9 Benefits of an Outdoor Kitchen for Your Sarasota Home

Some rooms in your house just make sense to move outside. 

Living room? Absolutely. You probably have a comfy couch outside right now. Maybe even a nice outdoor rug.

Dining room? Totally!! Why eat inside when you can eat outside?

Bathroom? Whoa, no. They tried that back in 1910. Indoors is way better. 

Kitchen? Hmmm. Maybe you’re on the fence about this one. 

Do you need a list of reasons to build an outdoor kitchen? 

Here you go: 

1. More Space for Grilling 

If your outdoor cooking setup is just a grill, you’ve probably worn a path back and forth between there and your indoor kitchen, carrying ingredients back and forth, balancing plates, swearing, dropping stuff, wishing you had some nearby counter space to make it all easier. 

An outdoor kitchen gives you that counter space that makes your outdoor cooking much less of a hassle. Plus storage space for utensils and cookware. No more prepping everything inside with multiple trips back and forth. Just one of the benefits of an outdoor kitchen. 

2. Entertaining is More Fun

When you have an outdoor kitchen, you're not stuck inside in the kitchen while everybody else is outside having fun.

Everybody’s together, and you’re part of the conversation. Bonus: everybody’s handy to help out if you need a hand. Just one of the reasons to build an outdoor kitchen. 

3. You Can Grill, No Matter the Weather 

When you’re limited to just a grill outside, a rainy Sarasota day can douse your plans for that grilled dinner. Install an outdoor kitchen that’s covered, and you can cook outside even on a drizzly day. 

4. It Gives Your Air Conditioning a Break

Indoor cooking really heats up the house, making your air conditioning work harder. Here in Florida, it’s already working hard. One of the benefits of an outdoor kitchen is it keeps your indoors cooler, giving your hard working air conditioner a break.

5.  Keep Smelly Cooking Outside 

Some food smells really linger inside. Fried stuff. Seafood. Bacon. (Weird how the smell of bacon sizzling is the best thing in the world while it’s happening, but by that night you’re super over it, right?) 

Move the smelly cooking to your outdoor kitchen and — poof!—  odors evaporate into the outside air. 

6.  Food Tastes Better

We have no scientific evidence for this. You know it. We know it. Everybody knows it. 

Is an outdoor kitchen worth it? Let your tastebuds decide. 

7.  Less Indoor Cleanup

Spills and crumbs aren’t as big of a deal when they happen outside. 

8. Grilling is Faster

Grilling food takes less time than most oven-based or stovetop meals. Everybody’s hungry. You have other things you’d like to do. Get those grilled dogs on the patio table so everybody can chow down.  

9. Cooking Outside is Fun 

Why be inside when you can be outside? 

One of the benefits of an outdoor kitchen is it brings everybody along with you. Ask your pal to grab the plate of burgers and come out to the kitchen with you. Get your sister to plop down at the bar top and cut up the limes.

A big outdoor kitchen benefit: it brings everybody together. 

Multiply the Outdoor Kitchen Benefits with Cool Features 

Your outdoor kitchen becomes a better gathering spot with every fun added feature: 

A TV

You already have delicious food and a place to gather. Extend the outdoor kitchen benefits with a TV for watching sports, cartoons, movies and maybe even the occasional cooking show to boost your grilling game. 

A Bar Seating Area

Add stone counters and comfy chairs and you have a great gathering spot in your outdoor kitchen. Is an outdoor kitchen worth it? Bring on the mango margaritas and say yes. 

A Beverage Fridge 

Keep your beverages chilled in an outdoor wine fridge. Or Diet Coke fridge. Or beer fridge. Or apple juice fridge. You get the idea. 

These small refrigerators have a glass door and display shelves that allow you to showcase your favorite beverages while storing them at an ideal temperature. 

Choose a free-standing version, countertop model or built-in option. You’ll always have a cold drink handy. One of the reasons to build an outdoor kitchen? So you can have one of these adorable little outdoor fridges.

Pizza Oven 

YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN PIZZA OUTSIDE. We’ll pause for a minute while this sinks in. 

Could this be the biggest benefit to an outdoor kitchen? Maybe. 

Install a pizza oven in your outdoor kitchen and you might never leave your outdoor kitchen. We’re talking restaurant-quality pizza in your own backyard, with crispy crust and gooey cheese.

Choose a stainless steel pizza oven to match your grill, or select a stone or brick option.

Double pepperoni, please. 

A Smoker

Meat lovers get really excited about this. 
A smoker adds a whole extra level to your outdoor kitchen, letting you serve up slow-cooked  barbecue ribs that’ll be the envy of your neighborhood.

Don’t Forget Lighting 

All those great benefits of an outdoor kitchen don’t end when the sun goes down. At least, not if you add stunning outdoor lighting. 

Lighting isn’t a luxury for your outdoor kitchen — it’s crucial to maximizing your enjoyment of your great new outdoor space. 

Lighting overhead and tucked under the countertops are a given. But don’t stop with the practical stuff. Sure, you need lighting to cook and eat after dark. But lighting is also fun. Add festive bistro lights to twinkle overhead. Flickering tiki torches create the ultimate vacation vibe. 

Is an Outdoor Kitchen Worth It? Talk to Us

We had you at outdoor pizza oven, right?
 
So, maybe an outdoor kitchen sounds amazing, but you don’t know where to start. It’s kind of overwhelming. So many options. A good designer will help you incorporate one into your Sarasota Florida landscape design. 

Our landscape design and build teams know how to boost your outdoor life with a perfect outdoor kitchen — and everything else you need to really enjoy it.

Let’s get started. We’ll help you figure it all out.