The Ultimate Guide to the L-Shaped Outdoor Kitchen
Whenever you plan the next steps in your outdoor living space design, improving dining and cooking capabilities should always be at the top of the list. That’s where we spend the most time and make the best memories. If you’re wondering which shape of outdoor kitchen is most efficient for the cook, most enjoyable for guests, and most easily fit into the patio space, it’s the L-shape. Here’s the full picture on L-shaped outdoor kitchen ideas.
What Is An L-Shaped Outdoor Kitchen Called?
Much like the name suggests, the L shaped outdoor kitchen is in the shape of the letter L, with one longer section attached on one end to a shorter section. This type of kitchen design is included in the larger group of peninsula or island outdoor kitchens, which refers to a kitchen that occupies a section of the area independent from any walls.
Is An L-Shaped Outdoor Kitchen Good?
Yes! There are many benefits to choosing an L shaped outdoor kitchen design. Both landscape designers and homeowners have noticed these benefits. L shaped outdoor kitchen plans are some of the most popular worldwide. Once you’ve cooked in an L shaped kitchen, you’ll never want to cram yourself into a galley kitchen again.
Open Floor Plan
For hosting parties, outdoor kitchens work best with an open floor plan. Working with an L shaped outdoor kitchen design creates a much better flow of foot traffic around your cooking and dining space, especially when you have large gatherings. Open floor plans also allow for greater socializing opportunities for the cook and the guests.
An Open Feeling
Fewer tall, vertical structures in the kitchen design will also give it a much more open and airy feel. Since there are no walls, there are no cabinets to block the view.
Versatility
Working with an L shaped outdoor kitchen design allows you and your landscape designer some versatility in developing the layout, especially if there’s a view (an L shape is ideal for giving both the cook and the guests a great view of the backyard, a spectacular vista, a lake, and so on. You might choose to add more appliances or you may turn the majority of the layout into bar seating for outdoor dining.
This type of setup, especially when designed as an L-shaped barbecue island, gives you the opportunity to plan out where each component will go before finalizing any plans. The open part of the outdoor kitchen could be oriented toward the patio, creating two countertops for food prep and making a small patio feel more spacious. Alternatively, one of the counters could extend into the patio, providing ample bar seating. An L-shaped kitchen with an additional island offers even more workspace and makes excellent use of the kitchen's center.
Efficiency in Movement
Working with an L shaped outdoor kitchen design allows you to prioritize the three most important elements of any kitchen: the sink, the stove, and the refrigerator, known together as the kitchen triangle. The L shaped kitchen island allows for the smallest amount of movement between these three main components, making all your outdoor cooking activities that much more efficient. Because, you know, the kids are always hungry now!
Efficiency in Plumbing
Working with an L shaped outdoor kitchen design allows you to consolidate all of the plumbing into one section. This will make access to plumbing installation, routine maintenance, winterizing, and repair much easier. It will also make the plumbing installation far less expensive since you’ll need a fraction of the piping.
Beauty in Design
Working with an L shaped outdoor kitchen design allows you to highlight the beauty of your outdoor kitchen as well as the surrounding aspects of your landscape. The sight lines can work together, creating patterns and themes that blend the different spaces into one large, functional outdoor living space. Beautiful cabinetry will be out on display, and so will your appliances.
Enabling Teamwork
Working with an L shaped outdoor kitchen design allows multiple cooks to work in the kitchen area at the same time without bumping into each other. Even in the smallest outdoor kitchen, you will be able to comfortably fit two cooks, making each task move faster and enabling a level of teamwork that adds energy and fun.
More Schmoozing
An L shaped outdoor kitchen with bar seating devotes one peninsula to putting your guests right in the action without getting in your way. At the bar, it’s also easier for an attentive host to quickly refill drinks and plates to keep everyone happy.
What Are The Disadvantages of An L-Shaped Outdoor Kitchen?
As with any design, there are compromises. Let’s look into a few of the drawbacks of choosing the L shaped outdoor kitchen design.
Limited Storage Space
Working with an L shaped outdoor kitchen design typically limits the amount of storage space you can include. While high cabinets may be feasible in an indoor kitchen due to the presence of a wall, many outdoor kitchens don’t have that wall to work with. In many cases it doesn’t make sense to add an upper layer of cabinets to an outdoor kitchen. This may make adding storage space a bit challenging, but many designers agree that keeping an open floor plan is more important. Think of it as an opportunity to downsize to the appliances, cookware, and kitchen gadgets that you will actually use.
Excess Counter Area
Working with an L shaped outdoor kitchen design typically creates the minor problem of excess counter area. Due to the lack of cabinets and walls to break up the space, there is often more counter area than there is designated storage space, which could lead to a cluttered countertop. Some designers solve this issue by turning the increased counter area into a counter bar that’s part of the outdoor dining space.
