How can you use wood to build an outdoor kitchen?
Do it yourself · Building in the garden
Building in the gardenA wooden outdoor kitchen
Wood, fire and water in one piece of furniture. That works very well — but not everywhere in the same piece, and that is exactly where it usually goes wrong.
- Fire zone in stone
- Worktop in hardwood
- Everything on feet, not on the ground
Three zones, three materials
An outdoor kitchen consists of a cooking zone, a work zone and a storage zone. Only the last two are a job for wood.
Wood does not belong around the barbecue or the hob. Radiant heat from charcoal or gas heats everything in the immediate vicinity, and charred wood is not only ugly but also a real fire risk. Build that zone in stone, concrete or tiles, and let the wood start at a distance — allow at least half a metre, and more with an open fire.
The work zone is a job for wood, but it calls for a dense, oily species that can cope with water and stains. Teak is the classic; iroko and afzelia do the same job. Spruce or plywood won't last two seasons under an outdoor tap.
And the third rule: nothing touches the ground. Put the frame on adjustable feet or on tiles, so that air can get underneath. A wooden frame standing directly on a patio or soil draws up moisture through the end grain and rots from below — exactly where you can't see it.
Wood feels warmer and can be sanded if it stains. Stone or composite is indestructible but cold and heavy. A popular combination: the top in hardwood, with one stone insert next to the hob where hot pans can go.
- Cooking zone
- stone, concrete or tiles — no wood
- Distance from wood to fire
- at least 50 cm, more with an open fire
- Worktop
- teak, iroko or afzelia
- Frame
- pressure-treated softwood or Douglas fir
- Foundation
- tiles or a concrete slab, always level
- Under the unit
- air — never directly on the ground
- Maintenance
- oil once a year, clean with mild soap
To be fair: a wooden outdoor kitchen needs more maintenance than a kitchen in stone or stainless steel, and that is no small footnote. Grease spatters soak into the wood, wine stains stay and a top next to a tap goes dark. If you want a kitchen that is still like day one after five years, choose wood for the look and stone for the work surface.
Cook, work and store
An outdoor kitchen consists of a cooking zone, a work zone and a storage zone. Only the last two are a job for wood. You build the cooking zone in stone, concrete or tiles.
Click a chapter or use the arrows · kitchen schematic, heat and moisture for illustration.
Which species where
| Component | Wood species | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Worktop | teak, iroko, afzelia | dense and oily: absorbs little water and can be sanded |
| Frame and uprights | pressure-treated spruce or Douglas fir | strong enough, affordable, and usually out of sight |
| Cladding and doors | thermally modified wood or larch | dimensionally stable, so doors keep closing |
| Right next to the hob | no wood — stone or stainless steel | heat and grease don't belong on wood |
| Herb box or shelf | almost any durable species | no load, no significant moisture |
| Recycled wood | for cladding and fronts | character, but not for the worktop: unknown history |
From foundation to top
- Choose the spotWind direction counts: smoke blows towards your dining table or away from it. Also check where water and electricity come from — sorting that out afterwards costs the most.
- Lay the foundationTiles or a concrete slab, level. An outdoor kitchen that settles gets doors that stick and a top that drains to the wrong side.
- Build the frameWorking height around 90 cm, as indoors. Build the frame on feet or adjustable levellers so that air stays underneath.
- Build the cooking zoneBuild or clad this part in stone or tiles, and keep the wood at a distance. Provide a fireproof base plate under the hob.
- Fit the worktopHardwood cut to size, with the grain along the length of the top. Let the top overhang by a few millimetres so that water drips off instead of into the joint.
- Fronts and drawersAllow for clearance: wood moves more outdoors than indoors. A door that fits tightly in August will stick in November.
- FinishingTreat every surface, including the undersides and the end grain. Those are exactly what everyone forgets, and exactly where it starts.
What an outdoor kitchen asks each year
Clean after use
Mild soap and a cloth. Grease that stays soaks into the wood and becomes a dark stain you have to sand out.
Oil once a year
A hardwood oil on the worktop, every spring. That keeps the wood closed and the colour deep.
Check for rot
Look especially at the bottom of the uprights and behind the cooking zone. Prod with a screwdriver wherever you are in doubt.
Cover it in winter
A breathable cover — not a plastic sheet. Plastic traps moisture and accelerates exactly what you want to avoid.
Keep gas bottles out of the closed cabinet if there is no ventilation, and never put a charcoal barbecue under a wooden canopy without enough clearance. Sparks and radiant heat do their work even when the furniture is new.
Frequently asked questions about a wooden outdoor kitchen
Which wood should I use for the worktop?
A dense, oily hardwood: teak, iroko or afzelia. They absorb little water and can be sanded if they get a stain.
Can wood go next to the barbecue?
Not directly next to it. Keep at least half a metre away, and more with an open fire. The cooking zone is best built in stone, concrete or tiles.
Does the unit need to stand on feet?
Yes. Directly on a patio or the ground, the wood draws up moisture through the end grain and rots from below, where you can't see it.
How often do I need to treat the wood?
The worktop once a year, in spring. The frame and cladding can go longer, depending on how sheltered the kitchen is.
Can I use reclaimed wood?
For cladding and fronts, fine. For the worktop, better not: you don't know what that wood was in contact with before.
What is the usual working height?
Around 90 cm, just as indoors. If you often cook with two people, allow at least 120 cm of free work space next to the hob.
Choose the wood species first?
Teak, iroko and afzelia each have their own page in The Wood Guide, with their figures and their drawbacks.
Have a question about your project? Just ask — we're happy to help.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Stone barbecue under a wooden canopy, table at a distance — Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0
The Wood Guide
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