Outdoor Kitchens
Outdoor living trend spurs an increase in outdoor kitchens.
Teena Hammond Gomez
 Instead of renovating that indoor kitchen, how about moving it outdoors? The growing trend of outdoor living has spurred an increase in outdoor kitchens, with more features available now than ever before. Trish Russell, owner of Bella Cucina, a Louisville, Ky., kitchen design company, says she's creating an outdoor display kitchen to keep up with customer demand.
"In just the past two weeks, I've priced a lot of outdoor kitchens. I'm being bombarded with the demand. We create the whole outdoor living space and outdoor atmosphere with built-in grills, sinks, under-counter refrigerators and more. The under-counter refrigerators are made to stay outside year-round. I've even seen dishwashers and keg taps available now for outdoor living. Anything you can put inside, you can put outside."
Finishes are mixed, with brick and stone veneer both used in conjunction with granite or tile countertops, Russell says. "A lot of people are asking for very Tuscan kitchens, which include a fireplace. In all the kitchens, they're asking for an outdoor seating area. Say the base is covered with stone; we'll build something into the wall with pillars so they'll have it for seating.
"So many people are entertaining and want to be outside, so we're getting a lot of requests for outdoor kitchens," she says. "There really is something for everyone's price point for an outdoor kitchen."
Grills, burners and pizza ovens are typical options since cooking over a flame seems to be the preferred method outdoors. Grills can be used for everything from standard meats and vegetables to biscuits and pizza.
At Weber Grills, color in grills is a new trend, with copper, dark blue and green as options in addition to black and stainless steel.
"Stainless steel is still popular, but as people find it's difficult to keep clean, people are opting for color," says Sherry Bale, a spokeswoman for Weber Grills.
Lights are available for grills, either inside the grill or clamped onto the exterior. "More people are grilling year-round than ever before," Bale says. "With the advent of FoodTV and more food-focused publications, people are cooking more and grilling more than before."
People are interested in creating a resort feel in their backyard, says Deidra Darsa, spokeswoman for the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association in Arlington, Va. "Anything you can have in an indoor kitchen now you can have outdoors. Outdoor kitchens are far nicer sometimes than indoor kitchens.
"It's just an amazing phenomenon right now. It's fun and enjoyable, and food tastes better on the grill."
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