From House To Home

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I‘ll be the first to admit that sometimes a little simplicity goes a long way. Take, for instance, the tradition of grilling out. For me, a single charcoal grill was always sufficient on a nice summer day. That is, until I graduated to a propane grill that featured more room to cook and multiple side burners. You see, what was once defined by a couple of plastic chairs and a grill, the outdoor patio and grilling area has been transformed to an outer extension of the interior of the home.

People spend thousands of dollars every month decorating the inside and outside of their homes trying to allure friends, family, and acquaintances into their home in the hopes that their guests are impressed, comfortable, and inspired. But the buzz from homeowners building new, custom homes is that the real action is in the yard—mainly back and side—for entertaining, cooking, and grilling purposes. Homeowners are going to great lengths to feed, entertain, and impress their guests—just as though they were indoors. “Homeowners are looking to extend their walls to the outdoors,” says Sherry Bale, Director of Public Affairs, Weber-Stephen Products Co., Palatine, Illinois.

More people are grilling and cooking outdoors. Why? Practicality tells us that with grilling, food just tastes better, reduces fat content on certain meats, and is an easier clean up. Most of the time, you can’t argue with the end result. Also, there is an openness that allows the host/griller more space to socialize with guests. In fact, 57 percent say that they are grilling more often than they were five years ago, according to the objective, third-party Weber GrillWatch Survey, conducted by Greenfield Online, a comprehensive study on what, when, where, why, and how Americans cook outdoors. Fifty-seven percent of the survey respondents say they are spending more time at home as compared to three years ago. Reasons cited: retired, children at home, working from home, unemployed, and enjoy being at home. “As the number of people staying at home increases, more people continue to extend their home’s functionality and livability to the outdoors,” says Mike Kempster, Sr., executive vice president of Weber-Stephen Products Co. And, watch out men, women are becoming more involved in barbequing. The survey shows that while men alone wield the tongs 48 percent of the time, and women alone are at 23 percent, 30 percent of households share the grilling duties between both sexes.

While more people overall are grilling their entire meals on the grill, women who grill regularly tend to grill veggies, side dishes, desserts, and other things in addition to the main course. Men tend to stick to main courses like steaks, burgers, brats, and roasts. “Women cook with more sophistication,” says Bale.

According to the Weber Outdoor Room Tracking Study, a growing number of Americans are making the “outdoor room,” which has been characterized by home and design experts as a defined outdoor area with a cooking, eating, and sitting space, an integral part of their home. Over 33 percent of outdoor room owners surveyed say that the design of this area is equally as important as the design of their homes’ interior spaces. Also, over a third of outdoor room owners say that this space adds to their quality of life. And the limits to cooking don’t have to stop there. Outdoor kitchens, more popular in areas with warmer year-round temps, can include stovetop burners, roasting spits, fire pits, sinks, refrigerators, storage cabinets for dishes and cooking utensils, counters for prep work, bar and counters for guests, audio and television systems, patio tiles, and intricate craftsmanship.

Turning your patio into a year-round resort
Started from a conversation over a couple of beers and some scribblings on a bar napkin, the owners of BBQ Island Inc., in Gilbert, Arizona, had a clear vision: BBQ Island is going to take outdoor entertainment to a whole new level. Its islands are the perfect way to cook for large parties as well as intimate occasions. Outdoor grilling should be a fun and relaxing event shared with friends and family. BBQ Island creates an extension of the home living space into the great outdoors, turning back yards and patios into attractive, comfortable areas for grilling and entertaining.

Bearing the brunt of harsh weather
Although the Southwest and West boast climates conducive to year-round grilling, according to the GrillWatch Survey, 54 percent of the respondents say that they grill year-round; 40 percent claim that they grill when it is below freezing, and 6 percent grill when the thermometer dips below zero!

Outdoor infrared patio heaters, like the Phoenix III supplied by Outdoor Kitchen Distributors Inc., of Denver, can be used to bring warmth, comfort, and enjoyment to your “alfresco” dining and entertainment events. The clean, efficient, and draft-free infrared radiant heat feels just like the sun while not wasting valuable energy trying to heat air.

Islands and barbeque equipment are still as popular as ever in the areas where harsh winters are a concern. “Our islands are fully weatherproof, and our granite tops, with proper maintenance, sealing, and covering, hold their own in the winter months,” says Dennis Mooney, General Manager of BBQ Island Inc.

Mooney says that in Chicago, for instance, a lot of islands are installed on rooftops, where they actually need to be craned in.

How does the Maui, with its tiki-esque look, hold up to the elements? “We’ve had monsoon winds around here with winds in excess of 80 mph, and not a palapa has fallen off,” says Mooney.
No matter the weather forecast, outdoor cooking and grilling is on the rise.

Components of the outdoor room
Outdoor room owners surveyed are equipping these spaces in ways that reflect the care they use in designing indoor areas of their home. Outdoor room owners enjoy the area in a number of different ways. At the top of the list are informal entertaining (85%), relaxing (82%), family meals (79%), reading (54%), and listening to music (40%). Careful not to mix business with pleasure, less than 1% use their outdoor room for working. Twenty-six percent of outdoor room owners surveyed say that their space can comfortably accommodate one to nine people, 45% say 10-19, and 29% say 20 or more.

• The outdoor room is decked out with a variety of products: Most common is the patio dining set (79%) and flower beds (78%). About 66% have a seating area with furniture separate from the dining set.
• In addition to owning a stand-up gas grill, other cooking equipment includes a smoker (10%), a charcoal grill (7%), turkey fryer/cooker (7%), and a range or cook top (3%).
• Outdoor room owners enjoy electronics: 38% report having an outdoor stereo system or speakers, and 9% say they watch television outside.
• Many owners include other outdoor kitchen components in addition to their grills. These include cabinets/storage area (18%), countertop/cooking island (12%), refrigerator (11%), sink and running water (9%), and range or cook top (3%).
• Outdoor room owners also incorporate leisure or sports equipment in the space, such as a swimming pool (28%) or a hot tub (18%).
• Other frequently used components include torches for lighting (35%) and an outdoor wood-burning fireplace (15%).

Source: The Weber Outdoor Room Tracking Study