Planning an Outdoor Kitchen

[Old Glory]

I was not sure where to post this but here goes. I am in the very initial planning stages of an outdoor kitchen. I would like to have the following:
Charcoal Grill - WSCG a keeper
XL BGE - Redundant with the WSCG
Gas Grill - DCS Gasser never use it would probably sell and get a smaller grill.
Gas burners - The DCS has two burners but they are very close together. If I sold DCS I would get separate burners
Pellet Cooker - Blazn' Grid Iron
Flat Top of some kind, and as a center piece
a Wood Fired Cooker.

The whole think does not have to be built in but I will be planning some counter space and storage.

My question is what should the centerpiece be?

I am initially looking at Braten Grill; Arizona BBQ Outfitters SS Scottsdale, or Lone Star Grillz Charcoal cooker. I want to be able to use both wood and charcoal and cook Santa Maria and Argentinian Style. Being able to smoke is a bonus but not a requirement. Any thoughts?

I will be extending my deck 5 feet then building a lower level for a table and lounge area. I am just planning this now in my head but it will happen eventually.

Thanks!

[JakeT]

Have you looked at Sunterra Outdoor? I have a 60" Argentinian with rear Brasero and love it. It is quite the "centerpiece" and a blast to cook on. Having the ability to adjust two grates separately is convenient as well.

https://www.sunterraoutdoor.com/our-store/argentine-grill-48-rear-brasero-no-cart-arg-48dsplbrb

[Old Glory]

That looks great!

[thegeneral2]

My setup is primitive in comparison but I'm only trying to feed a dozen family and friends. It sounds like you want to feed the neighborhood. I've got two 22.5 diameter Webers and 14" Smokey Joe. Grilling in Florida without a covered grilling area is a real challenge. You're either personally broiling in the heat of the day or bailing water from the Summer monsoons. Putting the grills under roof having adequate venting to evacuate the smoke and heat is a must. What sort of evacuation system are you considering?

[Old Glory]

Unfortunately due to the location of the ODK we cant put a roof in place.

[WillTravelForFood]

My setup is primitive in comparison but I'm only trying to feed a dozen family and friends. It sounds like you want to feed the neighborhood. I've got two 22.5 diameter Webers and 14" Smokey Joe. Grilling in Florida without a covered grilling area is a real challenge. You're either personally broiling in the heat of the day or bailing water from the Summer monsoons. Putting the grills under roof having adequate venting to evacuate the smoke and heat is a must. What sort of evacuation system are you considering?

I'm also at the beginning stages of outside entertainment space planning, with one requirement of mine being covered cookspace (yup, to avoid either direct sun or rain - cooking outdoors should be a year-round activity, not just on the dry comfortable days)

What advice do you have for roof/coverage planning? Not looking for a full outdoor kitchen setup, but a space where grilling or smoking under cover is possible along with the requisite seating space nearby. Should there be X feet of clearance above the cooking devices? How close should a grill be to edge of coverage area? (for discussion purposes, figure three sides are wide open for airflow...)

[Old Glory]

Unfortunately due to the location of the ODK we cant put a roof in place.

[tbob4]

I NEED someone to buy from Arizona BBQ company. Why? Because I want to live vicariously through you. I have been admiring those units for a long time. I have a gazebo from Costco. It is the 14ft one. Plenty of space above. For seating, it would be nice to have 2, back-to-back. However, I have plenty of deck space for that. If you would like, I can post a photo that will give you an idea of the size.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

Those are nice rigs....looked at very closely when I had mine built by a local dude.

[das85]

If you're willing to have centerpiece not built-in, then Braten doubles as an offset smoker which is pretty awesome. Gets my vote for that reason. Its appearance will also attract plenty of compliments.. Mine got delivered in May of this year and I've been loving it.

(You can also get just the grill built-in.)

[ecowper]

Very very jealous of you and that Engelbrecht!

[Old Glory]

My only concern with the Braten is rusting. I hate when my grills rust. I am on the coast and it can get very humid. It is such a gorgeous grill. Please show more pics in action.

[Old Glory]

So it is getting close!

[ecowper]

That looks fabulous

[tbob4]

I really like it - I would bounce food off of that trampoline to serve people! I see steps. Is the kitchen up or down? I know it is a silly question because you said down for the seating area. Is the whole kitchen down? If so, do you worry about flooding?

