how much does an outdoor kitchen cost?
The cost of an outdoor kitchen can vary dramatically: A flatpack outdoor kitchen from Ikea starts at around £1,000, whereas a handcrafted entirely-bespoke outdoor kitchen can cost over £100,000. Faced with such a huge price range, where do you start? This article aims to give you a steer on what to expect at each price band, and the pitfalls to look out for on your outdoor kitchen buying journey.
In short: how much does an outdoor kitchen cost?
- £1-5k outdoor kitchens: Cheap and cheaply built. Go for a good quality BBQ instead; you won’t regret it.
- £5-20k outdoor kitchens: What most people opt to spend, and a bracket where you can get a outdoor kitchen that bridges quality and value.
- £20-40k outdoor kitchens: Highly-customisable, built-to-order outdoor kitchens, mostly made in Germany.
- £40k+ outdoor kitchens: Very unique outdoor kitchens, often hand-crafted with a price to match.
So what makes outdoor kitchens expensive?
Before we dive in to comparing price-points and specific brands, there are two key drivers to the cost of outdoor kitchens…
1. Resellers’ margins.
One example is a brand who build their kitchens in China, import them to Australia, ship them 12,000 miles to the UK distributor, who in turn sells them to resellers, who then sell them to the end user. That’s four lots of margin applied by the time the product arrives on your patio. So, when you look for a brand that doesn’t have resellers, this helps you get value for money.
2. Too much choice; no economies of scale.
Can you ever have too much choice? If you’ve ever had to choose between 100 near-identical shades of off-white in a paint colour guide, you’ll know the answer to that. Many outdoor kitchen manufacturers offer extensive customisation options. This means that every kitchen is a one-off, made to order, and the price reflects that. In contrast, a truly modular kitchen will have fewer options, and all options are ‘off-the-shelf’, resulting in economies of scale for quality kitchens.
Outdoor kitchen costs by price bracket
£1,000 - £5,000 OUTDOOR KITCHENS
In the £1,000 to £5,000+ range there are a vast range of options, but be aware! All ‘true’ outdoor kitchens (by which we mean 3+ units with a BBQ and maybe a sink) in this price bracket are cheaply manufactured in the far east, using sub-standard and flimsy ‘filing-cabinet’ type materials. If your budget is £1-5k, we’d strongly suggest considering going for a quality standalone BBQ. Why? Any outdoor kitchen needs to lead with a reputable grill. For £2,000 you can get a decent Weber grill or Green Egg, or a few cheap units and a very cheap non-brand gas grill. For so many reasons we’d go for the former.
So let’s get started. We’ve listed some options for this price bracket below…
£500-£1000: Ikea
Ikea is probably your best option if your outdoor kitchen budget is £1k. They have a range of modular units in a couple of different styles. They are likely to know how to design furniture for the outdoors, and have a vested interest in keeping their vast customer-base happy.
£2k - £4k: Big Green Egg
Big Green Egg have metal modular “nests” for their BBQs and for worktops/shelving, and some quite attractive wooden BBQ tables. Although not a true outdoor kitchen, they do make useful side tables.
£1k - £5k: Weber;
Weber needs no introduction. If this is your budget; if you don’t need a huge amount of prep space; if you aren’t too worried about having other outdoor appliances; if you want a respectable brand name for your grill: Weber. A great stand-alone grill that you will be much prouder of than a cheap outdoor kitchen with a short-life grill.
£2k - £7k: Whistler / Draco / Maze / Mont Alpi
Great options for someone with a smaller budget. These types of outdoor kitchens benefit from mass-production in the far east, less choice in the kitchen and lighter-gauge materials, which all offer a cost-saving to the customer. You will find a number of brands around this price point, often from the same manufacturers.
£5,000 - £20,000 OUTDOOR KITCHENS
At the £5k – 20k price point, you start to see companies whose primary focus is outdoor kitchens, which is to say you’ll get a modular or semi-customisable outdoor kitchen that’s designed for purpose. You’re much more likely to get the quality, features and service you expect.
See below some options in this price bracket…
£4k - £11k: Napoleon
Napoleon is a Canadian rival to Weber. Unlike Weber they definitely do have a range of outdoor kitchen units, with a selection of modules to choose from. Note that Napoleon kitchens do not come with a worktop – this is something you have to arrange separately.
£5k - £20k: Grillo
Grillo are well-built outdoor kitchens, that are made in England. Designed from the outset to be rock solid and long-lasting, with marine-grade cabinets that stand up to the elements and are easy to maintain. You get a choice of barbecue types, appliances and customisable options, without the price tag of a fully custom outdoor kitchen.
£7k - £20k: Beefeater
Beefeater is a longstanding Australian brand. Beefeater offer a range of outdoor kitchen equipment, with their own fridges and barbeques at a range of prices. The marine-grade plywood carcasses are similar to an indoor kitchen in looks and build. Beefeater have an extensive importer, dealer and retail network world-wide.
£20,000 - £40,000 OUTDOOR KITCHENS
In the £20-40k bracket, you will typically find European-made outdoor kitchens, which have a high price and are low volume. They are generally highly-customisable and built to order, so longer lead times are the norm.
See below some options in this price bracket…
£20k - £40k: Grillzimmer
Grillzimmer is the engineer’s dream. Grillzimmer kitchens are highly-bespoke kitchens heavily constructed from steel and granite. Precision manufactured in Germany, Grillzimmer’s pièce de resistance is a unique ‘floating’ stand for kamado BBQs. Typical lead times are 12 – 16 weeks.
£25k - £50k+: Cubic
Cubic are handmade, one-off German kitchens. Cubic kitchens are highly-customisable and handmade to order by craftsmen in rural Germany.
£40k+ OUTDOOR KITCHENS
Over £40,000 you’re not necessarily getting anything more customisable than what you get for £20-40k, but you are getting unique luxuries. If you are looking in this price bracket, here are some brands that offer unique options.
See below some options in this price bracket…
£35k - £100k+: Gaze Burvill
For oak kitchens handmade in Hampshire. Gaze Burvill are a longstanding UK luxury outdoor kitchen and outdoor furniture manufacturer. Their kitchens are constructed from oak by craftsmen in Hampshire, and their small volumes of manufacture ensure a high degree of customisation and service.
£75k - £160k: Cashmere Caveman
For if you want to feel like you’re on safari. Cashmere Caveman make outdoor kitchens unlike any other. The brainchild and passion-project of Guy Ritchie, they make WildTables – a kind of cooking table, and WildKitchens – a safari-style tent with WildTables and seating. The full WildKitchen starts at around £75,000.
Summary: How much does an outdoor kitchen cost?
As you can see from the above article, an outdoor kitchen in the UK can cost anywhere between £1,000 – £100,000. However, here at Grillo, we speak to thousands of outdoor kitchen buyers every year, and what we find is that a typical budget a UK homeowner is looking to spend on their outdoor is between £5,000 to £15,000. What the vast majority of people are looking for a high-quality solid outdoor kitchen that will look great for years to come, and with a choice of appliances that are built well and will last just as long as the kitchen.
Next steps:
• To find out what you could get for your money from Grillo, browse a selection of pre-designed outdoor kitchen layouts or have a play on the Grillo online configurator
• Once you’ve confirmed what your budget range is, you’ll need to decide exactly which features and BBQs you would like in your kitchen. Click here to read about 14 must-have outdoor kitchen features.
• Wondering whether an outdoor kitchen will add value to your house? We have a blog on that – Hear it from estate agents, landlords and developers. Click here to read.
All the best on your outdoor kitchen buying journey!
