Go green and beat the heat. Summer kitchens are back and can fit any cooking style or any home design. Read how to start building your dream kitchen outdoors.
Summer kitchens were once part of most home sites. Before air conditioning, when people relied on high ceilings to move hot air away from them and on tall windows to catch breezes, it was smart to cook away from the house.
The many restored historical mansions all over the world evidence different kinds of vintage summer kitchens; separate buildings apart from the house, shed-like lean tos nearby, and simple outdoor cooking pits in the yard.
Things are coming full circle, with homeowners adding kitchen space to the outdoors, whether a simple barbeque area or a more complete patio kitchen. Now, eyes toward green living, householders are taking summer cooking chores outside again. Here are ideas for planning an Earth-friendly outdoor kitchen:
It helps to spend some time and maybe just a little money in planning stages to consult an outdoor living design expert, even if the budget can't handle Martha Stewart as a consultant. A well-planned outdoor kitchen is more likely to be used.
Successful plans begin with a budget and successful homeowners stick to it. Costs can escalate quickly, perhaps creating a project that never gets finished.
Choosing high-efficiency appliances conserves energy. It's time to think about wood- or charcoal-fueled cookers for patio or deck. Brick pizza ovens are all the rage.
Today's market place offers lots of types of cooling equipment that work off ice or use little electricity.
If the kitchen has room for plenty of counter space, the family can enjoy working together and make meal preparation an event. Drawers and storage help organization, too.
It's always effective to include shady and sunny areas and incorporate beautiful, colorful plants and herbs in the design. It's helpful to screen in the area if at all possible; that makes a one-season kitchen into a two- or three- season space.
Some people opt to include some mist coolers - fans that waft fine water vapor over an area to keep diners comfortable on the hottest summer days.
Safety is assured with the choice of outdoor-hearty, nonslip materials for flooring and other surfaces, like textured ceramics available at home improvement centers. A permanently installed fire extinguisher, always kept charged up, is essential, according to Food Network guru Alton Brown.
The final inclusion simply has to be comfortable dining space for a lot of people. Guests love good food and good friends in a beautiful outdoor setting.
There are hundreds of ideas and thousands of products available - a quick browse of the Internet or a magazine stand can get a project off the dream list and onto the planning table.
The copyright of the article Earth Friendly Cooking 10 Tips in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Maryan Pelland. Permission to republish Earth Friendly Cooking 10 Tips in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
