outdoor garden kitchen

[slatts]

Hi All

Doing my garden this year and would like some sort of kitchen area beside the smoker and grills.

Been looking online and the metal cupboards with holes for the gas bottle and bbq's and side burners etc are silly prices. The only idea I've got is normal kitchen cupboards with cement boards (I use them for tiling) they come in 6 or 12mm thickness, I was going to screw the boards to every surface of the units even down to the floor and then stick either tiles or stone cladding to it, I have a box of granite tiles for the work top and will try and find an old caravan sink or something similar.

I know our weather isn't great but there is a 7-8ft high thick hedge along one side and maybe some kind of roof over it although i'm in 2 minds about that as the tiles will be weatherproof and the grout will be sealed. Im thinking of using wooden doors that will be stained and varnished to protect them against the weather.

Anybody got any other ideas or has done anything else??
I have a blank canvas really as the garden needs to be done but don't want to spend silly money on the metal cupboards etc.
Ive already been offered some old kitchen units that are being taken out next week, is there any reason they wouldn't work?

Thanks for any info/advice

Slatts

[robgunby]

Sounds like a great plan slatts. Personally I would go with the roof, because your cupboards might be weatherproof but you aren't!

I had plans for something similar but wifey has made me scale back because the structure would block sunlight to her veggie patch

[robgunby]

Was searching for posts on weatherproofing and shelters and came across this. Did you ever do it slatts?

[slatts]

Hi Rob

I spent all spring and summer digging out shed bases, garden path, putting sleepers in and levelling mud for re-turfing, laying turf, gravelling areas, putting up new fencing and building over 30m2 of decking framework and decking. Putting together a metal shed and summer house plus running electricity to areas. Plus filling a 7yard skip with all the old shed bases and i filled 80% of that skip with mud.
I was shattered by September being self employed and any days off in the garden but.......................ran out of time to do the cooking area I have moved my small shed to beside the cooking area and in the spring the shed is going to be a bar and a cooking area in front, there is electric run for a couple of sockets, 1 for the pitmaster IQ so a smoker can be semi built in.
There's a few photos on my photobucket, think you can look through them

[robgunby]

Wowzer, that's a lot of work! Not surprised you ended up pooped! Personally, I would settle for either the summer house or the metal shed to shove my smokers in, add a chimney and be done with it, but then I'm a lazy sod who hasn't even got round to putting up a lean-to and as a result has a rusty UDS

[slatts]

I got the summerhouse free from a customer, just had to get it home. Luckily my father in law has a big flat bed at his work and got it for me, Its for the kids and will be boarded out and electrics installed otherwise it would be a smoking hut, its only 4ft deep but has a 2ft veranda on the front, would of been perfect but the boss has spoken.

The metal shed has the kids bikes in etc plus all my fishing gear, wouldnt recommend a metal shed though, the roof inside is soaking and the light has blown, was supposed to be condensation free as it has vents around the roof.

Didnt even get to build the cajun smoker but money was getting a bit tight and it wasnt deemed a necessity

The decking isnt looking to good outside my back door at the moment, spilt some charcoal over it so its a bit black it wasnt lit so hopefully will sand off when i restain it all when the weather changes for the better.

Will post photos of the cooking area when its done

[robgunby]

...the summerhouse...., Its for the kids, ......would of been perfect but the boss has spoken.

Life is always a question of priorities, and that's all I'm saying on a public forum that theoretically my wife and kids could visit!

What you said about the decking affirms in my mind that any outdoor cooking area I plan on shouldn't have too much emphasis on pristine presentation. I'm cack-handed and butter-fingered at the best of times, so a hardy surface would be of more benefit to me than one which I want to keep in good condition.

[slatts]

Yeah they could visit but id have to learn how to use the washing machine and that hot thing that takes creases out of my clothes.

I know i shouldnt be putting hot coals into the smokers over the decking but where the cooking area is its just wet mud at the moment. im thinking of a slabbed base with 10-12ft fence posts cemented in with a roof on top. Cupboards etc around 3 sides and maybe a under counter fridge for meat or beer. If i get the pitmaster iq (Toby have you sent any to welwyn garden city?? lol my xmas present) then i want to put the 57cm wsm in a corner with the work top at the lid height.

Lots of work to do and ive never done any of this kind of work before but its good to see it from what is was before. A professional would look at it and find loads of faults but im happy with it all and it works for us.