Angie's LIST Guide to
Outdoor kitchens and fireplaces

Save the kitchen in your home for cooler weather and rainy days. When the sun is shining and the weather is calling you, the best place to cook is in your own outdoor kitchen. With a few additions, you can transform the plain space outside into a cooking oasis the entire family will adore.

Most patios have a grill of some kind. While this is fine for cooking some chicken and a few hot dogs, you may want more in the outdoor kitchen of your dreams. Consider adding a brick pizza oven for warmth, ambience and the fresh smell of pizza. Include a wet bar to make serving drinks easy when you have company. A cooler or refrigerator is necessary for keeping the party outdoors.

By combining store-bought appliances with a few custom elements, waterproof cabinetry and the right flooring surface, an outdoor kitchen can come together quickly.

If enough space is available, an outdoor kitchen can include everything that an indoor kitchen has. Since the purpose of an outdoor kitchen is often to allow the homeowner to entertain guests while doing his or her own cooking, the most practical designs include a full range of appliances as well sinks and work surfaces that keep homeowners outside and among their guests.

The first step in designing an outdoor cooking space is to determine how much space can be devoted to it. A space that is too large can take away from the yard, seating and landscaping. Making the space too small can mean frequent trips to the main kitchen.

Once measurements are taken to determine available space, some homeowners use graph paper to plot the location of appliances, cabinets and utility connections. Some home improvement stores offer free design services to homeowners who buy materials or appliances from them. Contracting with a professional home designer is another option.

The choice of flooring for the outdoor cooking area depends on the style of the kitchen and the budget. Poured concrete foundations usually require professional installation, but homeowners can often lay pavers and put down gravel or natural stone surfaces themselves.

The construction and installation of your outdoor kitchen may require the assistance of a team of professionals.

For a complete outdoor kitchen with appliances and functioning sinks, homeowners might need the services of a plumber, an electrician, mason and general contractor to oversee the entire project.

A plumber may be needed to run the permanent lines to the grill and stove as well as running new water lines that will be required by the sink or ice maker. An electrician might be needed to run electrical lines to the refrigerator, and it's a good idea to have extra outlets installed. An electrician will be able to install proper outlets for the outdoors that will function safely during all kinds of weather.

Mason workers and general contractors may be needed if you are planning on using stone and tile in the construction. It is also advisable to work with a landscaper who can help make the transition from the outdoor kitchen to the rest of the yard.

A wood burning fireplace can be anything from an outdoor wood stove to a fire pit. The possibilities here are limitless, especially when you consider the fact that wood burning fireplaces are much cheaper than gas ones.

They require less setup than gas burning fireplaces, and can run off the same wood used for indoor wood burning fireplaces, as long as the wood doesn't contain an accelerant like gasoline or oil. There are even differing benefits between the various types of wood burning outdoor fireplaces.

For example, a fire pit is a great option for intimate get-togethers, but could be troubling on windy nights, as the wind could blow smoke in the wrong direction. For homeowners who live in windy areas, enclosed fireplaces, chimeneas or wood stoves provide nice alternatives. This way, the smoke is funneled upward, leaving you free from having to engage in the smoke dance every time the wind changes directions.

There are a few drawbacks that are important to understand when using wood burning fireplaces outdoors.

They can quickly become caked with carbon residue, meaning you have to clean them often. If you don't get something with a thick base, the fire will corrode the entire unit over time. Due to the buildup of creosote, wood stove-style fireplaces will require cleaning more than the fire pit-type fireplaces to avoid dangerous fires.