We’re fortunate enough here in Mississippi to enjoy fairly nice temperatures all year long. While our summers can get a bit steamy, it’s not like we live in Death Valley, and although our winters can seem cold at times, at least we don’t live in Siberia. Since our climate is so amicable, homeowners who install outdoor kitchens in Jackson, MS often have the ability to use them all year long, if they’re planned correctly. Here are a few free tips you can follow to enjoy your outdoor kitchen in the dead of winter, as well as during the oppressive heat of July and August.
Tips for outdoor cooking in the winter
- Install a windscreen: Part of the reason winters in Jackson get a little chilly is because of cold wind gusts. A windscreen surrounding part of your outdoor kitchen will do wonders to keep the area warmer during those icy breezes. Before installing a screen, try to determine where wind seems to come from in your backyard.
- Give your grill some extra time to warm up: Anyone who has ever cooked outside knows that the grill has to heat up for a bit before you can throw uncooked food on it. When the temperature drops, that warm-up time increases by a few minutes. Don’t toss your food on a cold grill—plan ahead!
- Prep food inside: Many of the outdoor kitchens in Jackson, MS that we install have outdoor food prep areas. Extra counter space outside frees up room in your indoor kitchen and also makes for fewer trips inside to cut food, get dressings ready and take care of anything else that needs to be done to prepare food before placing it on the grill. However, prepping food outside when the temperatures have dropped can be unpleasant. While you’re waiting for the grill to heat up, go inside and get the rest of your meal ready and enjoy the warm air.
Tips for outdoor cooking in the summer
- Create a shady area: The summer sun beating down on you can feel good for a while, but once you’ve been standing near a hot grill for a few hours, the sun can get downright exhausting. Creating a shady area near your outdoor kitchen can provide some much-needed relief from the sun. Installing a partial roof over your outdoor kitchen is great, but planting some trees around the area is another good idea, and a cheaper one. In addition, it’s important to remember that the sun’s rays don’t only make your outdoor kitchen area hot—they’re also dangerous. The sun’s ultraviolet rays give you painful sunburns and can even cause skin cancer later in life.
- Install outdoor fans: Other than an air conditioner, a nice fan is the best way to stay cool in the summer. Mounting fans around your outdoor kitchen is a fairly inexpensive way to stay cool throughout the hottest months of the year.
Give Kitchen Kreators Ltd. a call when you’re ready to enjoy your outdoor kitchen during any season. We look forward to helping you!