If you are planning an outdoor kitchen, you have probably already dreamed of your grill, outdoor refrigerator, and of course, the bar. There might be a television on the wall behind the bar, and your kegerator or wine chiller will have your guests drinking perfectly chilled cervezas and vino any night of the summer.

The big items are the easy part. It is the details that make an outdoor kitchen a luxurious space for you and your family or friends. Here’s a list of things that you may miss when you are looking at options for your outdoor kitchen.

6 Forgotten Outdoor Kitchen Essentials

1. Garbage containment: Roll-out trash bins contain your garbage within the walls of cabinetry. While this may seem unnecessary, it is actually essential to the enjoyment of the food prepper. Sure, the containment of an open trash can looks nice. More importantly, garbage cans that are located within cupboards cannot be knocked or blown over.
2. Paper towel cupboard: A paper towel cupboard is often overlooked because people forget how inconvenient paper towels can become. They get knocked over, and if a gust of wind hits them, you may have a paper towel mess all over the lawn. Knocked over paper towels will get dirty, and they may fall in the food making a frustrating mess. A paper towel cupboard fixes this. 
3. Side burners: If you are going to build an outdoor kitchen, you cannot cut corners. Don’t stop short with your cooking surfaces by only installing a grill. Your outdoor should be able to handle an entire meal, and side burners allow you to cook sauces or side dishes alongside your grilled main dishes.
4. Drawers:You don’t need a lot of drawers, but a few will keep stuff off of the counter tops and neatly stashed away. If you will be able to use your outdoor kitchen year round, consider more drawers. You may end up cooking outdoors more than indoors.
5. Cutting boards: Food prep does not have to be confined to the indoors, but you have to cut veggies on a cutting board if you want to keep your counter tops in good shape. Installing pull-out cutting boards makes this an easy action, and they can be removed for easy cleaning. They are convenient, and they add extra counter space to your kitchen.
6. Spice racks:Having an outdoor kitchen is like having an RV in that you have to buy duplicates. Nobody wants to have to run out to the “other” kitchen to get spices left behind. This calls for a spice rack. Outdoor kitchens are often equipped with cupboards made primarily for this purpose.

Forgotten Kitchen Essentials Will Perfect Your Outdoor Experience

The six items listed above are not incredible discoveries, and they don’t require a lot of time, effort, or money. Instead, they require acknowledgement. You won’t forget the showstoppers when planning your kitchen, but don’t forget the detailed essentials. They may not be the highlight of conversation, but they will make your cooking experience awesome.