With the end of the year right around the corner, Jules and I are in the home stretch of our 2022 home projects, which means the outdoor kitchen of my dreams is officially a wrap!
Before
After
My biggest priority in this project was getting to use the most premium grilling products I’ve had my eyes on for years – the Twin Eagles Collection by Dometic Home. I raved about my ongoing crush on them in my ultimate grill guide, so getting to team together to make this outdoor kitchen a reality has been such a bucket-list item. They’ve also been a major constant in this project amidst a lot of pivoting.
We do what we can to plan and prepare before starting any project (which is something we preach about in our “10 Things That Can Derail a Home Renovation” post), but it’s equally important to remain flexible and open-minded because you’re never immune to the unexpected. It all started once the stone started going up, and we pumped the breaks. Jules was waving the red flags, and I trust her eye and intuition when it comes to the design stuff. So we pivoted and DIYed the vertical paneling.
Then we painted the paneling in “Mouse’s Back” and decided to repaint it “Graphite” by Benjamin Moore, and it just feels right, ya know?
Now let’s get into all the bells and whistles of this baby!
42″ Eagle One Gas Grill With Rotisserie and Sear Zone
I can’t express just how much I love this grill. I use it several times a week because it’s so versatile and responsive. It heats up quickly, retains heat well, has a high-heat section for searing (perfect skirt steak every time, which is what I whipped up the other night), and an elevated rotisserie burner as well. The lighting and design are so beautiful and make grilling at night a non-issue. I. Love. This. Grill.
Beneath this masterpiece of a grill are some soft-closing, double-access doors where I keep my grill brush and a fire extinguisher and where we can easily access the gas hook-ups.
As versatile as the 42″ is, my dream outdoor kitchen wouldn’t be complete without the pellet grill & the smoker!
36″ Pellet Grill & Smoker With Rotisserie
The pellet grill is about flavor. I do more smoking on the pellet grill than grilling, though I’ve done a good amount of both. Pulled pork, ribs, or a whole chicken. When I have more time, I go for the pellet grill. And the rotisserie makes the best chicken you’ve ever had. The touch screen makes it so easy to control the temperature and smoke level, and a front-loading hopper means you can add pellets without lifting the lid and losing any smoke. Everything on this grill turns out incredible.
Beneath the pellet grill is a 36-inch pellet storage drawer, where I have quick access to all the extra pellets.
30″ Teppanyaki Flat Top Grill
While I prefer most foods grilled, I gotta say that when it comes to burgers, I prefer the flat top. Nothing better than a smash burger with onions. Burgers, stir fry, bacon & eggs, tacos – having a flat-top Teppanyaki cooker in the outdoor kitchen opens my options wide up.
The warming drawer (stored beneath) is something you never think you need until you have it and you feel like a butterfly, finally growing wings. I’m a stickler for serving cold food cold and warm food warm, so having this to bridge that gap between the cooking and serving times of various dishes has been amazing.
24″ Power Burner
The Power Burner has a wide range of control, from 70,000 BTUs at the top end all the way down to almost nothing. I’ve used mine to fry a turkey but also to warm fudge for some poolside sundaes. On colder nights, I’ll simmer a pot of cider outdoors; on warmer evenings, I’ll boil a 10-gallon pot of crab legs. It also runs a wok like you can’t imagine.
All the Other Necessities
24 inch outdoor sink
On the other side of the kitchen, we have the sink! When you’re working in an outdoor kitchen, the last thing you want to be doing is running in and out of the house to access running water. Being able to wash all of my utensils and tools as I go makes clean-up a breeze!
24 inch two drawer refrigerator
I have this thing stocked with drinks always. Cooking outside and grabbing a cold drink – it’s the pinnacle of convenience and the cherry on top of every outdoor cooking experience.
15 inch ice machine
What’s a drink without a little ice? Always ready for drinks, brines, and filling a cooler to take to the beach. How often are you calling the late arrivals to your party because you need them to pick up a bag of ice on their way? Not anymore!
18 inch full pull-out double trash drawer
Having not one but two pull-out containers for trash and recycling is a detail I wouldn’t be so quick to overlook.
36 inch dry storage
Having these waterproof drawers to keep a lot of my utensils and hand towels (always keep a towel close by) is essential to keeping everything running smoothly while I’m cooking up a storm!
Something that has surprised me is how well the kitchen flows. I mean, I designed the layout to flow, and you hope it’s going to work out the way you think, but it’s better than I could imagine. The expansive granite island, the grills, the appliances. Everything just works, and it’s a true joy to cook out there.
Hosting with this kitchen is incredible. Something that tends to happen when I host is I’m in the kitchen while everyone else is doing something, but with this kitchen, I’m right in the middle of it. And with all the space and so many appliances, I’m usually able to enlist a few extra hands and serve them up a cold drink for their help.
We anticipated painting the pergola black, but we realized once we got it up that the white really ties everything together. As for adding a screen or covering for the pergola, we’re just leaving it uncovered for now and seeing if we really miss it down the road.
Now that the pergola is up and the lanterns are hung, I’ve been out here most nights cooking to my heart’s content. How is it December, and we’re still utilizing our outdoor space so much??
Hi! Could you provide a source for the outdoor lanterns?
They’re from Pottery Barn but unfortunately, sold out. Here’s the link!
Love those lanterns! Where are those from?
Pottery Barn, but they’re sold out. Here’s a link; hoping they restock.
Geez, I wish I could come to your house for dinner!
Name for this post? “The eagle(s) have landed”. Or, rename the blog “Chrislovesgrill”.
Kidding aside, do you plan to roof over the kitchen or just waterproof yourself in rainy weather? I live in Seattle, it’s an issue here.
Leave it all white but maybe you can add some vynes or foliage or ivy on top. To avoid bugs, you may use an artificial one. This will give some shade and protect a little from rain and snow. Good luck!!