Build your own outdoor kitchen
Cooking outdoors has its own flair and many people would like to build their own outdoor kitchen in the garden or on the terrace. Since the prices for a prefabricated outdoor kitchen are similar to those of an ordinary indoor kitchen, the question arises: why not build an outdoor kitchen yourself?
Building an outdoor kitchen yourself has many advantages over a normal kitchen. You decide e.g. B. decide whether your outdoor kitchen should be covered or whether an outdoor kitchen cabinet should be installed right away. Furthermore, an outdoor kitchen offers an ideal opportunity to spend time there with friends and to cook for them.
With the right tips and tricks, the outdoor kitchen can be used not only in summer, but also in winter, when there is mulled wine and pastries. Building and using an outdoor kitchen yourself is a real enrichment for every garden and every terrace and beautifies your own home. In addition, building an outdoor kitchen is not as difficult as it might sound at first. In this article you will find out what you should consider when building your own and which materials are suitable.
Build your own outdoor kitchen – the instructions for an unforgettable cooking experience!
Cooking in the fresh air is a real specialty and with the self-built kitchen this is even more fun. But on the way to the perfect kitchen in the garden or on the terrace, there are a few important steps that you must take if you want to build an outdoor kitchen yourself. First of all, it is very important that you make a plan and have a rough idea of what your new kitchen should look like later. Numerous photos of outdoor kitchens on the Internet serve as inspiration for this – detailed assembly instructions can also be found there in some cases.
This plan should determine where the kitchen should be located, because the laying of water, electricity and possibly also gas is directly related to this. These are all important aspects that you need to consider if you want to build an outdoor kitchen yourself. You also need a building permit, depending on the federal state, if you want to build an outdoor kitchen yourself. These formal things should be clarified first before you can build your outdoor kitchen yourself.
In the next step, you should be aware of how large the entire area of the kitchen should be, because then the subsurface must be prepared accordingly before you can build the outdoor kitchen yourself. Either a surface is poured with concrete or stones are laid, which also provide a natural and rustic look and are ideal for the garden.
In any case, the subsurface should be stable and compacted so that the kitchen furniture and things like the refrigerator or stove are stable. It is highly recommended to plan enough space for the new kitchen in any case, as an existing substructure cannot be changed later. You should consider this before you build an outdoor kitchen yourself.
The plumbing in the new kitchen
If you don’t necessarily just want to build an outdoor kitchen with a grill yourself, but also want to use a stove and oven, you have to plan for the cables. Ideally, an electrician and plumbing contractor will be consulted before building the outdoor kitchen yourself, as it requires expertise in proper wiring.
A stove requires a high-voltage connection and this must first be available in the garden or on the terrace. The waste water also has to drain somewhere and the supply line must also be planned for. You may also need permission from the municipality to lay the cables and water pipes, and in most cases you will need a permit for the entire kitchen. Consider this before you start building, as only then will it be decided whether you are even allowed to build the outdoor kitchen yourself.
Plan the layout of the kitchen
Once the subsurface, the lines and the cabling have been planned, then the kitchen itself can begin. Think about what the new outdoor kitchen should contain. Do you prefer to cook on a gas stove or would you prefer the charcoal grill? The possibilities are very diverse and you decide for yourself what should and shouldn't be in the new outdoor kitchen.
As early as the planning stage, you determine where, for example, you plan storage space and how the roofing is guaranteed in bad weather. As a rule, outdoor kitchens are planned on the terrace or in the garden as a kind of kitchen island that can be mobile if necessary. Or you have to build the kitchen in such a way that it withstands wind and weather.
The fact is: With careful planning, the first step towards an outdoor dream kitchen has already been taken and construction can begin. It is therefore very important to give enough thought and to really express all your wishes during the planning.
Build an outdoor kitchen yourself - but from which material?
You are free to choose the materials. There are many different outdoor kitchens to build yourself. It is important that you choose materials that will meet your needs over the long term. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Aluminum
- wood
- plastic
- stone
- concrete
- Granite
Each material has its advantages and disadvantages and is processed differently. When deciding about the choice of material, you should carefully consider the planning of the kitchen and the circumstances.