Is L-Shaped The Most Popular Outdoor Kitchen Shape?
Yes, it is! The L shape has taken the outdoor kitchen design world by storm due to its multiple great benefits and few drawbacks. The L shaped kitchen simply offers the most design versatility over other designs. The U shape is another very popular design, but of course it’s much larger than the L shape with an additional long side and isn’t suitable for smaller spaces. Adding an extra peninsula will drive up costs, making the U shape a much bigger commitment than the L shape. You can bet that your L-shaped outdoor kitchen with a bar is much more popular than one without!
Is L-Shaped The Most Efficient Outdoor Kitchen?
Many chefs as well as landscape and kitchen designers seem to think so! The efficiency of an L shaped outdoor kitchen is best seen when you stand right in the center of the kitchen space. You’ll soon notice that the majority of the things you need are within arms reach so the cooking process is much faster and less cumbersome. Every professional and experienced cook knows that the fewer steps you take in a kitchen, the more energy you’ll conserve and the faster your guests will enjoy their delicious meal.
An L shaped outdoor kitchen is also very efficient in design, since it allows you to place the majority of the appliances and storage space you need within a relatively small space. This is also apparent when the utilities are installed as it enables a smarter plumbing arrangement that will save you money and make any maintenance and repairs much easier.
How Much Does It Cost To Build A Kitchen Outside?
In order to get a good idea of what it takes to build an outdoor kitchen, we can start with some numbers. A generally accepted minimum cost of building an outdoor kitchen in the United States stands at around $5,000. However, the average homeowner is likely to spend around $13,000 to build an outdoor kitchen with all of the components and aesthetics that they’re looking for. As for the maximum cost of building an outdoor kitchen well, the sky’s the limit. You can build something as complex and extravagant as you like.
The primary factor that affects the cost of an outdoor kitchen is the size of the space you’re working with. As with any other home or landscaping project, the cost greatly increases as the area grows in size. A smaller outdoor kitchen, say around 100 square feet, should cost on average around $6,500 to build (on an existing patio or deck). A mid-sized outdoor kitchen at around 300 square feet should cost on average around $20,000. A larger outdoor kitchen at 400 square feet or more should cost around $27,000 and up.
Another major factor in determining the cost of your outdoor kitchen is the framing and cladding of the structure. If you’re building from scratch, for instance, the cost can be up to 40 percent higher than if you’re using prefabricated framing and cladding. Of course, there is a little less uniqueness in using a prefabricated structure, but it will definitely drive costs down. Countertop materials can also vary greatly in price. Here, too, you have choices between building from scratch (such as a solid granite countertop) or using a prefabricated surface.
Then, of course, there’s the appliances, cabinets, and features you choose to put in your outdoor kitchen. You may opt for the simplest charcoal grill to keep costs down or you can install propane or wood-fired grills using the latest tech wizardry.
Some countertop pizza ovens are fairly basic and cost only a few hundred dollars while masonry cooking structures that are designed to be central features of your outdoor living space will drive up the costs.
Keep in mind that one of the most expensive costs of building any kitchen outside is how much you are using the help of designers and construction experts. The costs of design and labor will drive up the cost, and depending on the design you have in mind, that cost may or may not be worth it. Many homeowners have professionals assist them in the most technical parts of the design as well as various technical parts of the construction while they handle much of the DIY labor themselves. Make sure not to be too overconfident in your abilities as you may make some mistakes along the way that cost a lot to correct.
Do L-Shaped Outdoor Kitchens Come In Kits?
They sure can! In the not too distant past, the only way to add an outdoor kitchen was to hire professionals and have them do a full assessment, design, and build. That was (and is) the expensive way, but the results are usually very good. On the other end of the spectrum is the DIY option, which can end up looking amazing but will take significantly longer to execute (and many people bite off more than they can chew, which can be admirable but also frustrating).
While many homeowners that aren’t so worried about the budget may still opt for the traditional style of building outdoor kitchens, there is another option out there for those who don’t want the expense of hiring pros for everything, but don’t want to do it all themselves either. Some landscaping companies have put successful outdoor kitchen designs into a kit that can be assembled step by step on site. Since it’s one of the most popular outdoor kitchen designs out there, you can bet that there are some fabulous L shaped outdoor kitchen kits. Check out outdoor kitchen kits from Trex, Inc. or outdoor kitchen kits from Challenger Designs for excellent options.
