a need for one. I use a neutral charcoal that is not very smoky.
7. Make sure you have planned a place to store all the bbq stuff. My island got a lot larger than I originally anticipated.
8. Regarding the awning, I have considered installing one because I bbq in any weather and would prefer not to get rained on while grilling. I looked at Plexi glass options like this one (Palram Plexi Glass Awning). In the end, I decided to wait and see. Maybe next summer:-)

Good luck!

BBQguys.com is a great resource. We are going with Blaze for our outdoor kitchen.

Um jaimeeap, you might want to fix your link. (blushing)

Oh my goodness!!! Thank you, cpartist. Yikes.

Now I want to see the original ink Jaimeeap!!

One other thing to mention, if you are using a wood deck, consider putting down a fire resistant decking under the grill area.

Good luck!

I had some clients that were shocked that their outdoor kitchen remodel quote came in at 80K and they were far from poor.

Joseph,

No truer words. It can get up in price very quickly once you start adding the "must haves" or while I am at it.....

Just finished an outdoor kitchen remodel. We used Blaze refrigerator, Al Fresco stainless steel doors and drawers, Tradewinds venthood and Evo Affinity flat top grill. I was surprised how expensive the doors and drawers are, especially considering the doors are just door fronts, there is no interior compartment. I had my contractor build a cabinet with compartments behind the door fronts and stucco the whole cabinet face.

We are in a new-ish home with an outdoor kitchen. It has granite countertops, a decent weber grill, under counter fridge, small sink, and drawers. It is against the siding wall of the back of the house like the picture, but it is L-shaped going around the deck. We do not have an awning. That would be nice, but the grill is not on the part next to the house, so it would not protect from rain anyway.

I don't really use the drawers other than to store some grilling tools during the summer. I can't really see storing things in there because I can't help but think of mice.

There is a garbage pull-out which is nice when you are entertaining on the deck. I think that is more useful than the drawers.

I do like having the sink near the grill. It allows me to wash utensils after I've put raw meat on the grill.

The refrigerator is strictly used for storing drinks in the summer. That is a nice thing to have when people are over. I've never stored any food in there, and probably won't in the future.

Honestly the best thing about having an outdoor kitchen is having counter space. I love being able to set things on the counter when grilling and it is a place to set prepared food when people are over and we are eating outside.

So the one thing I'm noticing about that picture is that there is not enough counter space around the cooking cooking units. I would just make sure that you plan that so you can set things on the counter and reach what you need when cooking.

What is a good surface for the outdoor countertop? DH and I are planning a grilling station on the front deck. No fridge so I'm not calling it an outdoor kitchen, just space for the Kamado, a sink to wash the grates and some counter space. DH keeps poo pooing every counter choice as he thinks it will get chipped if you drop something on it. I can't figure out why he thinks stuff will get dropped on that counter when it never entered his mind that this could happen on the indoor counter, too.

We did an outdoor project this past Spring that included a built-in grill with counters and stainless access doors, a paver patio extension, and a gas fire pit with a seating wall. We had an existing covered porch with fireplace and steps down to a patio. We used both all the time, but using a grill without a vent on the covered porch was awful. The smoke & grease discolored the painted brick. Since we were doing a gas line for the grill anyway, we decided to do a gas firepit as well. It is awesome....so fun! Here are some pics: our grill is Saber and not sure where dh ordered doors from, but they are very nice. Our counters are stone, and completely indestructible. We didn't do a fridge or sink. We are installing a bar on the covered porch next Spring which will have those.

Here are some pics:

Overview of project, grill on left, firepit & seating wall on right.

Lisa,

To keep rodents out of the drawers, you want a sealed unit like the Ronda I ended up with. It is a whole unit that gets installed in a hole. Not had a problem in over a year.

Annette,

I have granite countertops. Soapstone would have been a great choice too. I just wanted to say I have never washed my grates. Mine are really easy to clean and while the grill is hot, I clean them. Most often I clean them before the next cook with a hot towel after I get all the stuck on bits off with a brush.

Good luck!

DH soaks and cleans our grates after every use. We have a family friend that ended up in the hospital after one of the grill brush bristles ended up in something he cooked!( the friend, not us) I know it's unlikely but he feels better cleaning and rinsing.

Awesome feedback, thank you! We will have more counter space than my inspiration picture. My husband will do most of the cooking outside and he's for sure a "clean as you go" type so the sink is a must for us. I agree that it is going to get filthy easily. I figure everything will need a weekly wipe down and I may even figure out some type of cover (even a shower liner) for the spring when the pollen falls for three weeks.

jw_monkeyjac- any specific reason why you went with Blaze for an outdoor frig? I have not heard of that brand. My parents have Uline and the contractor suggested Coyote. So now my head is spinning ;)

We went with the Blaze fridge because they had an outdoor fridge for a decent price. I wanted Perlick or True but they were both very expensive. You need to check the gauge of stainless steel to make sure it will hold up outdoors. Sometimes the cheaper brands use a lesser gauge ss. I'm not sure what Coyote uses.

