Settin up an outdoor kitchen ideas.

GaMntHomestead · #1 08/04/13, 09:35 AM

We have our little camper set up on our 5 acres in north GA. for when we are able to get to the land. We don't get up very often right now, every couple of months so far. But we are hoping to change that to every other weekend soon. And even though our camper's stove works I would like to have a bit more room for cooking.
We are wanting to build an outdoor kitchen, but not one of those ultra modern, high tech ones. LOL We have a propane grill(and a small charcoal one also), and I have an old wood cook stove I would like to use there also. (but not till we are up there al whole lot more, don't want it stolen).
I need ideas for a sink for washing dishes, hands, produce and such. Counter top of some kind. Places to store pots, pans and utensils....ect.
Any ideas on how to set up something like this?
Here are a few pics of the camper set up on the land, it is set up semi-permanently so we can move it when we are ready to build the house.
It has a firepit/grill area, a clothesline as you can see. And that thing wrapped in tarps at the end of the clothesline is the outdoor shower my hubby build. Nice little set up so far. LOL

geo in mi · #2 08/04/13, 10:20 AM

This one wouldn't get stolen. http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/b...#axzz2b0qT40G1

geo

jwal10 · #3 08/04/13, 10:39 AM

You need a small deck or patio. build from there. We like a patio. We built front and back walls of bricks with an old granite countertop. Installed a small sink that drains to a 5 gallon bucket. Deck, used kitchen cabinet works if covered. Opposite corner has a fire pit for the grill/beanpot. It is close to the springhouse and creek, under shade trees....James

fordy · #4 08/04/13, 10:56 AM

...............Over time , tree sap will ruin the rubber roof as well as the exterior metal on your trailer ! I'm assuming it is in a fixed position , so I'd look into erecting some kind of barrier over your trailer to protect it . , fordy

GaMntHomestead · #5 08/04/13, 11:09 AM

Wow Geo, nope that one wouldn't get stolen. LOL It's nice. I added a pic of my stove, it's an old Majestic. It's pretty darn heavy and would take a lot for someone to steal, but it's sad to say people find ways. :-(.
James, yes we were thinking a deck also, and would want to enclose one end, at least where the wood cookstove will be. I like the idea of old kitchen cabinets and the fire pit on one end. And the bucket to drain the sink in is a good idea. Right now there is no running water but as we go along we might hook something up, maybe a rain barrel with a spigot?
We are wanting to be able to use this even after we build the house, for gatherings and cookouts, and just to get the heat of cooking out of the house during the summer.
I attached a couple of pics I found online that look pretty good.

GaMntHomestead · #6 08/04/13, 11:13 AM

Fordy, yes we're going to put a cover over the camper. We have one of those metal carports we are going to use, but we have to get some pieces to extend the legs so it will be tall enough.

Maura · #7 08/04/13, 11:22 AM

I like the deck with roof idea. Since you want to keep it for later as well, think about what you would like in an outdoor entertainment area. Pavers, or deck? Permanent roof, or removable?

I'd get a propane grill that is wide enough to have two large pots on at the same time. I'd have it on a level surface, so patio pavers or deck. You can start with a small deck that is two or three steps up from the ground, then later add a larger deck around it. I would get a cheap laundry sink and attach a hose to the drain so it will drain where you want instead of using a bucket. Next to the sink I'd have a rough made table that would not look good in someone's dining room, but be the height I want and stable.

GaMntHomestead · #8 08/04/13, 11:34 AM

Maura, we have a large propane grill that would fit nicely. And I like the idea of a rough made table. We have pallets and maybe we can build one with the wood from them. :-).
And I like the idea of adding on later.
We have a downhill grade behind where the house is going(goes back up hill to the other flat land at the back of the property), and I was wondering about putting the outdoor kitchen near the grade with a deck area kinda hanging over it. (not just hanging of course, it would have post holding it up. LOL)

jwal10 · #9 08/04/13, 11:54 AM

I like the covered deck you showed, looks a lot like what we have at the farm, near the pond. We just extended a sleeping/entertainment deck out in front. Our fire pit is dug down 3 blocks (we used the 4"x8" wall blocks to make a circle) 2 above in a full circle and then layed in the grate and 2 more layers in a 2/3 circle on top (open towards the front) this gives us a grate to cook on and enough room under for the dutch oven in the coals. We built the grate in 2 sections so the front can be removed to clean or easy access to the dutch oven....James

jwal10 · #10 08/04/13, 11:59 AM

I like the 5 gallon bucket as I can use the water where I need it most at the time. I have berries and a small garden near to keep watered. Tried a watering system but it just plugged up to much. Waste not want not....James

vicker · #11 08/04/13, 12:11 PM

I'm a big fan of Weber's Smoky Joe, a small, table sized kettle grill. You can cook ob them with a small amount of charcoal. I don't know why Weber makes the lid so shallow though. You can find a similar sized, but deeper lid on a cheep (under $20) grill and switch lids. I've seen them inserted into a wooden picnic table and really like the idea.

Chixarecute · #12 08/04/13, 02:05 PM

Pair of galvanized laundry tubs on a stand for wash and rinse?

7thswan · #13 08/04/13, 04:29 PM

I built a deck outside of our 5thwheel. Then to one side built a cookhouse for my woodburning cookstove. In this house I had a skylight, 2 windows and a full glass insulated storm door. Shelves built on one side for all my cooking supplies,spices and dry wood in a container on the floor. The smaller the area for just the important stuff-helped me keep out the flys,mice and dust. Keep you water issues away from your "home",keeps bugs down especially mosqueitos.

GaMntHomestead · #14 08/04/13, 07:32 PM

7thswan, your cookhouse idea sounds great, especially for keeping the woodburning cookstove out of the weather. Mine is on our screened back porch right now and getting rusty. :-/. So I am wanting the outdoor kitchen at least partially enclosed where the stove will be. One question: does your cookhouse get too hot when using the cookstove?

7thswan · #15 08/05/13, 08:22 AM

No, it stayed farely cool due to the windows and the door. I did not have to cook on it all of the time. I now have that cookstove inside this house,but bought another one for outside. I use it the same,but I have to prop a old door against the left side when I use it due to the wind. We have some wind almost every day here. I should have put it in more thought out position.

o&itw · #16 08/05/13, 10:13 AM

I grew up in an area where many of the farmsteads had a summer kitchen. Most of them were like a small pole building on a concrete pad, with the walls only comming up around 3 feet. From there to the roof it was simply covered with window screening.

The only reason they had the short walls at all, is that it was too easy for the screen to get damaged at the bottom. They would usually had some fans as wood stoves or electric stoves were used; the fan would cause too much trouble with a gas stove. The screening, of course, was to keep the insects and leaves etc. out. Most of these farms raised some kind of animals, and canning time came around the same time as flies got to be a problem.

Mostly they used these for big dinners, and holidays when cooking meals, but the main reason they existed was for canning. Nobody had air conditioning then, and tho have the stove going all day in a house was almost unberable.

Murramarang · #17 08/05/13, 10:58 AM

I created a simple leach field drain for my old sink.....just a ditch with some perforated ag pipe back filled with rocks/rubble then soil over the top....that way there is no standing water the flies and biters can hatch in, and food scraps are deep in the pipe and break down.

two_barking_dogs · #18 08/08/13, 07:22 AM

Build yourself a Polebarn with a gravel floor. You'll find it useful once you are permanently living on the place and for now you can use it to say park the camper in or as your outdoor kitchen.

I have a gas grill and a picnic table at one end of mine. Works great

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