Last Updated on March 15, 2023 by Naomi Nimu
Have you recently purchased a home with a small space for an outdoor kitchen? Don’t worry; it’s easy to turn your outdoor living space into a gorgeous, functional oasis, no matter how small the area is.
If you have a small garden, you can make a decent, memorable space there. And if you have some friends over to your outdoor kitchen, they will definitely love this small space.
Believe me, your friends will not only be impressed but may also want something similar in their own home. Here are some of the outdoor kitchen ideas for small spaces that will inspire you!
Add a Firepit
Warm summer nights and an inviting fire always remind me of my backyard entertaining area. As much as I love to cook on the grill, it’s the firepit that really brings a spark to the evenings.
It’s a great way to get everyone in the groove, gathering around, roasting smores, singing songs and telling stories. Although I appreciate a good firepit, I really dislike how hard it is to keep nice and clean from ashes and other particles that always seem to fall through the cracks.
A Gas Firepit
If you are like me, I would recommend a gas firepit. Gas fire pits are a great alternative to the traditional fire pit. They’re portable, easy to use, and you don’t have to arrange for a special site or get a permit to install one.
They don’t produce ash, smoke and are quick to light.
A Wood-Burning Fire pit
Having a wood burning firepit in your backyard can be one of the best ways to bring family and friends together.
Wood has a special flavor that many people like. It is very charming and can give your backyard a more natural look. It will also serve as a gathering place to enjoy your life.
You and your family will love sitting around the wood burning fire pit near dark telling campfire stories, roasting marshmallows, talking about the good old days, and making memories that you will remember for years to come.
You can add this wood burning firepit to your outdoor kitchen.
1. 31″ Outdoor Fire Pit Set – 6-in-1 Large Bonfire Wood Burning Firepit Bowl
Spoil yourself with the luxury of a true outdoor fire in your own backyard with this 6-in-1 set. Just add logs to create an instant bonfire, or simmer it on for hours. .
It is made of durable steel grate. Handles logs up to 21″ long and 12″ thick.
Comes with various Accessories
Enjoy warmth and ambiance in any season with this portable firepit set. Included are a spark screen, poker, ash plate, drainage holes, metal grate, and waterproof cover
The spark screen helps protect your deck or patio from flying embers, while the adjustable fireplace poker helps you easily tend to the flames.
The ash plate is for collecting ash and other debris, and drainage holes to catch water from melting snow that might otherwise be absorbed into your deck or patio.
It is Ideal for Cooking
This wood burning fire pit is great for fire pit cooking, giving your food a smoky flavor that adds character with little preparation.
Will Complement any Backyard Décor
The large size makes it the perfect outdoor patio fireplace for 4-5 people to gather around with a fire going.
Its walls will reflect the heat back towards guests. In addition to its durable and easy assembly, it features Stars and Moon cutouts for a good looking appearance! This beautiful firepit is simply lovely in every season giving you something to look forward to year round.
Add Furniture
This is one of the best simple outdoor kitchen ideas. Furnishing your home outdoor space for maximum comfort while maintaining a sleek style is a real challenge. You need to create a space that’s inviting for relaxing, dining, and entertaining guests.
If you have a small outdoor space, seating options are even more important because you should create an area in your home that accommodates plenty of people.
Get the right Outdoor Furniture
Furniture just may be the most vital part of any kind of outdoor living. Without the right kind of outdoor furniture, you will not be able to enjoy your patio or deck easily enough to make it a place where you want to spend much time relaxing and entertaining.
Whether you are designing an outdoor kitchen or just your backyard patio, consider getting the best outdoor furniture possible, it makes all the difference!
Outdoor kitchen furniture means you can shoot barbeque with your family and friends even if it is raining or snowing outside. Pick the right patio tables and chairs/sofas as well as some comfortable loungers and hammocks.
Consider what Kitchen Appliances and Equipment you will require
Getting an outdoor kitchen appliance is like getting any other perfect utensil. You should always consider what you need and how much of it that you are going to use.
For example, if you are always going to have a large crowd visiting the kitchen, then it makes sense to get more appliances.
If you just happen to host a small gathering every now and again, it would be wiser to avoid getting heavier and bigger kitchen appliances or equipment that would only fill in the space but not necessarily benefit your cooking experience.
1. Built-in BBQ equipment
Are you planning to build up an outdoor kitchen? If yes, then how about including a BBQ grill in your outdoor kitchen?
A barbecue grill is a must-have for making delicious barbecues at home and enjoying your relaxing time at home. Also, it is so fun to have some friends having dinner with you under the sky with lovely smells around you.
2. Built-in Refrigerator
You can have a fully working outdoor kitchen with built in refrigeration to store all the food at your convenience.
To extend the shelf life of the food ingredients, you should go for the refrigerator that has high end technologies like a temperature control and auto defrost system among other features.
It is Space Saving
Unlike other refrigerators, built in refrigerators do not require much space since it is easily fitted into cabinets. This means that it would not take much space from your outdoor kitchen despite the fact that it is a refrigerator.
Ideal for preserving food
A Small refrigerator can be an added feature of the outdoor kitchen. Meats and fish may need to be refrigerated for a few days if you did not have a means to kill them yourself.
That is not the case for garden size, which is usually enough to supply your family with all their needs throughout the growing season; however, you can still use it for storing butter, eggs and other perishable items.
Makes it easy to Access cold drinks
Having a fridge outdoors is the perfect place to stock a few coolers of beverages that your guests can access easily while they’re hanging out on your patio or in your backyard.
It provides the ability to store drinks, water bottles, soda, beer, juice boxes, and other cold items conveniently located for your guests.
You’ll be pretty surprised at how much using your built-in refrigerator is going to prevent you from running back-and-forth between the house and backyard.
