Patio poured-the search for a cooker has begun.

[Carolyn]

I put off doing this for a long time. Five years is long enough. 😕
Can't wait to buy a grill for the patio.

[barelfly]

Does this mean we get to help you spend your money on said grill??????

looks like the beginning of a great outdoor space!

[Carolyn]

Yes, it does, and thanks. 😀

[captainlee]

Great start. Looks like your dog isn't sure what is going on. Keep us posted.

[Carolyn]

Thank you, will do. Nola is doing pretty good. She can navigate the stepping stones, stakes and the new retaining wall at full speed.

[FCDank]

Looks good. Broom finish?
Is turf going between the concrete steppers?

[Carolyn]

Yes and yes.
They did a nice job on the grid pattern and the surface texture. So far, I am pleased with it. We will have artificial turf back there, and the stepping stones lead to a small seating area.

[CaptainMike]

Sweet, I love these projects! You have a blank canvas in which to transform your vision. Keep us posted!

[Carolyn]

Will do. The designer created a nice plan. We can't do everything right now, but next year we should be able to. Talk about a blank canvas. Dirt and weeds. 😬

[RonB]

Congrats. I betcha you will enjoy it a ton.

[Carolyn]

Thank you. I am already enjoying it. They poured a walkway down the side of the house. Now, we can roll the trash cans out easily.

[Attjack]

The dog seems a little unsure of the patio but the new cooker will win him over.

[Carolyn]

Thanks. All four dogs seem to be getting used to the changes.

[MBMorgan]

That's a nice space. Are you thinking built-in or roll-around?

[Carolyn]

Thank you. Roll-around. I would love to have a full kitchen out there, but that would be way over what we can afford. I am thinking of buying a stainless table or two to use as counter space. I am open to suggestions. We might be putting a cover out there next year.

[DaveD]

I reckon there is room for plenty more than just one grill. We're here to help! Congrats on the big project.

[Carolyn]

Thank you. Yes, there is room for a couple out there. The patio is 14 feet by 28 feet. The designer even drew a grill on the plan in that narrow part of the patio. I told him that I wanted a cooking space out there.

[Carolyn]

Thanks for the enthusiasm and support, everybody. 😎

[Dan Deter]

Nice start!

[Carolyn]

Thank you.

[Draznnl]

That patio looks great. You can easily fit three or four cookers out there. If you think the dog is confused now, just wait until all those food smells start to accumulate.

[Carolyn]

Thank you. Nola's nose gets her into trouble. She is part scent hound of some kind. She'll be right there with her nose in the air.

[ssandy_561]

Let me be the first to give suggestions for a cooker.

I believe the 22” Weber Kettle is the most versatile outdoor cooker.

Unless you need to cook for a lot of people you can grill, smoke, griddle, rotisserie and even bake on a Weber Kettle.

There are so many accessories for the Weber Kettle and that’s why I suggest it as your outdoor cooker.

[Panhead John]

+1 on a kettle for sure. Give the SNS kettle a look as well. And congrats on the new patio space!

[Carolyn]

ssandy_561 Panhead John Thanks guys. I am mostly cooking for 2 people. I will consider both.

[PNWBrandon]

Looks great!

As far as stainless steel charcoal cookers go, I’d peak at Hasty Bakes lineup. The Ranger, and suburban are great smaller, and versatile cookers that come with stainless options while the Legacy and larger models start to work as a statement piece and can help with the appearance of looking more permanent or built in, even though they are on wheels.

Looking for gas? Maybe check Blaze, American Outdoor Grills, TEC, as well as Weber.

[Carolyn]

Thank you for the suggestions. I will be looking.

[jfmorris]

I think the dog is trying to remember if he/she left a bone buried in that spot.... and how to get to it now!

Looks great - and I look forward to seeing what you do with the space. And what kind of grill you end up adding...

I'll give a bit of advice based on my experience with the 5 cookers I've got in the backyard.

First, if I could only have *ONE* grill, it would be my Weber Performer, for several reasons: great cart, large work table, charcoal storage, and just an all around great cooker with LOTS of available accessories. Smoke, grill, rotisserie, do pizzas - even deep fry in a dutch oven. You name it - I've done it on that Performer. If I didn't have my flat top grill, I would be griddling on it with cast iron or a plancha. As it is, I've got a rotisserie, the SNS, the Vortex, Grillgrates, Drip N' Griddle, etc.

On the other hand, if I were building a true outdoor kitchen, I would want two grills - my flat top (griddle), and my kamado (SNS Deluxe Kamado). I feel I could do everything I need with that combination. I love cooking on the griddle more than on my regular gas grill, and doing stir fries and other things that are hard to do on another type of cooker. And I say kamado rather than kettle here mostly as the kamado seems more durable long term, and is much easier to build in.

EDIT: I don't know if you deal with burn bans in your part of California, to where there are times of year you can't use charcoal. If so, you may want some form of gas cooker out there.

[Carolyn]

Thank you. I have never had a large space like this, so I am almost overwhelmed.
No burn bans in this area. We have people burning wood in fire pits around here. Smokes up my house. Thank you for the recommendations.

[TripleB]

jfmorris - Burn bans are generally in the winter and are for 1 day. Not consecutive days. Also it depends on what air district you are in. There are 35 air districts in CA. The South Coast district which I live in is the most restrictive. Carolyn is probably in the Mojave air district and probably, since they are not affected by an inversion layer, do not have burn bans.

[Carolyn]

I was thinking long-term bans, but yes, we are subjected to Santa Ana winds and have red flag days were we can't burn things, but it usually only lasts a day or so.

TripleB I didn't know about the different air districts. I looked, and I am in the same one as you. Maybe because I am so close to the mountains.