Nothing says summer like food cooked out on the grill. A cookout is the perfect excuse to gather friends and family for a meal in the fresh air, some outdoor games, good conversation around the fire pit, and a few adult beverages. But if there’s one thing that makes cooking out on the grill kind of a pain, it’s the lack of space.
Unless you have an expensive outdoor kitchen, you just don’t have the counter space out on your patio to handle prepping food for the grill, serving food that’s come off the grill, and organizing your cooking utensils, dishes, spices, and condiments. But you don’t have to settle for prepping everything in the kitchen, alone, while everyone else has fun outside, and then probably making multiple trips to lug it all out to the patio. A grilling station can give you the space and storage you need to cook comfortably outdoors. You don’t need a lot of money to make some of these DIY outdoor cooking stations, but you’ll be surprised at the charm and sophistication they can add to your entertaining space.
This Rolling Grill Station Brings Mid-Century Charm to Your Potluck
There are plenty of DIYers out there publishing instructions to spruce up the look of your old grill or incorporate your gas grill into a sturdy (read: heavy) rolling island made of wood and concrete. But if what you really need is more storage, you may want to go with something easy and simple like this gorgeous DIY grill cart made from stud-grade lumber and black iron pipe.
With trays on either side for bottles, shelves for storing dishes, and a bar for towels, this rolling cart is lightweight and moves easily to wherever your grill is. Customize the design however you like — remove the trays, add hooks, whatever meets your outdoor cooking needs.
Build a Rustic Grill Station from Reclaimed Wood
This rustic grill station is perfect for a tabletop gas grill. It uses reclaimed barn wood and two-by-fours stained a dark walnut color and topped with a granite slab. Don’t feel like splashing out on a chunk of granite? Use stud-grade lumber to build a slab top and cover it with flagstone, or place a paver under the grill to protect the wood from flames.
Repurpose Wooden Planter Boxes into an Attractive Outdoor Cupboard
If you’ve got a couple of wooden planter boxes lying around, you can make this cute wood and stainless steel grilling station. The top is two pieces of plywood fastened together and wrapped in sheet metal, for easy cleaning and durability. The base is two 14-inch-square planter boxes turned on their sides and stacked on top of each other, with metal-covered plywood doors. The hard part is wrapping the metal around the top and doors, but the finished product is well worth the effort.
This Wooden Grill Island Is Perfect for Your Weber Charcoal Grill
The Weber charcoal grill is a cookout classic, but the lack of any work surface can make finding a place to put your spatula difficult. This wooden grill station gives you a place to put the grill, a storage bin for charcoal, a work surface for your plates of meat and veg, shelves for your utensils and hooks, towel bars, and bottle openers as needed. As with other wooden grill station designs, this one requires a paver or piece of flagstone under the grill to protect the wood from any flames or heat.
Store Drinks and More in This Grill Station Cooler
What you really need while you’re slaving over a hot grill is easy access to a cold drink. This wooden patio grill station includes a cooler for your beverages, and a hidey-hole for your other storage needs. Though this model doesn’t have casters, you could easily add them for portability. Use cedar or redwood for a natural look that can still withstand the elements.
What you need when you’re grilling out is someplace handy to store beverages, and a nearby countertop to put down that plate of burgers you just took off the grill. Get what you need with these cheap, stylish DIY grill stations, and spend less time running back and forth to the kitchen.