Having an outdoor kitchen at home is a great way to entertain your friends and family. You can have parties, reunions, and even just catching up with those close to you.

An outdoor kitchen is a great place to cook because it also keeps out unwanted food odors such as deep-fried fish that can linger in your condo unit for days.

But you are not a contractor. How can you create your own amazing outdoor kitchen with tons of fun cooking gadgets like a gas grill, rotisserie, oven, smoker, and more?

In this article, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step plan on how to build your own outdoor kitchen without outsourcing the work to contractors.

Nine Steps To How To Build An Outdoor Kitchen

1. Build Structure

Start by creating posts for each box. Cut at least eight lengths of 2×4 using a circular saw based on the height of your kitchen counters. If you want to add cabinets, use 2×4 supports in the middle of the bottom frame.

2. Wrap the Frame

While sheathing the frame, screw three boxes on each side, then flip the frame over and screw down a metal post standoff that will serve as legs. Leave an opening in the sheath area to fit any cabinet opening.

3. Keep log

Cover all wooded areas with felt using the staple gun. Start from the bottom up and overlap the felt sheets by a few inches to prevent any liquid from getting inside. Look closely at a sheet of wire lath and note which way the honeycombs are jutting out. Test by running your hand along the wires – in one direction the sheet will feel like a cheese grater. Make sure the cables are facing up when you lay each sheet on the builder’s felt. Then trim the wire lath using tin snips.

4. Do some masonry work by troweling on the scratch coat

Mix a bag of mortar with water until it reaches a thick consistency, and it can stick to a trowel when turned upside down. Push the mortar down into the cracks. If at any point you feel the lath move, stop and nail it tightly to the sheathing. After that, you should not see any trap.

5. Groove Mortar

To do this, score the surface when the scratch coat is firm using a half inch of a notched trowel. Keep the lines as straight and parallel to the ground as possible so you can use them as guides as you begin setting the stone.

6. Spread the bond coat before applying stone or tile

Collect the stones in several piles based on corner, short, long and rectangular pieces to arrange them, and this will help create a random color pattern. Scrape off excess mortar from the edges, and then use the trowel point to create V-shaped air pockets.

7. Lay the first course of stones or tiles

To do this, start at the base corner by setting the L-shaped stone firmly on the grooved scratch coat. Scrape off excess mortar and push the tile or stone to tighten the seal. Try knocking on the tile or stone at any point and feel if it is loose. When you feel it loose, remove it and put it back on.

8. Veneer the Rest of the Frame

Keep adding stones/tiles and incorporate stones in different sizes to make it look natural. Do not place any stones on the flanges of cabinet boxes. Place straight cut stones on the top edge so they sit flat against the underside of the counter.

9. Lay out fixtures

Once you lay the stones, let it set for 24 hours before installing fixtures such as cabinet doors or boxes. Then install the countertop and grill.

Ingredients for an Outdoor Kitchen

If you’re building a permanent outdoor kitchen, look for details made from strong, long-lasting materials, such as brick, concrete, or stucco, as well as metal or tile. These look attractive and create harmony when used in an outdoor structure, such as a kitchen.

In building an outdoor kitchen, consider how many household members will be cooking outside and the types of food they typically cook.

Kitchens are the heart of your property. It is the place where everyone gathers for a laugh while sharing a hearty meal at home. If you have basic building skills and a few friends who love to DIY, you can join forces in building your own grilling station outside.