Outdoor Kitchen – Viewer Project
This project comes from Robert in Houston, Texas. As a self-confessed BBQ and grilling nut, I happen to LOVE this project. Let’s hear about it from Robert:
First let me tell you that I love your website and videocasts as well as the Wood Talk Online project you are doing – and the direction both the website and the show are going in.
Heard you mention a new grill and that someday an outdoor kitchen is in the works. So I wanted to show you what I had recently done. We have a weird shaped lot due to being on a cul-de-sac so to give you an idea of the layout. In some of the pictures you see a wrought iron gate (actually aluminum) that is the gate between garage and house and where most everyone comes in. The green door in picture one is the back door which leads to laundry room and into kitchen breakfast area (the window next to door is to breakfast area)
To the left of that you can see living room windows that overlook pool and then there is large grass area beyond that with kids fort – trampoline etc. So that’s the layout. We had an area outside the kitchen that wouldn’t grow grass so we laid pavers and I built the island where there was little grill that had come with the house. Plus we built the fountain using Mexican Pots. It has turned the area into a nice outdoor living space – far enough from the pool that no one gets splashed (you can see table, chairs and a firepit in the background. The grill is a Sam’s club special. There is also a dual gas burner which you can see (it has a cover on it). Everything is plumbed into the natural gas but you could do with Propane all depending what your grill takes – I just like not having to worry if I run out.
Ok – now back to the island. Wish I had taken construction pictures. Oh well. Oh and let me add a couple of things. First it’s not quite finished yet (do it when I have free time .. LOL). What is missing is I need to level the grill with the top and put slate on the area directly under the grill plus I want to wire electrical into the pole that comes down from the overhead and put an outlet there for the Rotisserie and for a blender or whatever. Second – total cost if you don’t count the grill and dbl burner – about $750 or so for everything. Also I would like to add a small matching cabinet in that space between the door to the kitchen and the gate and put a small sink in it – on the other side of the wall is the washing machine so I can tie into the water and the drain without need for a plumber.
Construction was simple. The whole island sits on a concrete pad that was already there. I put cinder blocks there and filled them with concrete and gravel. Framing is 2×4’ put together with pocket screws. They just sit on the cinder blocks. Kinda like angle iron but made from 2×4’s – make sense? Then the framing is covered by concrete backer board and then thinset and real slate floor tiles. The top is Plywood covered by backer board and then real black granite tiles. Its then trimmed off with Padauk set with glue and screws then plugged with Wenge plugs. Inside the cabinet is lined with cedar (6” fence pickets that I planed to make smooth) gives it a nice finished look and helps keep bugs away. Then the doors and drawers are Padauk as well. The doors are thick with ½” solid panels. Drawer boxes are poplar – dovetailed of course. Bar stool will be replaced eventually – these were $19 each and my wife wanted something fast so they will do.
The Paduak is covered with General Finishes Outdoor Oil. The top trim has 3 coasts –only one so far on the doors and drawers. I haven’t put a final sealer on the slate either. The little outcropping on the back of the island with the double burner is where the gas line comes in. I put a big door on the end of the one section because my wife wanted a big deep area to store my sons stuff rather than a door under the one drawer. That may have been a design mistake but its ok.
In hindsight there are some things I would have done different but overall Im very happy with it so far. We like the large area with the overhang so people can pull up a barstool and talk and snack and drink while I cook. I could have gone with one of those drop-in grills but we bought the grill long before doing the island – and I decided not to take it off the base because it has such nice storage under it. The plus on that is that if the grill ever dies and I need to replace – I have lots of flexibility in size. I can just redo the base it sits on and make longer or shorter and adjust the right island as needed. The islands are free standing except where screwed into the pole. Once complete the weight keeps them in place since they become very heavy.
I like the mix of media (grant, slate, wood and stainless) The cost savings doing it myself was incredible. Thought since you had mentioned getting one someday, you might want to see a homemade outdoor kitchen. Oh people ask why no fridge – well there is one in the laundry room and I just couldn’t see putting another thing that eats electricity out there. But who knows in the long run. It was very easy to build – if you can lay floor tile you can do this. To make it even easier we used premixed thinset on this and we used a premixed epoxy grout. We’ve laid our share of floors but since I did a section at a time the premix was worth the small added expense. My wife is making a cover for it that will hand down about a foot in all directions to keep the top clean. It is under cover and gets minimal direct sun but it does get covered in dust and pollen etc. So it’s more just to make keeping it clean easier.
