STEP OUTSIDE EARLY IN THE MORNING AND YOU’LL SEE IT STRAIGHT AWAY. MOISTURE SITTING QUIETLY ON EVERY SURFACE. TIMBER HOLDING A BIT OF WEIGHT. METAL FEELING COLDER THAN IT SHOULD.
NOTHING DRAMATIC. BUT EVERYTHING IS WORKING.
NOW ASK YOURSELF THIS. IS YOUR KITCHEN DESIGNED FOR THAT?
BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE MOST OUTDOOR KITCHENS BEGIN TO FAIL. NOT SUDDENLY. NOT OBVIOUSLY. JUST SLOWLY, OVER TIME.
SO WHEN THAT TERM APPEARS IN OUTDOOR KITCHENS, THE REAL QUESTION IS WHETHER IT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED PROPERLY AS PART OF A BROADER OUTDOOR KITCHEN DESIGN – OR SIMPLY ADDED AS A FEATURE.
WHAT DOES “MARINE-GRADE” ACTUALLY MEAN?
IT GETS MENTIONED A LOT. BUT WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN?
AT ITS CORE, MARINE-GRADE REFERS TO MATERIALS DESIGNED FOR CONSTANT EXPOSURE. NOT OCCASIONAL USE. PROPER, UNINTERRUPTED EXPOSURE.
THINK BOATS. COASTAL CONDITIONS. SALT. MOISTURE. MOVEMENT.
SO THE REAL QUESTION BECOMES SIMPLE. ARE THESE MATERIALS BUILT TO LIVE OUTSIDE – OR JUST PLACED THERE?
ISN’T STAINLESS STEEL ALREADY SUITABLE FOR OUTDOORS?
IT SOUNDS LIKE IT SHOULD BE. BUT NOT ALL STAINLESS STEEL BEHAVES THE SAME WAY.
STANDARD GRADES WORK WELL INDOORS. OUTSIDE, THEY BEGIN TO CHANGE. SLOWLY. SUBTLY.
A SLIGHT DULLING. SMALL MARKS. EVENTUALLY, SURFACE PITTING.
MARINE-GRADE STEEL IS DIFFERENT. BUILT TO RESIST THAT SLOW DECLINE.
WHERE DO OUTDOOR KITCHENS ACTUALLY FAIL?
NOT WHERE MOST PEOPLE EXPECT.
IT’S RARELY THE APPLIANCES. IT’S NOT USUALLY THE WORKTOP.
IT’S THE CABINETRY.
STANDARD MATERIALS ABSORB MOISTURE. PANELS SHIFT. ALIGNMENT DRIFTS.
IT DOESN’T HAPPEN QUICKLY. THAT’S THE PROBLEM.
OUTDOOR-RATED MATERIALS HOLD THEIR SHAPE. THEY DON’T MOVE IN THE SAME WAY. THEY STAY CONSISTENT.
WHAT ABOUT WORKTOPS?
STONE LOOKS STRONG. BUT OUTSIDE, IT BEHAVES DIFFERENTLY.
MARBLE, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN ABSORB MOISTURE. IT CAN ETCH. IT CAN CHANGE.
SO WHAT SHOULD YOU USE INSTEAD?
PORCELAIN. SINTERED STONE. MORE STABLE MATERIALS.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY – MAKE THAT DECISION EARLY.
IN FACT, IT SHOULD HAPPEN DURING THE PLANNING STAGE, NOT AFTER, AS WE COVER IN OUR GUIDE TO PLANNING YOUR OUTDOOR KITCHEN.
IF YOU WANT A BROADER VIEW OF HOW DIFFERENT MATERIALS BEHAVE, OUR KITCHEN MATERIALS GUIDE BREAKS THIS DOWN IN MORE DETAIL.
THE DETAIL MOST PEOPLE MISS
OPEN A CUPBOARD DOOR THAT DOESN’T CLOSE PROPERLY. FEEL A HINGE THAT’S JUST A LITTLE TOO TIGHT.
THAT’S NOT INSTALLATION.
THAT’S MATERIALS REACTING.
STANDARD FIXINGS CORRODE. HINGES STIFFEN. MOVEMENT CHANGES.
BETTER COMPONENTS DON’T JUST LAST LONGER. THEY FEEL THE SAME OVER TIME.
DOES THE UK CLIMATE REALLY MATTER?
MORE THAN YOU THINK.
IT’S NOT ABOUT EXTREME WEATHER. IT’S ABOUT CONSISTENCY.
DAMP AIR. COLD MORNINGS. MATERIALS EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING AGAIN AND AGAIN.
OUTDOOR KITCHENS IN THE UK DON’T FAIL DRAMATICALLY. THEY FADE.
WHICH IS WHY DESIGNING FOR REAL USE MATTERS, ESPECIALLY IF THE SPACE IS BUILT FOR HOSTING, AS EXPLORED IN OUR GUIDE TO OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING SPACES.
SO IS MARINE-GRADE WORTH IT?
IT COSTS MORE. THAT’S TRUE.
BUT WHAT ARE YOU REALLY PAYING FOR?
NOT JUST DURABILITY. CONSISTENCY.
A KITCHEN THAT STILL FEELS RIGHT YEARS LATER.
THE REAL TAKEAWAY
OUTDOOR KITCHENS DON’T FAIL BECAUSE THEY’RE USED TOO MUCH.
THEY FAIL BECAUSE THEY’RE EXPOSED ALL THE TIME.
SO THE QUESTION ISN’T WHAT LOOKS BEST TODAY.
IT’S WHAT WILL STILL FEEL RIGHT IN FIVE YEARS.
AND THE ANSWER, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, COMES DOWN TO MATERIALS.
