Outdoor Kitchen Ideas

What grill is right for you? How many sinks do you need? What is the best outdoor refrigerator that will stand up to the elements where you live? Hometalk can help you design and execute the perfect outdoor kitchen for your space. Ask a question or join the discussion on our popular discussion board. What are you waiting for? Start cooking!

Bring the Party Outside With These Fabulous Outdoor Kitchen Ideas

Tips for Cooking Outdoors

Build a pizza oven: Install a woodfired pizza oven. These are made of clay, allowing them to fit into the natural landscape of your outdoor kitchen.
Grow your own herbs: A practical way to add plants to your outside kitchen is with herbs and vegetables. Some ideas include basil, tomatoes, and parsley.
Use rustic materials: Go with neutral colors or choose natural materials such as wood and stone. Use kitchenware made from maple or walnut.
Add a built-in grill: Save space and choose a built-in grill. Add a prep station alongside the grill to create a stylish and convenient outdoor barbecue area.
Recycle and upcycle: Decorate with recycled materials for extra flair and to cut costs. Upcycle your glass bottles into lamps or candle holders.

More Outdoor Ideas

Top Projects for Outdoor Kitchens

The top projects in DIY outdoor kitchens are all here for you to check out.

Repurposed Dresser Into Patio Entertaining Island

I needed a place to serve food and drinks on our patio when entertaining. I purchased an old dresser and went to work

Kim Harmeyer

Cinder and Cedar Bar, Again... Pinterest Helped!

I love Pinterest! My husband acts like he is tired of my "DIY projects", but he sure loves the results!! He also loves the fact that my manicures have become a distant memory and instead of going to the salon and shopping for clothes/shoes, my trips have been to Lowe's, Home Depot, pawn shops, ace hardware and anywhere else I can find what I need! Somehow these "shopping trips" are justifiable to him... but I always had to explain my love for shoes!! Hmmm... Anyway, this was one of the more difficult projects I have done. (Although like some of my projects, they didn't need to be more difficult- I modified what I found and made it suit our needs better- which made it a bit more challenging)! After ours was done, I did one with my friend who loved ours and it was much more simple. She wanted "rustic", which meant a lot less sanding! And you know what? It's just as amazing as ours! So when you read this, remember... you can definately take some shortcuts.. save some money and time and have an amazing result!

Jessica Hoffman

DIY Wood Fired Pizza Oven for $200

Hi all.Links to some of the stuff used below:This one has been on my to do list for way too long, and I finally found the method that works the best for me. For a bit of a run down on the process, for those that wanted more information.I started with the cheap porn ball (or gym ball), and made a cardboard opening, then coated that with cement and newspaper.Once the first layer hardened, I added another thick layer of vermiculite and cement, and let that set.Then taking that off the ball, I moved it into position on top of the fire bricks, raised up the back by around 30cm, and put the a thick layer of vermiculite/cement around the base, and over the whole mold.Then more concrete/vermiculite, until it got to around 15cm thick, and a decorative coat of darker concrete. I let it set for a week, fired it up with a small fire first, then after another day put a decent fire in there, and started making pizza!Fire Bricks:http://amzn.to/2rTtRw0Vermiculite:http://amzn.to/2szdXc4

Colum Black-Byron

Painting an Old Cooler Like an American Flag

I love rust, but this old cooler was a bit too rusty for my taste. I decided to give it a fun makeover and stencil it like an American flag.

Jann Olson

Giving an Old Rusty Smoker New Life

Years ago a buddy gave my husband a rusty wobbly smoker. Although it worked just fine, I thought it would be nice to make it look new for him. We started at 9am and finished at 6pm with some other projects in between.

Andrea M

Make An Outdoor Buffet From An Old Door

I had repurposed this old door in hopes of a table one day... It sat in my garage for 2 years! Then another idea!!