To know whether or not an L shaped outdoor kitchen kit is right for your landscape, you should know some of the advantages that kits have over a fully customized outdoor kitchen. Let’s cover seven of the benefits of L shaped outdoor kitchen kits:
Assembly Only
Whenever you build something from scratch, there’s a lot of measuring (twice) and cutting (hopefully once). With an outdoor kitchen kit, you’ll rarely, if ever, need to cut the materials that arrive with the kit. Just measure and assemble as the steps dictate and don’t worry about all the intense math that went into it.
Easier Repair
Accidents happen from time to time and you may need to repair a component of your outdoor kitchen. When you work with an outdoor kitchen kit, replacement materials will be available and there is an established protocol for fixing it. To replace anything in a ground-up built outdoor kitchen, the materials you sourced initially will have to be sourced again and may not be available.
Efficient Use of Space
Every outdoor kitchen kit has been specially designed to be as efficient in its use of space as possible. This doesn’t necessarily mean something that’s smaller, but it’s perfect for helping to drive costs down and get you the most out of such an important addition to your outdoor living space.
No Design Process
You’ll never need to worry about designing an outdoor kitchen from scratch and wondering if you forgot to factor in outlets, enough space for a smoker, or even the right plumbing. Simply choose the design that fits into your landscape and home design the best. Many outdoor kitchen kits also come with several options for specific components so you still get that customized feel. Everything will come precise and prepared, so you won’t need to worry about your L-shaped outdoor kitchen dimensions.
Style Options
Say you want a portable outdoor kitchen on wheels. Or one that you can customize to match the stone veneer on your home’s foundation. Or one where you can swap out components, such as choosing more storage over an outdoor dishwasher. With kits, there are so many options and those options are all designed to fit. Again, no extra design costs or meticulous measuring.
No Labor Costs (If You Want)
Unless you want to have someone assemble your outdoor kitchen kit, there’s no need to pay for labor, saving you a huge portion of the final cost of your outdoor kitchen.
A Simple Start
When you choose an outdoor kitchen kit, you can start small, with the most basic design simply to get your project off the ground. This can bring you much closer to entertaining in your backyard without breaking the bank. Later, you can add on to make your outdoor kitchen more functional. To start, make sure to choose an L-shaped outdoor kitchen with a sink. From there, you can always expand to fit your cooking and entertaining style.
Weather Ready
Every outdoor kitchen kit is designed for the great outdoors. Every component is ready for snow, rain, and wind. You won’t have to scour the internet for the best outdoor-rated cabinets or appliances for your budget. It’s all built-in.
Of course, getting the full picture means understanding some of the drawbacks that outdoor kitchen kits have instead of a customized outdoor kitchen. Let’s cover three of the drawbacks of L shaped outdoor kitchen kits:
Fewer Chances to Customize: Of course, every main aspect of the outdoor kitchen kit has been planned to the T by some expert landscape designers. This minimizes the amount of customization you can do with an outdoor kitchen kit, so you’ll have to get creative with some decorations for your outdoor kitchen to really break the mold. You can also choose “ready to finish” options so you can customize colors.
Fewer Local Partnerships: Building an outdoor kitchen with a local professional can lead to great partnerships for future landscape renovations. When you build an outdoor kitchen with a kit, you won’t be building that local partnership. But then again, you’ll have the pride of putting your outdoor kitchen together yourself.
Fewer Regional Design Themes
Although outdoor kitchen kits are generally designed to fit in the most amount of places possible, the selection available may not do the best job of fitting into your landscape and home design themes. You may find that the perfect outdoor kitchen kit can be a more difficult decision than it seems. For example, a southwestern style outdoor kitchen will be much harder to find than a fairly generic sleek modern style.
What Are The Typical Dimensions Of An L-Shaped Outdoor Kitchen?
The most important decision to make as you plan out the size of your outdoor kitchen is the size of the space you have available. If you have a small backyard to work with, don’t take up half the space available with just an outdoor kitchen unless cooking and entertaining are what you love to do more than any other backyard activity.
There are plenty of inspirational designs that can maximize the space and leave a considerable amount of space for other outdoor activities. If you do have a lot of space to work with, however, don’t go too crazy with the size. The outdoor kitchen should always be in proportion to the home, the patio or deck, and the backyard.
The typical dimensions of an L shaped outdoor kitchen can range dramatically. On the smaller end, the long side of the L could measure around 10 feet with the short end around 5 feet. A mid-sized L shape could be around 16 feet and 8 feet, respectively. A large L shape can be 20 feet and 10 feet or even bigger. Though a large L shaped outdoor kitchen is only twice as long and wide as a small version, remember that it will be four times the square footage. This really matters visually and in terms of usability especially if you don’t position the outdoor kitchen in a corner.
