Concrete Outdoor Kitchen vs Stainless Steel
When you’re deciding between different materials for your outdoor kitchen, you need to consider which will be more durable, resistant and require the least maintenance.
Concrete and stainless steel are popular choices for outdoor kitchen furniture. So, whether you’re looking to add a feature to your patio, rooftop, deck or other outdoor living space, you need to make sure you choose the ideal material.
What is the best material for outdoor kitchen?
Modern Concrete Outdoor Kitchen
Concrete is a common material because of its strength and durability. It’s also an affordable option.
Reinforced concrete is a material frequently used in the manufacture of barbecues or outdoor kitchens, as it is a malleable material.
But reinforced concrete presents a number of major problems if you want to preserve the aesthetic appearance of your summer kitchen over time.
What is the best foundation for an outdoor kitchen?
Concrete is a heavy material, requiring a foundation to distribute the load on your floor. If your foundation isn’t properly laid, your barbecue or outdoor kitchen could break.
Also, because it’s so heavy, it’s not advisable to place it on building terraces, as the terrace slab, which is the ground you walk on, generally supports a weight of around 250 kg per square meter, and this type of reinforced concrete barbecue usually weighs much more.
Installing a concrete barbecue requires masonry services and possibly the hire of a crane.
concrete outdoor kitchen
Is concrete good for an outdoor kitchen?
Concrete is a highly porous material that stains very easily. Just like microcement. So, if you make a concrete worktop or piece of furniture, it may not retain its original appearance for very long. Oils, sauces, beverages such as wine, spirits or acidic foods such as lemon will easily stain the surface of your worktop.
In the case of concrete barbecues, where the fire is generally made with wood or charcoal, the first day you light it, it will remain black because of the ash from the embers. These ashes penetrate the pores of the concrete and are very difficult to remove. We can therefore say that a concrete barbecue will simply be good for cooking, but don’t expect it to retain the aesthetic appearance it had when you bought it.
At the same time, depending on the temperature of your concrete barbecue, it may crack and craze.
If you decide to opt for concrete, you’ll need to maintain it!
This type of concrete or firebrick barbecue is the one that was most widely used in the past because it’s what was traditionally known, but today there are much better and more efficient materials, appliances and manufacturing methods, designed to withstand the elements, the passage of time without losing their aesthetic appeal while offering you a superior level of cooking performance.
Stainless Steel Outdoor Kitchens
Outdoor kitchens with stainless steel cabinets are the best option because of their high weather resistance, low maintenance, high mechanical strength and the fact that it’s a phytosanitary material.
Stainless Steel Cabinets
You can also find a mixed summer kitchen. This consists of a concrete skeleton and stainless steel built-in units placed in the holes.
This is an economical intermediate option, but the disadvantage in this case is that your storage space is reduced as concrete walls are generally thicker.
Stainless Steel Cabinets
You can also find a mixed summer kitchen. This consists of a concrete skeleton and stainless steel built-in units placed in the holes.
This is an economical intermediate option, but the disadvantage in this case is that your storage space is reduced as concrete walls are generally thicker.
Customize your Outdoor Kitchen
To maximize your storage space and enhance the design of your outdoor kitchen, you should opt for stainless steel furniture for the entire body of your outdoor island.
At Fesfoc, you can customize your designer furniture in the color of your choice. You can also opt for luxurious ceramic fronts, if you prefer a stone or marble exterior. For ceramic door or drawer fronts, we recommend avoiding a thickness of 3 mm, as they break and crack very easily.
What is the best choice?
When comparing concrete and stainless steel to design the outdoor kitchen of your dreams, stainless steel is by far the better choice. Although concrete is initially more economical than stainless steel, it proves more costly in the long run.
Modern Concrete Outdoor Kitchen
Concrete is a material that suffers from aging aesthetic characteristics. Pollution, dust and weathering deteriorate its exterior finish, not to mention its use as a worktop or cooking area, as explained above.
So, it’s not a very good option if you’re looking for durability, low maintenance and want your summer kitchen to be a highly decorative feature of your home.
Why choose Fesfoc?
At Fesfoc, we offer you a wide range of outdoor kitchens designed and manufactured with the finest materials to last the test of time.
Equip your outdoor kitchen with a vast collection of professional outdoor appliances, such as barbecues, planchas, gas stoves, woks, gas pizza ovens, charcoal paella grills, inductions, refrigerators, wine cellars, ice makers and freezers. All fit perfectly into the design of your outdoor kitchen.
Contact us and our team of highly qualified designers and engineers will help you with everything you need for your dream outdoor kitchen project!