Beth Elliott

How To Build a Wood Fired Pizza Oven in Your Backyard

Have you ever had real Neapolitan pizza? It's cooked in a wood-fired pizza oven at around 1000 degrees, and only takes 90 seconds to cook. It's also insanely delicious. I became obsessed with the idea of building a pizza oven in my backyard, despite having no masonry experience at all, and ended up with an amazing outdoor kitchen.

Nikki Wills

How to Make an Underground Oven (Dirt Oven DIY)

We are now prepared for the coming Zombie Apocalypse. And if the Mayans ever get it right, we’re ready for them, too. We wouldn’t have been back in 2012, but NOW we can be secure in the knowledge that we are going to survive. No, we haven’t stockpiled weapons, but we DO have a really cool underground oven! Yep, we can cook in the dirt. It’s no microwave, but it makes for very tender pork ribs, that’s for sure!

Nicole Burkholder

Build a Wood Fired Earth Oven

A wood fired earth oven can be made from readily available and often free materials. The process is deeply rewarding and the result is endless fun and delicious baked goodies! For the FULL tutorial, plus a free Ebook with more details and lots of resources, CLICK HERE- FULL tutorial and free Ebook on DIY earth oven!

APieceofRainbow

Sensational & Inexpensive Portable Grill

Make your summer sensational with this stunning DIY portable grill and skewer set! It’s a larger version of our Mini Campfire Smores Kit and you can actually BBQ burgers and hot dogs on it! This one has LOTS of photos and details. VISIT OUR POST HERE FOR ALL PHOTOS & DOWNLOADS

Nancy at Craft Your Happiness

Repurposed Dresser Into Patio Entertaining Island

I needed a place to serve food and drinks on our patio when entertaining. I purchased an old dresser and went to work

Kim Harmeyer

Cinder and Cedar Bar, Again... Pinterest Helped!

Jessica Hoffman

DIY Wood Fired Pizza Oven for $200

Colum Black-Byron

Painting an Old Cooler Like an American Flag

I love rust, but this old cooler was a bit too rusty for my taste. I decided to give it a fun makeover and stencil it like an American flag.

Jann Olson

Giving an Old Rusty Smoker New Life

Andrea M

Make An Outdoor Buffet From An Old Door

I had repurposed this old door in hopes of a table one day... It sat in my garage for 2 years! Then another idea!!

Beth Elliott

How To Build a Wood Fired Pizza Oven in Your Backyard

Nikki Wills

How to Make an Underground Oven (Dirt Oven DIY)

Nicole Burkholder

Build a Wood Fired Earth Oven

APieceofRainbow

Sensational & Inexpensive Portable Grill

Nancy at Craft Your Happiness

Outdoor Kitchen Videos

Looking to create the perfect outdoor kitchen? Check out our videos here.

Easy DIY PVC Outdoor Dog Shower

**Scroll down to see the video**I have struggled at times when it was shower time. My dog is pretty good when she needs a shower. If the water stops for a split second she is ready to walk away. Making this shower helps free up both hands and pretty much wet her entire body at one time. If this seems like something you'd like to make I’ll take you through the steps I took to make his shower. Be sure to check out the video for more details. No glue was used for this rig it’s all dry fit, this way you can break it down and store it.

Glen

Building a Barbecue

Hello, I am Cy from Cy's Corner and this is a project from the mind of my Husband. He wanted to make an area specifically for the barbecue! I made a video of this building adventure and it is included below, but for tutorial sake I will describe his process with some pictures.

Hometalkers' Favorite DIY Outdoor Kitchen Projects

We've collected the best DIY outdoor kitchen projects for you right here.

DIY Pallet Deck Island

What can you do with a few tiles, pallets and paint? A do it yourself deck island! It's sturdy, inexpensive and great for entertaining on your deck.

