Smoke, odours, increased heat, grease build-up, moisture – these are just some of the things that come from cooking your meals inside your home. If those aren’t problem enough for you to want to start cooking some of your meals outdoors, here are some compelling arguments why you might want to install an outdoor kitchen on your property.
1. It Can Reduce Your Electricity Bills
Cooking indoors in the summer may be a concern since it can make your house warmer than necessary. Consequently, the AC will have to work more to maintain a comfortable temperature, leading to an increase in energy bills.
However, you don’t have to worry about overloading your air conditioner with an outdoor kitchen because the extra heat is kept outside. Reduced energy costs will result from your air conditioner not working as hard.
2. It Can Use Solar Energy
Besides solar cooking, you can use solar electricity for the rest of your outdoor kitchen. Installing solar lighting around it would be a good start. This is a terrific method to reduce your carbon footprint without relying on the electricity grid.
The variety of solar lights that are accessible now is more impressive than ever before. From task lighting to area lighting, just about any kind of indoor light has a solar counterpart you can use for outdoor areas.
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Adding solar panels to power kitchen gadgets is a good idea, and you can get away with a small setup. Coffee grinders, can openers and the like are easy to run off of small solar arrays.
3. Composting Using Kitchen Waste
Making your own compost is even easier when your kitchen is just steps away from the compost bin.
If you add your composted kitchen waste to your garden each spring, you’ll end up with more fertile soil and a more productive garden. Keep your compost bin away from the food preparation areas, because it could become pungent and attract wildlife.
4. Prevent Indoor Air Pollution
Cooking indoors on any kind of stove can lower the air quality in your home by sending fine and ultrafine particles into the air.
If you happen to have a gas stove, however, you’re not just adding particulate matter—you’re adding nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) into the mix.
Keep the air in your house safer by having an outside kitchen. Cooking fragrances will also dissipate a lot quicker in the fresh air.
5. You Can Lower the Footprint of Your Food
When you have an outdoor kitchen, a kitchen garden becomes the next logical step. With pots of fresh herbs on your outdoor counters and veggies growing in the garden, you can reduce the amount of produce you buy at the store and eat the most local produce of all—your own.
Also, because the food is grilled directly over the heat source, adding additional fat or oil is unnecessary while cooking in an outdoor kitchen. When local food is prepared this way, you won’t need to add much to it to make it delicious.
Bonus! It Boosts the Value of Your House and Your Well-being
Installing an outdoor kitchen in your house is a significant financial commitment. However, this investment pays off more than most other outdoor home renovation projects.
Outdoor kitchens constructed of quality materials and appliances, such as porcelain paving slabs, can be a great draw for potential home buyers. In addition, outdoor appliances are built to survive harsh weather conditions to give a lifetime of well-cooked meals.
You’ll probably grill or barbecue during the colder months and bring the food inside. With a weather-resistant backyard kitchen, however, you can barbecue in all year long, brightening your family’s gloomy winter days!
Feature image: Mike Kenneally
