OT: Outdoor Kitchen

[prdubya]

Am in the process of a home renovation... thinking when I finish inside, will turn my attentions outside and think about an outdoor kitchen. And of the pack have experience building an outdoor kitchen?

Am thinking it will be a straight counter (not L-shaped) and definitely be plumbed for nat gas so I don’t have to worry about tanks. Would also like space for a pizza oven and a sink. A buddy of mine has an outdoor griddle that sounds awesome (his sales pitch: imagine outdoor bacon for breakfast!”; strong pitch...) But that might get too large for my yard.

Questions for the pack:
1) Any built in grills you recommend? Doesn’t need to be a massive grill, but I want at least 3 burners Have looked at www.bbqguys.com But there’s a lot of options.
2) Anybody got experience with / recommendations for pizza ovens?
3) Anybody done the griddle? Recommend or skip?
4) How difficult is the plumbing for Nat gas and water? I’m reasonably handy, but this would be the biggest project to date on my own (well, with some buddies’ beer labor too...)


Thanks in advance!

 

[qball.sixpack]

Just did all of what you mention. Sending you a pm.

 

[prdubya]

Awesome. Thank you!

 

[johnson86-1]

Am in the process of a home renovation... thinking when I finish inside, will turn my attentions outside and think about an outdoor kitchen. And of the pack have experience building an outdoor kitchen?

Am thinking it will be a straight counter (not L-shaped) and definitely be plumbed for nat gas so I don’t have to worry about tanks. Would also like space for a pizza oven and a sink. A buddy of mine has an outdoor griddle that sounds awesome (his sales pitch: imagine outdoor bacon for breakfast!”; strong pitch...) But that might get too large for my yard.

Questions for the pack:
1) Any built in grills you recommend? Doesn’t need to be a massive grill, but I want at least 3 burners Have looked at www.bbqguys.com But there’s a lot of options.
2) Anybody got experience with / recommendations for pizza ovens?
3) Anybody done the griddle? Recommend or skip?
4) How difficult is the plumbing for Nat gas and water? I’m reasonably handy, but this would be the biggest project to date on my own (well, with some buddies’ beer labor too...)


Thanks in advance!

I would say figure out a way to work in the griddle before the pizza oven. I know they don't exactly take up space the same way, but the people I know with griddles (or hibachi grills is what they tend to call them), use them, whereas the people I know with outside pizza ovens, they are purty decorations.

 

[prdubya]

Good point. Have also thought about a cheaper, portable pizza oven option that I could have enough counter space to set on top and use when I want to make pizzas rather than full on, heavy And expensive pizza oven.

I like the griddle / hibachi idea too. The outdoor bacon is a big selling point.

Thank you for sharing!

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Do the griddle. You will use it so much and I would definitely do it before a pizza oven.

 

[PartTimeGenius]

1) No real recommendations on built-in grill, there are a lot of good options. I have a Weber Spirit 3 burner myself, and it is great.
2) I highly recommend the BakerStone Pizza oven box. With the right size gas grill, this is a fantastic addition. It is portable, so just bring it out for pizza night.
3) I've been cooking with the 3burner Blackstone griddle for a month or so. Man that changes the game as far as kitchen clean up. Highly recommend.
4) No advice for you here, I'm not the man for plumbing needs.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

I would say figure out a way to work in the griddle before the pizza oven. I know they don't exactly take up space the same way, but the people I know with griddles (or hibachi grills is what they tend to call them), use them, whereas the people I know with outside pizza ovens, they are purty decorations.

^^^This^^^^
Skip the pizza oven. My neighbor has one and has used it 2-3 times in 2 years. Cooks his pizzas on his green egg now. Easier/better pizza and a million other uses.

View attachment 16565

If you really like pizza, look at Kamado Joe vs green egg. They rolled out an attachment last year that turns the Joe into a pizza oven called the DoJoe.

 

[Tin Cup Cowboy]

I have an Ooni pizza oven, it's one of the portable ones. It does a really good job once you learn to manage it. My biggest issue is making the dough, not that I can't make the dough, just that I never have it available when I want to use it. I could plan better, but you really want to make your dough at least 3 days ahead of time. But when you have it on hand, it does an awesome job.

 

[Car Ramrod.sixpack]

Pizza in a Kamado Joe is top notch. I do not have the Doe Joe for reasons said above for a pizza oven, because I would only use it a few times a year. I use 3 fire bricks on top of the grates to elevate the pizza stone up into the dome to get the high heat like a pizza oven. All in all I use my kamado far more than I ever thought I would.

Use iron pipe for your gas lines, flex line should only be used for short applications. I wouldn't recommend doing the plumbing yourself unless you have access to a power pipe thread cutter. Water plumbing isn't that difficult you can get the gist with a few YouTube videos but tying into an existing drain pipe will be you hardest task.

 

[prdubya]

Awesome stuff team. Many thanks!

Will post pics in a few months when I have this bad boy built out.

 

[prdubya]

Excellent stuff. Have looked at ooni and rocboxx portables.

I’m a pizza afficianado, so I tell myself I’d be a “heavy user” (Make oven pizza with my baking steel a couple times a month).

May start with the grill top options and see if I want to go with a portable.

Thank you!

 

[G-Dawg]

Go look up the BBQGuys on YouTube and web. They're out of Baton Rouge and have some GREAT looking designs.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Do an outdoor fireplace and have a pizza oven built in.

 

[Dawgbite]

Big Green Eggs or any Kamado style grill catches grief on here but there is no more versatile grill. It can be a pizza oven, a smoker, a high temp grill or even a cold smoker for cheese or salmon. It can be used the old fashioned way by hand or it can be automated. You can bake bread, cook in a wok, you name it and you can cook it. My wife says I have a grill problem and I’ll admit if something new comes out, I want to try it but I always end up back with the egg. My outdoor kitchen has two eggs, an XL for large cooks and a Medium for when it’s just 2-4 of us, and a built in lp burner for boiling stuff. That’s pretty much all I need.

 

[Dawg1979]

I would say figure out a way to work in the griddle before the pizza oven. I know they don't exactly take up space the same way, but the people I know with griddles (or hibachi grills is what they tend to call them), use them, whereas the people I know with outside pizza ovens, they are purty decorations.

second this. i did my backyard 2 years ago. after about a year, and only using the pizza oven a hand full of times, i took it out and installed a griddle. i use that thing more than anything else i have. fried rice, pancakes, bacon, eggs, etc. the griddle/hibachi is awesome!