Jakes Outdoor Kitchens

Archive for the ‘How To’ Category

When buying your new grill, it is important to pick the right fuel type for your needs.  You basically have two options: liquid propane, or natural gas.  Natural gas is convenient if you have a natural gas hookup at your home.  You never run the risk of running out of fuel during an evening party.

If simplicity is more important to you, a liquid propane, or LP gas, for short, is probably the fuel type for you.  LP gas is stored in pressurized canisters that are easily refilled at many convenient locations.  The process for connecting your grill to LP gas is quite often, much easier than connecting to natural gas.

Your new barbecue grill will most likely be constructed out of stainless steel, aluminum, or painted steel.  The more high-end grills will incorporate both a stainless steel body and stainless steel burners.  They will also, usually feature a dual layer of stainless to still, which is well insulating, to keep your cooking heat in.  One of the drawbacks of a stainless still grill is the fact that, if left exposed to the elements for a long period of time, the metal may tarnish and take on a yellowish hue.

A painted steel grill is very durable, but is likely to rust if the paint gets scratched or starts to peel away.  This is especially troublesome if you live in a high humidity area

The grate, or cooking area of the grill varies in performance, depending on how it is constructed and what type of metal is used. Cast-iron grates are some of the most common in your average grill. The grate may or may not be coated in porcelain. They are excellent for retaining heat and are fantastic for quickly searing meats, keeping the meat moist and helping to retain flavor. If your cast iron grate is not coated in porcelain, rust may be a problem.

To prevent this from happening, you must periodically oil the grate. Other grates may be constructed of porcelain-coated steel. Although durable, a coated steel grate is not nearly as effective in retaining heat as a cast iron grate. Your grate may also be constructed out of heavy gauge stainless steel. This is usually found in more high-end grills, and is a great choice for its durability, heat retention and ease of cleanup and maintenance.

It is of vital importance to keep a few things in mind when you are deciding this.  Ideally, your cooking center will be located near the kitchen.  It is going to need to be somewhat shielded from the elements, especially wind.  If you already have an existing deck patio, you are already half way there.  Try to locate your grill away from any trees or other flammable material that could catch fire while you grill up a batch of hot dogs for your son’s little-league team.

Make sure when choosing your location that you make allowances for utilities.  You are going to need all the appropriate utility connections, such as water and electricity.  Think about your indoor kitchen and pay attention to some of the conveniences that you like.  There is no reason why you outdoor kitchen shouldn’t be complete with a refrigerator and sink. Your utilities will have to be routed from the kitchen of your home to your new outside kitchen.

Make sure you construct your cooking area with extreme care. A masonry barbecue is heavy, usually requiring a steel-reinforced concrete slab poured over a 4 to 6 inch bed of gravel. Before pouring your slab, get all of your plumbing and wiring conduits installed. You will probably not need any building permits to construct your kitchen, but be aware of and zoning requirements before you build.

Make especially sure that your kitchen is located a good and legal distance from the property lines. Make sure that you get your permits for any plumbing or electrical work before you begin.

So you have decided that you want to construct your own outdoor kitchen? Well, you want to do it right. Your outdoor kitchen isn’t going to be some run of the mill charcoal grill, no sir. This is going to be a state-of-the-barbecue arts outdoor cooking command center.

There is no sense in wishing and being jealous of your neighbor. Get yourself a plan, a qualified masonry contractor, and couple thousand dollars, and get to work. Your task is a serious one and it needs to be done right. After all, your reputation of barbecue wizard of the neighborhood is riding on the outcome of this endeavor.

You can’t afford to go about a project of this magnitude haphazardly. Your outdoor kitchen is, hopefully going to become a long-standing fixture in your back yard.

Plan and build well, and it will reward you, your family, and your friends with years of dependable service.