Outdoor Kitchens with Granite Countertops
Alfresco kitchen done right pays
By Rosie Romero
 Stainless-steel appliances. Granite countertops. Natural-stone floors. They're not just for the kitchen anymore.
They're also for your other kitchen - the one outdoors that your family uses almost year-round.
Americans spend $150 billion a year on home remodeling - and one-third of that goes toward outdoor living areas, estimates the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association. In fact, outdoor kitchens are the second-most-popular home-remodeling project after indoor kitchens.
Installing an outdoor kitchen isn't cheap. Depending on how elaborate - and how permanent - you want your alfresco cooking and eating space to be, you can spend $3,000 to $60,000 on appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, storage and heat. Manufacturers have taken note and are out with some eye-popping appliances and surfaces designed for safe outdoor use.
So build your outdoor kitchen right and consider it an investment. Remodeling magazine's 2006 annual report that compares construction costs with resale values for 25 remodeling projects in 60 U.S. markets does not include outdoor kitchens. However, its report says a deck addition recoups 73.2 percent of its cost in the Mountain Region, which includes Arizona. If you're not planning to sell, you'll want that outdoor kitchen to last for years for the enjoyment of your family and friends.
Outdoor Kitchen Tips
Make a plan. Determine how you will use the outdoor space. Do you like to grill outdoors only on warm-weather holidays, or are you planning to be out there every weekend with all your friends? Do you want to cook outdoors and serve the food indoors? Or do you want everybody to linger around an outdoor fire pit long into autumn evenings? Is this a place where you'll throw parties? Your answers will help decide how large your outdoor cooktop and refrigerator should be, and how many seats you'll need for guests.
Build your outdoor kitchen near your indoor kitchen. You'll be relieved that you won't have too far to run when you find you need something from the house while you're entertaining outdoors. Also, the closer you are to your indoor kitchen, the easier it will be to hook up outdoor electricity, water and sewer, and natural gas.
Choose high-quality, low-maintenance materials. And choose safety above all else. Refrigerators and ice makers designed for indoor use but placed outdoors can be damaged by temperatures that are too hot or cold. Manufacturers are creating products that can hold up to the elements and withstand what little rain we get in Arizona. You can find refrigerators, freezers, wine chillers, keg tappers and icemakers with a safety stamp from Underwriters Laboratories that ensures the appliance is outdoor-safe. A tip: Choose stainless-steel appliances for your outdoor room. They're corrosion-resistant and easy to clean. For surfaces, look at durable, low-maintenance natural stone, such as granite and quartz.
More information about Granite or Quartz Countertops
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