Outdoor kitchens - ideas, photos, discussion, considerations

This thread this dedicated to the sharing of ideas for future external kitchens, sharing photos and advice from previous and current external kitchens and for discussing anything/everything related (but certainly not limited) to the design, installation and maintenance of external kitchens.

Being the creator of the thread I better give us something to discuss...

1. What is "better"?... stainless steel or stone bench-tops?

2. Fully built-in or portable... what are the pros and cons?

3. Brands of kitchens... options, cost, pros, cons, considerations?

We are thinking of going with Gasmate, similar to the photo shown below [for around $6-7k]...

http://www.thebarbequestore.com.au/gasm ... -sorrento/

Just don't forget when the house is being built, you get your gas outlet in the appropriate position, and placement of your LPG bottles (unless you use natural gas and have the bbq jetted appropriately) .

Is there any reason why you didn't go with custom cabinetry and and a built in BBQ as opposed to your modular outdoor kitchen?
We were going to go with an outdoor kitchen by a cabinet maker, but we could be swayed

Sandra

Sandra, outdoor kitchens tend to be exposed to much higher variations in temperature and humidity as they are pretty well outside even in a covered alfresco. I'd say the Gasmate that tlblhayward is getting would be Stainless steel inside and out.
Normal HMR melamine board that your cabinet maker is probably using is good but certainly not waterproof. Just make sure you keep excess water away from it, especially kids with hoses.

Stewie

Thank you for responding on my behalf! That is pretty much exactly what I was going to say.

Thought I'd contribute a display home photo of their outdoor kitchen


We are doing the same house but just putting a BBQ out there with some vertical garden of herb pots.

Using a phone. Please excuse typos and autocorrect issues. And brevity.

Wow... that looks awesome!

Can I presume the stainless steel used in these outdoor kitchens are better than a lot of other "stainless steel".
I pulled a SS oven brand new from its box and it had surface rust already on it. I have also seen a lot of SS fans with rust as well.
Sandra

Like a lot of things sandra77 there is good quality and then there is the basic stuff using a lesser grade ( read cheap ). Even top grade stainless steel will attract a certain discolouring if it is left for a while in certain environments.
I think some of the manufacturers, like the one who made the fans you mention above are using the cheapest ( and probably thinnest too ) they can get.

Stewie

This is at my builders house, he will also be building this outdoor kitchen for us! We love it! I've seen may out door kitchen cost $3000 up and they don't last very long, so we are going to pay around $10k for this commercial kitchen outside, it's Goldstein commercial kitchen and he suggest getting an quasair rangehood since his one is a little OTT.
These kitchen cabinetry will need to be shield from weather. So I guess you need a more enclosed alfresco.

That looks nuts!

We have a pool house with a kitchen / BBQ set up. Because we are fully protected from the weather we have gone with standard laminex. Three years on, it still looks fantastic.

kyton... your outdoor area looks awesome!

The goldstein ranges are very good and give the best of both worlds as you can do wok cooking, grill, hotplate and oven. I will be getting the 6 burner for my alfresco. The rangehood i had lined up a quasiar but then I got a super deal on a schweigen twin drive hood so I grabbed it. now just need to work out the benchtops, cabinets, fridge etc

Kyton that looks grand!
AussieMark, yes good taste!

Thought I would chime in with my outdoor setup. Unfortunately we have just sold the house so I'll have to build a bigger and better one at the next.

I love the look of the Gasmate Platinum II. I think the best part of free-standing outdoor kitchens is that you can sell / take with you / alter very easily.

Another great looking contender is the BBQ's galore brand: Ziegler-Brown grand turbo:

https://www.barbequesgalore.com.au/barb ... rand-turbo

The Zeigler stuff is way too expensive, IMHO, for what you get. I stand to be corrected.

You linked an $8,500 package originally. I was quoted $9,000 delivered for Z&B 6 burner (double hood) + fridge + sink. I think they're similarly priced, obviously that quote doesn't include the drawer module, but that's what, $1k?

They're all going to cook meat. You're paying for SS and a sleek, uniform look. If you find a full kit that looks as good as either for sub 7k, let me know and I'll buy one