Val Frania {Love My DIY Home}

Outdoor Cinder Block Wet Bar/Gardening Station

Ok are y'all ready for this one?! I saw this idea and had to take a stab at it myself...between the reclaimed scaffolding beams laying around behind my husband's garage and the old door we had leaning beside them, this was a perfect project to create. Better than anything is the fact that my in-laws were celebrating their 28th wedding anniversary the same weekend I decided to create this bar so of course, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to them!!--they got this as their gift. They just got rid of their pool this year and redesigned the area as a hang out/fire pit area so this cinder block bar fits perfectly in the space. The best thing about this project is it's so versatile--you can use it for just about anything you need it for, whether it be a little gardening station to hang your gardening tools and to assemble your flowers pots, or of course as part of your entertainment area when you have guests over. You can assemble this on your back deck, or in my case, on the ground. The only extra tidbit I'd add is you will want a partner for this project--the cinderblocks are super heavy and there are some steps that would just be easier with a second set of hands.

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Building a Tiki bar from pallets

I was throwing a Hawaiian luau, and i want to make a bar...so i thought that i could use two pallets and make one.I made this bar from recycled pallets.I used two pallets to complete the bar, one whole pallet, and one cut in half. I used the one I had cut in half, and used it for the ends of the bar. Then I used MDF for the top. Then I thought i should put more support in and add a shelf to hold all of my mixes! After decorating and loaded up ready for use, looks pretty good! Total time spent building it, about an hour.

David Rundle

Natural Flagstone Patio & Fire Pit

The client requested a flagstone circular patio with a fire pit that would blend with the natural surroundings. We installed irregular blue flagstone slabs over a compacted stone base, using Gator Dust in the joints. The fire pit is surounded with ironstone boulders. The actual fire pit is recessed below the patio and lined with fire brick.

Willow Gates Landscaping

Outdoor Kitchen and Pizza Oven

Last year we replaced our deck and a patio with a beautiful stone patio that created a better flow to the pool. Outdoor kitchens are all the rage these days and since we entertain a great deal, especially in the summer, it seemed to make sense to incorporate one into the new patio design. As we always seem to do, we took this project a step further. Since my husband is the chef in our family, it made sense that he should take the lead on the items he wanted in our new outdoor kitchen. Not to say I wasn't integrally involved...I was...but he is really the grill master. The plan called for us having a grill, warming drawer, side burner...all the regulars. What's not so regular...his idea of putting in an outdoor pizza oven. When he first brought up the idea, quite frankly I thought it was crazy. He was very excited about the idea and when our contractor heard the idea he was even more excited about building one. Over the past few years my husband has been coming up with unique recipes for pizzas grilled on the bar-b-que. It's become one of the staples at our gatherings around our pool. Well, the pizza oven is one of the best things we have ever added to our home. You can click on these links to get the step by step on how we created this outdoor oasis. http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/2010/10/outdoor-pizza-oven.html, http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/2010/12/patio-finally-finished.html

DiybyDesign Judy

Outdoor Kitchen Renovation (Lancaster, PA)

First we discussed the needs for the design and put thoughts to paper. We also worked with the township to ensure that the project would meet ordinance guidelines. Once the design was finalized and approved we removed existing landscaping, poured new stamped concrete patios, raised two concrete privacy walls, and constructed a raised fire pit. We also added two wooden structures. One for hanging a hammock and the other, a pergola, for shade. An outdoor kitchen was installed including a gas grill, griddle, dual side burners, and various storage drawers and access doors. Also included in the outdoor kitchen is a refrigerator, sink with hot and cold water, and a garbage disposal. Both privacy walls and kitchen cabinets are finished with stucco along with granite counter tops. Low voltage lighting was installed to add ambiance and to allow for the area to be used at night. Mulch and a few plants finished off the project very nicely. See more photos here: http://cepontzsons.com/outdoor-kitchen-lancaster-pa/

Cepontzsons

DIY Pallet Deck Island

What can you do with a few tiles, pallets and paint? A do it yourself deck island! It's sturdy, inexpensive and great for entertaining on your deck.

