After being cooped up inside during a cold and snowy winter, followed by a rainy spring, it’s truly glorious to be able to enjoy the outdoors again during Minnesota’s summer and fall months. One of the best ways to spend a summer or fall evening is to bring your family and your best friends over for an outdoor cookout. An ordinary fire pit will cut it for hot dogs and burgers but if you want to really make the most of an outdoor evening gathering, you should install an outdoor kitchen in your backyard.
An outdoor kitchen will allow you to prepare and eat lavish and delicious meals while still being able to enjoy the delightful weather. If you would like to build one in your backyard, check out Ground One’s tips for outdoor kitchen design and installation in Minnesota.
Designing an Outdoor Kitchen in the Twin Cities
An outdoor kitchen should feature all the amenities of your indoor kitchen. This includes, at the minimum, a grill, an oven, a sink and a garbage bin. Depending on the outdoor kitchen style you’re going for, you may also want to include more advanced features including a beer tap, a dishwasher and a stovetop.
When you begin designing your outdoor kitchen, the first thing you need to consider is how close to the house you want to install it. Depending on the style of your home, you may want to build your outdoor kitchen directly on a patio which is covered by a deck or an upper level of your home. This will provide you with protection if it rains or the sun gets really hot. Alternatively, you may want to build a stone patio farther from the perimeter of your house, perhaps separated from it by a garden or a swimming pool.
Your outdoor kitchen should be an aesthetically pleasing addition to your yard, so consider what’s already there before you start building. There are many different outdoor kitchen styles but all the best ones work off of your existing landscape. If you have a fire pit, try building your outdoor kitchen around it to create a cozy space in which to prepare and eat your meals. If your property borders a lake, you could create your outdoor kitchen design so that it rests just beside the water, giving you a scenic view while you cook and dine.
One of the most important facets of outdoor kitchen installation is to ensure that you have lots of space to sit. After all, if you can’t enjoy your meals outside, why bother cooking them there? Try to structure your outdoor kitchen with a nearby table and chairs so that your family can keep you company while you cook. It would also be smart to make sure your outdoor kitchen has good lighting for late-evening cookouts.
Of course, the main obstacle to outdoor kitchen installation in Minnesota is the weather. Your outdoor kitchen won’t be usable during the winter and will need to be built to withstand extreme cold, snow and rain. Ideally, your outdoor kitchen should have some sort of cover to protect you from the rain. If your outdoor kitchen is installed beyond the perimeter of your home, you should invest in a large and durable awning that can be pulled over your kitchen when needed. A pergola may work as well but only if it has a roof. You will also need to purchase thick insulated covers to protect your appliances during the winter when the outdoor kitchen is inoperable.
Professional Outdoor Kitchen Design & Installation
If you need help with designing and building an outdoor kitchen on your property in the Twin Cities metro, Ground One’s team of experienced designers and builders would love to assist you. Our landscape crews have been serving Minnesota for more than thirty years and we have the knowledge and skill to design and build all styles of outdoor kitchens for you.
Give Ground One a call today for professional outdoor kitchen design and installation services in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area!