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Check out these small outdoor kitchen ideas to turn your limited space into a chef’s paradise

Outdoor kitchens have become popular these days, especially when everyone wants to enjoy the beautiful evening weather outside. Many families appreciate outside dining, especially during the summer months, whether it’s a full-scale family barbecue, a picnic with friends, or just a relaxing drink after a long day at work.

But what happens if you’re limited on space? Good news! An outdoor kitchen (and that oh-so-necessary barbecue stand) can be fitted for a small space. Developing outdoor kitchen ideas for small spaces sometimes takes time because there are a lot of important aspects like available space, budget, and needs to consider. But once you have your own kitchen outdoors, you’ll realize that the time, effort, and money you put into planning, designing, and developing your outdoor kitchen ideas were well worth it.

outdoor kitchen
Ozgur Coskun/Shutterstock

How much does it cost to build a small outdoor kitchen?

Is it possible to build an affordable outdoor kitchen? What must you consider prior to beginning such a project? Before you extend or remodel your property to include an outdoor kitchen, it is important to first organize and plan everything. You’ll need to know what you want to accomplish with your new outdoor kitchen, what you will need to achieve those goals, how much it will all cost, and what the end result will be.

Price is definitely one of the most important components of any remodel or addition. How much do you want to spend on the design of your kitchen? The price range for outdoor kitchens is usually between $3,000 and $15,000. For a small outdoor kitchen, the cost should be closer to the lower end of that range.

Equipment in your outdoor kitchen doesn’t have to cost a fortune. You can choose anything from a bare-bones, economical style to a luxurious and extravagant outdoor kitchen with a large, impressive built-in grill, bar, sink, and refrigerator. That’s up to you, your space, your budget, and your needs.

Once you’ve done your homework and gotten a rough idea of the cost, it is important to also learn about outdoor kitchen design and layout for small spaces. The design or layout of your desired outdoor kitchen should not affect your house, yard, or porch design. This is a kitchen that can add to the value of your home, so make sure it doesn’t contrast with the original home design. Remember, you’re bringing a little of the indoors outside, so try to plan accordingly.

How do you plan the layout of an outdoor kitchen?

man and little boy in summer kitchen outside
Tatiana Syrikova/Pexels

Once you’ve done your research, you can plan, design, and develop the layout of your outdoor kitchen, along with its construction. However, If you don’t feel confident in your planning skills and you have the room in your budget, you can use a professional (either a kitchen-making brand or an expert kitchen designer) to take care of the project for you. Obviously, hiring an expert will cost more than you developing it yourself, but you might decide that the expert’s experience is worth the additional cost.

There are many suitable small outside kitchen layout ideas to choose from, such as an L-shaped island, a basic island, or a U-shaped center. L-shaped layouts provide separate spaces for cooking and preparing food. A basic island layout, on the other hand, often includes a small cooking space, a sink, and a grill. It is most suitable for light cooking. The U-shaped center layout partitions the kitchens into several areas. These are special areas for you to prepare, cook, and eat, and are ideal if you plan to prepare a lot of food at once.

In addition to the above three projects, there are other kitchen projects and programs. You can really create a unique design to perfectly complement the size and shape of your house. The highlighted layouts can also be modified to suit your particular needs.

What should I put in my outdoor kitchen?

person grilling food on barbecue outside
Jo Jo/Unsplash

What types of accessories and appliances will you need in your outdoor kitchen? These can be as critical as deciding on which ones to put in your regular kitchen inside, but most of the outdoor choices will need to be weatherproof. Make sure to also take into account cabinets, tables, and other storage options. Keep in mind as well that you will need to run electricity and plumbing for outdoor appliances and sinks. If you aren’t hiring an expert to do the installation for you, be sure to check how easy these items will be to install on your own.

An attractive and fully-equipped outdoor kitchen just isn’t complete without a BBQ island. This grilling hotspot will be an eye-catcher in your outdoor kitchen space.

Even if you’re limited on space and funds, you can still create a pleasant and functional outdoor kitchen and dining area for all your get-togethers.

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HappySprout Contributor
Use these 7 tips to build an outdoor kitchen on a budget
outdoor eating space

Outdoor kitchens are quickly becoming one of the most coveted features in a home. Not only have the last few years taught us to love the space we're in, but it's encouraged us to spend more time in our outdoor living spaces. An outdoor kitchen is an excellent way to enjoy the fresh air while hosting a party or just cooking dinner for the family.

