What should you look for in a modular outdoor kitchen?

The best outdoor kitchen cabinets are made of 304 stainless steel or marine grade polymer. The stainless would last longer with less maintenance but the polymer give more custom options.  Check out our thoughts on stainless steel vs Polymer here. 

Before modular cabinets, homeowners would hire a contractor and create a stone kitchen with stainless doors placed for access. The problem is that there is no features in there. Just a raw open space. This is the biggest difference between stainless doors and modular cabinets.

Modular cabinets are inclosed and come with a variety of features depending on the cabinet type . Grill cabinets, for example generally have shelves, propane tank housing, and space for grilling accessories. Your first step would be to create a wishlist to customize your outdoor kitchen.

How do I customize my modular outdoor kitchen?

Accommodating all the features within your wishlist for your outdoor kitchen depends on how big the space you have to fit all the appliances and cabinet modules. For example, a good grilling outdoor kitchen will require you to have two to four modules: to accommodate the grill, sink, refrigerator, and /or side burner. 

You also need to choose the desired shape of your modular outdoor kitchen. A straight modular kitchen is advised for a small setup while an L-Shaped or U-Shaped is advised for a big setup.

Modules also come with various sizes, and you will need to know the drop-in dimensions for your appliance to fit. If you don’t know, we can help you with this.

When planning a space, most modular cabinets come in standard sizes, for example: grill cabinets usually are a 40-inch grill cabinet, 32-inches for a sink cabinet and side burner cabinet, and a mini-fridge would span about 22-inches. These four items alone would span about 10 feet.

Also, make sure that everything is prepared for once your modular outdoor kitchen cabinets arrive. Some factors to consider are preparing the space to make sure it’s level, and making sure your plumbing, gas and electricity provisions are all met. You will need to contact the appropriate contractor for the plumbing, gas and electricity requirements.

If you need help designing your space, please feel free to contact us.

All the best,

4 Life Outdoor

Additional stories:

• Our favorite outdoor kitchen grills for 2022
• Best countertop options
• Side burner within outdoor kitchen cabinets
• Shop outdoor kitchen cabinets