Frontansicht einer Outdoorküche mit dunklen Fronten und Rückwand in Holzoptik.

Planning an outdoor kitchen: Ideas and tips for your weatherproof outdoor kitchen

Outdoor kitchens are the latest trend for anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors but still wants the convenience of a fully equipped kitchen. They are the perfect place to spend pleasant summer evenings with family and friends, prepare tasty dishes with home-grown vegetables or enjoy a white wine straight from the outdoor fridge. But how do you identify the ideal location for your outdoor kitchen? And what equipment and safety aspects do you need to think about? Our blog post gets to the bottom of these questions and shows you how Toms Gerber GmbH can help you put your personal outdoor kitchen design into practice.

As an experienced manufacturer of first-class engineered-wood components, we have the ability to turn your outdoor kitchen needs and desires into reality. With over thirty years of experience in the industry, and thanks to our state-of-the-art machinery, we can provide customised solutions and master any production challenge when it comes to prefabricated furniture components. Our expertise and flexibility make us the ideal partner for to produce your outdoor kitchen components, whatever your requirements. We manufacture our specialised products for business customers, including interior designers, interior decorators, garden designers and kitchen fitters. As a medium-sized B2B company, we offer a high degree of customisation in terms of products and delivery times. 
 

How to identify the perfect location for your outdoor kitchen

The ideal location for an outdoor kitchen depends on various factors. First of all, you need solid ground on which your kitchen can later be built. Lawns are rather unsuitable for this, as they become uneven over time and heavy pieces of furniture or appliances can easily sink in. The floor covering must therefore be robust and resistant to dirt, so that red wine spills, splashes of fat or garden dirt do not leave permanent stains. Toms Gerber GmbH has developed its own method for creating a robust surface: WARECO flooring. This is not only 100% water-resistant and non-slip, but is also resistant to scratches and can withstand cigarette burns.

Top view of WARECO flooring with a terrazzo look.
WARECO flooring with a terrazzo look is suitable as a weather-resistant surface for an outdoor kitchen.

Your outdoor kitchen should also be situated in as sheltered a location as possible to protect it from the wind and weather. A canopy can be very useful for this. A house wall often provides good shelter. It is also has the advantage that water and electricity connections are either already available or can be easily installed.

If you cannot – or do not want – to commit to a specific location, mobile outdoor kitchens are a flexible alternative. They are generally smaller than fixed outdoor kitchens, but can be moved around depending on requirements and weather conditions. If you are planning to build a kitchen on a balcony or roof terrace, you will need to give more attention to protecting it from the wind and sun.
 

Outdoor kitchen furniture

An outdoor kitchen consists of a range of features that can vary depending on space and requirements. These naturally include kitchen appliances, such as a grill, a fridge, and a hob or oven. But shelves and cupboards for kitchen utensils, a worktop and a sink are also essential. When planning your outdoor kitchen with your trusted service provider, you should therefore clarify in advance which features you need and how much space you have.

At Toms Gerber GmbH, we have the option of using recycled PU panelling, which is particularly robust, to produce prefabricated furniture components for wet areas. The material does not rot or swell – a clear advantage when it comes to the longevity of your outdoor kitchen. It is resistant to both frost and UV, and its covering can withstand high surface temperatures. As a result, the panels can withstand the icy cold of winter as well as the rays of the hot midday sun in summer, and are even have limited resistance to barbecue flames and open fires. We can customise the shape, size and colour of the materials so that your kitchen ultimately meets your exact requirements.

Alongside recycled PU panels, compact panels complete the options for the structural design of an outdoor kitchen. They are a suitable alternative to recycled PU worktops and can be used to create a visual enclosure for an outdoor kitchen. Our compact panels not only have impressive aesthetic features, they also have the same practical properties of water resistance and durability. On the one hand, compact panels are suitable for ceiling and wall designs, which can be used to create zones in your outdoor kitchen. On the other hand, they also make wonderful kitchen worktops. They have impressively high stability with very low bulk. At a thickness of approx. 12 mm, they can also be used to deliver minimalist designs.

As a special service, we offer direct delivery within a radius of 150 kilometres. This gives kitchen fitters the opportunity to have us personally deliver the prefabricated furniture components you have ordered for your kitchen to your home or to the appropriate installation site. Safe transport and quality assurance throughout production in our facilities ensure that you will be able to enjoy your outdoor kitchen for many years to come.

