Planning outdoor kitchen: gasser, griddle, asado + Weber E6

[andrwgrcia]

Got the green light from the wifey to put in an outdoor kitchen this spring. The catalyst for her allowing me to have more than two cookers was how much she has enjoyed using our Blackstone 22” table top griddle.

Our plan would be a counter along the exterior kitchen wall with a 30” gasser and ~30” griddle. We would have a space in the corner for the Weber E6 to stand free which would be our charcoal and smoking option. Opposite the counter would be an island with an Argentine asado w/ either side or rear brasero.

Looking for recommendations for the LPG gasser and griddle (open to LPG or electric). Neither of our existing units are built to be dropped in or owe us anything after lots of great cooks. Would ideally be from same manufacturer for aesthetics. Looking for premium type cookers with focus on build quality and performance. Hard to find independent reviews on Blaze, Coyote, BBQ Galore and some of the other manufacturers. We have a healthy budget for each, but do not need to spend it all for the sake of spending it. Other than the Blackstone have been a Weber guy my entire life (22” kettle with SnS, E6 with Fireboard and Pit Viper, and Genesis w/ Grill Grates) and have never felt inadequate with that setup. Any suggestions?

Also, debating brasero on the side vs. in the back for the asado. Any thoughts or suggestions here also appreciated.

[Alan Brice]

I am quite pleased with the $325 four burner porcelain coated 36"griddle from BBQguys with stainless steel cabinet. It matches my three burner gasser with a sear burner on the side. Both are "VICTORY" models. The gasser came with a Roti and it was on sale for I believe 6 or 7 hun. Both are LPgas. I did not see a NG model ( my pref ) The downside is they are made in PRC.
I just went online, this morning, to look at the Grilla primate. While I was there I saw the Victory LPgas grill for $599.00 No mention of the rotisserie. But this gives you an idea what the cabinets will look like.

[bbq_esq]

How are you liking the Victory griddle??

[Alan Brice]

bbq_esq I love a deal! 36" is a tonne of realestate. I bought an outdoor cabinet with a slide out tray for the LP bottle. It is a comfortable setup and to date no issues with the ceramic. I primed with avocado oil spray from Costco and usually start most cooks with an Lb of bacon.

[briano52]

You are a man after my own heart. I just built an outdoor kitchen with built in gasser, warming drawer, hot water sink and a dishwasher. Freestanding MAK pellet grill, Weber Performer, KAT vault smoker, PK360. Wood burning pizza oven.

The most essential elements have turned out to be the sink (no cleaning messy grill grates in the house) the gasser (great for weeknights when you don't have a lot of time) the Weber kettle (can do anything on it). The MAK pellet grill gets a lot of use for convenience although it does make surprisingly good smoked meats. The vault smoker is fantastic for long cooks of brisket and many racks of ribs.

I don't have a big outdoor griddle as I feel that I can use big frying pans and indoor stove top griddles for that use.

My gasser is a 36" Twin Eagles that is wonderful. It has two flame units and on high temp infrared unit. The infrared is great at searing meats and fish.

Your Weber E6 will cover a lot tasks. Good for two zone direct grilling and smoking too. If you have the big Weber, I am not sure that the Argentine Asado adds much your cooking capability. They are fun to cook on but basically, they are a direct heat grill cooker that cooks about the same as your Weber kettle will on a direct heat set up.

Hope you have a good time with your outdoor kitchen. I love mine and it was a lot of fun building it!

[andrwgrcia]

I avoided the dedicated griddle, opting for planchas and cast iron skillets on top of the gasser for years. I then ended up working on a project with Roger and the crew from Blackstone so purchased the table top to try it out. Total game changer. I will still throw a skillet on the grill for certain uses, but for banging out bacon or eggs, frying a massive number of burgers, making stir fry and fried rice, and other uses there is no comparison. It is the first grill my wife reaches for.

[DavidNorcross]

For the griddle, I highly recommend the Grilla Primate.

[jfmorris]

Whatever griddle you end up with, my advice is to only consider cold rolled steel options that can be built in. While places like BBQGuys sell lots of expensive and pretty stainless griddles, the issue with stainless is that it never seasons, and is never non stick - requiring lots of oil. I am talking the griddle surface here - not the frame and body.

Try cooking in a well seasoned cast iron or carbon steel skillet, versus a stainless skillet, and you will quickly see what I mean. If you do burn stuff onto stainless, it’s almost always harder to clean up as well.

Of course, stainless does have the advantage of not worrying about rust, but if it’s seasoned and kept oiled, and in a covered area, you won’t have worries with a traditional steel griddle surface either.

I see the Grilla Primate that was mentioned does come in a version without a cart, for use in their own outdoor kitchen, so presumably it could be built into a custom outdoor kitchen as well.

[Johnny Booth]

I have a similar setup, I think. I moved the gasser to a counter with a bar top away from the house. Fire code here wanted 6” from a concrete wall, which made the counters and cabinets 30” deep vs. the standard 24”. Also would have forced a hood over the gasser, which led to other code issues. Which is my main thrust here. Please follow all building codes, especially electrical and fire. Grease fires happen fast.

Send pics b/c the concept sounds beautiful. I want to see that Asado setup.

[Johnny Booth]

Lol - no, but we hate mosquitos and having a food garden is nearly impossible b/c we don’t have a freeze to kill bugs. So we screened in the backyard. We spend more time outside than in. 😎

[carolts]

I'm thinking of doing something similar down here in Marco Island. Was going to put the KBQ outside the pool cage, the PBC and PK in the cage but not under cover, and the gasser and pizza oven under the overhang. Do you have much smoke/soot from the gasser in your setup?

[Johnny Booth]

Yes and no. Not as much as I thought I would. My backup plan was a hood. However, My lanai roof is made of aluminum insulated panels with a hard gloss finish. When there is any buildup of grease, which then makes the dirt stick, it is very easy to clean. Maybe once a year above the gasser. I also use that small fan on the counter (right side of pic) to create a breeze along the ceiling, carrying some of the smoke and vaporized grease out from under the roof.

[andrwgrcia]

I have a similar setup, I think. I moved the gasser to a counter with a bar top away from the house. Fire code here wanted 6” from a concrete wall, which made the counters and cabinets 30” deep vs. the standard 24”. Also would have forced a hood over the gasser, which led to other code issues. Which is my main thrust here. Please follow all building codes, especially electrical and fire. Grease fires happen fast.

Send pics b/c the concept sounds beautiful. I want to see that Asado setup.

Really good point on the codes, which I need to dig into before I get too far ahead of myself. We are in the northeast, so I have been hesitant to incorporate anything that requires running water god forbid I forget to winterize it before we have a freeze. The setup looks great.

[Johnny Booth]

andrwgrcia - I’m originally from Albany. 👍 You mentioned putting a counter along the exterior wall where your kitchen is. I put my outside-sink right on the other side of the inside sink. Easy to shutoff and drain, if it will freeze. Electrical is also easier to punch through from interior outlets to an outside outlet, (if code allows). Saves $$ on both. Food for thought. 👍