Here's a photo of the fridge

I love your inspiration picture! The copper is lovely, and it isn't that big -- I wonder how much it runs? What I like best about it is the good lighting. The one thing I'd want to add: A couple hooks for spatulas, etc.

My husband is a very, very enthusiastic BBQer (another BGEgger -- we just bought our EggToberFest tickets), so we're definitely putting some effort into a nice outdoor kitchen area; however, we're not going "all out" like some of the above descriptions:

- We have a large BGEgg now and plan to add a second small Egg. This'll allow us to cook an appetizer and an entree, or it'll allow us to use just the small Egg when it's just the two of us. We want the two Eggs to be on the ends of the cabinet and burn-proof work space in the middle.

- As for countertop, we're considering butcher block. No, it's not forever, but it's fairly often available in Ikea's scratch-and-dent area (and half a block is enough for our modest design plans) for around $50-75. Remember, we're talking about outside.

- Inside the house we will have a large pull-out cabinet just inside the sliding door that'll be reserved for grill accessories. Many of these are heavy cast iron, so they do require space. But nothing will "live" outside except the grill itself.

- No refrigerator for us. When it's just the two of us, it's not so difficult to carry out two drinks ... and we're including a "low spot" of wall where a cooler can sit for parties (bottle opener attached nearby). Adjacent to this will be enough space to set out pot-luck items for outside parties.

- No sink for us. It might be useful occasionally, but it's a big expense -- right now my husband brings out a tray and sets his dirty tools on it; then they come in to be washed. This system works fine for us.

- I agree with the above poster that you don't want a fabric awning above a grill -- sounds like a fire waiting to happen. Right now my husband cooks in a covered (not screened) porch, and we'll probably have the same after we build. However, I wouldn't worry about siding on the house; when you raise the grill lid, it forms a barrier between the fire and the siding.

- We've seen some Big Green Egg designs that include a METAL pull-out shelf where the cook can set down something hot -- say, a place setter or a rib set-up -- and then slide it back into the cabinet area while it cools. We're going to do something like that.

- Under the cabinet we'll want a pull-out trash can on wheels, a metal container for hot ash, and a covered container for lump charcoal.

gw_monkeyjac, beautiful! I'd love to see more pics if you have them! Thanks for sharing.

mrspete- thank you for your ideas. I really like our inspiration pic too and I'm so glad my husband found it. I'm glad you mentioned lighting; I had not throught of that even though the pic has great lighting.

I do not build a house without an idea of what the deck will be on the back of it. In fact, I design the house around it... lol. The first salesperson on the first house had mmmmaaaannnnyyy a talk with me over stupid stuff that would interfere with the future deck.. and by "future" I mean it was built within 2 weeks of closing.. lol

A Deck, and thus an outdoor kitchen, is exactly that, to me.. an extension of my kitchen. Sure, it is for sitting out in, but it is also so that I can do my "outdoor cooking" anytime I want to.

So, do I know about Coyote? Nah.. I piecemeal my stuff together as wind changes, needs change, and so I move things like grills and smokers around as needed and I have found grills and smokers need to be replaced more often than most items in an outdoor kitchen setup allow for, so I do not like to be stuck with that.

But.. you can cover any sort of back of the house, just have to think outside the box and not be afraid to try something new ;)

I would not do a fabric awning, just raise the roof a little higher. Use things like Cedar trunks for posts and have the roof "float" and overlap the current roof. You can add a ceiling fan or just a small 'regular fan' to direct the smoke away from you.

Anyways, just saying no roof is impossible... just takes thinking outside the "norm" of what folks think a roof is supposed to look like.. ;)

The house we are building is similar.. and so we will float the roof and take it taller as well.

Also.. remember, a kitchen like that, next to siding.. will start turning the siding black. Gotta account for that.

Russ

Here's a few more photos.

Beautiful!

wow!!!

Love the Copper awning, it really brings a nice accent to the space.

We don't have ours covered and it hasn't been a problem. We have had ours about 4 years. I built a table to go along with the kitchen. I designed and built the structures and my husband helped me with the hardie board and securing, squaring the structures to the deck. We did all of it besides the granite and 90% of the stone work (only because we needed to meet a deadline). Sink is just a hose hookup for quickly rinsing hands and not for food prep. Not sure how to get the pictures smaller.

Good lord.. Taj Majal right there! lol

Nice!

My idea of outdoor has to be covered due to the Texas heat.. heh.. and fans.. nice fast big fans.. and a grill and at least 1 smoker.. maybe two.. an offset and a propane :P

But, hey.. I am picky like that.

I suuuure do wish I had as nice of one as you guys though.. dang.. I would fall asleep out there and never cook! lol

I'm back with our finished kitchen!!! This is actually an older pic- I've styled it a bit now with some plants and a big outdoor clock/thermometer that hangs on the wall. We love the space and use it often.

gw_monkeyjac I see you've had your ego for 3 years now. Would you mind sharing your opinion of it now that you've had a chance to really use it?

Autocorrect, oh brother. EVO

I still love it. Use it almost every day. You can cook almost anything on it, including putting pots right on the surface. It eliminates the need for a dedicated burner to put pots and pans on.

Thanks. I'm totally intrigued,