Vertical smoker "builtin" in outdoor kitchen?

[Mikesm]

Hi folks! We're in the middle of a project building a new house, and one of my treats is having a nice outdoor kitchen area. We cook outside all the time, have a family of 6, and lots of relatives nearby, so it seems like a useful investment.

I plan to have a 42" gas grill, a sink next to it, as well as 36" Forno Bravo wood fired oven, all built in, probably in an "L" configuration. I am thinking about buying a vertical cabinet smoker too, probably a LSG mini, or a Pitmaker Safe, and thinking about having that built into the kitchen, as opposed to be on wheels and stored in the garage most of the time.

Has anyone here done that, or have opinions about the wisdom or foolishness of this idea? I am pretty sure it can sit on a shelf with stucco on the sides and with access under the counter to the ball valves for air intake and water through access doors. I usually cook with a CyberQ controller, so tweaking the valve doesn't happen very much, but cleanup is obviously a concern.

Comments?

And thanks for all your posts - they have been super helpful to me in terms of picking the right equipment and techniques. All who consume my Q are very grateful!

thx
mike

 

[Joshw]

Couldn't you just build in a recess in your counter, to accomodate the smoker. Kind of like a free standing range or icebox? Not sure of any advantage, of not having the wheels, other than aesthetics. I'm sure you could get LSG to not put wheels on, if that is what you want. You might have to raise it a few inches, for clearance on the bottom door. Probably the biggest problem, would be wrestling the beast into position.

 

[Titch]

I think what josh said is worth considering.
many people swap smokers after a while

 

[luv2smoke]

I have a friend who put a vertical cabinet in his outdoor kitchen and it came out nice. The smoker builder he used built it exactly to his needs as far as the depth and width to give it a built in look.

 

[Robert]

One thing to keep in mind is the periodic clean up of grease inside the smoker. Now ask yourself this question; are you sure that the smokers that you have listed are the ones that you want for a long time? It might be better to not build it into the cooking area, but have it sit at then end of the built ins. That way, if you decide that you don't like the smoker, you can easily go to the next one without being constrained by the size of the hole. Maintain the flexibility so to speak.

Good luck and post pictures.

Robert

 

[OklaDustDevil]

I've been planning an outdoor smoker for some time, and I intended to fit in grills/smokers. But I've come round to a different way of thinking. I realized (i) I have several different grills and smokers that I use for different cooks and occasions, and (ii) sometimes I add or change cookers and don't want to be limited to a pre-determined cut, fitted space. So I'm designing my kitchen to accommodate grills or smokers under the roof at the sides and ends of the sink/counter area with some storage for when their not in use.

I figure that will give me the use of an outdoor kitchen but the flexibility to use any type/size cooker I want and to switch them out daily as I wish. Might work for you, too.

 

[OklaDustDevil]

The downside to my approach is it won't give you that clean, fitted, installed look, which many folks really value. But I have that look with my stove and oven in in my indoor kitchen, and I don't feel the need to replicate it in an outdoor kitchen. Plus, I love the look of my grills and smokers . . . .