Queen Street Rooftop - After Contemporary Deck, Toronto

Initially the clients wanted only a grill, but Aiken knew they'd need storage, prep and clean-up space too. "The rooftop is four floors up," she says. "If you forget something, it's a long way up and down again. So everything had to be kept there as much as possible." The stainless steel counter, which cost around $2,000, tops storage for dishes and a mini fridge. The kitchen takes up the narrowest spot on the terrace. Aiken broke up the space, placing the grill on one wall and the sink on the other, to balance the layout.Grill: Broil King; refrigerator: Rona; white paint: Cloud White, Benjamin Moore

Barbecue (U.S.)Barbie (Australia)Aussies are famous for shortening everything. Spaghetti Bolognese is simply “spag bol,” and other words get so shortened and mangled that you don’t even know what’s going on. “Afternoon,” for example, has somehow become just “arvo.” “We’re lazy,” says Chuck. “Whatever is most obvious and blunt, we go with that. It just naturally happens. The first time you meet anyone in Australia, you’re immediately given a shortened nickname.”

Pack in useful details. It’s the little things that can make all the difference in your outdoor kitchen experience, so consider what would benefit you the most — better lighting, prep space, music? This Toronto rooftop kitchen includes a mini fridge, dish storage, speakers for an electronic device and night lighting.See the rest of this rooftop kitchen