From a simple barbecue area to an outdoor culinary haven: outdoor kitchens for every taste

When it comes to the size of an outdoor kitchen, opinions differ. For some, a lavishly equipped barbecue area is enough. This is perfect for a smaller garden or balcony. With a barbecue, a worktop and some storage space for barbecue utensils, the smallest version of the outdoor kitchen offers a simple but effective way to prepare your favourite dishes outdoors. This small outdoor kitchen can be extended as required and customised to suit every need. Additional appliances such as a hob or oven can be added, as can a sink with running water or decoration with twinkling lights. 

For those looking for a special culinary experience, a fully equipped luxury outdoor kitchen can make your dreams of gourmet cooking evenings in the open air come true. With the right planning and design, your outdoor kitchen will be the perfect extension of your living space, allowing you to take your cooking skills to the next level. You can cook dishes with strong odours outside without any problems, so that the smell of grease or smoke does not settle in your home. An outdoor kitchen allows you to spend more time outdoors and enjoy the luxury of a fully equipped kitchen. You don’t have to keep running into the house to look for cooking utensils and can prepare a wide range of dishes. In winter, for example, you can organise your own private Christmas market on the terrace, where you can serve hot mulled wine, punch or soup from you outdoor kitchen. In summer, on the other hand, the outdoor fridge will ensure that drinks are at the perfect temperature, providing optimum refreshment on hot summer days.

No matter how pragmatic or extensive your concept of an outdoor kitchen may be, with Toms Gerber GmbH’s wide range of options and customised solutions you will be able to create one that meets your own ideas and specifications. Together with your kitchen fitter, garden designer, interior designer or interior decorator, you can plan and develop an individual look, which we will then produce and deliver to a high standard for trouble-free assembly and installation. 

Setting up a weatherproof and safe outdoor kitchen: What to consider

When planning and installing an outdoor kitchen, you should consider a few issues relating to weather and safety. For example, it is important to have the necessary water and electricity connections. You will need the latter to operate various kitchen appliances or to connect a hob. Check whether a power connection is required for the model you want. A water connection is also an advantage. This makes it easy to wash ingredients or clean the kitchen after use. If you plan to use the kitchen in winter, the water pipes should be frost proof.

Side view of a summer house on a lawn next to a field, with a façade made of compact panels.
The design of an outdoor kitchen often starts with a summer house that already has the necessary connections.

Lighting and energy supply are other aspects to include in your planning, which will allow you to cook in the dark or with gas, for example. Sustainable power can be generated by integrating solar panels and the corresponding storage units. Small fireplaces, lanterns or indirect lighting can create a cosy atmosphere in your outdoor kitchen in the evening.

Another relevant safety aspect for your outdoor kitchen is whether you have children in your household or as frequent visitors. You should therefore make sure that sockets are fitted with child protection and that dangerous kitchen appliances such as knives are out of reach.

Last but not least, you will also need to comply with regulatory requirements and enquire with the buildings authority about the regulations that apply to larger construction projects. If you are a tenant of a flat, read the house rules carefully or obtain your landlord or landlady’s permission.


Customised production at Toms Gerber GmbH

An outdoor kitchen is a wonderful way to extend your living space and spend more time outdoors. But who produces weather-resistant prefabricated furniture components and engineered-wood fittings for outdoor kitchens? We do! On the basis of thorough planning, we manufacture customised prefabricated furniture components that allow you to design a kitchen that is perfectly tailored to individual needs and lifestyle. We also offer robust and weather-resistant flooring solutions to give your outdoor kitchen project a solid foundation. At Toms Gerber GmbH, we bring our many years of experience and expertise to support our business customers, enabling us to work together to develop solutions with which their customers are completely satisfied. 

Are you a garden planner or kitchen fitter? We enable you to design highly customised modular outdoor kitchens in line with your customers’ wishes. From a choice of on-trend laminates to weatherproof outdoor kitchen features to prefabricated delivery to the construction site – we are the experts for you.

Are you a home or garden owner who wants a unique outdoor kitchen that fulfils your desires in terms of functionality and design? Talk to your service provider about the Toms Gerber GmbH’s services as a manufacturer of furniture components and water-resistant flooring. With our customised production options, which include state-of-the-art postformed rounding, we can make almost any wish come true.

To discuss your kitchen project, please feel free to contact us at by phone or by email!