One of the decisions you have to make when considering outdoor kitchen designs is deciding which type of cabinetry you are going to use. There are several different types of outdoor kitchen cabinets, and in this article we will focus on the three most popular types. Keep in mind that the kind of cabinets you want will impact not only the look of the outdoor kitchen but also the overall price tag of the project.
The first type of outdoor cabinet we will talk about here are polymer cabinets. Many people like these because they are virtually weatherproof and can be ordered in pretty much any color you can think of. Another big positive of these cabinets is that they can be ordered in components and pieced together. Because of this you can have any combination of door, drawers, or shelves that you want. This also means you can build your outdoor kitchen to fit any space rather than a standard size opening. Possibly drawbacks for some people are the price, as these cabinets are not cheap, as well as the fact that polymer cabinets do not have an outdoors look to them. They look a lot like your indoor kitchen cabinets. That appeals to some people, but some people like the look of something that matches the outside of their home.
That brings us to masonry cabinets. There are different versions of this type of cabinet. Some people specialize in building the cabinets out of concrete block, while others will built a mold and pour concrete to the specifications you want. The biggest strength of this choice is, well, the strength of the cabinets! they are built like your home is built so they are very strong and will last many years. In addition to that, this type of cabinet looks like it was built as part of your home rather than as an added afterthought. The other drawback is the lack of internal shelves and drawers. Typically, stainless steel components are used as drawers and shelves. While they look great and function fine, they are not cheap. This can mean this type of outdoor kitchen costs you more than some others.
The third type of cabinets used in outdoor kitchens are stainless steel cabinets. This is a very niche type of choice, because while some people absolutely love them, some people cannot stand them. Stainless scratches very easily and shows fingerprints easy as well. This type of cabinet looks great when all shined up, but needs a lot of maintenance and care to keep it looking new. this is probably the most high maintenance of all outdoor cabinet choices.