If you love the idea of cooking outside, or if you just want an excuse to host more outdoor parties, you might be tempted to buy and modify an outdoor kitchen. But depending on what equipment you purchase, an outdoor kitchen can cost thousands of dollars.
Is it worth the money?
The Benefits of an Outdoor Kitchen
There are many options for buying and installing the equipment necessary to build your outdoor kitchen. You can design and buy your entire outdoor kitchen from the same place, or build it out piece by piece by purchasing those components from different places. You can opt for a simple setup, giving yourself little more than a grill, a sink, and a countertop, or create something much more lavish and comprehensive.
Whatever you choose, these are some of the benefits you’ll stand to enjoy. Note that some of these are purely qualitative, with no monetary value attached to them, while others can help to economically justify your decision.
- The experience of cooking outside. Having an outdoor kitchen means you get the experience of cooking outside. If you love the outdoors, or if you just need more excuses to get out of the house, this should be very appealing to you. Even if you love cooking, you may sometimes feel trapped in the constrictive layout of your traditional kitchen. Outside, you’ll get to breathe fresh air, move around, and enjoy the weather.
- Hosting and parties. Outdoor kitchens are ideal for hosting guests and throwing parties. While you’re cooking hamburgers, your guests can roam around the backyard, enjoy drinks on your countertops, and surround you with conversation. This way, you’ll remain part of the action while continuing to cook – and your guests will all have something interesting to talk about.
- Easy cleanups. Some people love outdoor kitchens because of the easy cleanup potential. If you want your traditional kitchen to remain in pristine shape, you need to thoroughly clean after even a few minutes of food prep. Outside, it’s still important to take good care of your kitchen equipment, but you can sometimes clean by simply brushing food particles onto the ground.
- Augmented cooking options. If you’re cooking a substantial amount of food for a large group of people, you might be glad to have two kitchens available. You can cook outdoors while your spouse cooks inside, and neither one of you will get in the way of the other.
- Incentives to cook more frequently. After purchasing and installing an outdoor kitchen, you’ll likely be incentivized to cook more frequently. If you and your family are interested in eating healthier and enjoying home cooked meals more often, this is a huge advantage.
- Increased home value. Some additions to your home have a higher return on your investment (ROI) than others. Outdoor kitchens fall on the high end of the spectrum, increasing the value of your home significantly. Your home value probably won’t increase by as much as you spent on the outdoor kitchen, but it won’t be far off, either. You’ll make back a decent portion of what you initially invest.
- Odor management. Even if you’re cooking delicious food, odors can unpleasantly linger in the air for days after you’re finished cooking inside. When you cook outside, you won’t have to worry about it; any odors produced by your cooking will quickly dissipate in the atmosphere.
The Costs of an Outdoor Kitchen
The costs of an outdoor kitchen are somewhat hard to estimate, since outdoor kitchens come in so many forms. If you’re looking for a very basic setup, you can get away with paying a mere $2,000. If you’re looking for an outdoor kitchen with everything you could ever want, fully equipped with luxury items, you’ll end up paying $100,000 or more.
You’ll also need to think about utility expenses, though these should mostly fall in line with what you’re already used to. If your outdoor kitchen is equipped with natural gas, electricity, and water, you could end up paying slightly more for your utility bills.
Is It Worth the Money?
It’s hard to make a blanket statement about whether an outdoor kitchen is worth the money, in part because outdoor kitchens range from very inexpensive to very expensive, and in part because everyone is looking for something different when considering purchasing an outdoor kitchen. To one person, merely being able to host an outdoor party is well worth $100,000. To another, it’s not worth paying more than $1,000 for something that’s hardly going to get used.
Consider these benefits and costs carefully as you decide whether to move forward with your outdoor kitchen. Just keep in mind that if you choose to move forward, you can customize your outdoor kitchen to fit the exact size and scope you need.
