Key Considerations when Building the Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen

Whether you’ve just bought your very first pizza oven or you’re a seasoned pizza aficionado, the chances are you’ve entertained your friends and family and maybe even impressed them with your homemade pizzas. Of course, you can perch your pizza oven on an old garden table or even a purpose-built pizza oven stand, but nothing really beats a proper outdoor kitchen for the ultimate wow factor to transform your garden. If you’re planning on building your own outdoor kitchen or getting one built by a pro, there’s a few important considerations to make first. From layout and location to storage and style, a little planning goes a long way in creating the ultimate outdoor kitchen that works beautifully in your space.

Space and Location

No matter the size and shape of your garden, with the right planning it’s more than possible to create a beautiful and functional outdoor kitchen. We always say that one of the first considerations should be the sun’s position throughout the day, and therefore, which section of your garden gets the most and least sunlight. You’ll also likely want your outdoor kitchen to adjoin your existing entertaining/seating area if you have one, which will ease flow and practical issues when hosting a pizza party.

It’s also worth considering how exposed the area is to wind and rain. Will your outdoor kitchen require shelter building in, for example, a pergola or pull-out awning? From a safety standpoint, it’s also vital that you consider that a pizza oven reaches incredibly high temperatures, so think about where the oven will be placed within the setup. Ideally, it should be away from fences, sheds, and trees, for obvious reasons!

Layout and Flow

As we touched on above, a well-thought-out layout can make all the difference in how enjoyable and efficient your outdoor kitchen is to use. The pizza oven should be the star of the show and therefore placed at the heart of your set-up. This gives you practical space at one side to stretch and top the dough, and space on the other side for slicing and serving. A prep table style countertop at one side is ideal, for example with a marble or stainless-steel top. From a practical point of view, it’s super beneficial to install units with storage for utensils, wood, and ingredients to keep everything close at hand and clutter-free.

Utilities and Practicalities

The relevance of this section depends on whether you want to create a fully functional outdoor kitchen, or if the sole purpose of the space is for your pizza oven and/or BBQ. Whether your pizza oven is gas-powered, or wood-fired, or if your BBQ is a charcoal or gas-powered model, you might not even need to consider further utilities. But if you want to create the ultimate outdoor kitchen, it really wouldn’t be complete without a beer fridge, would it? Access to electricity also gives you the ability to install lighting for those summer parties that go on late into the night, as well as for small appliances like blenders and mixers. If you’re planning to incorporate a sink, don’t forget to factor in water supply and drainage too.

Choose the Right Pizza Oven

Of course, you may already have a pizza oven that you’re building an outdoor kitchen around. If you haven’t, we’d recommend a tabletop pizza oven rather than a portable pizza oven. Small, lightweight ovens have their place, but if you’re going to the time and expense of building an outdoor kitchen for your garden, you’ll really want an oven that can cater for a large number of people and perhaps even cook multiple pizzas at the same time. If you’ve got your heart set on a wood-fired oven that offers that truly authentic wood-fired flavour, we’d recommend the Igneus Classico or Igneus Pro 600. If you’d rather have the convenience of gas, you can’t go wrong with the Gozney Arc and Arc XL. If you want to go all-out and want the best of both worlds, the Gozney Dome, which is a professional-grade outdoor pizza oven, offers the key benefit of being a dual-fuel oven.

Styling Your Outdoor Kitchen

Now we’ve got all the practical stuff out of the way, we can talk about styling and adding the finishing touches that bring your outdoor kitchen to life. As we mentioned earlier, lighting plays a big part both in a practical sense but also for setting the mood and ambience. Adding festoon lights is a great way to tick both those boxes, but if you don’t have access to electricity outside, fear not! You can always add solar-powered lanterns and wall lights. A few well-placed plants, a herb wall, or even an outdoor rug can add texture and personality too. It’s these details that create a welcoming atmosphere and make your outdoor kitchen a space you’ll want to use all year round.

Final Thoughts

Whatever stage you’re at in planning your outdoor kitchen, taking time to get the details right will help you create a space that’s both practical and a pleasure to spend time in. If you’re just getting started and haven’t bought your pizza oven yet or if you’re refining your dream setup, our expert team is always here to help. You can give us a call on 01423 608648 or drop us an email at sales@thepizzaovenshop.com.