Whether you’re a snowbird spending time in the Sunshine state for the summer or a lifelong Floridian, you’ve probably realized that it can get pretty toasty. For a lot of people, the online escape seems to be sealing yourself in an air-conditioned room for the summer months.
What most people don’t realize is that most of the year the temperature is ideal for being outside. Even in the middle of the Florida summer the heat can be managed in a well designed outdoor kitchen. If you’re in the Orlando area and looking for a summer kitchen, we have a variety of outdoor kitchen ideas that will make your outdoor kitchen your new unique outdoor living space.
Is It Too Hot For An Outdoor Kitchen in Florida?
Many people might think that an outdoor kitchen is only making the summer heat that much worse, but the key to having a entertainment space and enjoyable functional outdoor kitchen is the preparation and design.
Outdoor kitchens offer many practical benefits: they expand the living and cooking area of your home, even if only in small spaces, they allow a social space where you can cook on an outdoor grill or a charcoal grill and mingle at the same time and they can decrease traffic (and wear and tear) indoors while making your outdoor space more usable, particularly if there’s a pool nearby.
Also, if you don’t like paying for air-conditioning, the heat that you’d be producing inside your home will instead be produced outside, keeping your indoors cool without driving up the cost.
Part of the preparation process is taking into consideration the various factors that you might encounter in your outdoor kitchen that might make the cooking and dining experience less than desirable.
Given the investment that you would be making into installing an outdoor kitchen, you want to be able to use the space as much as possible without being deterred from heat or, in some cases, cold weather. One of the biggest factors that you need to control for is sun exposure.
Simply put, the Florida sun is strong and is out a long time during the summer months. Most people don’t intentionally spend their whole day standing in one spot while the sun is shining, so it’s just as sensible to have an outdoor space that reduces sun exposure. Many with sensitive skin are also aware that extended sun exposure isn’t the healthiest for your skin, either.
Beyond sun exposure, the heat only intensifies when you are standing beside a grill. Some high end luxury grills can create an immense amount of heat, upwards of 100,000 BTUs of grilling power can make it seem like you’re standing next to a large bonfire.
Making matters worse is that the Florida summer is exceptionally humid. Anyone who has spent any time outdoors knows that it doesn’t take much to start sweating and that the heat never seems to leave no matter what time of day it is. Ideally, even if there is humidity, a breeze or ventilation helps to diminish some of the heat, but the breeze doesn’t always blow when the heat starts rising.
All of these factors can contribute to making any outdoor experience unpleasant, particularly cooking.
Outdoor Kitchen Design Ideas:Â Shade
One of the easiest ways we recommend to make your outdoor kitchen a welcoming place in the summer is to provide abundant shade. There are a variety of umbrellas and shade canopies that you can attach or include with various outdoor patio furniture.
These umbrellas and canopies come in a variety of colors to match your overall design scheme, and the fabric is generally synthetic which allows it to withstand the sun and weather to provide maximum shade for the long-term.
More elaborate shade coverings include pergolas, which can add a Mediterranean touch and allow for ornamental vines to grow over them, as well as roofs and overhangs that can be built directly over the cooking and dining area. Less sun shining on you automatically reduces the heat.
Outdoor Kitchen Design Ideas:Â Proper Ventilation
In order to reduce the heat emitted from your gas grill, there are a variety of grill ventilation systems that can be installed to remove excess heat. Generally, ventilation systems, by way of vent hoods, are built directly over the gas grill and allow for heat to be moved quickly up and away, allowing a natural circulation of air without the heat emitted from cooking.
In addition to ventilation systems, there are a variety of fans available that help to circulate as well as remove air in the outdoor dining area, keeping you cool and comfortable. If you have a roof or awning built over your outdoor kitchen, ceiling fans can be directly mounted to allow for air to constantly circulate while you are outside.
There are also wall mounted fans that can be positioned adjacent to the seating area that help to blow hot air away from where you are sitting.
Outdoor Kitchen Design Ideas:Â Misting Systems
If you are really looking for an effective cooling strategy, misting systems are an excellent way to keep cool and enjoy your space. Misting systems are pretty straight-forward in that they blow cool mist either horizontally or vertically down from where they are are installed.