Material selection: The circumstances are decisive for the right material
Will your outdoor kitchen be covered? Or would you prefer to cook in the open air? If you want to build a covered outdoor kitchen yourself, you are a bit more flexible when it comes to the choice of materials. If the kitchen is completely exposed to wind and weather, you should rather limit yourself to robust and durable materials such as stone, concrete or aluminum. Wood, for example, could be damaged over time if moisture penetrates the material. On the other hand, wood is of course easier to work with than stone, can be sawn and sanded without any problems. And a glaze or high-quality oil can give the wood a very special color - just as you wish.
Of course, building a stone kitchen is also an option. Visually, it has a very special charm, but this kitchen - once bricked - is completely inflexible. If you don't want to do without the special look, a stone border in which kitchen cabinets made of aluminum or wood are placed could be a compromise. You don't have to limit yourself to just one material, you can combine them. If you construct individual cabinets from aluminum profiles and panels, you can move them flexibly.
By the way: If you want to create an all-round hygienic kitchen, for example for your outdoor snack bar, aluminum is the best choice. With a self-built outdoor kitchen made of aluminum, you can meet regulations regarding kitchen hygiene as far as possible.
Outdoor kitchen covered: the right roofing for your outdoor kitchen!
The roofing of the outdoor kitchen is one of the most important points when building your own, because the roofing has to be defined in the plan. Otherwise, the roofing may not be sufficient later and it may rain in on the sides while cooking.
The basic requirement for the right roofing, which you should plan in advance if you want to build your outdoor kitchen yourself, differs depending on the structural conditions, because every terrace and every garden looks different. If stone is the main element in your new outdoor kitchen, then the canopy should also match it visually.
How to build your own outdoor kitchen & prepare it for any weather
If you want to build an outdoor kitchen yourself, then the question arises as to the weather resistance of all materials used. The garden outdoor kitchen differs from the outdoor kitchen on the terrace in that a terrace may be covered. Of course, a canopy is not only good protection for the kitchen furniture - especially for the electrical appliances - but also ensures that you can cook outside in a relaxed manner, even in a warm summer rain.
If you prefer your kitchen to be completely dry, a kind of frame makes sense in addition to the roof, so that kitchen cabinets and appliances are not damaged by direct moisture. For example, you could protect your kitchen unit from moisture at the back and sides with a wall. In addition, particularly sensitive objects, such as the new gas grill, can be covered with a tarpaulin so that nothing happens when it rains. Even if you want to install electronics in your outdoor kitchen, the cables should either run in the kitchen furniture or, in the case of a brick outdoor kitchen, be housed there.
Another important factor is the water drainage: The surface of your self-built outdoor kitchen should be designed in such a way that any rainwater can simply drain off. A slightly sloping drain in the middle of the kitchen is not only practical for cleaning, but also ensures that rainwater drains off properly. In the worst case, waterlogging can attack the materials.
With such a good foundation, you can concentrate perfectly on putting together your outdoor kitchen furniture.
Build your own outdoor kitchen with aluminum profiles
If you simply want to build a stable outdoor kitchen yourself, aluminum profiles can be the perfect basis for this. In a way, they form the framework of your kitchen cabinets and are later covered with wood or aluminum panels. The aluminum profiles offer you many advantages when building your outdoor kitchen:
- you are light,
- can be cut to desired length,
- quickly form a robust frame when connected with brackets and
- are weatherproof and rustproof.
You can even cut threads into the aluminum profiles and attach height-adjustable feet to the kitchen unit.
Draw up an exact plan of your outdoor kitchen and write down the exact dimensions of the individual kitchen cabinets. With the aluminum profiles you can even create the shape for drawers and cupboard doors. All you need to build the individual cabinet frames are the aluminum profiles cut to size, the appropriate screws and angles, and the right tools. You can simply order aluminum profiles in our shop - square tubes or, at best, lightweight profiles are suitable for the frame of your kitchen cabinets .
Dress up your outdoor kitchen - perfect look for a long time
When you have finished the frame of your kitchen cabinets, it's time to cover it. First of all, you have to consider whether parts of the aluminum profiles will still be visible later, or whether they will be completely covered by the cladding. If individual elements are visible, you can consider painting them for visual reasons - perhaps in the color of the cladding, or in a contrasting color.
