Outdoor kitchens for all seasons
Outdoor kitchens can be used at all times, not just in summer. Here are some solutions to implement so you can use them all year round.
Is cooking outdoors possible in winter too? Can you use your outdoor kitchen any time of the year? The answer is yes, you can.
Having become increasingly popular with design enthusiasts and foodies, these days outdoor kitchens can be used any time of year, including winter, and not just during the warmer months. This trend embraces the desire to enjoy life in the open air which has literally exploded in recent years.
The pandemic, in particular, forced us to rediscover the importance of outdoor settings. Whether this is a garden, a terrace or a small balcony, it is undeniable that an outdoor space is a genuine blessing for our physical and mental well-being.
A place where we can work, wind down and indeed cook, breathing in some fresh air and enjoying the greenery. And not just in summer. Because, as the inhabitants of Scandinavian countries have taught us, life in the open air can also continue in cold weather and snow. Obviously, with the proper precautions.
Designer outdoor kitchens
Before we explain how to make the most of your outdoor kitchen all year round, let’s clarify what we mean exactly by outdoor kitchen.
When we mention outdoor kitchens, we don’t mean a barbecue for char-grilling some meat with your friends, or a country-look brickwork kitchen. Top-performing, versatile and attractive to look at, contemporary outdoor kitchens provide the same performance levels as an indoor kitchen and are equally bewitching, complete and functional.
They can be customised in every detail: from the composition of the modules to the choice of finishes, the depth of the worktop and the selection of accessories. They can also be equipped with all sorts of appliances, including professional versions.
Today, outdoor kitchens are therefore genuine outdoor cooking machines. It would be such a shame only to use them in summer, wouldn’t it?
How we can enjoy an outdoor kitchen all year round
Weatherproof materials such as stainless steel
The first step to take, when we buy an outdoor kitchen, is to pay particular attention to the materials. Since they are exposed every day to atmospheric agents – wind, sun, frost, humidity and dust – outdoor kitchens need to be extremely hard-wearing and easy to clean. All the more so if we also want to use them in winter.
Accordingly, one of the most appropriate materials to build outdoor kitchens is stainless steel. It is a metal alloy with superior resistance to corrosion, to high temperatures, to sudden temperature changes, to atmospheric agents and to UV rays. On top of that, it is absolutely hygienic, anti-bacterial and really easy to clean.
And, should that not be enough, there is a special type of stainless steel – AISI 316 stainless steel – which guarantees greater resistance to chlorine and salt air, allowing you to position the kitchen by the sea or by a swimming pool.
Solutions for cooking outdoors in winter too
While a weatherproof material is the first step in choosing an outdoor kitchen for your terrace ora a garden kitchen you can use all year round, it is not enough. When the temperatures drop drastically, you need something else.
The best solution to make the most of an outdoor kitchen also in winter is to position it in a covered area possibly facing south, such as for instance in a veranda, under a pergola or a portico.
Outdoor kitchens in a veranda
Fancy cooking surrounded by greenery without forgoing indoor comfort? It is possible if you fit your outdoor kitchen in a veranda. An outdoor room that is connected to the main home like an extension, better still if fitted with sliding glass doors. Indeed, the glazing blocks out the wind and cold, leaving you with a clear view so you feel as if you were outside. This type of veranda can easily be heated so it can be used all year round.
Cooking in the open air under a pergola or a portico
Anyone who doesn’t have a veranda can position their outdoor kitchen under a portico or a pergola. Pergolas made with a metal framework can also be completed with sliding glass doors, transforming them into veritable rooms al fresco to be enjoyed 365 days of the year, both in a garden or on a terrace. So it is the ideal solution to make the most of your outdoor kitchen whatever the season.
In the case of a portico, simply provide protection against wind and draughts of air, perhaps made of glass or transparent plexiglas, to relax and bask in the warm sun rays. Even in the middle of winter…
This way, you can cook and eat outside in winter too. Just as you enjoy a restorative lunch between one ski slope and the next, or after a snow shoeing excursion, on the terraces of mountain chalets and refuges.
To keep the shivers away, there are some tried and tested solutions which have proven very successful on bar patios and open-air restaurant decking. Indeed, you can heat your outdoor kitchen and related open-air dining area with gas or infrared stoves (commonly referred to as mushroom-style patio heaters) or more traditional (and scenic) wood-burning braziers or fire pits. The choice is yours.
At the end of the day, just look at Scandinavians as they relax in their gardens and on their terraces even on beautiful winter days. Perhaps with a soft fleece blanket or synthetic fur wrapped over their knees.
Abimis outdoor kitchens for all seasons
Abimis outdoor kitchens are professionally-derived kitchens that guarantee the same performance levels as Abimis kitchens for indoor settings.
All outdoor kitchens are made of stainless steel, a metal alloy that is extremely resistant to corrosion and atmospheric agents.
They also offer the same customisation possibilities as indoor kitchens: from the design of the modules to the choice of finishes and appliances.
Abimis outdoor kitchens guarantee the utmost hygiene and very easy cleaning.
Find out more about ÀTRIA, the new four-season outdoor kitchen by Abimis.
