Rye Brook, NY
Outdoor Kitchen Ideas: Alfresco Blaze Alfa Outdoor Kitchen
This is an outdoor kitchen we completed in Rye Brook in Westchester County.
This project shows the near turnkey solution ROF can provide as we designed the island, built and installed it, supplied all grill and refrigeration products, supplied the pizza oven as well as the infrared heaters mounted to the ceiling.
Plan Your Outdoor Kitchen Early!
The customer first contacted us on January 27, 2020. The reason I bring this date up is to show an example of someone we would consider a semi-early starter. If we get people planning outdoor kitchens in mid-late January, they are generally looking for a Spring build out. In this case, the customer just made it in the nick of time as we were still a month away from the drumbeats of Covid. In that month’s time span, we were able to come up with a design rendering, finalize all of the grill components as well as start the conversation about ancillary products like a wood burning pizza oven and heaters for the outdoor space. If he had come in one month later he would have been ensnared in the Covid tentacles and would have been lucky to complete this by the early Fall.
Covid-19 Strikes
The initial plan was to build out the island over 3 weeks and target a delivery/install for early March. However, all plans were cast aside as Covid hit and he could not pull permits from his town or have his contractor continue the work in the backyard. The project was on hold for about two months and then in mid-May the homeowner called and said the project was green lighted. We ended up delivering all of the components including the island in early July.
A Challenging Project
Aside from the Covid shutdown, the project had a few challenges. This was part of a growing trend this year of outdoor kitchens being built under covered structures (in this case his deck). The area would be completely open on the sides so there was no need to use outdoor ventilation (which saved the customer $5000 based on the price of the Vent-a-hood he was considering). He installed numerous ceiling fans to enhance air flow and keep mosquitoes at bay.
However the challenge with this space was working the island in between the columns that were supporting his deck. The homeowner’s contractor took measurements on site which we then mapped onto the rendering, yet we still hit a patch of difficulty when the island arrived for installation. Two of the cutouts for the columns were off by a few inches so our installer had to make field revisions which included cutting the island board as well as one of the metal beams. Once those edits were made the grill pieces were dry fit in and the homeowner was ready for countertop templating.
What I Like About This Outdoor Kitchen
The homeowner has all of his bases covered in terms of cooking vehicles – he has the Alfresco grill for easy gas grilling and the ability to use a rotisserie or drop in one of the Alfresco accessories like the steamer fryer or the solid fuel box. He also has the Alfa 4 Pizze oven to cook with wood. I also like how he went out of the box and did not use stone, stucco or Ipie wood for the surface, instead opting to use a tile which gives a more contemporary look.
What I Would Change About the Kitchen
Not much to criticize here. I would have preferred to have more depth from the house wall to the island but if he did that he would have passed the deck perimeter.
Grills Components Used in This Outdoor Kitchen
- location : Rye Brook, NY