A supplemental gas burner in a Tulsa outdoor kitchen — separate from the primary grill — expands the kitchen’s cooking capability from a single-technique grill station to a multi-burner outdoor kitchen where sauces, sides, and soups can be prepared simultaneously alongside the primary grill protein. Two distinct categories exist for this supplemental burner: standard side burners (typically 15,000 to 30,000 BTUs, designed for everyday supplemental cooking) and power burners (typically 50,000 to 60,000+ BTUs, designed for high-heat tasks like boiling large volumes of liquid or frying). Understanding which category serves the homeowner’s actual cooking use helps avoid installing the wrong burner for the application. VistaScapes & Design discusses appliance selection with every Tulsa outdoor kitchen client at the design consultation to match the appliance specification to how the kitchen will actually be used.
Standard Side Burners
A standard side burner — typically a single or double burner unit recessed into the outdoor kitchen countertop — provides 15,000 to 30,000 BTUs and handles most supplemental outdoor cooking tasks: warming sauces and marinades, sauteing vegetables, cooking corn or potatoes in a pot, and preparing sides that don’t go on the grill. Standard side burners are the most common supplemental burner choice in Tulsa outdoor kitchens because they cover the broadest range of supplemental cooking tasks at a moderate BTU output that doesn’t require a large gas supply line. A quality outdoor-rated side burner costs $200 to $600 for a single-burner unit. The primary limitation of a standard side burner is that its BTU output is insufficient for tasks requiring rapid heating of large volumes of liquid — boiling 5 gallons of water for a crawfish boil or getting large volumes of oil to frying temperature takes far longer on a 15,000 BTU side burner than on a dedicated high-output power burner.
Power Burners
A power burner — a high-output burner producing 50,000 to 65,000 BTUs — is the appropriate choice for outdoor kitchens where the homeowner regularly hosts gatherings that involve large-volume cooking: crawfish boils, turkey frying, large-batch soup or chili, or tamale steaming. Oklahoma’s outdoor cooking culture has a strong tradition of these high-volume, communal cooking events, and a power burner makes the outdoor kitchen the right tool for them rather than a supplemental extension cord and a freestanding propane turkey fryer on the patio. Power burners require adequate gas supply line sizing — the high BTU demand of a power burner combined with the outdoor kitchen grill means the gas supply line must be sized for the combined peak load, which we verify at the project planning phase before the gas rough-in is installed. A quality power burner costs $300 to $700 for the appliance, with no additional installation cost when the gas supply is properly sized during initial construction.
Call VistaScapes & Design at (918) 779-1317 for a free outdoor kitchen consultation in Tulsa. We’ll help you choose the right burner configuration for your actual outdoor cooking style and ensure the gas supply line is sized to support it.
