9 Simple Outdoor Kitchen Ideas That Are Going to Blow Your Mind

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Less truly is more. When you’re short on time or have a limited budget, simple outdoor kitchen ideas will still give you style to work with.

Now, what qualifies as ‘simple’? To me, simple outdoor kitchen ideas are any tips or tricks to let you create or upgrade your outdoor kitchen. Think of details such as:

1. Start off extra small with a kitchen island and a portable grill
2. Turn an outdoor kitchen island into a bar space
3. Extend your dining area with more chairs for a meet-and-greet area

…and these are just a few ideas to start with!

I have six more ideas to give you inspiration for a stylish and comfortable outdoor kitchen experience. You’ll get inspiration for lighting, effectively using a small space, appliances, sink installation, and more.

Simple Outdoor Kitchen Ideas: Lighting

Well-placed lighting adds a little magic to an outdoor kitchen space. It can enhance it, enlarge it, and make it feel downright whimsical.

At the same time, lighting also makes an outdoor kitchen safe, convenient, and useful. If you want to effectively recreate the indoor-outdoor experience, you’ll need to use several lighting types.

They don’t have to be complex lighting installations, either — we’re shooting for simple here!

Ambient Lighting to Make Your Outdoor Kitchen Glow

The goal of ambient lighting is to brighten up the space and create a soothing, inviting atmosphere. You can achieve this effect with multiple fixtures such as recessed lights or chandeliers.

Chandeliers, in particular, add a lot of style to the area, especially when you have limited space. An elaborate, over-the-scale fixture helps fool the eye into thinking the space is bigger than it actually is.

Simple outdoor kitchen ideas work with the space, not against it!

A Light Fixture With a Fan Does Double Duty

While chandeliers are a fantastic pick for people who enjoy ornate or maximalist styles, another fixture may be more your type! A light fixture with a fan provides ambient light while creating a breeze and keeping insects away.

You can amplify the cooling effect of a fan by installing one that spreads mist. While fans are a little more expensive than straightforward light fixtures, their additional function is worth the cost.

Task Lights Ensure You Can Cook, Clean, and Eat Safely

Even though ambient light is vital for making your space feel inviting, task lights are what makes cooking and cleaning safe. If you’re planning on cooking after the sunset, these lighting fixtures are even more important.

Without proper lighting, you run the risk of:

• Serving undercooked food
• Missing out on insects that wandered onto the plate
• Cutting yourself while chopping or mincing

Task lights come with a variety of styles, such as wall lights and LED grill lighting. While you should stick close to your budget to avoid being unhappy with the end result, you need task lights. Simple outdoor kitchen ideas won’t work with just your phone light, I’m afraid.

Accent Lights Draw the Eye and Complete Your Outdoor Kitchen

Accent lights help you stress the focal points of your outdoor kitchen, such as a painting or fine architectural detail. They can even do double duty by drawing the eye, yet providing bright enough light to work with.

Need more inspiration to see your outdoor kitchen through to completion? Don’t miss my in-depth guide on outdoor kitchen lighting ideas.

Simple Outdoor Kitchen Ideas: Small Spaces

Limited space is not a huge issue (pun intended) if you’re not interested in an over-the-top solution. You can still squeeze a small working space into an outdoor kitchen, like a patio corner.

If anything, the size limits the number of appliances and functions. Your simple outdoor kitchen ideas should still include up to five zones:

• hot
• cold
• wet
• dry
• serve

The cold zone is where the fridge is placed and should be located far from the hot zone. You want to make sure your outdoor kitchen temperatures are stable enough to do their job, right?

The hot zone is where you’ll be cooking, searing, grilling, or baking.

The wet zone is the area for sink and garbage, usually placed between cold and dry zones. This convenient placement allows you to cook, clean, and throw away garbage without moving around too much.

The serve zone is basically a bar counter, table counter, or simply a table with chairs.

Lastly, the dry zone is where you’ll be eating and relaxing.

What else should you take into account while planning? Review these three subjects for your simple outdoor kitchen ideas.

The first one is the proximity to your indoor kitchen. Is it close enough where you can prepare stuff inside, then cook outside? The less back-and-forth you have to do, the better.

The second detail are your cooking habits. Do you like to grill, smoke, or make pizza? How about putting together cocktails or smoothies?

The last detail is if you’re considering selling your home for the future. Buyers looking for a house usually look for an outdoor kitchen with practical additions. These include a sink with cold water, an outdoor fridge, a decently-sized cooking surface, storage, and a work surface.

To sum things up: if your outdoor kitchen is close enough to your house, you’ll get a lot of mileage out of a few cooking appliances and working space. If you’re willing to sell the house in the future, treat your outdoor kitchen like an investment with additional functions.

One of the most common questions asked regarding simple outdoor kitchen ideas is: what shape will work best for my set-up?

In my opinion? The simpler, the better.

There are four basic options for limited spaces: L-shape, an island, against the wall, and U-shape. For very tiny spaces, an island and L-shaped outdoor kitchen work the best for comfort.

While we’re at it – designing an outdoor kitchen requires a bit of knowledge. The first detail you need to figure out is how much free space you’ll need for your appliances. An outdoor kitchen created without this type of forethought will be uncomfortable to use.

