Outdoor Kitchen I am Building...

Hey guys been a while since I posted (I don't really have that many posts on here anyway so you may not have noticed :wink:.) I thought I would share my outdoor kitchen project with you. My space is about 10-11 feet linear. I don't need a sink and didn't want to mess with plumbing.

My requirements were:

-Built-in smoking option.
-Separate NG grill just for burgers, steaks, chicken.
-Fridge really just for drinks.
-Trash can
-Storage
-Counter for working space between smoker and grill.
-Under $10K

Appliances
Smoker decision: Kamado Joe Classic III
Grill decision: Bull basic 32" NG grill
Fridge decision: HCK 24" outdoor fridge

Appliance Total with tax/shipping: $3827.39

Cabinets
-Matchless aluminum cabinets and countertop, 126"
-Platform for Kamado
-NG grill cabinet
-Fridge cabinet
-Pull out trash can

Cabinet total with tax/shipping: $5526.97

Grand Total: $9354.36

Rationale: The smoker is probably of most interest here so I'll begin there. Because I wanted a smoker that worked in an outdoor kitchen, I certainly considered the built-in pellet grill options out there and almost chose the Recteq RT-1070. I have had two PGs at opposite ends of the spectrum (Traeger Tailgater and Cookshack PG500) so I understand them fairly well. I have just decided I prefer the taste of charcoal smokers with wood chunks over pellets. Whatever advantages pellets had in the end I am smoking meat for how it tastes more than any other factor. I also considered other charcoal smokers that could work in an outdoor kitchen like the Backwoods Chubby 3400 (I was going to put it on a kamado platform). In the end, the versatility of the Kamado Joe and legit smoking ability gave it the advantage. I also decided that if I ever sell the house, a buyer is more likely to appreciate a kamado than a pure smoker. With the KJ Classic III you also get the sloroller that improves the smoking quality of a KJ while also removing the hot spots on the edges of an egg that can over cook the meat. BTW, I did not go for the Big Joe Classic III because of the budget. The divide and conquer rack system in the regular Classic III gives it a lot of space and the sloroller gives me cooking more space on the edges than regular eggs that size.

Rationale on the other appliances: I only need a grill for quick grilling so infrared or rotisseries were unnecessary. 32" was enough for me and if I need more grilling space I have the Kamado Joe. The KJ is also an excellent searer. Concerning the fridge you can spend $3-4K on a Hestan or Perlick and I just don't see it. Besides I had a $10K budget and did not want to blow it on a fridge.

Rationale on the cabinets: With more money I would have used the RTA cabinets. They are beautiful and have the same DIY capacity. However, before I bought an appliance I was over budget with the RTAs so it made it easy. Big Ridge Cabinets was also a strong contender but I liked the look of the Matchless Cabinets. Jason, the president at MC reached out personally and he seems to offer a great product with slow closure drawers and cabinets. And the price may be the most matchless part of Matchless cabinets.

So when I get some pics I will share them. Feel free to tell me I am an idiot on any of my thoughts guys! -R.D.

By the way I currently have a BGE and came away with three conclusions about eggs. First, the ash clean up is a pain in the BGE. Secondly, the heat deflector design means the edges are hotter and will overcook the meat or limit your smoking space. Finally, the start up and eventually the temp control in my egg can be a little challenging. With these thoughts I considered the Primo (because of the oval shape and more space) and the Vision Elite (because of the ease of clean up and ease of lighting.) But the KJ had it all with the ash pan, the sloroller that manages temps well and increases space, and the versatile rack system.

Attached is the design.

Here is a link to some images of their cabinets:
https://matchlesscabinet.com/pages/gallery

Dweverett said:

Thanks for the detailed post and good luck with the build if it’s not done yet. I couldn’t quite tell if you were waiting to get access to some pictures or for it to actually get built so you could take pictures….

I think you’ve really thought things through well and that will be a really nice setup for the money you’ve spent. I just recently gave up on doing an outdoor kitchen because of the cost of the cabinets. I don’t think I’d seem Matchless though.

The only think I might have suggested would be consider going up to the Big Joe. I used to have a Classic and it’s fine for pork butts but when you are trying something longer like ribs or a brisket it’s a snug fit.

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I am still thinking about the Big Joe. Below is something else that I am considering. It's called the Sonic Rocket and it is basically a rectangular kamado so the size works really well for smoking. They have one that is SS called the Silver Rocket but it is some serious money. These are built by the Amish of NE Indiana. There is a built-in version without the legs/wheels and the kamado cabinet would adjust slightly to accommodate the shape. They are tanks and would last forever. They are amazing charcoal grills as well.

Dweverett said:

Interesting, had never heard of that either. There are some oval Kamado designs but the only other one I know of that has that shape is the Kalamazoo (which makes the large Silver Rocket look like a bargain). Unsurprisingly, I’ve never cooked on that Kalamazoo so can’t make any comments on the pros and cons of the design.

I will say that your post isn’t making my own life easier. I had finally given up on doing a built in design and was just going to do a stand alone grill, big joe and griddle. I played around with the Matchless site this morning and while still a lot of money it’s way more reasonable than other options and I probably could justify it. Unfortunately, I did already buy the grill on a cart so I’d be basically throwing away the cost of the cart. I was just waiting to make sure I liked it before buying a matching griddle and for someone to put the KJ on sale somewhere to order it.

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Yes that Kalamazoo is $$$. The Kamodo Kamado is crazy money too but is oval. I think I am either going to move up to the Big Joe Classic III or get this grill just for the space issue.

I get the interest in Matchless but also the sense that you have spent enough already and not needing the kitchen to make great food. I am only considering it because I had a windfall. Otherwise I would be keeping my BGE and Weber gasser.

robertm said:

I am just finishing up an outdoor island build. I didn't include any cookers in the actual island. I change out cookers too often to build in. Rather the island provides refrigeration, water, storage and countertop space. I used DIYBBQ for most of the components and built myself. It's still a work in progress but really happy with how it's coming together.

May be of help to you.

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Thanks Robert...would love to see some pics. Thanks!

Big George's BBQ said:

Looking forward to watch your progress

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Thanks Big George!