Taking Dinner Outside

It only took a few parties in their home for the McCleary family to realize that their indoor space — particularly the kitchen — was just not large enough to meet their needs.

“We have a few large gatherings every year from family reunions to staff parties for the school I work at, and the kitchen just did not have enough room or counter space to be comfortable,” said Scott McCleary. “We decided to create a space outdoors where people could gather and relax.”

McCleary and his wife, Monique, set out to do a total revamp of the backyard of their home in Southeast Bend. The couple created not just an outdoor kitchen area, but an entire outdoor living space that includes a built in grill with burners, refrigerator, gazebo with gas fireplace, television and radiant floor heating, outdoor firepit, a water feature with three levels and a koi pond. There is also a separate area for children, complete with sandbox, playhouse and an area for games like cornhole and horseshoes.

“It turned out better than we expected,” said McCleary. “We have even held a wedding back there.”

Having space outdoors to entertain friends and family is one of the key drivers for people looking to create outdoor kitchens. And it all starts with the grill, said Tyson White, who works in sales at Fireside, Inc. in Bend, specializing in high-end outdoor kitchen appliances.

“A grill is the number one thing that people who are building outdoor kitchens come in looking for,” said White. “The main feature of an outdoor kitchen is to be able to cook and entertain and still be able to enjoy the weather outside with friends.”

Thor Erickson, who designed his own backyard around a hand-built wood burning oven, couldn’t agree more. He and his family affectionately call their wood burning oven “l’oven.”

“Because it does that,” said Erickson, a chef instructor at Cascade Culinary Institute at COCC. “It cooks for people you love like your family, friends and neighbors.”

Erickson uses his outdoor wood burning oven for almost everything, from making pizza for the neighbors to cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving, baking bread and smoking meats. One of his favorite uses of the oven is for outdoor pizza parties. In addition to being able to spend time with guests enjoying the outdoors while preparing and eating together, another plus for the outdoor kitchen is that clean-up is easy.

“That is the main thing we like,” said McCleary. “It is way more stressful inside, but with everyone outside the clean up is simple — with a hose.”

For those contemplating adding an outdoor kitchen to their home there are many things to consider. While it can be costly depending upon the scale of the project, there is also a good return on the investment.

“Outdoor kitchens are definitely a positive, and make properties more desirable,” said Chris Christianson, owner of Legacy Realty in Redmond. “It seems to get brought up more and more here in Central Oregon, the weather we have here just makes it so people want to be outside as much as possible, including while cooking.”

Bill Sturm of Oregon Timberworks has built several outdoor kitchens in Central Oregon, and says the demand seems to come in waves, with the current demand on the rise.

“Lots of people just want to be outdoors more even though sometimes it is hard to tell what the weather will be like in Central Oregon,” said Sturm. “They want to be outside and they don’t want to enclose the space, but will often add a roof and make an attractive structure to protect from the elements. Not too many people want to hang out getting wet, but are fine to be outside grilling if there is cover overhead, seating and a firepit.”

Christianson says he has seen outdoor kitchens that cover a large range of investment, from $1,000 to $100,000. On the simple end, an outdoor kitchen might include a built in barbeque with a countertop and storage for equipment, a refrigerator and perhaps a sink. He’s also seen the other end of the spectrum with outdoor areas that include all the bells and whistles.

“Some people just have a grill outside and other people have full outdoor kitchens with everything including a dishwasher,” said Sturm.

The usual construction requests for outdoor kitchens, according to Sturm, are power, water source and gas line. Power is needed for the refrigerator and some of the newer gas grills that also utilize power in addition to a direct gas line.

“If you have a water line as part of your outdoor kitchen you need to have a way to winterize the line,” cautioned Strum. “Many people just opt for screwing in a hose for a cold water line, it is much easier to care for.”

After researching the options, McCleary opted to not have a sink in his outdoor kitchen area due to the weatherization concern. His advice to others who are planning an outdoor kitchen is to give a good deal of thought to the project before beginning.

“My advice is to use materials that can stand up the elements, and try and build in a place that is protected from the wind and where the sun is not baking the area. Include a lot of built in seating,” said McCleary. “And spend a lot of time on the plans.”

Planning and research can come in handy when choosing the appliances for an outdoor kitchen. The average cost for outdoor kitchen appliances ranges from $5,000 to $15,000 according to White, and there are many options. He recommends those made of stainless steel, as they are built to withstand the outdoors and require very little effort to maintain.

“Most people who come in have already done their homework and know pretty much what they are looking for,” said White. “A lot of people keep it simple and just plan on adding cabinetry around the barbeque. The biggest factor is really the size of grill you want. You have to think about how many people you want to cook for, and if you entertain a lot or not.”

Regardless of the size or cost, an outdoor kitchen can be a pleasure for homeowners. McCleary and his family have talked about building a new home, but he is reluctant to leave, primarily because of his outdoor space.

“I like to spend time hanging out in the back and it was a lot of work to create that space,” said McCleary. “I really don’t want to leave it, I’m kind of attached.”

The good news for those who don’t have outdoor kitchens of their own is that the Cascade Culinary Institute at COCC is building a full outdoor kitchen this summer. It is expected to be up and running this fall, and will be an outdoor workspace where students can learn, and guests at the restaurant can eat.

“It will have a state of the art wood burning oven, an Argentinian grill, wood smoker, and more,” said Erickson. “It has been a collaborative design process. I work with so many great chefs and instructors and we have all been asked to contribute design points.”

As a culinary arts instructor, Erickson teaches his students about barbeque as a style of cuisine, noting that it has taken on a broader meaning in today’s culture.

“Back in the 1950s and 1960s when the California outdoor cooking became so popular, the term “barbeque” was the closest thing people could equate it to,” said Erickson. “The phenomenon has lasted so long that now people have created these whole outdoor spaces and realms around cooking outdoors. It’s pretty cool.”