Image via Manland
The first rule of man caves is you gotta have a man cave. It needn’t be anything big or fancy, just a place you create to enjoy the things you like to do. And there’s something about grilling over an open fire that for many guys feels a bit primal and essentially man cave-ish.
So, we thought it would be cool to look at some outdoor kitchens that might serve as inspiration for men who enjoy nothing more than firing up the grill year round and preparing great meals.
Whether you want to keep it simple and homey, like Paul’s outdoor kitchen above that we spotted on Manland, or you’d prefer to cook up something special, we encourage you to just do it.
Image via Surreal Systems
Custom-designed and -built outdoor kitchens are becoming increasingly popular these days as barbecuing steps up from the stand-alone grill to more fully integrated outdoor kitchens. Translation: Sometimes it really is all about having the man cave with the biggest, baddest grill and a monster flat-screen HDTV perfectly positioned for viewing while grilling.
Image via Stuart McIntyre Photographer
Imagine this is your carport and not this amazing outdoor living area. You’ll probably be closer to the kitchen, which will make prep a lot easier. Install some shelving, and add plants, flowers and decorative elements if you’re into that kinda stuff. Maybe get yourself one of those sleek-looking Weber One Touch grills — and boom — the carport is now your outdoor kitchen man cave.
Image via Food Network
We wanted you to see this beautiful outdoor kitchen that Food Network star Jose Garces built for himself. Not to talk about its exquisite structure, or to marvel over the incredible outdoor lighting, or the restaurant-grade grills and ovens he had installed. Those are all details. What we’d really like you to consider is growing your own herbs and spices nearby to be freshly picked for use when preparing those special rubs and sauces you make.
Images via ManMade (top) and Colorado Scouter
If you insist on going all boy scout on us, here’s something for you to try. Sure, you could buy a camp kitchen similar to the one in the top image, haul it out under a tree in the back yard with the charcoal grill, cooler, a couple of folding chairs and your iPod boombox. That all adds up to a pretty sweet portable outdoor setup. But where’s the merit in that when you could be a real trooper and build your own camp kitchen like the one in the bottom photo we found on Colorado Scouter?
And when you’re ready to tackle something a little bigger, we can show you how to build an outdoor kitchen fit to be called a man cave.
Man Caves is an exploration of cool spaces guys have created for themselves: everything from living rooms and bedrooms, offices and workshops, and media and game rooms, to garages, outdoor grilling areas, gardens and more. We dispense tips on décor, equipment, storage and organization, as well as share ideas, know-how and product info to help you hook up your own manspace.
