What to Consider when Building an Outdoor Barbecue Station

Enjoying sausages fresh off the barbecue Outdoor cooking is a great way to spend time with friends and family, to entertain, and to simply enjoy your background.

Having an outdoor barbecue station is becoming increasingly popular and functional ways to bring your cooking outside – so you don’t have to miss out on the fun while still preparing a tasty and memorable meal.

A barbecue station can range from the very simple to the very elaborate. You can create a station from just a grill or you can virtually have your entire kitchen available at in one spot outside. Whatever fits your needs! And, bbq stations are available in a variety of attractive designs that enhance any backyard theme.

Setting one up is easy, if you keep a few basics in mind. First, what you need is a grill. In addition to the traditional charcoal grills, gas grills are becoming increasingly popular because they are multi-purpose, you can control the heat – and thus cook a variety of different dishes – and they are easy to maintain. Some people even opt for both a gas and a charcoal grill. You might also want to consider a smoker – particularly if you go for Southern style barbecue.

Regardless, once you’ve chosen your grill you’re ready to get cookin’, right? Just about. you’ll also need some supplies. You’ll need grilling tools, grill starting equipment, and utensils to prepare food. And, to avoid countless trips to the kitchen and taking up entertaining space with food preparation, you’ll need a place to store your supplies. This is why a barbecue station is the perfect solution. They provide storage for supplies – grilling tools, cutting boards, food storage, grill supplies – and anything else you need for outdoor cooking.

They also provide food preparation space by giving you flat surfaces on which to create your barbecue masterpieces. They also give you storage space that keeps your cooking supplies conveniently stored and right at hand when you need them. Store spices, cooking sprays, and even use some bins for temporary food storage. Some even come with wastebaskets and paper towel holders – so everything you need to cook with is right at hand.

It is great to have every thing organized and ready to go, so you can focus on cooking, entertaining, and enjoying yourself. And of course enjoying the food you cooked with friends.

When selecting your outdoor kitchen, consider all the options available and assess your needs. How elaborate is your cooking? If you’re outdoor cooking is mainly focused on grilling different meats, then consider a station designed for focus on grilling. If you like to get more elaborate and grill vegetables, stir up marinades, sauces, and sides, look at a grill that will have adjustable burners. This will allow you to cook different things at different temperatures so every thing is ready at the same time.

What to think about?

How big of a grill do you need?
Can you hook up the barbeque to the natural gas from the house or will you need to be using propane bottles?
Do you need burners to cook items like corn or sauces?
Do you want preparation space or will you prepare everything indoors and bring it out to cook?
Do you want a sink?
Do you need a fridge?
You may want to look at having bins, racks, to store items like utensils, pots, spices and cleaning material.

Also consider where your station will be placed. Many stations are also portable and set on wheels, so you can adjust your cooking area to meet your space and usage needs. This is great if you are having a large party and you want to move it to a different location. Or if you want to move it into the sun or shade to suite your mood and the local climate. or maybe you are cooking at night and you want to move the station under your propane patio heater.

So as you can see, your barbecue station options are endless. But by keeping this information in mind, you can now select the outdoor barbecue station that best meets your needs.

Stations come in a variety of styles and materials. Stainless steel is a popular contemporary choice because it lends itself to a variety of exterior home decor themes, but there are also other materials to choose from. Aluminum is another popular metal. Make sure you choose a durable and non-corrosive material. Depending on the local weather you can also use tile or wood. This is where it is a good idea to talk to your neighbors and friends and see what they are using and if they like it.

For more information on setting up a great location to grill and cook on your deck or patio, please read these articles.

Tips when using charcoal grills

Building an outdoor oven