Gas and propane barbecues today are sights to behold. With extensive use of high quality materials, and with the high-end predominantly made of stainless steel even built-in barbecues have matured and as more people entertain outdoors patios and decks now sport furniture that would look grand in five star hotels. As a result of all these enhancements to the home more people are opting to skip grills on wheels and build custom barbecues.
Custom barbecues are not new, they started becoming popular in the 1950's but as portable units became more common the trend was toward those types of units. The resurgence of built-in barbecues has fueled growth in this niche market and manufacturers have noticed that home owners are willing to spend thousands of dollars on designer built-in barbecues. And they are helping fuel the flames by offering products that are worthy of high-end kitchens that are operated by internationally recognized chefs.
Building your backyard built-in is not as simple as slapping 2x4's together with cements and bricks. You need to have a good idea of what you want - something simple, or more complex that offers a lot of function as well as style. Some of the high-end built-ins will feature gas, propane or electric grills with convection, multiple burners, storage cabinets, preparation areas, sinks, etc.,
For example, Weber produces the Summit S-460 built-in natural gas grill. It features 4 stainless steel burners rated at 48,800 BTU's, includes a 10,600 BTU infrared rear-mounted rotisserie burner, 10,600 BTU sear burner and an 8,000 BTU smoker burner and stainless steel smoker box. The price starts at around $1,700.00 - this doesn't include any other cabinetry, preparation areas, islands or other accessories.
When you start considering building a built-in barbecue, you are looking at something like an outdoor kitchen.
Several designs feature U shaped outdoor kitchens where people can sit on stools around entertain and plate & serve zone. The cooking zone, and prep zone are off to the right away from your guests.
There are some general rules to follow in planning your homemade barbecue:
Placement - put your barbecue where it can stay for many years, becuase you won't be able to move this around. It should also be in a place where it won't put other structures in danger from fire.
Appearance - the design should follow your home and yard otherwise the barbecue will seem out of place.
Utility - plan on adding refrigeration, preparation areas, entertaining zones and serving zones. A well thought out plan will mean that you will use your built-in
year after year, you don't want to be running in and out for every little thing.
Weather - most people that build built-ins live in areas where they are suitable, but still pay attention to the weather in your area. You do not want to build your barbecue where it's constantly sunny and hot - you won't enjoy cooking and nobody will enjoy eating in a very hot area. Strategically place the barbecue where you get equal amount of sun and shade to make it inviting at anytime during the day.
Maintenance - regardless of the type of barbecue you choose - built-in or movable, you need to maintain the unit and the surrounding area so that critical components are easy to reach or get at if you need to.
Other things to take into account during the planning stage: how many guests do you normally entertain? Do you have enough space to build what you envision? Is professional installation required? Chances are your grill will be propane powered - do you have hookups or will you need to have them installed?
Depending on the layout you choose, there are several items you will want to consider. We've put together a built-in with four zones:
Zone 1 - The Entertain Zone: This will contain items such as an outdoor refrigerator, bartending center, ice bin and coolers, ice machine, beer dispenser, blender and wine cooler.
Zone 2 - Plate and Serve Zone: Warming drawers, food warmers and garnish center.
Zone 3 - Cooking Zone: Grill, doors and drawers, side burners, propane tank bins (if you decide against natural gas), griddles, ovens and sufficient ventilation.
Zone 4 - Prep Zone: Remember to include sinks, trash bins, paper towel holders, cutting boards and dry storage pantry.
Designing and planning your own built-in does take a lot of work and though, but once it is ready you can host backyard barbecues for friends or just family and each time it will get easier and easier as you learn to maximize your built-in.
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