How to Have a Luxury Outdoor Kitchen Without Breaking the Bank

An outdoor kitchen absolutely screams luxury. When we think about adding an outdoor kitchen space to our gardens, we imagine entertaining in a covered area all year around, chilling with friends and family, eating fine food, without having to run inside to prepare or cook all the time. We picture late nights outside with our families, sitting on comfy benches, surrounded by gorgeous stainless-steel kitchen equipment and absolutely everything we need within reach. Then, we think of the price tag. All this equipment is bound to be expensive. However, if it’s what you want, with a little careful planning, it’s easily possible to create an outdoor kitchen that you can enjoy for years to come without breaking the bank.

Only Get What You Will Use

When you picture your dream outdoor kitchen, you probably imagine having everything going: fridges, preparation areas, chargrills, outdoor ovens, flat top grills, the lot. But, would you actually use it all? Or, would quite a lot of it just sit there looking nice? Do you even have room for everything?

Think about the space you’ve got and what you will really be doing in your outdoor kitchen. What do you cook now? Do you need large prep areas? Only buy what you know you will use. You can always add to it later on if you find you require more equipment.

Consider Cheaper Grades of Steel

Stainless steel is the best material for your outdoor kitchen. It’s lasting, relatively weatherproof, hard wearing, and it looks great. But, make sure you read stainless steel grades explained before rushing in and buying whatever you get offered.

If you live in a coastal area or your outdoor kitchen is likely to be exposed to hard weather and gets plenty of use, you may want to consider harder wearing 316L stainless steel, which has added molybdenum, making it corrosion resistant and less susceptible to damage from salt and chloride. However, 304-grade steel is much cheaper and generally fine to use in a standard outdoor home kitchen.

Make It Worth It

Even trying to save as much money as you can, your outdoor kitchen is going to cost you. So, it’s important to make sure it’s worth it and that you can get as much use out of it as possible. You may want to consider adding a covered area to your garden, as well as some lighting and perhaps some heaters. Enabling you to get full use of your outdoor garden. Whatever the weather.

Be Clever

Your outdoor kitchen isn’t just about the cooking and prep area. It’s also about the seating and dining space. To save cash here, think about what you’ve got that you can already use. Or, what you can pick up second-hand to upcycle. Indoor furniture can usually be weatherproofed for use outside; you could turn crates upside down and cover them to create a chic side table or upholster old stools to make comfy outdoor seating. Use your imagination.

An outdoor garden can be an excellent addition to any home. It’ll increase the time you spend outdoors and give you a brilliant place to entertain guests. So, set yourself a budget and start planning today.