4 Hot Outdoor Kitchen Trends for 2017

Oct 9, 2017

With the weather cooling and kids heading back to school, you may be sadly resigned to covering your grill and putting your grill tools into storage until next season. Don’t be too hasty, though. In recent years, building outdoor rooms to essentially extend the usable square footage of a home has become extremely popular, and outdoor kitchens abound in the Sioux Falls area.

If you’re looking to get in on this movement, beef up your existing outdoor setup, and extend enjoyment of your backyard space, it’s time to consider adding or upgrading an outdoor kitchen. Here are just a few of the latest trends to consider when it comes to sprucing up your outdoor space for culinary mastery.

1. Multiple cooking zones
A simple grill is practically prosaic in this day and age. Even the addition of a cooktop is a bit of a snore. If you love cooking and entertaining outdoors, you need the full setup, with plenty of options for turning raw food into haute (or merely hot) cuisine. Pizza ovens, smokers, various grill types, burners, and warming drawers are just some of the many options to explore when it comes to turning your outdoor kitchen into a gourmet chef’s haven.

2. Functional additions
It’s not enough to have many options for cooking when building an outdoor kitchen – you need the whole kit and caboodle, including functional additions like storage, cover, and options for cleaning. More and more homeowners are taking just as much care when selecting storage cabinetry for outside kitchens as they do with the kitchen space inside the home.

You may also want to spring for some kind of protection from the elements while you’re cooking. Whether you go for a simple awning or a more robust pergola or pavilion, proper cover can protect you from rain and sun alike while you enjoy the outdoors.

Finally, you may want to consider the efficiency of installing cleaning options outdoors. Are you tired of running inside to dump dirty pots, pans, plates, and utensils? An outdoor sink is a handy solution. An outdoor dishwasher is even better.

3. Entertainment
Taking the indoors outside so you can enjoy the weather and the scenery only starts with installing the cooking surfaces, countertops, and cabinets that make up an outdoor kitchen. If you want to go the extra mile, you’ll need to add entertainment that allows you and your guests to lounge in style. The addition of comfortable seating, a flat screen TV, and even beer taps or a wine fridge can turn your backyard into an entertaining space akin to the best man caves, with the bonus of a grill.

4. Year-round usage
If you live in a wintry region like Sioux Falls, you might think that grilling season ends with the first frost. Not anymore. These days you can add cover, outdoor patio heaters, and open fire features like fire pits and fireplaces to keep you and your guests comfortable well into fall, and perhaps even winter. You might not want to brave a blizzard, but even homeowners in colder environs are finding ways to make the most of their outdoor kitchens these days.