The New Kitchen—Outside

After World War II, Americans began their great migration to the backyard, where family life centered around a wooden picnic table and a modest grill. Today, we’ve come a long way, as Deborah Krasner sets forth in her book The New Outdoor Kitchen: Cooking Up a Kitchen for the Way You Live and Play (The Taunton Press, 2007, $30), in which she focuses on how to design, build and equip the outdoor kitchen of your dreams.

VERSATILE SPACES
Cavities under the counter hold baskets of kindling and tools for the grill.

Designed with all the panache of our indoor spaces, the new outdoor kitchen has it all: high-end grills, wood-burning ovens and customized hearths coupled with sinks and refrigerators, counter space, lighting and swank sound systems. Home sweet home never looked so good.

KITCHEN CUPOLA
A lot of working kitchen can fit into a 10-foot square: masonry oven, electric smoker, gas grill, refrigerator, sink, shelving and counter space. The galvanized fan above moves smoke and grease up and out the cupola.

A well-designed outdoor kitchen conveys a sense of place and style.

DO IT YOUR WAY
Left: Texas table setting.
Right: Masonry base supports gas grill and sink counter.

Whether for cooking or keeping warm, there’s nothing like an open flame. Many modern outdoor kitchens include a pizza oven and a nearby fireplace for relaxing while the food cooks.

FIRE IT UP
Left: A wood-fired oven is great for making gourmet pizzas in your backyard.
Right: Fireplace carved out of desert sandstone.