# The Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen



## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

What does it look like? A year after moving in, we're finally getting around to that fire pit we talked about from day one. After that, I'd love to put in a brick oven and grill setup, next to a smoker, a stainless kitchen and countertop for butchering and of course, some cozy, bug free seating.

What would you look for in the ultimate outdoor kitchen?


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

indie said:


> What does it look like? A year after moving in, we're finally getting around to that fire pit we talked about from day one. After that, I'd love to put in a brick oven and grill setup, next to a smoker, a stainless kitchen and countertop for butchering and of course, some cozy, bug free seating.
> 
> What would you look for in the ultimate outdoor kitchen?


Stop and think this through before you invest a lot of money. Sometimes one must be careful of what he wishes for ..... How much will you actually use this outdoor all-out kitchen?

Several years ago before I downsized my lifestyle, I built a 8800 sq ft Colorado Lodge style house in East Texas. Those who knew me said my house looked like the Bass Pro Shop. So .... what's your point Watchman? Well I had an out door kitchen that surpassed most indoor kitchen's. Fireplace, refrigerator, ice maker, sink w/ hot water, built in grill, smoker, sitting area with bar top and stools, two patio tables, etc ... The ultimate outdoor entertainment center ..... whoops, except ole' Watchman don't entertain and likes quiet evenings and weekends at home. Anyway, it was never utilized. I never entertained a single time.

So ..... look at your situation with a realistic worldview and know that modesty goes a long, long, way. Trust me .... I know.


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

A Watchman said:


> Stop and think this through before you invest a lot of money. Sometimes one must be careful of what he wishes for ..... How much will you actually use this outdoor all-out kitchen?
> 
> Several years ago before I downsized my lifestyle, I built a 8800 sq ft Colorado Lodge style house in East Texas. Those who knew me said my house looked like the Bass Pro Shop. So .... what's your point Watchman? Well I had an out door kitchen that surpassed most indoor kitchen's. Fireplace, refrigerator, ice maker, sink w/ hot water, built in grill, smoker, sitting area with bar top and stools, two patio tables, etc ... The ultimate outdoor entertainment center ..... whoops, except ole' Watchman don't entertain and likes quiet evenings and weekends at home. Anyway, it was never utilized. I never entertained a single time.
> 
> So ..... look at your situation with a realistic worldview and know that modesty goes a long, long, way. Trust me .... I know.


Haha! I love that story, thanks for sharing! We don't entertain much either. My approach is purely practical. In summer, canning is a bugger in the kitchen. We butcher pretty regularly, which is also kind of a pain in a cramped kitchen. I want something that I can do both of those on, plus be able to cook a full meal in the event we have no power, which isn't terribly common but...you know. Plus, we have 4 kids so every meal is a party!


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## Ragnarök (Aug 4, 2014)

If I had the money for such an enterprize I would have quartz counter tops, a brick oven, a smoker, tropical hardwood deck sealed and treated, knife sharpening station with wet stones, stainless steel sink and underneath the hardwood deck I would have a 4 room root cellar to keep all the produce and curing meats and cheeses and my mead.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

indie said:


> What does it look like? A year after moving in, we're finally getting around to that fire pit we talked about from day one. After that, I'd love to put in a brick oven and grill setup, next to a smoker, a stainless kitchen and countertop for butchering and of course, some cozy, bug free seating.
> 
> What would you look for in the ultimate outdoor kitchen?


Actually I would apply the KISS method.


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

Ragnarök said:


> If I had the money for such an enterprize I would have quartz counter tops, a brick oven, a smoker, tropical hardwood deck sealed and treated, knife sharpening station with wet stones, stainless steel sink and underneath the hardwood deck I would have a 4 room root cellar to keep all the produce and curing meats and cheeses and my mead.


Someone had an antique sharpening wheel in a local FB group the other day. I was sore tempted! Would the root cellar be hidden?



inceptor said:


> Actually I would apply the KISS method.


Simple is generally our philosophy, more on account of economical reasons than anything.


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## Ragnarök (Aug 4, 2014)

indie said:


> Someone had an antique sharpening wheel in a local FB group the other day. I was sore tempted! Would the root cellar be hidden?
> 
> Simple is generally our philosophy, more on account of economical reasons than anything.


How much did they want for the wheel? That would be a fine addition at the right price.