If you’re still in the early planning stages for your simple outdoor kitchen ideas, we have a handy guide on how to plan an outdoor kitchen.

Simple Outdoor Kitchen Ideas: Appliances

Picking appliances for an outdoor kitchen is an involving process. You’ll need to do a little number crunching to make sure you’re making the most out of your length and width.

To get you started: most simple outdoor kitchens are below 10′. With this size, it’s possible to fit a burner, grill, sink, and storage. However, it may be tough to squeeze in an outdoor fridge or a large amount of decorations.

The more limited the space, the fewer appliances can be used in your simple outdoor kitchen ideas.

Fewer appliances can really work well for the area, as more countertop ft is going to function as a workspace. And more countertop usually means space is more convenient to use.

The size of the appliances not only factors into your comfort in day-to-day use, but for your aesthetic. If the area is of a moderate size, very large appliances might make your kitchen appear smaller visually.

Simple Outdoor Kitchen Ideas? Cold Climate

A cold climate is an important factor you should focus on while designing your kitchen. You don’t want your set-up to look like the above photo!

A few questions to ask yourself when musing over simple outdoor kitchen ideas are:

1. Which materials hold up best to cold weather?
2. Which finishes will look best year-round?
3. How will I protect my outdoor kitchen from rust or ice?

One detail that works great for states with colder winters is covering the outdoor kitchen area with roofing. Sail shades and pergolas are best suited to warmer climates, so I recommend avoiding them.

To protect the kitchen from the snow and rain, use a gazebo or a roof. Read my guide on outdoor kitchen covers to learn more about this crucial planning stage.

While brick works well in cold climates, not all finishes do. Concrete countertops and floors in winter have an unfortunate tendency to crack.

A cracking countertop not only takes away from the beauty of your outdoor kitchen area, but can also lead to broken plumbing. Think twice if your outdoor kitchen should be connected to plumbing, especially since there are many other outdoor sink solutions.

If you’re afraid to build an outdoor kitchen in a cold climate, a movable outdoor kitchen can be a thing for you. It’s less expensive, doesn’t require permits, and can be stored in a garage while unused.

Some outdoor kitchen brands offer weatherproof outdoor kitchens that don’t rust, warp, or develop mold.

Simple Outdoor Kitchen Ideas: Sinks

A functional sink is a must-have for an outdoor kitchen: is it any wonder why so many homeowners want one? Installing one can be an incredibly easy project or the opposite depending on the location of your utilities and house.

There are multiple ways you can make an outdoor kitchen:

• under-sink bucket
• French drain (dry well)
• lift station
• drain line

The Under-Sink Bucket is a Fast and Affordable Solution

The under-sink bucket is a cheap and fast way to create a functioning sink in the backyard. It doesn’t require construction or permits, since you can deliver your water using a garden hose. You can also use whatever you want in the sink since it’s not connected to anything.

The Lift Station is a More Complex, Yet Cost-Effective Solution

The lift station is another relatively inexpensive solution that can have food chunks or chemicals. You place two containers under the sink – one for freshwater and one for dirty water (or greywater).

The lift station needs to be connected and plugged into the socket to start pumping fresh water into the faucet. After each use, you need to pour out the dirty water.

A Dry Well is an Ideal Pick for Rinsing (But Needs a Permit)

The third option is a dry well: this is basically a way of creating a way for water to go into the ground. You can’t use chemicals in this one.

Food chunks are going to create a smell. Unsurprisingly, the dry well is mainly for rinsing. You’ll need a permit for this once since you’ll have to attach the drain to a sewage or septic system.

Simple Outdoor Kitchen Ideas: Roof

Building a roof over an outdoor kitchen has multiple advantages. First of all, using a covered space is simply easier.

Depending on your outdoor kitchen structure and size, you can use sail shades or a pergola to protect from the sun. If you also want protection from rain and snow, consider a gazebo or a roof over your patio.

Proper coverage also elongates the lifespan of your appliances since they’re protected from the elements.

The main issue with roofing is the price. Pergola price can vary from $300 – $15,000, gazebos are $300 – $20,000, and roofing costs on average $7,000 – $11,000.

It’s always cheaper to build these constructions using kits. If you want to save time and money, I recommend checking out sun sails.

A sail shade can be installed basically anywhere – all it needs is support. Sail shades simply need you to hook them up to some poles.

These can cover up to 170 sq ft for less than $200. Installing a sail shade is a project nearly anybody can do, too, as it doesn’t require advanced construction skills. This cover will work miracles in spaces that need to be protected from the sun.

Simple Outdoor Kitchen Ideas Are Some of the Most Creative

I love small spaces because they provide limitless possibilities for creativity. You’d be amazed by the functional and stylish outdoor kitchens you can create with a little planning.

Need more help putting together your outdoor kitchen? The following guides will help you with everything from materials to ROI:

• Reliable Materials for Outdoor Kitchens: A Definitive Guide
• 21 Easy & Affordable Outdoor Grill Station Design Ideas
• How Much Does an Outdoor Kitchen Cost? 3 Vivid Cost Examples