There are many outdoor kitchen options available through big box stores, Costco, and even Amazon, but the key when making purchase decisions for a vacation rental is to ensure products are durable and easy to use. And while you can sometimes make semi-custom selections through a big box store, RTA Outdoor Living offers an extensive offering of custom options from which to choose. These factors made choosing RTA a no brainer for our outdoor kitchen at Twelve34 House, our most luxe vacation rental.
Having never purchased an outdoor kitchen before (it won’t be our last though!), we had several questions and learned a lot throughout the process. We thought it would be helpful to share what we learned so you can be better prepared than we were when we started the process.
Design & Budget
These go hand-in-hand. To keep our budget inline I nixed a couple options I thought we wanted and needed. Martha, our designer, helped guide me on the items (and sizes) she thought would best suit the needs of our vacation guests. This proved to me that RTA really wants you to have the best option for YOU and YOUR BUDGET. I have to say, I don’t miss the items I thought we needed…I can’t even remember what they were!
For Twelve34 House, the kitchen appliances chosen were a 28” Coyote C Series Grill (love the lights
inside!), a Coyote 21” Left Hinge Fridge, and a gas 16” Ooni Koda Pizza Oven. The linear island layout was designed to fit within the area we had designated on the back deck of Twelve34. While it’s not large, the 7’ Linear Grill Island enables us to incorporate a bit of prep space to the left of the grill and between the grill and pizza oven. The amount of counter space is important to consider, I’d recommend getting as much as your space and budget allow.
Fuel Selection
Martha also guided us on fuel options. We chose direct propane hookup since we have propane heat at the cabin. Our plumber was able to run the gas line from the crawlspace to the back deck, with a connection and shut off in an area easy to access. Our electrician ran power for the beverage fridge.
Material Selection
Many outdoor kitchens are stainless, which sounds great until the person trying to polish a stainless outdoor kitchen. Stainless options have their positives, but there is a way to improve on stainless in both durability, longevity, and ease of cleaning.
The island materials for Twelve34 House are concrete. Concrete is a hardworking, durable material built for the long haul. We certainly don’t want to replace the outdoor kitchen in 5 years…this concrete option should last 20+ years for our guests. An added perk to concrete is it cannot be moved, bumped, scooted…it’s not going anywhere, which adds safety for our guests and our vacation rental.
To fit with the ultra modern design of Twelve34 House, Martha rightfully recommended the base be Plank Charcoal, which is nearly black and distinctly modern. For the countertop we chose Clean Edge Cloudy, which is white.
The Next Step
Martha was quickly able to send a rendition of the outdoor kitchen for us to review and accept, then it was sent to scheduling and production.
RTA kept us informed and educated throughout the process. It definitely was not a big box experience! Martha and everyone we came in contact with at RTA made us feel as though our kitchen was a top priority.
Next Up:
A peek into my factory tour!
Production, Delivery, and Setup
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