3. A pizza Oven
Photo by Pizza Ovens R Us – More patio ideas
First of all, there’s nothing like the smell of homemade pizza in the evening. It carry memories of good times with family and friends to every new visitors of your outdoor kitchen.
If you are going to install a pizza oven for outdoor kitchen in your backyard or in the patio, you will love every second of it.
It is Perfect for home cooked Pizza
The outdoor pizza oven is a perfect option for people who want to make their indoor kitchen or dining room into an outdoor dining room.
This outdoor equipment can be used for cooking pizzas and several other dishes on a low temperature. The wood fired pizza oven is very similar to the traditional ovens that were used in the ancient times for cooking food.
You can find various models of the grill in the market which you can use both in outdoor as well as indoor purposes. Outdoor fireplace ovens are mostly priced higher than other grills but these are highly durable and do not require high maintenance costs.
4. A sink
One of the most important things you should have outside in your outdoor kitchen is probably a sink. It’s also one of the most overlooked things you may be leaving off your list of must have items for your kitchen.
It is easy to install one
A lot of people assume that it is going to be a hassle to have a sink in the outdoor kitchen because of the water supply. But that’s not the case. A faucet can be connected to a water supply from inside or outside your home by using thin hoses.
Pick the Right Sink
There are all kinds of sinks out there on the market that you can pick and choose from when designing your outdoor kitchen.
While the style is up to you and your personal preference, choosing the right sink for your area can make a big difference in functionality and ease of use.
A portable Sink
You’ll want to choose a sink that’s lightweight which is made from stainless steel. This will make it easy to move around and store on the outdoor kitchen island when not in use.
Plus, the stainless steel material makes it more durable compared to sinks which are made from other types of materials.
Makes it easy to clean your hands and Dishes
Having a sink in your outdoor kitchen can not only make it much easier to clean up after dinner, but it also gives guests the ability to wash their hands before dining.
Also, an outdoor sink will make things so convenient. You might think that it’s better to avoid washing dishes in a sink as it can be messy and inefficient.
But what people don’t realize is that by having an outdoor sink, you don’t have to carry the dishes back to the house when you can easily wash them right there in the kitchen!
5. A Food Processor
A food processor is a kitchen appliance that uses a rotating blade to chop, dice, shred or mix foods. They are ideal for chopping vegetables into uniform pieces to make soups or sauces, or creating minces of either lean or fatty meats for use in casseroles, pasta sauce or stews.
Food processors come in both electric and manual versions and you can choose between ones with small, medium or large capacities, depending on the size of your family and how often you cook.
They are an incredibly convenient way to get a lot of food prepped in a short amount of time, making meal preparation easy and efficient. That’s why, if you have one that fails on you after having it for years and years, it can be a very disappointing loss hence I would recommend to get one for your outdoor kitchen.
Provide Shade and Shelter
As the hot summer months roll around, one of the most useful additions to your patio space can be a shaded area. Whether it’s for cooking or socializing, a shaded kitchen means that cooking and entertaining are more pleasant.
Consider an Umbrella
For seating areas, consider a patio umbrella. One of the most overlooked pieces of outdoor kitchen equipment is the umbrella. Often times, people will just use an awning to provide shade for their outdoor kitchen and grill.
While those are a better choice than nothing, umbrellas provide a few more benefits that you may not be aware of.
You also could have a full pergola stand alone as a roof for your outdoor kitchen, with picnic tables underneath and perhaps even a grill built into the system.
Choose your Materials wisely when designing your Outdoor Kitchen
Interior and exterior kitchens have different needs. For an outdoor kitchen, you want a material that will give it good protection from the environmental elements. The roofing must have a way to drain off water and keep the water out of the kitchen area so as not to damage the interior structure.
Wood naturally ages over time and requires maintenance to prevent rotting. Pressure-treated redwood lumber is a popular choice because it lasts up to 5 times longer than untreated wood.
Steel is a durable material that will not rust or rot and offers flexibility in design. With less ongoing maintenance required, steel is an ideal choice for your outdoor kitchen.
Add some Lighting
This is one of the best outdoor kitchen ideas for small spaces. It makes cooking outside easy with lighting.
The best lighting for an outdoor kitchen should make tasks like cutting, chopping, mixing, and prepping food easier to perform safely.
It makes the kitchen safer to use, and it also makes it look bigger. Also, no one wants to stand in the dark while dinner is being cooked. Let’s take a look at your options for lighting, so you can choose which one is best for you.
Install under-cabinet Lighting
Under-cabinet lighting in outdoor kitchens offers a practical lighting for outdoor work. It illuminates your workspace without fussing with wiring or complicated installation.
Capturing the right amount of natural light, using fixtures that aren’t glaring, and taking advantage of controllable LED lights are true assets to your outdoor kitchen.
Clean your Outdoor Space
If you want to have the best-looking outdoor kitchen, you need to put a lot of effort into cleaning your outdoor space. Your outdoor area will look beautiful with the right cleanliness or home cleaning service.
If your outdoor space is not cleaned properly, then it can be harmful to your family as well as guests who visit you every now and then.
Cleaning Kitchen Cabinets
Cleaning outdoor kitchen cabinets is important if you are cooking. Your next day will not be good if your food smells like cooking weed or stale wine. Therefore, you need to know how to clean outdoor kitchen cabinets.
Cleaning Grill Area
Cleaning your outdoor grill area should be something that you do on a regular basis, it doesn’t have to mean daily unless something is seriously wrong. Even then, you should at least do it once a week.
Cleaning the grill is not a very pleasant thing to do, but it needs to be done. In order to get the best results, you cannot just spray it with some soap and swipe it off; you have to clean each piece individually and then spray it again with soap and clean it off once more. Otherwise, there are home cleaning professionals who can do that for you!
