Expert Tips for Designing the PerfectOutdoor Kitchen for Every Season 

Life with an outdoor kitchen is simply more enjoyable.Instead of cooking meals in a cramped indoor space, you get to enjoy Arizona’sbeautiful sunshine and fresh air, spread out, and keep food odors and heatoutdoors. But you may wonder whether an outdoor kitchen is practical in aclimate like Arizona’s, where the summers are often uncomfortably hot and thewinters get chilly. 

Good news: You can enjoy an outdoor kitchen year-round inArizona. You just need to consider how to design one that suits every season.Check out these Arizona outdoor kitchen ideas to get started. 

Select Weather-Resistant Materials 

Creating a year-round outdoor kitchen involves choosingmaterials that can stand up to a year’s worth of weather patterns. Invest inmaterials that can handle excessive sunlight and the occasional storm. Youdon’t want to worry about covering your kitchen whenever one of Arizona’ssurprise rain showers pops up. 

Here are some weather-resistant outdoor kitchen materials toconsider:

• Stainless steel 
• Concrete
• Brick
• Tile
• Treated wood
• Light-colored granite
• Powder-coated aluminum

Along with choosing durable materials, consider storagesolutions that protect utensils and small appliances from the sun and rain.Incorporating cabinetry and drawers into the design ensures every item has adesignated, protected place in your outdoor kitchen. 

Install Versatile Cooking Appliances

One important consideration for how to design an outdoorkitchen for every season is appliances. Cooking habits often change from seasonto season, but you want the kitchen to suit your needs no matter what meals youplan to cook. 

Consider which appliances you want to use and what types ofmeals you want to make. For example, many Arizonans prefer cooking on a grillor outdoor stove in the summer to avoid using an indoor oven and heating thehome. Meanwhile, warming drawers may come in handy during the cooler wintermonths. 

Choosing versatile appliances like hybrid stoves can helpyou adapt to the changing seasons without needing to swap out appliances. 

Add Comfortable, Flexible Seating 

An outdoor kitchen isn’t just a functional space to cookmeals in. It can also act as a gathering space for friends and family. Addingcomfortable seating that adapts to changing seasons can help you and your lovedones make the most of this space year-round. 

For example, consider seating options that are comfortablewith and without cushions. You may want to store cushions indoors during rainyperiods. 

Also, think about how the sun will impact seating. Blackwrought-iron chairs may stand up well to rain, but they will quickly heat up indirect sunlight. 

Don’t Forget the Lighting 

Arizona’s fall and winter months are often the mostcomfortable temperature-wise, but they’re also the darkest. The sun sets ataround 5:30 p.m. in December, but early nightfall doesn’t need to hinder youroutdoor cooking activities. 

Choosing the right lighting options can help brighten youroutdoor kitchen. Consider overhead and under-cabinet lighting for practicality,then add ambient lighting like lanterns and bulb lights for a cozy glow. Theperfect lighting design will encourage you to keep using the outdoor kitchenpast sunset and even enjoy meals outside during Arizona’s coolerevenings. 

Work With an Experienced Outdoor KitchenDesigner 

The good news is that you don’t need to know exactly how todesign an outdoor kitchen that adapts to seasons. An experienced outdoorkitchen designer can help you craft the perfect cooking and entertaining spacethat optimizes seasonal adaptability. 

You can work together with your designer to choose theperfect outdoor kitchen layout, features, appliances, and seating. They canalso clue you into outdoor kitchen trends and innovations you maywant to include in your design.

Contact Citiscapes, LLC, for an OutdoorKitchen Consultation 

Wondering how to design an outdoor kitchen thatsuits every season? Citiscapes, LLC, can help you choose the perfect outdoor kitchen featuresand layout and install your new kitchen tothe highest industry standards. Contact us today at 602-616-6938 for aconsultation.