The cellar would be hidden with a secret entrance and a secret exit off in the woods. Problem of thieves stealing the deck arises though in a shtf scenario. So would need to have extra camo


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

Ragnarök said:


> How much did they want for the wheel? That would be a fine addition at the right price.
> 
> The cellar would be hidden with a secret entrance and a secret exit off in the woods. Problem of thieves stealing the deck arises though in a shtf scenario. So would need to have extra camo


$50. So many things to buy, so little funds!

How would you camo it under the deck?

We have a high water table so no real underground options near the house, but I'd love to set something up farther out. Getting to it is a difficulty then though.


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

An outdoors kitchen is on my list. I want it for now and for SHTF use. It's going to be under one of those shelters/cover/canopies like at the park.

I want a table probably stainless steel for prep work and slautering animals. A wood/ charcoal grill like my cowboy grill from Home Depot. A propane stove/oven from an RV. I want the ability to cook but also heat water for drinking and for laundry.

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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

Oh, some type of sink. Probably a water tote as it's supply.

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## NKAWTG (Feb 14, 2017)

Make it as nice as you like.
But make it practical too.
A wood fired brick oven would be great for making pizza and baking bread.
Make sure you have your fuel source thought out.
As a prepper, you know propane won't last long in a SHTF situation.
So have a backup fuel source.
Consider the weather.
Will it be too darn hot or cold to use the outdoor kitchen.
Where I live it's 110 in the shade and I avoid grilling as much as possible.

Just some stuff to think about.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

A charcoal grill and a dome or clay/brick oven which doubles as a smoker does all I need. Clay ovens are incredibly heavy and I have a wood deck so a 1200 lb oven isn't a good choice so instead of building one I bought a metal one (150 lbs) and have it on a table I can roll out. Pizza, casseroles, and smoked meats using wood for fuel and all come out yummy and it's used at least once a week.

If you really want to try something good get a bed of coals in the dome oven, put a metal wire rack on the coals and drop your seasoned steak on the rack 1/8" above the coals. Talk about searing to lock the flavor in. 

never saw much reason to have a sink that has to be kept clean (leaves and outdoor bugs).


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

NKAWTG said:


> Make sure you have your fuel source thought out.
> As a prepper, you know propane won't last long in a SHTF situation.
> So have a backup fuel source.
> 
> ...


Most definitely have your fuel source figured out. I would have to say that wood should be the number 1 source because it is renewable.

I have decided propane is my #2 fuel to store. It has an unlimited shelf life. I am selling my gasoline appliances and equipment and replacing with propane. I will keep 20-30 gallons of gas on hand and then as many propane cylinders that I can.

I am up to ten 20lb tanks so far. I have the adapter to refill the 1lb tanks and the adapter hose that connects the 20lb tank to a 1lb tank appliance connection. My propane dealership manager said he would help me get the proper connections and lines so that I can install a T into the line that is heading to the house. With the T I can attach the stuff needed to refill my 20lb tanks from the 500 gallon tank.

There is a local online auction that we frequent. There is almost always propane tanks with the old valve on it that go for$4. or $5.00 dollars. I will bid on them and get them 50% of the time. I then take them to Walmart or wherever for an exchange.

Walmart charges $14. for the exchange. My propane dealership charges $18. to install a new style valve. Do the math, plus I get a tank of gas.

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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

My kind of Ultimate Outdoor kitchen!


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## admin (Apr 28, 2016)

Sasquatch said:


> My kind of Ultimate Outdoor kitchen!
> 
> View attachment 48873


A man after my own heart! :tango_face_grin:


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

Sasquatch said:


> My kind of Ultimate Outdoor kitchen!
> 
> View attachment 48873


Looks a lot like the one we just built! The rocks are mostly flat and the interior diameter is about 3.5', from rocks gathered around our place. Wee!









We have trees and just picked up about 2 cords of mill ends that work perfectly for outdoor fuels vs. indoor wood heating, so my goal is to build it around the ability to use wood fuels. This is only our second summer here but it's in the 90s now and down by the creek, where the kitchen area will be, stays perfectly comfortable even in the higher temps. It's deeply shaded and the ground never dries out to the point of fire danger, so it's a perfect place to build something we can use regularly. Meanwhile, the house, with no AC, is not the most enjoyable place to cook and can.


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## Knotacare (Sep 21, 2016)

I built a screen in porch off my kitchen over 40 yrs ago 24' X 12' . Leveled the floor with stone dust & put 8"X 16" concrete blocks for the floor, put 8"X16" cinder blocks 4' deep on the perimeter with one block above ground. Then put 2 X 6" redwood on top & douglas fir for everything else. Covered with good insect screen & a metal roof. The ceiling is around 10' & has 2 ceiling fans. I cook out there in all types of weather ...even snow storms . Keep a electric smoker & a big Weber out there with a nice folding cooking table if I need it. Wanted to run a beer tap out there but the boss shot it down so that's still in the basement on my beer tap refrig:vs_cocktail: Used to entertain quite a bit , but have slowed down as we aged.