Unfortunately, outdoor kitchens can be an intimidating project to take on. Once you consider all the features like cooking station, countertops, plumbing, electric, seating, and more, you can see how it can be an expensive addition to a home. However, it's important to remember that an outdoor kitchen can be as complex or as simple as you want it to be. Here are our tips for staying on budget while creating the perfect outdoor kitchen for you and your family.
Planning for success
The most essential part of any project is planning. Without a clear plan, it's likely that your project will go off the rails, over budget, and might never be finished. We recommend taking the time to assess your current space and create a wish list. This might mean going onto Pinterest or Houzz to find some inspiration photos or pulling from your own imagination to create the perfect space for you. Either way, make a plan, write it down, and set a game plan.

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Good, better, best: Outdoor sheds for garden storage
Garden storage shed

Once you start to hunker down on the gardening life, you’ll eventually find yourself in need of space to store all of your planting tools. Luckily, plenty of garden storage sheds exist out there. Still, having a host of choices can be overwhelming, in and of itself! If you have limited garage space or don’t want to go back into the house every time you need to grab your supplies, an outdoor garden shed may just be what you need. Ahead, we break down three choices for the top picks out there and give them a good, better, best ranking to help you choose one that suits your home and needs.
Good: Rubbermaid Horizontal Storage Shed
The Rubbermaid Horizontal Storage Shed is a good choice when you’ve accumulated quite a few garden supplies but don’t need a full-blown shed yet. It has a convenient, horizontal size at 34 x 55 x 28 inches, the perfect dimensions for storing your fertilizers, pruning scissors, gloves, watering cans, sprays, and other tools. The construction is also high-quality—it’s made from a water-resistant resin material and features double-walled construction that resists leaking and denting.

Because it’s essentially plastic, this outdoor garden shed resists rot, mold, and insect damage as well. At $230, you get a high-quality product that can compactly store supplies for a small garden, and the assembly shouldn’t take you any longer than half an hour. The drawback is that it is relatively modest in size, so you’ll need extra storage when you expand your gardening toolkit. And while it can accommodate a lock and some shelving, you’ll need to purchase those items separately. Some reviewers have mentioned slight warping when you leave the shed outside for too long, so be careful about extreme temperatures!

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What you should be cooking in your outdoor kitchen this October
Pizza spinach

Now that the weather is cooling down, it’s time to fire up the grill in your outdoor kitchen one last time before it gets too cold for outside gatherings. Luckily, there’s no shortage of delicious recipes that take advantage of fresh autumn harvests. In addition to the herbs that you planted in the late summer, you can also whip up meals with all the gourds, leafy veggies, and fruits that you might have in your garden right now. From an herb-stuffed fish as your main dish to sweet grilled apples and pears as dessert, we’ve rounded up the most delicious autumn recipes to try in your outdoor kitchen this October.

Fresh salad with kale, spinach, and arugula
Veggies such as kale, spinach, and arugula do well for early autumn harvests, and they‘re also excellent salad bases. For some autumnal flair, chop up and roast root veggies such as sweet potatoes or beets. Pop in the protein of your choice—chicken breast and tofu are easy go-to's that you can heat up quickly on your grill. To use even more of your garden goods, add herbs such as tarragon and rosemary to enhance the dressing or vinaigrette for your fresh salad.
Barbecued carrots
Barbecued food doesn't only have to be summer fare. A great autumnal recipe for your outdoor kitchen is barbecued carrots with some toasted pecans. After coating your carrots in oil and grilling them for around 20 minutes, toss them in a dressing with vinegar, soy sauce, fresh herbs, garlic, and ginger. Add in toasted pecans or the nuts of your choice for extra texture and flavor. Obviously, carrots aren’t the only veggies that you can grill—you can try cooking broccoli, corn, and more! Grilled veggies make for easy and delicious side dishes that will surely win over your guests.
Grilled fish with lemon and herbs
Fish with lemon and herbs is one of the most laidback recipes you can prepare for your autumn soirées. It’s uncomplicated, but still filling and flavorful. All you need to do is stuff the fish of your choice with lemon, garlic, and herbs. Then, drizzle oil on your fish and leave it on the grill for six minutes or so on each side. Fresh herbs that work perfectly for this dish include parsley, thyme, and dill—whatever is handy in your herb garden!

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