20 Outdoor Kitchen Ideas (Enjoying Fresh Air and Sunlight)

It is understandable kitchen’s ambiance is really essential to enhance our cooking mood and enliven the room nuance. However, when you feel bored with indoor kitchen style, outdoor kitchen ideas may be a solution to explore more things to do differently.

When you have abandoned space outside your house, this is the right time to transform your space into a dream outdoor kitchen.

So many various themes offered from the simple yet on a budget-oriented to an outstanding luxurious outdoor kitchen with the complete kitchen set.

Calm down and keep yourself together. Get ready to your level up cooking skill! These are 20 best outdoor kitchen ideas and inspiration that represents your cooking habit!

1. Cheap Outdoor Kitchen Ideas

The small budget can’t stop you from having so much fun in an outdoor kitchen. With good strategies and tricks, a small budget can be something big for you.

You just need to get multifunctional stuff that accommodates three most important and basic things about storage, preparation, and cooking:

• Keep in mind those three magical words. One word for one appliance. Storage=Cabinet; Preparation= Kitchen Table; Cook=2in1 stove and BBQ Grill. So, you don’t need to buy many appliances for your kitchen.
• You can use your preparation table as your little cute dining table and add two or three bar stools beside your preparation table.
• For some cheap materials, you can use recycled materials like stone or bricks and solid surface countertops.
• If you have some extra bucks, you can install a dishwasher, too.

2. Kitchen Cabinets Ideas

Most of outdoor grills and appliances are going to be stainless steel, and most countertops will be stone to hold up to the weather.

Here are some of these materials include stainless steel, marine-grade polymer, teak, and stone:

• Stainless steel is a good material to use for outdoor kitchen cabinets as it likely matches your grill and outdoor appliances, and it is weather- and bug-proof. But is a bit expensive.
• Teak is an expensive and desirable wood material used in outdoor kitchens; it gives a classic, sophisticated look. It’s not as weather-resistant as steel or polymer, it possesses natural attributes that make it more weather-resistant than other forms of wood.
• Use a cement block or metal frame covered with a decorative stone to create a natural stone look. Stone is also highly weather-resistant, and stone cabinets provide a built-in look that many homeowners seek.

Find out more detail about cabinet solution on the kitchen cabinets ideas. It will totally help you in exploring more inspiration.

3. Backyard Outdoor Kitchen Ideas

You can use your small backyard as your outstanding patio kitchen. Make your neighbor envy you with one set small and simple kitchen table. Use your portable barbeque grill or stove.

Applying it with a proper dining table will create a great experience to your dining al fresco.

Don’t forget to always keep your kitchen clean, because clean can make it visually bigger.

Portable furniture is another simple tip for designing a small outdoor kitchen. You can adjust and use it very easily.

Those are usually cheaper than another built-in furniture. This is a great idea for your favorite outdoor kitchen!

4. Country Outdoor Kitchen

Well, if you need a very complete kitchen set for your outdoor kitchen ideas, this U-shaped layout of this outdoor kitchen zoned from hot to cold, moving from the grill on the left to two refrigerator drawers and an ice maker on the right.

You can apply the whole shebang — grill, cooktops, refrigerator, sink, pizza oven.

Stones with a calm tone, silver cabinet, and white solid surface top table can make your country outdoor kitchen looks so modern, strong yet natural.

The combination of nature (stone) and the fabrics (silver metal material) can balance the ambiance.

You don’t need to add huge dining table, this kitchen set already provides a simple table for you to dine-in.

5. The kitchen at Back Terrace

Use your back terrace at your house as your outdoor kitchen ideas. Back terrace is still part of your house, so this design suits tropical climate country which is, this kitchen is still looking adorable when the rainy season comes.

You don’t need to add too much decoration, with a good selection of kitchen set, your back terrace is your brand new kitchen now.

Choose light tone color for the kitchen set. Such as white or light grey, because it will make your back terrace look bigger.

This light color that dominates the kitchen set will balance the ambiance of tropical theme.

Install an eye-catching lamp attached to the ceiling. Voila! You are now ready to cook with your beautiful terrace view.

6. Gazebo Kitchen

The gazebo is another option for your outdoor kitchen ideas in a tropical climate country. If you still think that gazebo sometimes is useless, then this is the time to turn your useless gazebo to be all time favorite outdoor kitchen.

Rustic kitchen set and tropical theme are a very good combination for your gazebo. Brown is the color domination by combining wooden material or fabrication brick to your kitchen set.

Use stone material or solid surface as the kitchen table instead of wood. Because the wooden material is not a waterproof material and high maintenance while stone or solid surface is easy to clean up and low maintenance.

Remember that kitchen table will be the dirtiest spot in the kitchen.

Your cooking mood is leveling up when you see more natural things around. No need to add much lighting decoration, because the material itself is already stand out.

7. Modular Outdoor Kitchen

Do you guys want your kitchen durable, easy to clean, and a design that is timeless? Introducing modular outdoor kitchen ideas!

