Outdoor Kitchens in Edina, MN

People who ask about Outdoor Kitchens in Edina are usually not planning a quick flip. Census estimates show about 72.4% of homes in the city are owner-occupied, and 85.9% of residents were living in the same house a year earlier. Nearly a quarter of residents, 23.0%, are 65 or older. That mix tells us a lot about what a good outdoor kitchen here looks like: comfortable to use for years, easy to look after, and set up for entertaining family and friends rather than a single summer.

Comfort first

When owners expect to use a space for a decade or more, the details that make daily cooking easier matter most.

• Working heights. We set counter heights for the people who will cook, and we can add a lower section for a seated helper or a grandchild.
• Short, level paths. A level route from the kitchen door to the grill, without steps, makes carrying trays safer in every season.
• Good lighting. Task lights over the grill and prep zone mean dinner does not end at sunset in September.
• Storage close at hand. Weather-ready drawers and cabinets keep tongs, platters and covers outside, so you are not walking back and forth.

Built for low upkeep

A kitchen that needs sealing every spring is a kitchen that eventually gets ignored. We steer Edina clients toward surfaces and finishes that shrug off weather. Porcelain is one example: Caesarstone, which makes it, says it absorbs less than 0.5% water, resists UV fading and can resist cracking in freezing temperatures. Stainless or powder-coated cabinet boxes, sloped counters that shed water and covers for appliances round out a setup that needs a quick clean in spring, not a weekend of repairs.

A built-out city means working with what is there

Edina is more than 95 percent developed, and residential areas are its largest land use. New kitchens almost always go into an existing backyard, next to mature landscaping, an existing patio or a deck. We plan around what is already working on your lot, tie into the patio where we can, and route gas and power with as little disruption as possible. Before any digging, Gopher State One Call must be notified at least 48 hours ahead, not counting the day of notice, weekends or holidays, and as your contractor we take care of that.

Stretching the season

Edina's parks department runs the Braemar Ice Rink and a network of outdoor spaces, and residents here clearly enjoy being outside in more than one season. A covered kitchen with a heater, or a gas fire feature placed near the seating, makes the backyard useful on cool spring evenings and well into October. Roofs and pergolas tied to the house need footings below the frost line; in Hennepin County, Minnesota's code calls for at least 3-1/2 feet. If a wood fire is part of the plan, the state fire code requires 25 feet from buildings and combustible material for a recreational fire and 15 feet for a portable outdoor fireplace, and cities may set tighter rules, so we confirm Edina's current requirements before we place one.

Closing up for winter

If your design includes a sink or a beverage fridge, it needs a fall shut-down routine. We place valves and drains where they are easy to reach and leave you a short written checklist, so draining lines and powering down the fridge is a ten-minute job rather than a call for help.

Start with a conversation

Call (612) 451-0418 or send photos of your yard. We come out, listen to how you like to cook and entertain, and give you a free, written estimate.

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