FEATURES
Building Outdoor Kitchens

by Don Dale
Hot hardscape trend

Shade is important for afternoon cooking, and this is achieved with a pergola over the bar and beach umbrellas over the kitchen countertop

Photos Courtesy of Green Scene Landscaping unless otherwise noted.

One of the specialties for Scott Cohen’s Green Scene Landscaping in Canoga Park, Calif., is outdoor kitchens. Many upscale features are available for the outdoor entertainment center, and Cohen is at the forefront of the movement.

One of Cohen’s projects is the design and construction of a kitchen for Reza and Lauren Zamani, a project that will be featured on HGTV’s spring and summer programming for their “Get Out, Way Out” series. Cohen will be featured in 13 episodes. The contractor is an artist who uses original art and designs in his work. He has worked in the landscape industry off and on since the age of 14, buying his father’s business in 1995.

According to Cohen, a 2008 outdoor kitchen will look very different from the grilling space you might recall as a kid. “The whole outdoor room trend has been growing over the last decade,” Cohen says, and the outdoor kitchen is the most popular aspect. He has put a lot of thought into devising a philosophy for this space.

The design for the Zamani residence outdoor kitchen shows major elements, including a pergola and umbrellas for shade.

The design

Since this area will be a prime entertainment center, the design-er must think of all aspects of the backyard. Cohen wants the outdoor kitchen as close as possible to the indoor kitchen so that food and supplies can easily be ferried back and forth. He also understands that if there is a swimming pool, spa, patio, sundeck or other features, they must be figured into the equation.

Cohen talks with the clients to find out how much entertaining they do, and the crowd sizes to expect, and also to determine their wish list of features. The first question will help him design a space where the cook, helpers and other guests will have room to flow without obstruction. The second will tell him what the outdoor kitchen console will look like.

There’s so much available nowadays, it’s not just a grill anymore. There are grills of all sizes, with side burners, adjacent sear zones for charring, rotisseries for broiling meat, wok side burners, warming ovens, cutting tables and smoke drawers. There are storage compartments and drink coolers; and, don’t forget the outdoor bar, which often has its own range of features, starting with a sink. Cohen prefers stainless steel beverage containers to outdoor refrigerators. The containers hold ice and drop into a space in the countertop.

Another aspect to consider in the design phase is the overall location. You don’t want the outdoor kitchen situated too far from the indoor kitchen. Proximity and ease of access is important. Sun/shade issues are also crucial.

Cohen also pays attention to practical considerations, such as utility outlets and bar height. The standard kitchen counter is 36 to 38 inches high, and that will apply to the outdoor kitchen counter as well. The bar countertop, however, should be 42 to 44 inches high. Another feature that clients appreciate is designing countertop space between appliances for food assembly and serving.

As for utilities, these kitchens may use a lot of electricity and gas, and that has to be accommodated. The electrical supply alone almost always requires a separate breaker, at least 15 amps, Cohen says, because the use of hot plates, blenders and other appliances can draw too much power if run off a house breaker. Outdoor lighting should also be taken into consideration. Cohen likes to use low-voltage halogens in ambient lighting that illuminates the food.

First steps

“The first thing we do is pull our utilities,” Cohen says, and this can be an expensive part of any large outdoor kitchen project. For example, the amount of gas required for a large gas grill with all its accessories is high and may require a 1-inch gas line for service. A sink is often designed in the bar or food prep area, and if it’s just for washing hands, it won’t need to be hooked into the house sewer system. However, if it’s used for washing food, especially meat, it must be drained into the house plumbing. That must be to code and can typically cost $3,000 or more. He says, “Make sure you do the proper calculations.”

The Zamanis expected to have large groups of guests, Cohen says of the project, so he designed separate cooking and bar counters that can be accessed by a central passage between them. He uses a zone concept, allowing for food prep, food cooking and food serving space along the countertop, plus the bar with its sink. The space between the bar and kitchen counter is about 5 feet and has access from both ends for easy traffic flow.

A pergola covering the bar allows shade there, but the supports are built on top of the bar so that posts don’t obstruct traffic. Shade for the cooking counter will be from large umbrellas, and the steel supports for those are designed right into the countertops.