Your solution for creating your ultimate outdoor kitchen area. The modular concept allows for a custom design to fit your needs and space.

Prefabricated outdoor kitchen kits are the budget-friendly way to add a kitchen to your backyard.

Modular Kitchen has a basic concept of an outdoor kitchen with very low maintenance outdoor kitchen and low budget oriented.

The kitchens made of concrete which is so affordable, low maintenance almost free and modular so you can do whatever you want to do, as much as you want or as little as you can afford. You can make it as long as you need from 1.40 meters to 2 meters long.

8. Balcony Kitchen

If you have a spacious balcony, then an outdoor kitchen might be a great addition to it. Measure it first, if you have a balcony in 2 to 3 meters width, so your balcony is proper to add a proper outdoor kitchen.

Choose the right material such as light beige sandstone and combine it with stainless steel material for the cabinet. Combining it with stainless steel material is gonna be a perfect match.

Apply a warm yet light color to your balcony kitchen. Choose the light beige color as the dominant.

Use homogenous tiles for the floor material, paint finish the wall with light beige color and the gypsum ceiling as well.

With the same color tone as the kitchen set has, your balcony kitchen will make you feel more homey and comfortable when you are in the kitchen.

Of course, it can boost your cooking mood.

9. Cooking in Rooftop

If you have rooftop and want something quite useful happens on the top of your house, it may be a great a brilliant outdoor kitchen ideas!

Opt wooden scheme as the dominant for a natural look. Apply engineering wood instead of a solid one if you have a budget-oriented concept.

The combination of wooden material and the stainless steel cabinets are the perfect combos. Combining natural and fabric material are never going wrong.

Here are some tips for the perfect kitchen set to your outdoor cooking:

• Add a white color as the top table, you can use a solid surface with marble looks or if you want to spend more money you can use marble stone for a weather friendly equipment.
• Dress top table with stainless top. It is low maintenance, clean and easy to clean the mess up after your cooking time.
• Dishwasher machine might be necessary considering it’s super efficient when you go outdoor cooking.

10. Rustic Outdoor Kitchen

The rustic concept is set into a classic brick enclosure that blends beautifully with the surroundings.

A shelf is built into the brick to store the wood for the grill. Large soapstone countertops sit above the outdoor refrigerator, the grill and the cooktop burners, providing plenty of prep and serving space.

A large, rustic picnic table sits at the center of the outdoor space and has ample room for guests to sit and enjoy a meal together.

Trees and bushes surround the area giving it privacy from the neighbors and making it feel like a retreat from the busy pace of the city – an important design element when crafting an outdoor kitchen in a large city, with only a little space available.

11. DIY Outdoor Kitchen

DIY Outdoor Kitchen has got to be one of the sweetest spots of life. Keep it simple and easy.

Cedar material will be the right choice because there are so many cedar suppliers that provide your needs to build your own DIY kitchen set.

You can apply your cedar DIY as an storage replacing the cabinets that usually made of stainless material.

But, for the efficiency, you should consider some things before you build your own design:

• You’ll need to decide if this will be a permanent fixture that stays with the home or if this will be portable.
• Be sure to figure out “cut-out” dimension of all appliances, You can go to the manufacturers’ websites or do some Google search.
• Decide if you’ll build a steel frame and cement board type or lightweight concrete panel or plywood, Steel frame lasts the longest.

12. Inner Court Kitchen

Inner Courtyard might be the best spot in the center of your house. Design your dream outdoor kitchen there.

Then, get the beautiful sunlight that lightens up your kitchen appliances but you can do your cook when the rainy season comes.

You don’t have to go outside while you create an outdoor kitchen in your own inner courtyard.

Your privacy is sure one of your consideration and this is the right solution to it. You can add more “green”, plants, small trees so it still feels like you are outside.

Complete the kitchen set with a simple dining table that connects your home and the inner courtyard. The combination of it will be your new experience of better cooking and eating.

Also, if you have a limited space of your kitchen, visit small kitchen ideas. We will provide you brilliant inspirations to your tiny kitchen.

13. Bar by the Window

Bar table at your house is so boring? No need to worry! Find the widest and biggest window in the house.

Use some little space in front of your window or your house terrace to add some bar stools and dining table if you got one.

The bottom frame of your window is your new bar table now. Surprisingly, you can use your bar table as the kitchen counter as well.

But you need to have a bottom window frame with an at least 75cm high from the floor level so you can make the proper bar table.

If you don’t have space in your lower window frame for table bar, you only need to buy a DIY table from IKEA.

You simply attach it to the wall as the instruction in the manual that IKEA will provide. It’s so affordable and very easy DIY.

14. Pool Bar Kitchen

If you have a swimming pool and you are dreaming about an outdoor kitchen. Make it come true! It’s gonna be a nice combo!

Make it as a cool and cozy pool bar that lies beside your swimming pool.

Install the built-in bar stools, these will be half sunken in the pool. So you need a material made of stone or lightweight concrete.