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

Knotacare said:


> I built a screen in porch off my kitchen over 40 yrs ago 24' X 12' . Leveled the floor with stone dust & put 8"X 16" concrete blocks for the floor, put 8"X16" cinder blocks 4' deep on the perimeter with one block above ground. Then put 2 X 6" redwood on top & douglas fir for everything else. Covered with good insect screen & a metal roof. The ceiling is around 10' & has 2 ceiling fans. I cook out there in all types of weather ...even snow storms . Keep a electric smoker & a big Weber out there with a nice folding cooking table if I need it. Wanted to run a beer tap out there but the boss shot it down so that's still in the basement on my beer tap refrig:vs_cocktail: Used to entertain quite a bit , but have slowed down as we aged.


That sounds like a nice porch. I want to do something similar down the road. Our patio door overlooks the backyard with the creek flowing through it and just begs to open out onto a full length covered porch.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

My outdoor "kitchen" consists of a smoker and a grill. Oh, and we have a fire pit for when kids want to roast marshmallows. For camping/SHTF, I have a sun oven and a rocket stove which I confess I have yet to try out. Maybe later this summer when we go camping. We also a Coleman stove.


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

Annie said:


> My outdoor "kitchen" consists of a smoker and a grill. Oh, and we have a fire pit for when kids want to roast marshmallows. For camping/SHTF, I have a sun oven and a rocket stove which I confess I have yet to try out. Maybe later this summer when we go camping. We also a Coleman stove.


What kind of sun oven did you end up with?


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

Yesterday I went to pick up my truck from the dealership and on the way home we stopped by several yard sales. One had an old wood fired stove/oven that I basically want for my future outdoor kitchen for $75.00 but the wife said no. I didn't say anything because we have been fighting the last few days but it really pissed me off. $75. is a steal. in the pic you can see the oven door slightly open. The piece of steal (pressure)that held the door shut was broke. Easy fix.


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

MaterielGeneral said:


> Yesterday I went to pick up my truck from the dealership and on the way home we stopped by several yard sales. One had an old wood fired stove/oven that I basically want for my future outdoor kitchen for $75.00 but the wife said no. I didn't say anything because we have been fighting the last few days but it really pissed me off. $75. is a steal. in the pic you can see the oven door slightly open. The piece of steal (pressure)that held the door shut was broke. Easy fix.
> 
> View attachment 49121


Oh, that hurts. I hurt for you. Let's both mourn the loss of this beautiful work of art. Peace with the wife is worth more than that, but still, ouch! It must just mean there's a better one around the corner.

Not sure about where you're at, but around here, there are always old cook stoves on Craigslist, some for pretty cheap. It's not high enough yet on the priority list for us to get one, but that's where I'd be looking when the time came.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

I agree with the happy wife thing. But sometimes you have to pull up those big boy pants and put your foot down. Once you had it up and running you would be the hero.


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

Chipper said:


> I agree with the happy wife thing. But sometimes you have to pull up those big boy pants and put your foot down. Once you had it up and running you would be the hero.


Like I said we have been fighting the last couple of days and I chose the lesser of the evils by keeping my mouth shut. It had nothing to do with big boy pants. Trust me I'm not a pansy. We both have Alpha personalities so its better to compromise sometimes instead of a fight that can turn physical. In the future when I do finally get something and it will probably be more expensive I will remind her about this and throw it in her face.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Slippy's Marital Advice #674

Regarding Purchases; BOTH Husband and Wife must agree in order to make a purchase. One party may be indifferent and that can result in a purchase. BUT if one party does not agree, then the purchase is not made.

That is called respect.

God job @MaterielGeneral you did the right thing. (But please do not throw it in her face once you both decide to make the purchase and if the new one is more expensive. She will know that and throwing it in her face will only cause more resentment!)

Thanks!:vs_wave:


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

Slippy said:


> throwing it in her face will only cause more resentment!


Good point.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

The most important thing for me would A/C. Last 3 weeks have been 110+ degrees F.


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## indie (Sep 7, 2013)

paraquack said:


> The most important thing for me would A/C. Last 3 weeks have been 110+ degrees F.


How are you going to swing that if the grid goes down?


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