Advantages of the outdoor kitchen
An outdoor kitchen gives you the luxury of being able to spontaneously decide what and how you want to cook or grill in the garden. Because the modern outdoor kitchens can actually do everything that is also possible in a “normal” kitchen. Many garden kitchens are equipped with at least one cooking area and a grill. So you can prepare spaghetti just as well as wok dishes or even a grilled steak. The nice thing about an outdoor kitchen: you don’t have to stand alone in the kitchen, you can talk to your guests while you prepare the food at the outdoor station. And when roasting a steak, you don’t have the smell in the kitchen.
Equipment and accessories for outdoor kitchens
Ideally, an outdoor kitchen is in no way inferior to a small fitted kitchen. In addition to several gas burners, a well-equipped outdoor kitchen has a barbecue area and the option of using a wok. Some outdoor kitchens provide skewer holders for larger roasts to cook on. If there is a cover, you can even bake in the garden kitchen. But before you invest in professional equipment: A simple outdoor kitchen with a gas grill is completely sufficient for the first attempts at cooking in the open air. Most kitchen systems for the garden consist of modules that you can expand if necessary.
In addition to the actual cooking area, an outdoor kitchen should have sufficient work space. This is the only way to prepare and prepare all meals in the outdoor kitchen. Storage options and storage space for kitchen utensils make working at the cooking station even easier. An outdoor kitchen is extremely practical if it has a sink and a water tap. Simply connect the garden hose to the sink with the usual garden connector system and you already have running water. So you can clean the vegetables grown in your own garden in the outdoor kitchen and the kitchen in the house stays clean.
In addition to the hob, work surface and sink, luxury versions of the outdoor kitchen even offer the option of integrating electrical devices. Ovens, induction cookers or refrigerators are possible in such a garden kitchen. Equipped in this way, the outdoor kitchen comes close to a good fitted kitchen in terms of price. But even without complex technology, a good outdoor kitchen is not cheap. Even standard models with a simple gas burner and grill can quickly cost several thousand euros.
Connections for the outdoor kitchen
If the kitchen is against a house wall, water, electricity and gas can usually be quickly installed by a specialist (!), but the form of your connections is subject to legal regulations, just like in the house. The gas line in particular must be approved in advance. In the middle of the garden there are usually no connections, the gas comes from a bottle, the water from the garden hose (catch the waste water in a tub) and the electricity from the extension cord. Caution: Always fully unwind cable drums. Otherwise it can overheat like a coil, especially with small diameter cables. Although most of them are secured, if this fuse jumps out, the power is gone for the time being – and then devices can also be damaged. The general rule is: always use waterproof and weatherproof outdoor cables and sockets.
The right protection
Sun, rain, wind and snow – if you want to leave your kitchen outside all year round, you have to protect it well. In winter, be sure to turn off the water and dry any waterlogging on the furniture. Then carefully cover the whole thing. It is worthwhile having a custom-fit cover made by the sailmaker. It is best to lock it on the floor as well, so that no little animals move in and set up their winter camp in the sink. It is best to pack the modules completely.
The ideal location for the outdoor kitchen
The ideal place for a kitchenette is a terrace near the wall of the house. Not only are the walking distances shorter than for the party in the middle of the garden, awnings can also be installed for protection and connections laid or existing ones used. However, if you work with open flames and great heat, you should definitely make sure that you have sufficient distance to the house wall! There is an increased risk of fire, especially if the facade is insulated with a thermal composite system that can use rapidly flammable materials.
Materials for the outdoor kitchen: wood, stainless steel, plastic?
It has to be weatherproof! Water-resistant and UV-resistant plastics are well suited, are easy to care for and relatively inexpensive. Stainless steel looks great, is extremely durable, but quite expensive and should be treated with an oil from time to time. For wood, we recommend weather-resistant native species such as larch, robinia or Douglas fir. In addition to stainless steel, natural stone is also particularly suitable for worktops. Concrete should be sealed, otherwise it is prone to cracking.
law and order
The distance between outdoor kitchens or grills and the property line is not regulated by law. You should ask the building authority before you start whether you need a building permit for a larger shelter or a garden shed. As long as barbecuing is not expressly forbidden in the rental agreement, the neighbors have to accept it throughout the summer, as does a cooking party. To avoid harassment, it is better to do without coal and use electric or gas appliances. If smoke and noise make the neighbor’s terrace permanently unusable, for example, or the smoke even enters the living room, there is not only a risk of a dispute, but also legal action. And they are interpreted differently by each district court. So if you don’t want to provoke trouble during the barbecue season, inform your neighbors, be considerate of noise and smoke – or simply invite them to bratwurst and beer.