[Old Glory]

tbob4 From the play area towards the Pear Trees (Right to Left) there is a slope. We are building a retaining wall along the trees that will raise the area 2.5 feet. The steps are down from the raised patio.

[Old Glory]

Close Up View of Kitchen. Looking at Grillworks and AZ BBQ Outfitters for the Assado. Anyone have any experience with these grills? Definitely want Stainless.

[barelfly]

Only thing I don’t see…..is your attached bottle opener .

Love the set up and bar sitting area! Nice touch with the granite as well - I made a last minute decision on granite for my space and am so happy I did! It’s so much easier to clean and is really nice to have. Going to be a great outdoor space!

[tbob4]

I REALLY like that photo. As noted earlier, I would go with Arizona BBQ Outfitters. Do not have one but it is kind of a goal to someday.......

[thegeneral2]

I submitted a post a while back but have an update and more questions. First, I have a basic plan for my "cookshack" which includes a covered 12x14' slab. As I stated earlier I plan to have 2 22 1/2" Weber charcoal grills and a 14" Smokey Joe. Lately I've been looking into installing a pellet smoker, leaning toward a Boss Pit Series 5 Vertical Smoker as well as a propane gas line for gas grilling. The latter two will be totally new to me so expect a high learning curve. Does anyone see any big problems with configuring my planned work space and my desired equipment?

[Alan Brice]

thegeneral2 Thanks for the framing detail. Gives me something to work with.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

I have a 10x12 pavilion, I do have a fan hanging in the center and that helps with moving smoke. I still push everything out when cooking; then push everything back for storage. So my suggestion would be to increase the size of the slab.....

[LA Pork Butt]

My initial thought on the centerpiece is the answer to the question, what would you cook on the most? But if you are going for esthetics that would be a different answer. The old adage “form follows function” might guide your decisions.

[Johnny Booth]

I’m also a form/function guy. I sit and visualize actually using the area, take notes and revise.
I had a structure already, and the location of the plumbing was fixed on the outside wall, which made some decisions easier.

Question I used:
Keep the path to/from the house clear?
what other paths do you need clear? Walking around stuff (and other people) gets old fast.
What kind of counter space? Think big cooks and platters of food.
if you will prep outside, even more counter space, and a sink maybe? Maybe a simple hose connected wash basin?
Will LP tanks and lines be in the open, or inside a cabinet? Think about changing tanks, access for troubleshooting
Will you use multiple LP cookers? If so, multiple tanks or one tank and split lines? Hard pipe or flex?
Will electrical/plumbing Ever be installed? Put in conduit/pipes now? Codes?
How many people will be cooking/prepping and/or hanging around near the work areas?
Do others in your family help? Do you need multiple work areas for prep or simultaneous cooks?
Where does the smoke go?
prevailing winds will impact some cookers, I.e. the back of my gasser cannot face the wind.
Dimensions of cookers vs. cabinets and counters?
built-in cabinets, or mobile prep cart, racks, etc.?
weather considerations

hope this helps. 😎

[Bad Hat BBQ]

This is a cool project.....
no real input on the design; however, I have a yardistry pavilion and push everything out when I am cooking and push it all back under the pavilion when I am done.

In your situation if you had an "open end you could do that with your smoker

[Alan Brice]

Wow! That is party central! Really nice space you got goin on there!

[Bad Hat BBQ]

Thank you, it has been fun getting it all together. Most of the stuff (incl. the pavilion) fall under the category of Retirment gifts to myself...strongly endorsed by SWMBO

[WayneT]

This is fast becoming the largest gathering of enablers I’ve ever had the pleasure to associate with. I was thinking the other day, after making my umpteenth trip from my kitchen to my SNS on my patio, that it sure would be nice to have an outdoor kitchen. Jim White Bad Hat BBQ and now Old Glory , y’all are the chief enablers.

That’s going to be a fun and rewarding project. I can’t wait to see it coming out of the ground and the finished product. Jealous me.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

Just tryin' to help...think of the averted tragedy of a dropped tri-tip or precisely seared steak!
Enabler is such a strong word....facilitator has a nice ring to it.

[WayneT]

Bad Hat BBQ Touché. 🤣🤣🤣🤣