30 December, 2021

Outdoor Kitchen

We set up our outdoor kitchen a couple of months ago.  The biggest motivation was to keep the heat out of the cabana.  And the next biggest was to keep the smells out if we had the new AC running and all the windows closed while cooking.  We had been moving the air fryer and the small oven out to the veranda to use them, which was a big help but a total pain in the butt because we had to bring them back inside.  We couldn't leave them out there because the veranda faces the sea and the salt air corrodes the electrical components so quickly.  What to do to make it easier?  I decided to have our guys build a cabinet to house the appliances and even got to the point of drawing up the specs for it.  Then Dennis, smart guy that he is, suggested seeing what Ikea might have ready made.  The search was on.  Ikea had nothing suitable for outdoor use that met our needs.  The search moved to Amazon where there were many, many possibilities.  Those possibilities were quickly diminished by considerations of budget, quality (lack thereof mostly), size, availability, and shipping costs.  Finally there remained one clear possibility, which I ordered immediately.  

The next day after receiving the unit - oh wait, next day delivery is only a dream for us.  Five weeks later after ordering the unit, having it sent to our shipper in Florida  who put it on a boat to Belize, cleared our order through customs, and delivered it to our friend in Independence who owns a lumberyard and securely stores things for us until we come retrieve them, we unpacked the flat pack -  the process runs on as long as this sentence does!  The instructions list 149 steps, but it was actually straight forward for someone like me who loves to put things together.  I only needed Dennis's help to get the countertop in place.

Space inside the cabinet to store the toaster oven and air fryer away from the sea air when not in use.
Several reviews of the cabinet noted that the stainless top corrodes pretty quickly, so I am psychologically prepared to deal with replacing the top sooner rather than later.  In the meantime, I keep it wiped down using oiled wipes that are meant to clean guns.  They work a treat on other stainless steel items we have.  
The air fryer about to be used.
The new cabinet sits right outside the kitchen window with one of our dining tables  2 steps away.  We put in an electric line, but still need to use an extension cord.  So far it works very well and I usually even remember to put the appliances away after they cool down.  Best of all - if I turn around this is what I see -
Air fryer POV.




14 comments:

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    1. Cooler than it was, Mitchell! I forgot to mention that the veranda is screened in, so the view is also insect-free!

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  2. From a scientist to an engineer, is there no end to your talents Wilma.:-)

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    1. How I wish that were true, Roy! But I do what I can. Was never in the least bit talented with drawing or painting like you are. I can see things in my head, but was never to get that image onto paper.

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  3. This is very ingenious. I love your initial assumption that you'd just build it!

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    1. Thanks, Boud. Doing things ourselves (or more likely having our work crew do it) is the usual way of things for us these days! This turned out so much easier and better - and probably even cheaper!

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  4. Sweet perfection! Good on you for figuring it out!

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  5. What a perfect solution. My word, with that view it would be like going out for dinner every night. I really do have to put Belize on my list as a birding destination! All the best for 2022. David

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  6. Great cabinet for the kitchen appliances!
    Enjoy the new cabinet, and the pastoral view from your kitchen window!

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  7. Well done. That looks to be a very useful bit of gear.

    It must be a bit nerve-wracking sometimes when ordering equipment. On top of the five week delivery it would be awful to have to find a way to return goods if they are not what you expected.

    Wishing a happy new year to you and yours.

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    1. It would be impossible to return anything. So, yes, it is a it nerve-wracking! We are happy with this purchase and the price was excellent.

      Wishing you a happy and healthy new year, John.

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