The Great Outdoors

Beyond the grill: Outdoor cooking today

By Jessica Abels
CTW Features

Image courtesy Native Trails

For many years, backyard entertainment usually brought hot dogs and burgers to mind. But lately, outdoor cooking areas have become "outdoor kitchens," with functional workstations able to accommodate even the most skilled chef. "It used to be that anything around a built-in grill was called an outdoor kitchen," says Russ Faulk, vice president of marketing and product development at Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. "Now people are being more discriminatory toward outdoor kitchens, and the term usually constitutes a grill, fridge, prep area and storage area."

Table for Two, Please

"People are using their outdoor kitchens more than in the past," says Naomi Howard, CEO of San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based Native Trails. "We're seeing a lot of people who are staying home and eating outside for variety. Instead of heading out to a restaurant, they're putting money into their backyard. They're making outdoor kitchens feel like home, but also luxurious and kind of like an exciting outing." Faulk says cold-weather clients are creating outdoor kitchens too, with the Northeast becoming a fast-growing market.

Give Me Shelter

"With the increase in scale and features, people are doing things to make sure you can use that investment more often," Faulk says, like opting for spaces with roofs.

Hybrid Grills

"We've got the only true hybrid grills on the market, and they're extremely popular with those who are in the know," Faulk says. "It's a fully capable gas grill, but can also be used as a high performance wood and coal grill. It's a very unique system."

A Little Something Extra

"Pizza ovens, dishwashers, warming ovens and beverage coolers have also become popular," Howard says. Faulk says "People are doing more fire features, and putting things in their outdoor kitchens they would never put in indoor kitchens, like wine chiller and keg tappers."

Steeling Away

"Our cabinets are all stainless steel, and that is definitely growing in interest; maybe the biggest growth in outdoor kitchens," Faulk says. "You can pair them with a basalt counter that's got more of a patina to it and pair it with a bronze sink, with wood and stone. Stainless steel doesn't just have to be modern."

Cool Copper

Howard says that the growing trend with sinks is toward copper, and some designers are now working with only copper due to its eco-friendliness. "They're recycled and they also have natural anti-bacterial properties," Howard says. "Plus copper is very earthy, it feels like nature yet it feels luxurious at the same time. Hammered copper has a really rich texture and a patina. It's doesn't corrode or rust like other materials would, and it feels natural to be outdoors."

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