Custom Outdoor Kitchens in Minneapolis, MN

Custom outdoor kitchens give you a working kitchen outside: a built-in grill with prep space on both sides, storage, often a sink and refrigerator, and sometimes a pizza oven, side burner or bar seating. Unlike a prefab island dropped onto a patio, a custom kitchen is sized to the space and planned with the utilities, so it fits a narrow city lot as well as a big suburban backyard. In Minneapolis the extra planning matters most for what you cannot see: the base, the drainage and the water lines.

Layouts that work

• Straight run: one counter against a wall or fence line, good for narrow lots and side yards.
• L-shape: separates the hot zone from prep and serving and wraps a corner of the patio.
• U-shape or island with bar: the most counter space and seating, for larger yards and frequent entertaining.
• Two islands: cooking on one, serving and seating on the other, so guests stay out of the grill's way.

We aim for at least a couple of feet of landing space on each side of the grill, keep the cook facing the yard rather than a wall where possible, and leave a clear walking path to the back door.

Where to put it

Close to the house is convenient for carrying food and running utilities, but a grill needs clearance from vinyl siding, windows, eaves and overhanging branches; the grill maker's installation manual sets the minimum distances. We also look at the prevailing wind so smoke does not drift into the house or over the neighbor's fence, at afternoon sun, and at how snow sheds off the roof. A kitchen placed under a roof edge will get buried every winter.

The base comes first

Frost heave is the most common reason a masonry island cracks. Hennepin County sits in Minnesota's 3-1/2 foot frost-footing zone. Depending on the size and weight of the kitchen, we build on a reinforced slab, on a deep compacted and drained aggregate base, or tie into an existing patio only after checking that it is sound and sloped away from the house. A deck can carry a lighter kitchen if it is framed for the load; most existing decks are not, so we check before promising anything.

Utilities, permits and winter

Natural gas is the usual fuel for built-in grills and burners; a refrigerator, lights and outlets need outdoor-rated GFCI circuits; a sink needs a supply line and a drain. All of that is typically permitted and inspected work. Water is the part that must be planned for winter. We place the shutoff inside the heated house, slope supply and drain lines, and add drain valves so the system can be emptied and blown out each fall, as appliance makers such as Kalamazoo instruct.

Appliances that suit the season

Stainless grills, side burners, pizza ovens and smokers handle cold weather and generally stay outside. Outdoor-rated refrigerators can stay in place too but are emptied and powered down once lows get into the upper 30s, and ice makers need winterizing earlier, before nights drop below about 45°F. If you want a kitchen that is used into October and November, we suggest skipping the ice maker and putting the budget into a roof, a heater or a fire feature instead.

Timeline

Design and a written quote come first, then permits and orders for the grill, cabinets and countertop. Construction needs unfrozen ground for excavation and concrete, so building usually runs between spring thaw and late fall. Countertops are templated after the island is built, which adds a few weeks before the kitchen is finished.