All You Need To Know Outdoor Kitchens & Pizza Ovens

Enjoy your summer with some serious alfresco cooking kit

- Jacky Parker

Long lazy lunches and balmy evening soirées outside in the garden are what summer was made for. If you’ve progressed beyond the portable pizza oven and want to cultivate your culinary prowess, or just make outside entertaining easier and more elegant, here’s what you need to know about creating an outdoor kitchen.

WHAT SHOULD I CONSIDER?

As well as your budget, think about how often you’re likely to entertain outdoors, how many people you tend to cater for and what you like to cook or eat. Also, consider the size of space you have as this will determine the type and size of grill, burner or pizza oven you go for.

A compact kamado grill (an insulated, egg-shaped grill with a hinged lid) for example, will roast, barbecue, and bake pizza. Many wood-fired pizza ovens, meanwhile, will cook more than just a single margarita, some baking five pizzas or other dishes at the same time. ‘It’s possible to roast a chicken, trays of vegetables and even bread in our larger models,’ says Gavin Prosser, managing director of The Stone Bake Oven Company.

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED?