r/OutdoorKitchens

Started in a couple stores, and now discovering many online outposts selling custom outdoor kitchens that come in boxes.

Are there any brands better than others?

I am looking for a U shaped cabinet/island with one cutout for a 42" grill and another for a griddle, then one cutout for minifridge, garbage can, and some cabinet space.

BBQGuys
RTA
Stono

One thing I didn’t realize when researching outdoor kitchens is how much climate basically determines the best countertop material. Most people start with color and style, but after reading a ton of homeowner experiences, weather seems to matter way more long term. Granite still seems like one of the safest overall choices because it handles sun and heat really well, but in colder climates you need to stay on top of sealing it. Once moisture gets in and starts freezing and thawing over winters, that’s when people start seeing issues.

Porcelain also seems way more popular now than I expected. Low maintenance, handles UV exposure well, and doesn’t need a ton of upkeep. Seems especially common in hotter climates for obvious reasons. Tile looks good initially and can definitely save money, but almost everyone mentions the grout becoming the weak point eventually, especially in freeze and thaw climates where cracking becomes an issue.

The one that surprised me most was concrete. When it’s sealed properly, it actually seems to perform really well across a bunch of different climates, which probably explains why so many custom outdoor kitchens use it.

The overall pattern I kept seeing was that colder climates seem to do best with sealed stone, porcelain, or concrete, while warmer and drier areas have way more flexibility. Coastal and humid climates also seem brutal on anything porous or high maintenance. That also made me understand why companies like RTA Outdoor Living put so much emphasis on concrete based outdoor kitchens, because the material choice has to survive the climate, not just look good on day one.

At this point it honestly feels like weather decides your countertop choice long before aesthetics do. Curious what people here ended up using and how it’s held up after a few years outdoors

I came across their modular outdoor kitchen family recently. The countertop and bar top seem to be perfect dimensions for me so wondering what the consensus is. I can't imagine IKEA-quality material lasting very long outdoors but this will be totally covered.

What are your thoughts?

I need advice on this one. We are building an outdoor kitchen and it is time to select the components. I have read that if you do not plan to keep or stage food outdoors a beverage cooler is the way to go. We will definitely not be keeping food out there. When we grill the food items will more than likely be kept indoors until it is time to cook. So, based on usage it seems like a beverage cooler might be best for us since we will definitely be keeping a supply of cold drinks outside at all times.

However, we are in South Florida where the temps can be over 90 for long periods, and I am worried that a beverage cooler might not have enough cooling power to beat the heat. should I just go for a fridge? what say you?

Installed this grill late in the fall and overall really like it.

Build quality seems great, looks amazing, high heat and uniform cooking surface.

My one issue is the placement of the lid hinge which is slightly overtop of the cooking surface funnels the smoke directly in your face when you stand in front of it tending to whatever you’re cooking.

Smoke rises off of grill, catches front edge of lid which pushes smoke directly forward rather than straight up.

Had a Weber in this exact location prior and never had this issue as the lid is hinged on the back and allowed smoke to go up freely.

Doubtful anything I can do here. Has anyone else experienced this or done anything to help?

It is very challenging to work the grill with bobbing and weaving to avoid all the smoke.

Hi there!

We're building a fairly simple outdoor kitchen that will have a built-in grill -- something on the order of 34" to 40" or so. I'd like something of high quality without getting into the luxury class of grills. So maybe something between $2500-$4500.

I've been spending way too much time looking at Reddit posts, YouTube videos, and websites that sell grills. And each time I feel like I'm narrowing down my decision, I see another grill (or review) and get confused again!

Here is what I think is our key criteria (though feel free to comment if you think this is the wrong way to think of it, if I'm missing something, etc), roughly in perceived order of importance:

1. A grill that's well built and will be dependable and reliable. This includes consideration of the type and gauge of the steel used, quality of welding and construction, etc.
2. A grill that provides even heating (to the extent possible).
3. And although I hope the grill works, lasts, and doesn't require repair, a grill from a company that will be around to provide support if needed.
4. A grill with high quality burners (not just BTUs, but burner design and quality). For example, I'd seen in a YouTube video how although a linear burner from Bulls looks like one from Blaze, Bulls varies the size of the holes from front to back and adds a little heat deflector to make the heat more uniform from front to back. Sounds appealing, though I don't know how much that really matters. Same for U-shaped burners vs H-shaped vs Bowtie vs linear.
5. High quality grilling grates (in terms of thickness, mass, etc).
6. A spring-hinged or friction-balanced lid that's relatively easy to open/close.
7. A grill that's relatively low maintenance (which has me a bit dubious of ceramic briquettes, but I'm not totally opposed).
8. I do plan to use the rotisserie attachment, so a grill that has a good design for that, in terms of placement of the rotisserie burner and size of cavity to allow a large chicken.
9. Value for the price. Not necessarily the least expensive, but one where you're getting lots of the above criteria at a good price.

