Way Beyond a Campfire: Outdoor Kitchens Now Feature All the Comforts of Home

Jun. 6--TWIN FALLS -- Vic and Diane Cypher love to entertain. The Twin Falls couple also loves the outdoors. So how to best combine these passions? An outdoor kitchen, of course.

"This is an extension of the outdoor activities, being able to stay home while still having the feeling of freedom," Vic Cypher said. "We do quite a bit of entertaining, and it's nice to have the freedom to come out here rather than being forced to stay inside."

The Cyphers, who are building a house that features an outdoor kitchen in the Wild Rose subdivision near Shoshone Falls, are part of a national trend that extends living spaces outside the four walls of a home.

Dan Brizee of Brizee Heating & Air Conditioning, who sells grills and fire pits for outdoor kitchens, said he has seen the popularity of these living spaces explode in the past five years.

"I started noticing it around 9/11, the whole movement to be closer to home," Brizee said. "What I see happening is more and more people are staying home and doing things at home. ... A lot more people are family-oriented."

By building a kitchen outside where families can entertain friends and relatives alike, homeowners can enjoy the preparation and consumption of a meal in an informal space that holds many more guests than a traditional dining room.

"You can have almost unlimited people and have a meal together," Diane Cypher said. "It gives you the freedom to do a different kind of cooking."

At the house the Cyphers are building, the covered outdoor kitchen is separated from their indoor living room by a tall wall of windows, visually linking the two spaces. The kitchen will have a sink, grill with side burner, refrigerator, microwave and counter space, with a bathroom just a few feet away. Across the yard will be a fire pit for evening relaxation.

"It's going to be handy and convenient," Vic Cypher said. "It doesn't bother the house, there's no smoke or fish odor. It's easy cleanup and just pleasant."

Outdoor kitchens can be achieved on just about any budget, Brizee said, depending on the amenities the homeowner chooses.

"A lot of people will do maybe one thing a year," he said. "But you really could spend as much as you want -- you could spend $30,000, $40,000."

Most people want to put down pavers or a deck to define their outdoor living space, said Greg Hammond of Pacific Supply, and many use stone to create low walls and counter areas around the grill. The materials run $3 to $5 a square foot, with additional costs for installation.

At Pacific Supply's showroom in Twin Falls, Hammond has a fire pit made of angled pavers set up. It can be installed by a handy homeowner or a professional, he said, and costs $250 for the materials. At the other end of the fire-pit cost spectrum is a 42-inch-diameter cast-iron bowl supported by concrete legs from Quadra-Fire. With an optional gas-log kit, it is available at Brizee for $4,000.

Though they can be expensive, the fire pits, high-end grills and even outdoor televisions that people install in their kitchens are intended to create what people are seeking, Brizee said -- a home sanctuary.

"With the quality of life is the whole time element," he said. "Just to stop from the normal routine and go 'aah' in the comfort of your own home."

Times-News features writer Ariel Hansen can be reached at ariel.hansen@lee.net or 735-3376.

Brizee Heating & Air Conditioning

227 Second Ave E., Twin Falls

733-2624

Pacific Supply

Greg Hammond

1641 Highland Ave. E., Twin Falls

736-8899

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