With the cold weather officially receded, it’s time to start thinking about moving activities out of doors. It’s also the perfect time to crack open the grill for a trial run or two. For many, there’s nothing like the flavor of food cooked outdoors among the elements and an outdoor grill and kitchen can provide the perfect way to take advantage of good weather and the tastes and smells of food cooked over charcoal, wood or propane.
A line up of your favorite grilled or smoked foods may also be the perfect catalyst for the design of your new outdoor kitchen. Depending on the size of kitchen you have in mind, it’s important to consider the proximity of the outdoor kitchen to the structure of the house and its windows and doors. While nothing smells quite as good as barbecue cooking, no one wants their house to smell like a smokehouse or have odors of last night’s meal lingering in the home the next day. Also for safety purposes, it’s always a good idea to place the grill a minimum of 10 feet from the house and any combustible materials.
Choosing the Perfect Outdoor Countertop
Considering that the kitchen could be exposed to the elements year-round, it’s important to choose materials with supreme durability in mind. One of the most highly recommended outdoor countertop surfaces is granite. Prized for its ease of use and durability, the versatile material also provides a luxurious look in the outdoor kitchen.
Because outdoor entertaining involves guests (hopefully helpful ones), installers recommend increasing the depth of the kitchen countertops, typically into the range of 30-36 inches. It you want to keep the counters accessible from all sides, further increase the size of the counters so there’s plenty of room for food preparation and serving.
In addition to keeping cooking and surfaces clean, it’s important to regularly protect the granite surfaces from the wind, rain, snow and sun. For daily granite cleaning, choose non-abrasive Rock Doctor Granite & Quartz Cleaner. The cleaner is safe for daily use on all natural stone surfaces and is also great for use on stainless steel. Then depending on the elemental concerns in your area, once or twice a year apply a coat of Rock Doctor Granite & Stone Sealer. The Sealer bonds deeply with the granite to provide a long-lasting and natural looking barrier against stains, moisture and the elements.
Other Outdoor Kitchen Considerations
- Protecting appliances from wind and sun
- Safety for humans and animals
- Storage for cooking tools and implements
- Noise and privacy considerations
- Ventilation
- Considerations for water, electric, and gas hook-ups
Earn a $2 mail-in rebate with the purchase of each Rock Doctor Item. Just scan the original receipt and email it to Rock Doctor at lauraj@apexprod.com. For more details about the rebate offer, click here.
This article was brought to you by Rock Doctor, which offers a line of specially-formulated stone cleaner, stone polish, and stone sealer products. Rock Doctor stone care products can be purchased through a number of fine retail stores, including Wal-Mart, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ace Hardware, Do it Best Hardware, Hy-Vee, and Wegmans.
