8 Benefits of an Outdoor Kitchen

A beautiful outdoor kitchen

While your dinner guests enjoy the outdoor fire pit, you’re cooped up indoors preparing the drinks and appetizers. Sound familiar? If you had an outdoor kitchen, you wouldn’t have to miss out on the party tricks. There are many benefits of an outdoor kitchen, and whether it be a simple or more complex outdoor kitchen design, you’ll find a benefit in both.

From increasing your living space to spending more time outdoors, here are 8 benefits of an outdoor kitchen. 

1. New entertaining space

An outdoor kitchen with an entertainment space
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It might be right outside your backdoor, but your outdoor kitchen will feel like an entirely new entertaining space for year-round enjoyment. Add speakers and lights throughout your outdoor kitchen for ambiance and a good time. An outdoor TV to watch all the big games will also be a big hit.

Want to enjoy your outdoor kitchen and dining area even as the weather gets cold? Prepare the kitchen patio for winter and autumn with a fire pit, cozy blankets, and warm colors. 

2. Double the kitchen resources

An outdoor kitchen
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More counter space, additional cupboard space, another sink, maybe another dishwasher, an oven, a mini-cooler–– the availability of double these essential cooking resources is game-changing. 

  • Additional counter space could result in meals coming together in a quicker amount of time. 
  • If you have an oven as part of your outdoor kitchen, gone are the days of cramming everything into one oven and wishing you had another oven to cook those holiday meals with. 
  • Is the indoor dishwasher full to the brim? Put the rest of the dishes in the outdoor kitchen dishwasher for easy cleaning. 
  • Stock up the mini-cooler outside before a party. Doing so helps reduce the need to go back inside to get a drink while the fun is happening outside. 

3. Increases time spent outside

Some friends in an outdoor kitchen
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Hungry tummies gravitate towards the kitchen when food is sizzling and drinks are pouring. How many greedy fingers do you swipe away as you’re preparing salty snacks and sweet desserts? An outdoor kitchen will pull the crowd outside, freeing up your space while also keeping the fun and activities nearby. 

Whether you use the outdoor kitchen to cook party meals or prepare the family a few snacks, some extra fresh air in your life packs many health benefits for both your physical and mental health.

4. Increases the value of your home

A beautiful outdoor kitchen
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When you add an outdoor kitchen, you increase your home value since it’s a substantial home improvement project. Not only does an outdoor kitchen create a new entertainment spot, but it also adds more valuable living space to the home. 

5. Can decrease utility bills

Indoor kitchens get piping hot very quickly, especially during the summer months. Turning on an indoor oven creates unnecessary heat, which requires the air conditioner to work much harder to offset that extra heat. If you move your cooking to your outdoor kitchen on your smoker or BBQ grill, giving your air conditioning a break can help lower the energy bills. 

6. Decrease inside mess

An outdoor kitchen decreases mess
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Crumbs on the counter, flour on the floor, grease on the stove–– all the things you dread seeing in a kitchen. The mess doesn’t seem quite as bad when it’s outside. 

And if you have kids, your sous-chef can make mud pies right alongside your outdoor kitchen instead of attempting to bring them inside and cover the house with mud.

7. Save money spent on eating out

An outdoor kitchen provides a new experience of cooking and enjoying your extended living space. You pour your heart into it with the design, and once it’s complete, it’s a pleasure to enjoy your new space and eat out less often. 

Find new recipes, cook new foods, make a mess outside, and enjoy the new memories made at home. Your waistline might also thank you for not spending as much time eating out. 

8. Take the food smells outside

A group of friends cooking in outdoor kitchen
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Most people don’t enjoy the smell of certain foods, such as bacon, seafood, or deep-fried foods to linger for days. When you move your cooking to an outside kitchen, those smells will evaporate into the outside air, and your indoor kitchen (and entire house) will remain odor-free.

Connect with local pros

Your outdoor kitchen dream might be big or small, or maybe you’re not sure what you want. Working with a local professional can get you pointed in the right direction and spark new design ideas.

When it’s time to show off your new outdoor kitchen, don’t let unkempt turfgrass sour the view.  Afterall, you don’t want lawn pests and itchy grass ruining the kitchen’s debut. Connect with a local lawn care professional who can mow, edge, and trim the lawn to help match the surrounding landscape with the kitchen’s beauty.

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Janae Soules

Janae Soules has a newly discovered love of gardening with her kids. She enjoys spending time in nature hiking, biking, or playing sports.