Outdoor kitchens are becoming increasingly popular. Experts in the field believe that they significantly increase the value of a home. According to an Absolute Outdoor Kitchens study, houses with an outdoor kitchen have a higher ROI (100-200%) than homes without it. So, if I have an outdoor kitchen, then do i need a sink in my outdoor kitchen?. Stay with us if you have the same question.
An outdoor kitchen is a space outside the home to entertain guests, cook, and prepare healthy meals while taking in the fresh air. It extends one’s living room to the outside. An outdoor kitchen is an excellent way to increase the amount of space in our home for entertainment and enjoyment. It’s critical to protect our outdoor kitchen from the elements, keep it clean, and ensure our appliances last. If we want to upgrade our outdoor kitchen, understand the following maintenance requirements.
How to install an outdoor kitchen sink?
Building an Outdoor kitchen is somewhat a hectic process, but one can make it timely by using timely planning. Following are a few tips based on different outdoor kitchen styles by using which one can easily install an outdoor kitchen;
Availability of space
Building of permanent or portable kitchen based on someone’s budget
Climatic conditions of the area
Cooking style (traditional or grilled)
Proper maintenance of the materials used in the outdoor kitchen
With an outdoor kitchen, one can prepare meals and interact with its guests while spending less time running back inside for plates, beverages, or tongs. Although a custom outdoor kitchen can cost tens of thousands of dollars, a basic island is an efficient design that eliminates the complexity of curves and angles. The smallest outdoor kitchens are a minimum of 10 feet long to accommodate the bare necessities of a kitchen, such as necessary appliances and counter space. A slightly larger or essentially bigger outdoor kitchen should have a minimum length of 12-14 feet, which helps work feasibly. Moreover, an outdoor kitchen with a large space also gives a dining area.
Sink in an outdoor kitchen:
A sink improves any outdoor kitchen’s functionality, practicality, and convenience. It serves as a convenient hand-washing station for the chef. It also eliminates the need for guests to track inside for pre-dinner hand washing and post-dinner scrubbing of sticky hands and faces, which is especially important after a plate of saucy ribs.
A sink is useful for preparing drinks, cleaning crockery and blenders, and washing fruit for garnish if we have a bar in an outdoor kitchen. Sinks are designed to be in contact with water, and most kitchen sinks will function perfectly in an outdoor setting. The most common are stainless steel, but marble, soapstone, and granite are excellent choices.
Outdoor kitchen sink drain options:
The question of where to drain an outdoor kitchen sink usually arises at the start of the outdoor kitchen design process. The sink is simply a feature that everyone expects in this area, and it cannot function without some plumbing. Choosing the solution to this option will largely depend upon the environmental conditions of the room and the budget of someone’s need. Where to drain an outside kitchen sink is a difficult decision, but one can manage this easily by using the following four basic ways depending on the usage and type of the kitchen (either small or large);
Use of under-sink bucket
Dry well
Self-contained lift station
Connection to the drainage with drainage pipe
Use of under sink bucket is the simplest, quickest, and least expensive option of all. It’s not fancy, but it works well in various settings. The most important thing in using this process is that a bucket can hide in the cabinet. The only disadvantage of this method is that the bucket only contains a small amount of wastage, and emptying the bucket is also a difficult process; thus, it will use in small outdoor kitchens where food consumption is very low.
More options for outdoor kitchen sink drainage
Another option for outdoor kitchen sink drainage is using a dry well also called a French drain. In this method, a hole dug up to the desired depth with a bucket drilled into the bottom of the hole. The bucket was filled with small stones, rocks and dirt and finally, put grass on it. It is an excellent option for portable kitchens because it is simple to build, inexpensive, and functional. It can even serve half a gallon of water per day, implying that an ice maker can be connected to it. There are other drawbacks to this process as well. Water must be relatively pure to be recycled using a dry well. So there was no dishwasher, no food, just dirt from vegetables and hands. Otherwise, the food parts will pollute the ground and emit an odour.
The self-contained lift station is a fantastic solution that can be completely concealed within the cabinet. A lift station installed beneath an outdoor sink is a one-stop solution. Under the sink, there are two canisters: one for freshwater containing 5 gallons and one for grey water, about 6 gallons. Both can be refilled or emptied as often as needed. The lift station requires electricity to operate, but it can also heat water. A pump delivers clean water to the faucet and a heater, which heats it before use. Because fresh and grey water tanks use different connecting mechanisms, they cannot be mixed.