The vertical space will vary much less, but it’s also a crucial decision for enjoyment in outdoor cooking. Make sure to set up your countertop height to fit you (or the primary cook). The ideal countertop height should be between 30 inches and 42 inches high, depending on the height of the primary cooks. Someone who is 5 feet 8 inches tall will be happiest using a kitchen counter that is 36 inches high, for instance.
Where Does The Sink Go In An L-Shaped Outdoor Kitchen?
The sink is one of the main components of a full kitchen. As such, it should be one of the first components you place in the design. There is a concept in kitchen design called the Kitchen Triangle. This is the space that is defined by the refrigerator, the stove, and the sink. In an outdoor kitchen, this could be an under-counter fridge, grill, and sink: store, cook, clean.
After you’ve settled on the location for an L shaped outdoor kitchen, you’ll make some decisions on the layout. Whether you choose an L shape that belongs to a peninsula or island kitchen design is up to what makes sense for your outdoor living space. The same goes for the direction someone will face when they’re cooking, cleaning, or eating.
There are few limitations to where you can place a sink in your L shaped outdoor kitchen, but there’s one factor that will help you decide: plumbing. Running water lines and gas lines add to the cost if you don’t cluster the appliances that use them. Keeping your sink and refrigerator on the same side of your outdoor kitchen, for instance, will help consolidate the amount of plumbing you’ll need and reduce the cost.
What Are Some Of The Best L-Shaped Outdoor Kitchen Kits?
There are so many L-shaped outdoor kitchen designs available, so it can be overwhelming to sift through them all, read the reviews, and finally decide. Knowing this, we came up with a list of a few of our favorite L-shaped outdoor kitchen kits. Let’s see which design will be perfect for your backyard!
The Mont Alpi 400 Deluxe Outdoor Kitchen Kit is a sleek and affordable design that brings all the essentials in outdoor cooking to your backyard. This design includes large drawers and cabinets that will handle your storage concerns. It also includes an adjustable ceramic side burner where you can place pots and kettles while the grill cooks the main course. The design is maximized with precise 90-degree angles so you can fit whatever you need wherever it’s needed. The picture is completed with the addition of a sleek built-in sink and a 2.6 cubic foot refrigerator with a glass door.
The Mont Alpi 400 Deluxe Grill Island Kit is a simplified version of its sibling above. It focuses instead on creating a streamlined grill island, complete with whatever’s necessary for bringing those delicious flavors through with liquid propane and the comfort of your backyard.
The Bull Outdoor 9 Foot L-Shaped Gourmet Q Outdoor Kitchen Kit is an elegant and modern outdoor kitchen design that has many customizable components. This outdoor kitchen is focused on grilling and refrigerating with a large countertop space that allows for some elaborate preparation or some casual noshing with friends and family. There is even a wide selection of additional features that can improve your Bull outdoor kitchen without ever having to leave their website.
The Cal Flame 8 Foot L-Shaped Outdoor BBQ Kitchen Island Kit is perhaps our favorite affordable outdoor kitchen design. Within a stunningly small area, it has everything you could need in creating delicious meals for your loved ones. The simple and beautiful construction of the L-shaped kitchen island lets it fold into the mix of whatever your landscape design requires.
What Is The Best L-Shaped Outdoor Kitchen Kit?
When it comes to a quality design that’s as versatile as it is beautiful, the G7 L-Shape Outdoor Kitchen from RTA Outdoor Living is at the top of our list. You’ll be able to see right off the bat that this island outdoor kitchen kit can fit into a variety of design themes in style. Let’s cover some of the amenities of this wonderful l-shaped outdoor kitchen with sink style:
There are multiple options for the masonry finishing on the outside of the G7 L-Shape Outdoor Kitchen. You can choose from 8 different shades of stone that will give you plenty of flexibility in complementing the home and existing landscape features as well as providing a direction for the future improvements you make to your backyard.
The G7 L-Shape Outdoor Kitchen is available in both Right and Left orientations according to whatever is required by your landscape design or just simple preference.
You can choose either liquid propane or natural gas as the fuel source for the grill in your G7 L-Shape Outdoor Kitchen. The grill is a gorgeous Coyote 36” C-Series Grill that will handle frequent use as you cook for friends and family.
All of the appliances in the G7 L-Shape Outdoor Kitchen, including the Coyote 21” Outdoor Refrigerator or the 14” Single Pull-Out Trash & Recycle unit, are specially designed to operate outside.
The entire structure of the G7 L-Shape Outdoor Kitchen is specially designed to resist damage from freeze-thaw cycles. This will ensure that the structure, utilities, and appliances of your outdoor kitchen stand up against all normal forces of nature.