Concrete Outdoor Kitchens vs Stainless Steel
If you’re deciding between different materials for your outdoor kitchen, you’ll need to think about which will be more durable, more resistant and will require the least amount of maintenance.
Popular choices for outdoor kitchen furniture include concrete and stainless steel.
So you need to make sure you choose the ideal material whether you’re adding a feature to your patio, roof terrace, deck or other outdoor living area.
What is the best material for an outdoor kitchen?
Modern Concrete Outdoor Kitchen
Because of its strength and durability, concrete is a popular material. It’s also an affordable option.
Sometimes reinforced concrete is used for barbecues or outdoor kitchens because it is a flexible material.
However, if you want to maintain the aesthetic appearance of your outdoor kitchen over time, reinforced concrete presents a number of major problems.
Best Outdoor Kitchen Foundation
Because concrete is a heavy material, it requires a foundation to distribute the load across your floor. If your foundation isn’t laid properly, your barbecue or outdoor kitchen could break.
Also, because it’s very heavy, it’s not recommended to place it on building terraces, as the paving slab, which is the floor you walk on, can generally support a weight of around 250 kg per square metre, and this type of concrete barbecue usually weighs much more than this.
Installing a concrete barbecue requires bricklaying and possibly the hire of a crane.
concrete outdoor kitchen
Is Concrete Good for Outdoor Kitchens?
Furthermore, concrete is a very porous material that stains easily. So does microcement. Therefore, if you make a worktop or piece of furniture from concrete, it may not retain its original appearance for very long. Oils, sauces, drinks such as wine, spirits or acidic ingredients such as lemon will quickly stain the top of your kitchen counter.
In the event of a concrete barbecue, where the fire is usually made with wood or charcoal, the first day you light it, it will stay black because of the ash from the embers. This ash penetrates the pores of the concrete and is very difficult to remove. So we could say that a concrete barbecue is good for cooking, but don’t count on it retaining the aesthetic appeal it had when you bought it.
At the same time your concrete barbecue may also crack and split depending on the temperature.
If you choose concrete, you’ll need to keep it maintained!
This type of barbecue is the most common in the past because it’s what was known traditionally. However, today there are much more efficient materials, appliances and manufacturing methods that are designed to resist the elements and the passage of time while maintaining their aesthetic appeal and offering you a superior level of cooking efficiency.
Stainless Steel Outdoor Kitchens
Due to its high weather resistance, low level of maintenance, high resistance to damage and the fact that it’s a phytosanitary material, an outdoor kitchen with stainless steel cabinets is the best choice.
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
A mixed summer kitchen can also be used. This is made up of a concrete skeleton and stainless steel built-in units placed in the holes.
This is an economical interim solution, but the downside is that your cupboard space is reduced as concrete walls are generally stronger.
Customize your Outdoor Kitchen
If you want to maximize your use of storage space and improve the design of your outdoor kitchen, you should opt for stainless steel furniture for the entire body of your outside kitchen island.
At Fesfoc, you can customize your furniture by choosing the color you want. You can also choose luxurious ceramic fronts if you prefer a stone or a marble exterior. For ceramic door or drawer fronts, we suggest you avoid a thickness of 3mm or less, as they are very prone to cracking and breaking.
Concrete vs Stainless Steel: Best Choice
When it comes to choosing between concrete and stainless steel to create the outdoor kitchen of your dreams, stainless steel is by far the best choice.
Concrete may be less expensive than stainless steel initially. However, in the long run, concrete is more expensive.
Contemporary Concrete Outdoor Kitchen
Concrete is a material that does suffer from aging aesthetics. Dirt, dust and the elements will affect its appearance, not to mention its use as a work surface or cooking area, as mentioned earlier.
So it’s not a very good choice if you’re looking for something that will last, is easy to maintain and will be a highly decorative part of your home.
Why choose Fesfoc?
At Fesfoc, we have a wide range of outdoor kitchens that have been designed and constructed using the finest materials to withstand the test of time.
Equip your outdoor kitchen with a wide range of top-of-the-range outdoor appliances such as barbecues, planchas, gas hobs, woks, gas pizza ovens, charcoal paella grills, induction ovens, refrigerators, wine cellars, ice makers and freezers. All perfectly suited to the design of your outdoor kitchen.
Get in touch with us and our highly qualified team of designers and engineers will help you with whatever you need for your ideal outdoor kitchen!
