For many, cooking outside is an art form. To get those beautiful sear marks from your grill or smoke your meat to the perfect doneness takes a skill that not every cook has. But whether you’ve got these abilities down pat or you’re still honing your craft, every cook deserves to have a quality cooking space. So if you’re currently less than impressed with the area you’ve got to work with, here are three tips for perfecting your outdoor kitchen area.

Consider Your Preferred Cooking Style 

To make your outdoor cooking space something that’s going to be ideal for you, you’ve first got to think about what your preferred cooking style is. 

According to Lisa Hallett Taylor, a contributor to The Spruce, your outdoor kitchen can include things like a grill, a charcoal barbecue, a refractory or brick pizza oven, a smoker and more. To know which of these you’ll want to include, consider the type of food you normally cook. Also, if there’s something you’ve always wanted to try cooking but haven’t had the ability to do it yet, you may also want to include that cooking style in your outdoor kitchen as well. Just make sure you consider all your options before you finish with your outdoor kitchen area, as you may need to get things like gas or water lines to specific areas to accommodate the type of cooking you’ll be doing.

Create Prep Space 

To make this space a true outdoor kitchen and not just an area you stand in when you’re cooking is prep space. Without prep space, you can’t really call your outdoor kitchen a kitchen.  

When creating prep space in your outdoor kitchen, the DIY Network recommends that you install things like counter space, a sink, and some storage compartments. Then, you won’t have to bring everything from your indoor kitchen outside when you want to cook food out there. This will allow your outdoor kitchen to serve as a real kitchen space.

Don’t Stop At Just The Kitchen 

Having only space for you to make and cook food will qualify as an outdoor kitchen, but to truly make the most of this space, you should consider doing more than just having an area where your food is prepared.  

According to Marcia Jedd, a contributor to HGTV, you should consider extending some of your indoor space outdoors so you can have an area to eat your food and enjoy the company of those you’re sharing a meal with. You could consider having an entire outdoor seating area complete with a table and even bringing in some additions to make the space more comfortable, like heat lamps or cozy chairs.

If you’re wanting to have the perfect outdoor kitchen area, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you create this space.