I’m an amateur – especially compared to you – these were my second ever set of doors and drawers. But I am happy with the results. Hope you enjoyed this. Oh and like all projects this one spawns another – my lovely wife wants me to rebuild the back door out of Mahogany. She bought some clear stained glass panel for it off ebay.
Edit*** – I found two construction pics as I was finishing this up and you can see the double burner in them and some of the internal construction before doors and such. The inside of the door framing where you can see 2×4’s is actually now covered with ½ padauk. That sticks out about an 1/8” past the slate so the doors have a smooth surface to close against.
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Thanks Marc for the honor of being posted as a Viewer project. Since these pictures were taken I have slated the platform the grill sits on and finally started construction of the outdoor sink. I’ve also added a Big Green Egg smoker/grill/oven to the outdoor kitchen and working on a design for a cart to hold the Egg. Thanks again everyone – we use this outdoor living space very often and are very happy with it.
Thanks again Marc and keep up the good work on your website and everything else.
Robert
I like a lot. How does that Big Green Egg work. I’ve always wondered, their expensive. I saw one once that was built into one of Sam’s club brand grill. That was about 3 years ago. I think that grill was around 800$ but the Green Egg was pretty small. I need a big smoker for the size of my family.
The big green egg is incredible. We have the Extra large (needed it for my family) and while it is not cheap it does great. Check out http://www.biggreenegg.com – watch the videos – and there is a forum with more passion about the eggs than most woodworking! Everything I have cooked on it has turned out great. Here are some examples of why I love it.
Steaks: I get the temp up to like 650 – say I am cooking 1 inch thick steaks – I put them on lid closed for 2 minutes – open – flip – 2 more minutes – open flip and then close all vents – 2 more minutes and they all come out cooked perfectly to medium rare – seared to juicy perfection – want more done – another minute – medium – another minute medicum well – etc..
Chicken breasts – always had issues cooking chicken breaks especially boneless – either uncooked or rubber – since you cook lid closed for everything there are no flare ups – chicken cooks juicy and thruout everytime
Ribs – vertical rack holds them great – I’ve done whole turkeys and pork loins – all work great
Brisket – since you can cook at really low temp or really high (or inbetween) it holds the temp all day with little variation – so the steaks were on at $650 or so – the brisket gets 250 and all day slow and good.
Pizza’s – set it to indirect and use a stone – get it up close to 700 degrees and you get brick oven type flavor and crust
I could go on all day – egg uses natural charcoal – no fillers so little ash – you shut the vents and the fire goes out so you use less charcoal – and that natural wood taste … plus you can add wood chips and smoke – mmmmm mmmm good :)
If you have more questions let me know – just remember while it is not cheap – it is not just a smoker – it does so much more
Sounds like I’ll have to put one on my wish list. Claude
That is one swweeeet BBQ area. While I absolutely love the granite top, it wouldn’t work here (way too dusty). I need a top I can hose down. Maybe concrete. Really NICE job!!
Oh you can hose down the top no issues – besides my wife made a cover for it – keeps the pollen and stuff off it and helps keep the Padauck from fading too bad
When are we all invited to do a BBQ TWW meeting ?
Talk about wood – work – drink beer and eat meat ?
Well anyway this weekend its at my place – and you re all invited. here is the adres
Aredonk – Belgium – Europe :o)
Who’s coming ?
Well your invite is a little too late :) – I was in Belgium not that long ago :) but hey Im game for a wood whisperer cook out :)
How cool is that…I’m green with envy about the new grill….pun intended ;)
There fab, I love the way the marble looks with the red wood…..Would look good in the garden or even as a kitchen inside too!
Nice job Robert! This is some great inspiration for me… we built a house 2 1/2 years ago, and in my outdoor area by the pool, we plumbed everything out for a future outdoor kitchen (gas, water, electric, ventilation, cable (yeah, I know))…. you’ve got me thinking again on that project. Nice work!
Thanks all
Gary – it’s not that hard or expensive either – the island (not counting the grill or double burner (or egg) ran me about $700 in parts (lumber, slate and granite)
If you can lay tile you can do this. I looked at stainless doors and drawers and besides I love the wood look since afterall I am a woodworker – I couldnt see paying $300 for a set of stainless doors