We recently completed an outdoor kitchen project in Bronxville, NY that featured a 36" DCS grill and various undercounter components. I always love looking at these DCS outdoor kitchen projects when they are finished. I feel that no matter what shape the island is or what the materials are that are used, they always look amazing. I think much of that has to do with the simple, classic lines that the DCS grill offers. If you look at pictures of the DCS grill over the years it really hasn't drastically changed save for the handle and knobs. The burners changed from their original H-Shaped burner years ago, and they have been using the same ceramic radiant and pitched grate system to minimize flare ups.
So aside from the burners, knobs and handle, today's DCS grill is very similar to the iconic one that started the luxury grill movement years ago.
When I first met the homeowners they had a few questions and/or issues that needed to be resolved prior construction.
1. What shape should the outdoor kitchen island be?
Due to the size of the patio space, we determined that an L-shaped outdoor kitchen island would work best. The main run for the outdoor kitchen would be 12 feet and the L-return would be 7 feet and include a high bar for people to sit at. The DCS 36" grill is the only product other than a sink that would cut into the countertop so there is ample space for landing trays and plating food after it is grilled.
2. What material should the outdoor kitchen island be made of?
The homeowner wanted to match the island to an existing ledge stone wall in the backyard (visible in background above). The counter top is a dark blue stone that was used to match the patio floor.
The island has a western exposure so they will receive intense sun later in the afternoon.
3. Which premium gas grill and what size?
The homeowner had owned a DCS grill in the past and was impressed by its looks as well as the intense heat that it delivers. They opted for a 36" as the next size up, a 48" grill, was too big for the space. They went with matching with matching DCS access doors, a DCS drop-in sink, DCS trash drawer and DCS access door under the sink. The customer ultimately added a Marvel outdoor refrigerator to the left of the grill.
For more information on DCS Grills including grill video reviews please visit the Ring of Fire YouTube channel.
4. Why did the homeowner use two sets of access doors?
If you look at the above picture you will see that they used DCS 36" access doors under the grill in order to gain access to the gas shutoff.
If you look on the right side of the outdoor island, you will notice another set of DCS 36" access doors, this time with no cooking appliance above it, nor a sink. So the question is, why would they use access doors again instead of building in some type of storage module like drawers?
At one point there was a plan to put a power burner on the right side, and they liked the idea of going larger with the access piece underneath. Over time, the power burner idea was scrapped as they wanted to A) maximize countertop space and B) they did not want another cooking product that would give off high heat near the seated bar area which is running perpendicular on the right side. The homeowner opted to keep the access doors instead of putting in sealed storage as he liked the openess of the access doors and the considerable price difference between access doors and drawers
5. How may storage products should be used?
Though the indoor kitchen is nearby, the homeowner wanted the outdoor space to be as independent as possible, thus they included:
Outdoor sink
The project took about 2 mos to complete including time to pull permits. This included the construction of the new patio. It shows that a well-crafted plan plus dealing with trade people you can trust is the key to delivering an outdoor kitchen project in a reasonable amount of time.
If you have any questions about this outdoor kitchen or need guidance on your own project, please contact us at 914-361-1837 or visit us at the Ring of Fire outdoor showroom.
Ring of Fire Outdoor Kitchens & Grills
1968 Central Park Ave
Yonkers NY 10710