Additionally, more than one tank of each can be delivered to the station for more convenience. The disadvantage of this process is to fill up the fresh water tank and empty the grey water tank. However, there are numerous advantages, such as a water source, water heating and the ability to perform most of the tasks performed in an indoor kitchen.
Regular Plumbing
Regular plumbing is the use of drainage pipes to drain the system. Despite requiring the most work, preparation, and budget, it is the most comfortable. It enables us to use an outdoor kitchen sink in the same manner as an indoor kitchen sink. This is the only option containing garbage disposal. Unfortunately, running plumbing in the backyard is frequently challenging and time-consuming. If an outdoor kitchen sink is located far from the house, a gravity system must be installed in the form of a small pump station. Overall, it appears to be a job for a professional plumber, implying a large budget. On the other hand, a plumber can feed cold and hot water from the house, making it the more expensive but more convenient option. Done forget to have a look on Causes of leaking kitchen sink before having outdoor kitchen sink.
Conclusion:
An outdoor kitchen is a fashionable thing at a very less expense. One can enjoy the outdoor environment by arranging parties and family functions and can easily do the hustle and bustle of large crowds in no time. The sink in the outdoor kitchen adds beauty to it. Sinks play an important role in all kinds of activities. The outdoor kitchen sink is very helpful for the chef as he remains calm in doing his business and will look after his guest with great care.
FAQs
Do I need a sink in my outdoor kitchen?
A sink in the outdoor kitchen is more than a necessity as in the other case; everything will be taken into the house and taken out of the house after washing. Similarly, if one can keep plates, glasses, and serving pieces in its outdoor kitchen, they might be well washed outside.
An outdoor kitchen sink can be used to wash vegetables and other food ingredients and platters that hold raw meat so that it can be reused for cooked meat without cross-contamination. An outdoor sink is ideal for home gardening. One can keep dirt out of the house by rinsing freshly picked fruits and vegetables. The sink can also prepare cut garden flowers for a vase. Similarly, if we keep dishes, glasses, and crockery in our outdoor kitchen, we must wash them.
How do I get water to my outdoor kitchen?
Outdoor kitchen areas are a great addition to a backyard, allowing us to host our guests comfortably. The outdoor kitchen with a good drainage system installed also contains water to avoid running in and out of the house to prepare meals and grill different items. A sink closer to the home is better to draw water easily with less expense.
Another simple and least expensive way to get water to an outdoor kitchen is to skip the hard plumbing and connect the sink to a garden pipe connected to the outdoor spigot and drain it into a bucket or the landscaping. This option restricts how one can use its sink. It’s fine for hand washing and rinsing vegetables, but without having hot water, one won’t be able to use it to clean and sanitize dirty dishes, platters, or grilling equipment.
Moreover, if wastewater is being drained into the yard, one cannot rinse food scraps or greasy residue from plates, tools, and utensils because it will attract pests. If one can plan to connect the outdoor sink to the indoor plumbing system, locating the outdoor sink close to the house is helpful and cost-effective. Place the outdoor kitchen sink next to the outdoor dishwasher, if we have one, and near trash and recycle pullouts to improve workflow.
How do you drain an outdoor sink?
Draining an outdoor sink is not such an annoying process in proper drainage pipes are fitted to a drain as one can pay a strict eye on it that what should be thrown into the sink. In dry drainage or bucket system, one can remove the bucket after a time interval or use water with ultra-purity as it may not harm its environment.
Is our outdoor kitchen worth the money?
A portable outdoor kitchen gets less money than a permanent concrete kitchen gets. One can remain calm in an open environment and lose his anxiety; how will it not get worth it? Moreover, using an outdoor kitchen with strict rules and procedures and great care will increase its shelf life. A portable kitchen is more profitable, and it may install everywhere and is easy to build in very less time.
Can you install a sink anywhere?
Installing a sink anywhere is not such a tough decision, but a sink near the home is a very good option as it gets less expensive to draw water to the outdoor kitchen sink and drain it will increase its effectiveness. However, anyone can install it anywhere according to its need.
