Modular outdoor kitchens are making rounds in the market not only because of its sleek and efficient design but most importantly because it gives a homeowner an instant outdoor kitchen.
Since this type of outdoor kitchen is pre-fabricated, meaning you don’t have to go to extents of cutting wood and hammering them together, it is practical and budget-friendly. Not to mention, it saves you a lot of energy and time.
Some modular outdoor kitchen also ships complete with countertops and appliances. You may also choose to purchase only the modules if you already have existing appliances you want to use.
Modules come in kits that you have to assemble together. When assembled, they resemble kitchen countertops shaped in an upright rectangular that when put next together creates the outdoor kitchen of your dreams. These modules are ready to house your outdoor appliances.
Take note that you have to measure the width and height of the appliance you plan to built-in before assembling the module to make sure that it perfectly fits. This brings us to the next main topic on modular kitchens: customization.
Can you customize modular outdoor kitchens?
Yes, modular outdoor kitchens are fully customizable. It is absolutely necessary for modular outdoor kitchens because very household has different types of appliances and not all have similar width and height. Therefore, modular kitchen kits may be customized depending on the size of the appliance it will house.
Custom fitting is not difficult especially if you are a handy man with prior experience with minor building. You just have to cut out an extra space in the module for bigger appliances. These modules come with DIY instructions and mistakes can be easily remedied so you won’t have to worry about not doing it perfect the first time.
Apart from this, modules don’t come designed with fancy countertops and are not lined with pleasant walls. Most of them come in wood or stainless steel. This doesn’t say that you can’t use the module right away after assembly; of course, the module can perfectly function on its own and is not that bad to look at, but if you are going for a theme, you can easily customize it with the counters and wall linings you like.
Get something that instantly changes the way your countertop looks such as the:
Instant Granite Peel and Stick Black Granite Film
Some companies who manufacture kitchen kits will gladly take customization requests while some also offer unfinished kits that you can finish however you like. As stated before, only a simple DIY know-how will do the trick.
What should you look for in a modular outdoor kitchen?
What you would like your module to have depends on how big the module will be to fit all the appliances you want for your outdoor kitchen. For example, a grilling modular outdoor kitchen will just require you to have three to four modules: For the grill, sink, refrigerator, and prep table.
You may add a drawer that may not necessarily come with the module kit such as the:
Swiss Grill 3-Drawer Module with Lock Hinge Drawers
You may want an outdoor kitchen kit that comes with separate stainless steel modules for grilling, storing, cooling, washing, baking, and warming. It may also have a bar area and seating for family and friends. This type of modular outdoor kitchen kit is big and will require more space as it would function as a full-fledged kitchen.
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 sizes, as mentioned before; you need to know how big your appliance is for it to fit. For grills, it is usually five feet for a 40-inch grill, four feet for 30-36-inch grill and three feet for 24” grill. Modules for side burners, drawers, refrigerators, sinks, and bar centers are around two to three feet.
Also make sure that everything is prepared for your modular outdoor kitchen. Some factors to consider are the location, space, and plumbing, gas, and electricity provisions. Accessories to add to your kitchen should also come to mind such as an exhaust like the:
Broan Three Speed Power Pack
Why should you invest in a modular outdoor kitchen?
If you aren’t convinced yet as to why you should go for a modular outdoor kitchen, we have listed some points that show the benefits of this type of kitchen setup.
- It requires little to no kitchen design and planning. Since you don’t have to plan and design, you don’t have to build too. Everything is pre-built for you.
- It installs fast. You can request for it to be installed by the company where you bought it or if you have DIY skills, you can install it on your own using the manual that comes with the kit.
- It saves you labor costs. Instead of using the money to pay for labor, you can use the extra cash in revamping the look of the modules. Purchase countertop covers and walls made of stone to make your kitchen more elegant-looking.
- It can be used immediately. Constructing a modular outdoor kitchen may take only a few hours when compared to building a customized outdoor kitchen that may take weeks.
- It can be taken with you when you move. Building another outdoor kitchen in your new home will incur extra costs. If you move quite a lot, it is best to invest in a modular kitchen that you can take with you instead of having built-in every time you move into a new house.
Conclusion
Choosing prefabricated modular outdoor kitchens save you time and energy because the work is already done for you compared to building a custom-designed outdoor kitchen. However, this is not to say that modules can’t be customized; you may design your outdoor kitchen the way you want.
Choose from granite, tile or stucco for the walls and countertops, and add matching chairs and cabinets. Your imagination is the limit. Basically, a modular outdoor kitchen just makes everything easier as all aspects of the island is already built.