Countertop cuts for appliances should not be made until the appliances arrive and can be measured.

After utilities have been installed, the Green Scene crew will begin construction of the counters. Cohen has gone almost exclusively to cast concrete countertops because of their strength and their versatility. He makes them himself from molds built on-site.

Concrete countertops will range from 2 to 4 inches thick, depending on aesthetics and strength required. The tops for this project are 3 inches thick and have steel mesh reinforcing. The wet concrete is vibrated during the pour to ensure density. He also has several forms for making the matching decorative concrete edging. Often, these use a simple mantle edge, but the Zamani’s countertops have a half-mantle and half ship-rope edging. Countertops require 28 days to cure, and then must be polished and sealed, so his crew starts that process before the construction of the counters themselves.

Photo by Patrick Stringer. Scott Cohen, center, with homeowner Lauren Zamani is filmed for an HGTV summer episode of “Get Out, Way Out!” featuring his outdoor kitchen.

Because of the weight of the appliances and countertops, Cohen builds counters out of 6 or 8-inch concrete blocks. They are filled with concrete, so they will be able to bear the weight without cracking. Rebar is used vertically and horizontally, and the counter is tied into the floor. He wants these counters to be “absolutely indestructible.” The blocks will be given a deep “scratch” stucco coating that will accept finished stucco or adhesive for a stone façade.

Clients have a wide selection of design features that can be embedded in the concrete, from glass shards to seashells or even fiber-optic lighting. The Zamanis chose a pebbly surface that mimics granite, and that is incorporated during the concrete pour with hand seeding into the top of the wet mix. Then, after grinding and polishing the cured top, Cohen applies a penetrating sealer and a topical sealer to finish the concrete and protect it from stains and fading.

Green Scene uses a variety of facings on the counters, and the Zamani bar and grill utilizes a combination of painted stucco and faux stone from Eldorado Stone (www.eldoradostone.com). These façades look authentic, but they are manufactured stone, Cohen says, and he can install them for less than real stone. They have a flat back surface for easy adhesion and precut corners. Counters must be level and square for this to go smoothly.

“Be careful to never use these in a water feature,” Cohen says of the faux stone façades, as they can lose color.

Setting appliances

One of the cautions that Cohen has for counter builders is that appliances may arrive in a slightly different model or size than originally envisioned. When making concrete countertops there are two choices: cast them with appliance openings in place, or cast them solid and later cut out the holes. Because of the variance in appliance size, Cohen’s crews cast the tops in one piece and cut out the holes once appliances are assembled and precisely measured.

“Don’t build anything to the spec sheets,” he emphasizes. Even half an inch of variance can necessitate an extra cut. A little extra space may be OK, because appliances often come with a flange that hides the crack. If not, he has one manufactured. Caulking is never applied along the edges, even though most high-end grills are not hot to the touch.

At this point, it is only necessary to assemble all the appliances and fit them into their spaces, tie in the utilities and make sure they work. One of the finishing touches is to install electric outlets on the tops and sides of counters for blenders, Crock-Pots or other appliances, as well as stereo equipment or other electronics.

Flooring

The flooring for the Zamani project is fitted flagstones, but it is installed after the counters have been built so that a finished look is accomplished around the base of the counters. Many types of flooring are available for the great outdoors, and Cohen has used many of them. The one covering he is against is glassy ceramics, which can be slippery. Cohen recommends that natural stone flooring, such as the flagstones on this project, have a penetrating sealer applied to fill porous surfaces, but his company doesn’t do this work. It changes the color of the flooring and needs to be reapplied later as well. He advises the client do this himself for ease of cleaning spills during cooking.

When designing an outdoor kitchen, Scott Cohen likes to make sure there is room for food prep, traffic flow and shade for the cook in the afternoon

He paints the stucco and uses a stainless steel cleaner on the appliances for a final shine and the job is done. If all is done properly, this will look good and last for a long time. “That’s it,” Cohen says. “You just hope you get invited over to the next party.”

Don Dale is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor. He resides in Altadena, Calif.