Val Frania {Love My DIY Home}

Outdoor Cinder Block Wet Bar/Gardening Station

Rob & Courtney M, Hometalk Team

Building a Tiki bar from pallets

David Rundle

Natural Flagstone Patio & Fire Pit

Willow Gates Landscaping

Outdoor Kitchen and Pizza Oven

DiybyDesign Judy

Outdoor Kitchen Renovation (Lancaster, PA)

Cepontzsons

Popular Outdoor Kitchen Discussions

Explore what Hometalkers are discussing about DIY outdoor kitchens here.

Steel Framing - Outdoor Kitchen?

/> Mark D. Milam

I've surfed the net and can't seem to find a detail step by step plan to frame a outdoor kitchen/grilling station. Eventually, the top coat will be stucco, however, what I need are instructions for the framing with steel studs. Is the distance between the same as wood construction or different, etc.,? A plan will be tremendous as I would know how many pieces of steel studs to purchase.Thanks

View discussion

How do I build an outdoor kitchen with independent griddle and fryer?

/> Elizabeth Stanton-Paradise

I have my pieces, a fridge, droo in grill, etc...I also have a black stone griddle and a large independent deep fryer that I would like to add in to the more formal look of an outdoor kitchen.

How do I build an outdoor kitchen with independent griddle and fryer?

View discussion

Would it look right to put an outdoor kitchen under screened pool?

/> Lacy Smith Hornberger

I just moved into this house coming from a house in the country from lots of land; so this type of home is very new to me. It's a typical Florida home with a screened in pool. I want to add a hot tub and a place that I can add my BBQ pit and flat top grill, plus a place to sit and eat. I've included pictures of my pool area as it is now (I close in a week). I also included a picture of a "room" with a hot tub and bar. Would it look weird to build something like that in that big blank space under the screen room?

Would it look right to put an outdoor kitchen under screened pool?

View discussion

New Outdoor Kitchen Projects

Want to know what's new in the world of outdoor kitchens? We've got you covered.

Upcycled Beverage Station

I took an old thrift store door that I was using as a plate rack on our screened porch and turned it into a fun and functional beverage station just in time for summer! Visit my blog for all of the details and materials used for the project. Minimal skill is required! time

Christy @ Our Southern Home

Terra Cotta Pot Smoker

Don't you just LOVE smoked meats and cheeses? I certainly do! BBQ's are great, but slow smoked meats are something else entirely! Meat smokers can be seriously expensive though! That's why I made this meat smoker for a fraction of the cost with some simple terra cotta flower pots, a single burner, and a grill grate.

Amanda C, Hometalk Team

Creating a Gorgeous Outdoor Space

Having a gorgeous outdoor space for your friends and family to gather and socialize is an important part of your home. If you have the space, you should try to have an area for conversation, as well as dining. Your guests should be comfortable and it should be conducive for entertaining. I'm sharing my outdoor space and some tips on creating your own.

House on the Way - Leslie

Vintage Life Guard Stand Makes a GREAT Pool Side Mini Bar

I found this vintage life guard chair and thought, ohhhh what to do!

Refunk Your Junk

Outdoor Sink For Washing Garden Veggies

We garden a lot and also buy from our local farmers. An outdoor sink for washing everything in 'raw well water' was a must. Money being scarce we started looking in the thrift stores and trash items thrown out to the curb (we are passionate about recycling). It took awhile to gather what we needed but saved us a big chunk of money.

Cmoonlitwolf

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Tips for Cooking Outdoors

Build a pizza oven

Grow your own herbs

Use rustic materials

Add a built-in grill

Recycle and upcycle

Benches

Campers & RV's

Decks

Decor

Fireplace

Furniture

Garage

Garden

Home Security

Lights

Patios

Pest Repeller

Pools & Ponds

Porches

Rugs

Sheds

Walkways & Paths

Benches

Campers & RV's

Decks

Decor

Fireplace

Furniture

Garage

Garden

Home Security

Lights

Patios

Pest Repeller

Pools & Ponds

Porches

Rugs

Sheds

Walkways & Paths