Outdoor kitchens offer many immediate advantages over conventional indoor cooking.  The first advantage that comes to mind is that guests and family are more easily involved in the cooking process and in the production of the meal. Foods that tend to generate lingering odors are also better cooked and enjoyed outdoors.

Outdoor kitchen set-ups can range in price from $2,000 for a small counter with a simple grill to $30,000 or more for high-end versions containing an assortment of appliances. High-end versions may incorporate features like an outdoor fireplace, wood fired brick oven and a roof.

Your design will reflect your taste and needs. How elaborate it will be, will depend on what features are important to you and your family. This may often be impacted by how often you cook outdoors and what you can afford. If you cook outdoors only occasionally, you can keep things down to a bare minimum. However if you cook outdoors as often as the weather will allow you may want to have all of the bells and whistles.

Another important factor is that with the increase in the popularity of outdoors kitchens, combined with the current trend in real estate prices, means that the return on investment associated with these features has increased drastically. You can now count on a return on your investment that is at least 100% of your cost. Depending on the complexity and functionality of your design, you can actually make money on an outdoor kitchen, as much as 200% or more of the initial cost in some cases. In order to maximize your return. It is important to add features with wide appeal. Covers or roofs, heating elements or outdoor fireplaces are important. Just like with a pool, the level of comfort directly affects the usefulness. The more comfortable everyone feels the more enjoyable the experience, the more often you’ll wish to cook or entertain outside.