There are also misting fans which provide the dual function of air circulation and mist production. The mist helps to keep you cool as you are sitting or working in the space, both from the temperature of the mist and the heat removed from evaporation.
The mist droplets that are emitted are exceptionally small so that, rather than increase any moisture that you may feel on your skin, they evaporate in the air around you, helping to make the air cool and comfortable while you are dining outdoors.
Outdoor Kitchen Design Ideas:Â Outdoor Refrigeration & Outdoor Ice Makers
One of the more obvious and perfect solution to outfit backyard kitchens with is an outdoor bar. Nothing cuts the heat like an ice cold beverage with plenty of ice from an outdoor ice maker.
Providing easy access to ice bins or outdoor refrigeration in an area like an outdoor kitchen island can help transform your backyard into a functional kitchen worthy of being the heart of your outdoor home.
Don’t underestimate the power of outdoor kitchen appliances or an outdoor bar to be able to help make your outdoor kitchen a desirable place even in Florida’s hot summer.
Outdoor Kitchen Design Ideas: Heating Systems
It surprises many people that, owing to the abundant humidity even in the winter, the Orlando area can get somewhat chilly during the winter months. For those who chill easily, adding outdoor heating provides radiant heat and extends the usability of your outdoor kitchen.
Outdoor heaters come in a variety of models, but generally function as either portable propane-based towers or roof mounted electric units. Heaters can also be incorporated into fan systems so that, in the winter months, you can gently blow warm air in the direction where you are sitting.
You can control the heat output of the heaters, allowing you to achieve the perfect temperature while you enjoy dining au naturale.
Achieving style and comfort
As important as it is to make your outdoor kitchen area as comfortable as possible, we pride ourselves on making your outdoor living area and outdoor dining area as beautiful as possible, too.
Given how much you would be investing in your outdoor kitchen design, installation and patio furniture and how much we hope you will be using the space, you want to be able to enjoy the benefits of dining outdoors as well as the visual appeal of a sleek, chique, outdoor kitchen.
We carry a variety of quality, high-end brands that combine exceptional performance with impeccable design, our focus is luxury outdoor kitchens. Alfresco grills are renowned for the variety of accessories, such as smoking and frying attachments, and the variety of grill sizes available in stainless steel to accommodate chefs of all abilities.
Another exceptional brand we carry is Hestan Outdoor grills, which provide precision-controlled grill areas, diamond cut grates, halogen-lit cooking areas and come in stainless steel or pastel-colored. Since your outdoor cooking area will also require areas for food preparation and storage for all of your cooking utensils, we offer NatureKast Outdoor Cabinetry.
NatureKast is a much better alternative to the options that are limited to a couple of stainless steel doors to provide storage in an unfinished shell in the form of access doors. NatureKast produces an actual finished cabinet that is 100% weatherproof, resemble authentic cypress or teak, come in a variety of finishes and door styles.
They’re user and installer friendly, making your outdoor kitchen and outdoor cooking space practical and aesthetic. These are just some of the variety of products that we work with to make sure that your outdoor kitchen is the best possible.
Your outdoor kitchen should be a place that you want to spend time in all year long. Many people might think that summer, or winter, in the Orlando area means you should be heading indoors, but with the right design you can have a year-round space that allows you to enjoy the wonders of nature and the sociability of cooking outdoors.
For winter times you can incorporate outdoor heating options to allow for use in cold weather. Our design team ensures that state-of-the art equipment, proper accommodation and the highest quality components are used to create a space that suits your style and functional preferences. An outdoor kitchen isn’t just a luxury, it’s an investment in making your home multi-dimensional and desirable.
If you are in the Orlando area and are looking to add an outdoor kitchen to create the outdoor kitchen you’ve been dreaming of, we’d love to help you out.
Our design experts will take every measure necessary to make your outdoor kitchen ideas a reality, with exceptional detail to maximizing the usage of your outdoor space with the highest quality products and dozens of cabinet styles while also keeping in mind the best value for your dollar and your specific needs.
Our exceptional installation team will make sure that your outdoor kitchen is installed impeccability and functions to the highest performance you deserve. Next summer, instead of trying to beat the heat by only using your air conditioned indoor kitchen, you can enjoy an outdoor kitchen that uses the heat to make your outdoor kitchen the life of the party.