Based on all of that, here are some of the grills that I've been considering, again, roughly in order of current perceived preference:

1. Blaze Pro Lux 34" grill. From what I've read, this is particularly well built with heavy gauge stainless 304, a solid company that'll be around, even heating from the H-burners, heavy 12mm grates, steel flame tamers that should be easier to clean, and a deeper box that provides more distance between the flame tamers and the grill. And at $4000, it seems a pretty good value.
2. XO Pro 36" grill. In some ways, this seems even more appealing than the Blaze Pro Lux. The size at 36" seems like a sweet spot for me. Has the same type of H-burners as the Blaze Pro Lux though even higher BTU, the company seems to be substantial, and I quite like the infrared burner for searing. I'm a bit dubious of the ceramic briquettes, though maybe that's okay. At $4400, it's on the high end of the range, but still maybe a decent value in terms of what you get.
3. Broilmaster G-Series 34" grill. From what I've read, these are built like a tank, the company has been around for a long time and is known for quality and support, the bowtie burners seem like they'd be good, the multi-zone grates might be interesting, etc. At $2650, this seems like a pretty fantastic value for what you get.
4. Broilmaster B-Series 40" grill. From the website, this looks to be pretty much the same as the G-series because the 40" B-series is described as having those same H-shaped burners. The cooking grates may not be the beefiest (5/16") but otherwise it seems very similar to the G-series. And at $2650, again this seems like a pretty great value.
5. Wildfire Outdoor Living Ranch Pro 36" grill. The folks over at Embers Living seem to love this grill and I can see why. Nice seeming H-burners, laser cut cooking grate, etc. Plus this has a deeper firebox than some of the others, which apparently should help with heat evenness and flare up reduction. At about $3500, this seems also to be a good value. The company hasn't been around as long as others and so it's hard to understand well their warranty and support.
6. True Flame 40" grill. This was the one I originally thought I wanted before looking at all of the other options and getting mired. It still seems like a very good option. Although the company is somewhat new, apparently it's part of AMD, which also makes the Summerset Grills, has been around for a while, and supposedly has great support and an excellent warranty. I also quite like the look of this grill, though that's subjective and personal. It has linear cast burners, which maybe don't provide as even heating as H-shaped or bowtie burners? But otherwise, not much to dislike. And at $3500 for the 40" grill, seems also to be a good value.
7. Summerset Quest 36" grill. Seems quite good, U-shaped burners, nice 45-degree rotisserie burner. But again this has ceramic briquettes, which I think will be higher maintenance. The company seems well regarded and seems to have an excellent warranty and support. But at $4900 this is on the high side and I'm not sure has something that's substantially better than the ones above.
8. Coyote SL-series 36" grill. This seems to me to be quite similar to the Wildfire Ranch Pro 36" grill but this one has charcoal briquettes, which seem like they'll be higher maintenance, and it seems the laser-cut grates are pretty close to those briquettes, so maybe more flare ups.

Would love to get feedback from others on these grills, my rankings, and others that I might have overlooked (though I already feel like I'm swimming in options and am reluctant to add even more!). And hopefully this thread will be a good place to consolidate information for others who are in a similar position as I am.

Thanks!

I’m buying a new construction home in DFW, Texas. The builder offers a backyard natural gas drop-in/stub-out for around $650.

I don’t have an outdoor kitchen planned immediately, but I could see myself adding a built-in grill, pizza oven, or small outdoor cooking setup later. Right now I just have a propane tank, and exchanges are about $20.

For people who built or added outdoor kitchens:

1. Is a gas stub-out worth adding during construction even if I may not use it right away?
2. Would not having one make a future outdoor kitchen noticeably harder or more expensive?
3. What should I ask the builder to include now so I don’t regret it later?
4. Does placement matter a lot for future layout flexibility?
5. Is $650 a reasonable “do it now” price, or would you skip it until I know I’m actually building the outdoor kitchen?

I’m trying to avoid paying for upgrades I won’t use, but I also don’t want to regret skipping something that is much easier to add before the house is finished.