How can you design your perfect Alfresco Kitchen?
How can you design your perfect Alfresco Kitchen?
Alfresco outdoor kitchen makes an excellent entertaining space wherein you can relish dinner with your family or friends. It’s sought of adventure like amid nature, to savour your dinner in the outdoors. Besides, you can throw a party in the alfresco outdoor kitchen and celebrate events like birthdays or other special days in style where you can invite your closest friends or relatives. Here are the ingredients on how to design your perfect alfresco kitchen.
Sketch Your Plan
After sketching the basic structure and size for your outdoor kitchen, you can start looking at its functional layout. Typically, the same rules of the indoor kitchen apply to the outdoor kitchen. It includes the positioning, size, and proximity of hot areas such as cooktops, ovens, and barbeques and cooler places such as refrigerators.
Dry areas such as preparation benches and storage and wet areas such as sinks need to be designed for the utmost efficiency. One straightforward method is to divide the Alfresco outdoor kitchen into three main areas: preparation, cooking, and serving. If you are not sure, it is best to take the assistance of an experienced kitchen designer.
Location
If you have an existing outdoor entertaining area, then it’s straightforward. In the absence of an existing outdoor space, make sure easy access to your outdoor kitchen from your indoor kitchen. It will prove cost-effective for connecting to the existing utilities such as gas, electricity, and water. This arrangement may not work all the time; for instance, at steep sites – in such scenarios, the outdoor kitchen will need to be equipped as a standalone entity with lots of storage and preparation space.
Harmonise & Create Impressive Look
If both outdoor and indoor kitchens remain close to each other, then think of a design that facilitates the two areas to blend flawlessly to create one harmonious entertaining space when you open the doors of your indoor kitchen. It is an excellent alternative if your indoor kitchen is too small. Use materials and detailing that harmonise with the inside of the house such as cabinetry, handles, and knobs, kitchen benchtop, etc. Also, try to match colour shades, be it benchtop or cabinetry. It will create an impressive effect.
Cooking in All Types of Weather
Make your outdoor kitchen usable all through the year to get maximum use from it. That means you need to create a shelter to get protection from the wind, sun, and rain. For this, you can use overhead canopies and screens, particularly for the cook. Refrain from using flammable materials over the outdoor oven or BBQ.
Besides, consider buying barbeque on castor wheels, which will facilitate you to move it to a more sheltered space during winter. Plus, it would be advantageous to have an outdoor fireplace or patio heater in place, as it can extend your use of the area through the cooler months of the year.
The Pleasure of Outdoor Cooking
Apart from barbeques, you can also get outdoor ovens for bread, pizza, meat including cakes. Besides, you can get smokers, rotisseries, wok burners, and teppanyaki plates.
Illumination
When cooking in the outdoor area, good light is essential. Choose some kind of directional task lighting over the cooking and preparation areas; however, ensure it does not shine very brightly onto the outdoor dining space.
Durability
Choose the fittings and materials for your alfresco kitchen that are tough and durable. Even stainless-steel barbeques will gradually rust in coastal areas; however, you can enhance their life by using protective covers. Kitchen cabinets and bench should be weather-resistant unless they remain in a shielded place.
Opt for hard-wearing materials for your outdoor kitchen to keep the maintenance workload at a minimum. Besides, select grease-resistant materials for benches and coat concrete, stone, decking, or pave stones with a sealant to protect from food stains.
The Bottom Line
Alfresco kitchen is fantastic to have, and it can take the stress out of your monotonous life and allow you to be with nature!