Then it's time for the paneling: Of course you can work with different materials here. You can attach wood as paneling to the aluminum profiles. Composite materials such as WPC, OSB or screen printing boards are also suitable. Keep in mind, however, that all of these materials can be relatively heavy and sometimes require constant care in order to keep their beautiful appearance despite the weather.
A literally lighter option, on the other hand, is aluminum plates . You can have these cut to size by us, so you only have to paint them in the color of your choice and then attach them to your frame made of aluminum profiles as a panel. Of course, you can also combine different materials here and, for example, cover the outer frame of the cabinets with aluminum panels and provide the drawers and cabinet doors with robust wood. This is how you create contrasts and a modern look in an industrial style.
The right worktop for security and space in your outdoor kitchen
The worktop for an outdoor kitchen is one of the most important parts, because this is where you will later spend most of your time cooking. It is therefore necessary that the worktop is visually and functionally flawless and that it fits in with the rest of the kitchen if you want to build the outdoor kitchen yourself. In addition, the worktop should of course be robust, because it is not only used while cooking, but is also exposed to heat, moisture, sunlight and the like - unlike a worktop in a conventional kitchen. Outdoors, unwanted guests can also be out and about in your kitchen - mice from the garden, birds or insects can sometimes end up on your worktop. That's why you should choose a material for the worktop that you can clean easily and without leaving any residue. Aluminum, natural stone, or an acrylic composite are good choices.
Inspiring ideas for outdoor kitchens - because you eat with your eyes!
Whether you choose aluminium, stone, steel or wood as the material for your outdoor kitchen, if you are going to build the outdoor kitchen yourself - it is always guaranteed to be stylish! The detailed equipment and design of the new kitchen is entirely up to you and you can give your new kitchen your own style. If there is a lack of ideas, there are also many outdoor kitchen ideas on the web that you can of course use if you want to build your own outdoor kitchen.
You will see that cooking and eating outdoors in your new outdoor kitchen is a little different than the usual cooking in the kitchen and eating in the dining room. Together with friends or neighbors, a very special feeling arises in the outdoor kitchen in the garden, reminiscent of holidays, because outdoor kitchens are quite normal in warmer countries in the south and can be found in many gardens and on many terraces. There, for example, pizza ovens are often installed in outdoor kitchens, which are then operated with real wood fire. Because outdoors, the smoke from the fire doesn't bother anyone and the pizza will taste just as good as in Italy.
But there are also grills that can be found again and again in outdoor kitchens, because grilling always takes place outdoors. If you brick your outdoor kitchen, you can include a brick oven in the planning and then build it later. A grill or oven integrated into the kitchen not only looks wonderful, but also fulfills its function optimally.
Vintage furniture for your kitchen interior
Are you still missing some suitable furniture for the outdoor kitchen? With a nice table, a few comfortable chairs, a lounger or an individual herb garden, you can give your outdoor kitchen a wonderful finishing touch. You can create beautiful furniture out of pallets, wine crates or tree slices. Adapt the furniture to your kitchen furnishings and realize your own style. In addition, small niche spaces in the kitchen can be used sensibly with individual kitchen furniture.
Another great option for DIY outdoor kitchen furniture is upcycling and restoring old kitchen furniture. Chairs, tables and the like can be found at flea markets and the corresponding platforms for little money. If old kitchen furniture is found, it can simply be sanded down and then painted with a weatherproof paint so that the furniture is not damaged outdoors. In this way, you can build your outdoor kitchen yourself, customize it completely and use one or the other old piece of jewelry restored there.
Build your own outdoor kitchen now: When are you going to tackle it?
We hope that this guide was of some help if you were still hesitating about building your own outdoor kitchen. With a little manual skill, you can do a lot of the work yourself if you want to build an outdoor kitchen yourself.
Just make sure you have a clear plan and get all the necessary permits before building the outdoor kitchen yourself. A few things, including wiring, are a job for the pros. Otherwise, you can really let off steam and build most of your outdoor kitchen yourself. We wish you lots of fun and good luck!