Note: Long Island Hot Tub is now known as Best Hot Tubs
Your Outdoor Kitchen Can Be a Real Asset When Entertaining
In summer, the outdoor kitchen often takes the lead when entertaining and the indoor kitchen is put to work in support of it. But, when the weather is colder — such as at Thanksgiving — their roles can be reversed.
For example, an outdoor grill can function as a large warming drawer for keeping prepared dishes at the perfect serving temperature. It can grill vegetables for side dishes. Soup can be kept on a simmer. And — if you have a rotisserie attachment — it can even cook a turkey.
Indeed, with a well set up rotisserie, the men in the house who like to barbecue could even prepare the star of the Thanksgiving table: see this helpful and fun how-to video for cooking the bird on the grill. (Note: most rotisseries won’t hold more than a 15-pound bird.)
Including those that Long Island Hot Tub design/builds, outdoor kitchens routinely have refrigerators, so drinks, cold dishes and condiments — such as your aunt’s recipe for home-made cranberry sauce — can be stored there until it’s time to set the table.
Kitchen Countertops: Outdoor kitchens can help with crowd control. If you have too many hands trying to help, it’s a great second prep area. Note: Because it is an “outdoor” kitchen, for ease in cleaning and maintenance, and the ability to sanitize, consider barbecue/refrigerator, etc. materials such as quality stainless steel.
Outdoor Kitchen With Pergola: But what about inclement weather? There are some conditions that would make using your outdoor kitchen countertop as a prep area impossible. But, if your outdoor kitchen is nestled underneath a pergola, most hardware stores sell tarps that can cover it and drape down a bit to protect anything cooking on the grill. Just don’t let the tarp get close to any heat source.
Outdoor Kitchen/Bar: If the weather isn’t too cold and your outdoor kitchen is blessed with a bar, this is a good spot for people to mingle, chat, and munch on appetizers (stored ahead of time in your outdoor kitchen’s refrigerator!), freeing you to get things done in the kitchen.
Seat Walls: If you’re planning a new outdoor kitchen, or you want more seating than your existing bar area offers, a seat wall is a good idea. We used a natural stone for the veneer of the bar/barbecue seen here, and constructed a seat wall made of the same veneer, with the same edge-restraint as the capstone for the seat wall. This created a unique contrast with the extensive brick veneer used for the house.
Outdoor Kitchens: If you are starting from scratch, you’ll need outdoor plumbing and electrical outlets for any appliances or sinks. You also want to locate it convenient to your indoor kitchen, with no obstructions in the way. In addition, as it gets dark early around Thanksgiving in many areas, good lighting is also key.
