Outdoor Kitchen Accessories for Broken Arrow: What’s Worth It
The grill is the heart of your outdoor kitchen, but the accessories around it determine how functional and enjoyable the space really is. Here’s a practical guide to outdoor kitchen accessories for Broken Arrow homeowners — what they do, what they cost, and whether they’re worth the investment for your situation.
Side Burner
What it does: A side burner is a gas burner — similar to a kitchen stove burner — mounted in the outdoor kitchen countertop adjacent to the grill. It allows you to cook side dishes, sauces, or full meals on a conventional burner while the grill is running.
Why it matters: Without a side burner, you either make trips inside to the stove for anything that doesn’t go on the grill, or you compromise your outdoor cooking menu. A side burner makes the outdoor kitchen genuinely self-sufficient for full meal preparation.
Types: Single burner (adequate for most uses), double burner (for more elaborate cooking), and high-BTU wok burner (for stir-fry and high-heat applications).
Cost: $200–$600 for the side burner appliance; add $100–$300 for installation labor. A lid cover is recommended to keep the burners clean when not in use.
Worth it? Yes, almost always — especially if you plan to cook real meals outdoors rather than just grilling steaks.
Outdoor Kitchen Sink
What it does: A stainless steel undermount or drop-in sink with running water for food prep, hand washing, and cleanup.
Why it matters: The number of trips inside for hand washing, rinsing vegetables, and filling pots is dramatically reduced. With a sink, the outdoor kitchen genuinely functions as a complete prep and cooking station.
What’s required: A cold water supply line (run by a licensed plumber from the house), a drain line directed to a dry well or into the house drainage system, and a hot water line if desired (requiring either a hot water run from the house or a small tankless point-of-use water heater).
Cost: $500–$1,200 for the sink, faucet, and drain; plus plumbing labor ($800–$2,000 depending on distance from the house water supply).
Worth it? Strongly yes for homeowners who cook outdoors regularly. Plan the plumbing rough-in during initial construction — retrofitting water lines under or around a completed outdoor kitchen is expensive.
Warming Drawer
What it does: An electrically heated drawer (typically 80–175°F range) that keeps food warm while the rest of the meal finishes. Pull the steaks off the grill and hold them at temperature while the side dishes catch up.
Cost: $500–$1,500 for the appliance; plus electrical circuit.
Worth it? Yes for homeowners who cook for groups regularly — eliminates the “getting everything hot at the same time” challenge of outdoor cooking.
Pizza Oven
What it does: A dedicated high-temperature pizza oven (typically 700–900°F) for Neapolitan-style pizza in 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Can also be used for flatbreads, roasted vegetables, and other high-heat applications.
Types: Built-in gas pizza ovens (easiest to operate consistently), wood-fired pizza ovens (more dramatic but requires learning to manage wood heat), and pizza oven countertop inserts.
Cost: $2,000–$8,000+ for a built-in pizza oven installation; $800–$2,500 for a good freestanding countertop option.
Worth it? For families who actually make pizza regularly, yes — dramatically. For families who will use it twice and forget about it, no. Be honest about your cooking habits before investing in a pizza oven.
Outdoor Lighting: Under-Counter and Task Lighting
What it does: LED strip lights under the upper frame of the outdoor kitchen illuminate the countertop work surface for evening cooking. Task lighting above the grill ensures you can see what you’re cooking.
Cost: $200–$600 for under-counter LED lighting; $100–$400 for grill task lighting.
Worth it? Absolutely — without proper task lighting, evening outdoor cooking is frustrating. This is one of the lowest-cost, highest-value accessories to include.
Outdoor Speakers
What it does: In-ceiling or under-cabinet outdoor speakers connected to a music system provide background music for the outdoor kitchen area.
Cost: $500–$2,000 for a quality outdoor speaker system installed, depending on the number of zones and amplifier quality.
Worth it? Yes for homeowners who entertain frequently — music is one of those ambient features that significantly improves the outdoor entertaining atmosphere without requiring any effort to operate.
Design Everything Together
The most important thing about outdoor kitchen accessories: plan them during the design phase, not after construction. Every appliance requires its cutout, gas or electrical connection, and structural accommodation planned into the kitchen frame at the beginning. Retrofitting accessories into a completed outdoor kitchen is significantly more expensive than including them from the start.
Call VistaScapes at 918-779-1317 to design an outdoor kitchen in Broken Arrow that’s equipped for the way you actually cook and entertain.
