FIRE UP Your Outdoor Living

Your Outdoor Living

Imagine grilling ribeye steaks or baking a hot pizza for friends and family while enjoying conversation around a firepit.

For those considering an outdoor kitchen, options range from custom-designed spaces to modular components available for viewing and purchasing in Austin County. Like all home improvement projects, assessing your needs and prioritizing your desires is the first step. Allow me to walk you through where to start.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR OUTDOOR KITCHENS

According to Judy Blundell, an award-winning architect with Living Line Design in Central Texas ([email protected]), “clients often begin the process with a focus on the social aspect, imagining family gatherings or evening BBQs.

The entertaining aspect of such a space is important, but the oldest rule in architectural design is, form follows function”.

When designing an outdoor kitchen, look at the existing space and how it will flow with the rest of the home. This is especially true of the primary kitchen and gathering spaces guests will walk through, like the living room.

AN OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT AREA WITH A KITCHEN. PHOTO CREDIT: TODD PHARIS FOR PIXABAY “Consider the proximity to the existing indoor kitchen, because centralizing services such as water lines, drains, gas connections, electrical service and exhaust flues will prove financially beneficial,” said Blundell.

In addition to the nuts and bolts of design, consider the elements in an outdoor environment. From wind and sun to drainage, these factors affect outdoor space.

According to Blundell, identifying prevailing winds is important, whether from a storm or if the wind blows grill smoke back into the house.

Then consider “how many hours of sun or shade will the area receive at different times of the year,” advised Blundell.

Blundell also advised ensuring that adequate slope or drainage is built into the slab, particularly if the slab is adjacent to the house.

HOW DO YOU COOK?

From a low-and-slow brisket to a hot-and-quick pizza, how you cook is an important factor when designing an outdoor kitchen. Each method requires its own equipment.

“My ideal outdoor space would include a chargrill/ flatgrill combo, under-counter refrigerator with a stainless countertop, a single basin sink, and either a downdraft exhaust or overhead exhaust flue above the grill,” said Blundell.

According to Blundell, popular additions often include an ice well for drinks, an induction or gas burner for sides and maybe a warming drawer.

“Outdoor kitchens are not designed using the typical triangle of service configuration; they work just as well in a straight line,” advised Blundell.

For the flavorful and tender barbecue crowd, a wood smoker might be in order. However, a charcoal grill or komando (the egg-shaped grills) might be worth considering. A rotisserie kit is another option, rotating meats over indirect heat.

Pizza ovens cook more than pizza; bakers can use them to elevate their sourdough or roast in a cast-iron pan. Outdoor pizza ovens are available in wood-fired, gas and electric options.

A DIY OUTDOOR KITCHEN

Outdoor kitchens are more than a grill on a deck. However, modular components are available locally. From grill units to sinks to refrigerators, homeowners can purchase units based on their needs and assemble them on their property.

At Heinsohn’s Country Store, they sell a six-piece outdoor kitchen unit with black marble countertops, a two-door refrigerator, a countertop burner cabinet, a sink unit with a faucet and storage cabinet, all fabricated from stainless steel.

According to Shannon Didin, of Heinsohn’s Country Store, these units are well-made and can be configured to meet individual needs. The six-burner grill includes a rotisserie and puts out a total of 72,000 BTUs when using a 20-pound propane gas tank. Each component includes four casters for moving, leveling legs to lock it in place and locking plates to keep the entire unit together.

According to Didin, Heinsohn’s Country Store offers the largest selection of cast-iron cookware in Texas. It will carry a new polished cast-iron cookware by Smithey, sourced and poured in the U.S.

Heinsohn’s Country Store is located at 1560 FM 109, New Ulm.

Open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and closed on Sunday. It’s been family- owned and operated

since 1920.

BOTTOMLINE OF AN OUTDOOR KITCHEN

The sky’s the limit when it comes to options and additions. From a box-store outdoor grill unit to upmarket modular components to a custom-designed outdoor entertainment oasis, the investment should be enjoyed in the present.

“The return-on-interest definitely differs by neighborhood. Some see a full return, others see a partial return. It certainly helps expedite the sale and makes a property much more attractive than others to secure more showings,” said Jeremy Fain, Broker Associate with Greenwood King Properties in Houston.

“Outdoor kitchens are not designed using the typical triangle of service configuration; they work just as well in a straight line.”

— Judy Blundell

ABOUT THE WRITER Award-winning journalist Catherine Parker contributes to USA Today 10Best, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, Lonely Planet, and a host of regional magazines. Catherine publishes a travel website, CarfulOfKids.com, syndicated daily to MSN. As a native Texan, she traveled throughout the state after graduating from the University of Houston. She lives east of Austin in a 100-yearold house she renovated with a host of hand tools and a lot of grit.