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Ready
for a crash course in outdoor kitchen cabinets?
Fabulous! Because it's time to
dream up what your fresh-air kitchen will look like, feel like, and
be like.
Great looking outdoor cabinets make all the
difference.
They add
style, boost convenience and function, and tie together the
entire outdoor kitchen theme.
What's
on your wish list -- teak or stainless steel -- built-in
or portable?
Not sure
yet?
Then
jump-start your imagination with The Guide To Outdoor Kitchen
Cabinets.
We'll
have your outdoor kitchen behaving like an indoor kitchen in
no time!
An outdoor kitchen cabinet isn't just for
storage.
They also anchor your outdoor
kitchen appliances. And they're structural support for your outdoor
kitchen island, sink, and
countertops.
Portable or
Built-In
No doubt about it! Built-in
outdoor kitchen cabinets are top-of-the-line, alfresco
deluxe!
But they're not the only
way to get a high-end look.
Whether you choose built-in
or portable, every outdoor kitchen only has 3 basic
components:
Portable Outdoor
Kitchen Cabinets
Portable is the operative
word for a lot of us to realize our outdoor kitchen
dreams.
No worries! There's good
news!
Outdoor kitchens are a
growth industry. So "the industry" is making more
affordable alternatives available than ever before. And I'm
all about affordable alternatives.
There are lots of benefits
to keeping it basic.
Beer taps and recessed
stainless steel paper towel holders are both good options. But
if you keep it basic, you can get an uptown look with downtown
dollars.
Think grilling carts, bar
carts, potting benches, and wood or plastic storage benches
along with a stainless steel kitchen cabinet or
two.
Even a stainless steel
worktable with a rack at the bottom can be used to store your
outdoor kitchen essentials.
In fact, you can turn all
sorts of things into outdoor kitchen
storage.
An old bucket filled with
ice becomes temporary storage as an alfresco beverage
cooler.
Or a teak cooler with lid
doubles as a bench or small side table during the party. And
when the party's over, spill out the ice, wipe it down, and
fill it with whatever you need to store outside.
Or you can dedicate a space
inside the house to store only those items you use
outdoors.
Built-in Outdoor
Kitchen Cabinets
Portable is fabulous. But
if you want a setup with all the bells and whistles, then by
all means, upgrade!
If you can dream it, you
can have it. And the more ambitious your outdoor kitchen
dreams, the more functional your outdoor cook zone should
be.
You want the convenience of
having cooking utensils, ingredients and such close at
hand.
You'd never settle for
limited, inconvenient storage indoors. So why settle for it
outdoors?
Your outdoor setup demands
all the indoor amenities.
Built-in outdoor kitchen
cabinets range from off-the-shelf, to ready-to-assemble, to
completely customized.
They come in stainless
steel, polymer, mahogany, teak, ipe, cedar and redwood. Here
are some particulars for your consideration:
Ready-made grilling
islands
Ready-made modular
cabinets
Modular Framing
Systems
-
Steel or anodized
aluminum
-
Screw-connected cabinet
modules
-
Concrete backer board
attached to frame
-
Custom exterior
finish
Custom Wood
Frames
Masonry
Frames
Top of
page
Built-In
Cabinetry
There's lots of variety in
cabinet types.
Specialty stores will carry a
limited number of options.
And not every
landscape architect, designer, or builder will know the finer
details of all the options out there.
A builder will be
familiar with custom wood framing.
Landscape architects
and designers will surely be comfortable with masonry
construction and modular systems.
And home centers and
specialty stores will likely be limited to ready-made grilling
islands or modular units.
So here's a
quick rundown on all your built-in outdoor kitchen
cabinets.
Ready-Made Grilling Island - $
Ready-Modular Cabinets - $$
-
Design
flexibility
-
Lots of
storage
-
Indoor
kitchen look
-
Indoor
kitchen style
Modular
Framing Systems - $$-$$$
-
Design
flexibility
-
Custom
finish & counter
-
Lots of
storage
-
Non-flammable
Custom
Wood Frames - $$-$$$
-
Customization
-
Design
flexibility
-
Lots of
storage
-
Flammable
frame
Custom
Masonry Frames $$-$$$
Top of
page
Exterior Cabinet
Finishes
Location,
budget, and taste will all be deciding factors in what
exterior cabinet finishes you choose. Get what moves
you!
Natural
Stone - $$-$$$
-
Durable
-
Natural
-
Non-flammable
Engineered Stone - $$
-
Looks
natural
-
Non-flammable
Brick Outdoor Kitchen
- $
-
Traditional
-
Durable
-
Non-flammable
Porcelain Tile - $
Stucco -
$
-
Lots of
colors options
-
Clean simple
finish
Polymer
- $
-
Durable
-
Lots of
color options
Stainless Steel - $$$
-
Durable
-
Contemporary
look
-
Non-flammable
Wood -
$-$$
-
Cedar,
redwood, mahogany, teak, ipe
-
Flammable
Top of
page
Cabinet Doors &
Hardware
Unless you choose a
ready-made grilling island or a modular unit, you'll also need
cabinet doors -- either purchased separately or custom built.
Many drop-in grills
have matching powder-coated steel doors.
Whether you choose
teak, cedar, or mahogany doors, make sure they have rustproof
fasteners.
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