Outdoor Kitchen vs Grill Island: Advice From Landscaping Companies for Making the Choice for Your Highland Park, IL Area Backyard

Outdoor Kitchen vs Grill Island: Advice From Landscaping Companies for Making the Choice for Your Highland Park, IL Area Backyard

Choosing the features that will go in your new Highland Park, IL area backyard cooking space can feel daunting. However, this is where a skilled landscaping company can help you make the right choice for how you want to use this space daily and for special occasions. Here are some recommendations from experienced landscape professionals.

Related: Here Are Some Of Landscape Contractors' Favorite Outdoor Kitchen Designs This Year In Wilmette, IL

The Beauty and Functionality of a Grill Island

When grilling is your wheelhouse and barbequing for your family or a group is something you look forward to, a deluxe grill station can be the right choice for your backyard outdoor living space. With multiple grill choices for a perfectly cooked meal, the grill station can be as simple or elaborate as you prefer.

A landscape professional will recommend you start with the grill selection. Having a gas and charcoal grill as well as a smoker can help you cook the meats, vegetables, and even desserts that make you the grill king.

Your landscape professional will suggest mounting the grills at a height that is comfortable for cooking your favorite foods. A gorgeous wall stone can be finished at the ideal height for grilling any food, and when topped with a flat stone like granite, you can enjoy plenty of countertop space for preparing and holding the grilled foods. You might consider incorporating a warming drawer to keep the food warm until you are ready to serve the whole meal.

You might also consider adding a pergola or roof over the grill station so your plans are not ruined by inclement weather.

The Entire Outdoor Kitchen

If you love grilling and cooking on a Blackstone in combination with the cooktop and all the amenities that make preparing and cleaning up a dinner easier, then you should consider the outdoor kitchen. A full outdoor kitchen can be part of your patio for convenience and ease of access, offering you all the ways to make any dishes you prefer.

You might want the grill station to be part of the outdoor kitchen design, or you can choose the grill you use most. Set in a stone wall with plenty of cabinetry to hold your pots and pans, serving pieces, and other items you want to have on hand, a cooktop, deep sink, and dishwasher can let you prepare food for all your guests.

Adding a refrigerator can let you keep the cold items nearby while an ice machine can come in handy during the hot summer months for having plenty of cold drinks to cool off. You might also add a wine cooler and a pizza oven to complete the outdoor kitchen.

With so many appliances and smart home tools as part of your outdoor kitchen, the only thing that could convince you to cook inside is the winter weather.

An expert landscape professional can assess your backyard for the available space to recommend the ideal selections and placement for your outdoor cooking space. No matter whether you want something straightforward and simple or the works, a landscape professional can create the outdoor kitchen of your dreams.

The easy entertaining and fun memories you can create with your friends and family can center around delicious meals together in the fresh air.

Related: Sleek Modern Outdoor Lighting Ideas For Your Outdoor Kitchen In Glenview IL

About the Author

Yep. We’re those guys – the guys who’ve always been handy, the guys who love to work with their hands, the guys family, friends, and neighbors have called on for help since, well, since we can remember. Which is why we’re now the guys who turned those talents and passion into a living by starting a family-owned contracting business. Serving the North Shore area and beyond, we specialize in beautifying and caring for residential properties, from installing fine gardens and preparing landscapes for big changes to ensuring the ongoing health of lawns and trees.