Stones are best waterproof material and lightweight concrete as well. If stones are expensive enough for you, concrete will be your choice.

You can paint finish it with whatever color you want or let the natural color of concrete wins.

When you are on the break of your exercise swim, you can swing by your pool bar, sit there and have a new experience of enjoying the meal.

15. Blue Outdoor Kitchen

If you want to explore stainless material with another way without living the whole ambiance little bit stiff and rigid, why not to incorporate the blue theme into your favorite space!

Paint overall kitchen equipment with the blue scheme, and balance it with white color as a strong accent. Implement it into your bar stools. It is preferable to opt to doff marble to the weather adaptive.

The last, dress the outdoor kitchen with wood deck material with a neutral color to balance the room ambiance and give the calm vibe yet fun. The blue outdoor kitchen is ready

16. Pergolas Outdoor Kitchen

Are you feeling like you want to avoid direct sunlight to your outdoor kitchen set? You can install pergolas to your patio kitchen.

If it’s summertime or the sunlight is feeling like too strong for you, pergolas can make it all way better.

It can be the sun shading to protect your kitchen set from the direct sunlight.

You can use the hollow material or engineering wood as the louver ceiling. You can add some vines in the top of the louver, it will be more beautiful and comfortable.

Don’t forget to install the lighting to the louver, too. You can buy any LED lights or usual light bulb and you will have pretty dinner time at your own home.

The L-Shape kitchen set with stainless cabinets are good to go.

17. Portable Outdoor Kitchen

Portable outdoor kitchens are popular because they’re easy to install, maintain and transport. These are tips for your portable outdoor kitchen:

• Consider that a portable kitchen will require minimum utilities like plumbing, electric and gas. Propane tanks and solar panels are good options for portability.
• A kitchen island on casters and wheels is one way to achieve portability. Be sure to look for casters rated to withstand the weight of your island. Also be sure you have proper ventilation above if your island will include a grill or cooktop.
• While you’re looking for portable outdoor kitchenware, search for stainless steel options. Stainless is also easy to clean and stands up to varying weather conditions, so it’s a good option for outdoor use.
• Portable outdoor kitchens do have some drawbacks. Cleanup and storage might be a hassle, but you can minimize this by placing your outdoor kitchen near the entry to your home or reserving space for used glassware.

18. Luxury Outdoor Kitchen

A luxury outdoor kitchen is the best way to show off your design style and culinary creativity.

Outdoor kitchens can include everything in your indoor kitchen and much more, and your only limitation on luxury is your own budget.

Pizza ovens, wine and beverage chillers, gas or charcoal grills and fire and water features are all readily available for outdoor kitchens and you may be surprised how budget-friendly some of these items can be.

Designing an outdoor kitchen will take a little organization and a lot of creativity. The first thing to consider is the size of the area you want to use.

Then make a list of the items you want to include in your outdoor kitchen. Also think about using materials that will stand up to the elements like granite, stainless steel, and stacked stone. More reference about cabinet and island? Find them more on kitchen cabinet ideas and kitchen island ideas to complete your outdoor kitchen!

19. Garden Outdoor Kitchen Ideas

If you are a landscape-loving person and you want your kitchen is also your garden, outdoor kitchen ideas with the garden theme can be your best shot.

It will transfer you a positive energy and good mood while you are in the kitchen because plants are magical to you.

Arrange unique paving block as the floor material, to make it the same as the interior, you can combine it with other floor materials such as homogenous tiles or ceramic.

Marble stone created a counter with an integrated flower sink with an inset vessel for blooms.

You can use the flower part as an ice bucket for wine — just pull the plug at the bottom when the night’s over.

Eye-level shelves and custom firewood holders as the open bar. Warmoth’s custom cabinets keep liquor, cocktail napkins and glassware dust-free; the Farrow & Ball Stiffkey Blue paint is finished with a marine-grade varnish.

20. Farmhouse Kitchen

If you’re looking to design a farmhouse kitchen of your dreams, modern features, rustic elements, and industrial-inspired accents are the best choices.

When blended just right, the result is a sophisticated kitchen that’s also warm and inviting.

You can choose a large heritage oak tree features a big dining table that seats 10 and is built of redwood, as are the cubes, cabinet doors, and guard railings.

There are no hard-set rules for modern farmhouse colors. Use the natural color of the material you’ve chosen.

Let the wooden material shows its exotic color, so does the stones. Giving a little bit modern touch with stainless material for the cabinets and the grill would be perfect.

Twenty outdoor kitchen ideas with various themes, inspirations, solutions, strategies, and tricks should be enough for you to start designing your own dream outdoor kitchen.

The main problem for designing an outdoor kitchen like budget and weather is not your worries anymore.

So what do you think? It is definitely true you need time to determine the best outdoor kitchen style according to your cooking habit.

Alternatively, you can combine and mix it all up as long as it can make you have more fun in the kitchen. Check also: kitchen backsplash ideas to incorporate more kitchen reference. So good luck for trying!