Anybody build outdoor grilling/storage cabinets?

[rmwarren]

I have a new egg, it is red instead of green. Long story but after 10+ years of hard use the big green egg crumbled into a heap of ceramic and metal rubble*, so after much research I replaced it with a Kamado Joe. I looked at pretty much all of the Kamado-type grills (this only took one trip to Fred's Music and BBQ and one more to Costco to see 5 brands) & I concluded that the KJ has at least as high quality ceramic as the BGE and a few improvements that I liked. For the record, I grill/smoke/bake year round. When the BGE met it's maker the boss did not even hesitate in telling me I needed to replace it, "You use it all the time, get whatever you want.".

Since I had a rare and elusive blank check I took the opportunity to upgrade my arsenal a bit and ended up with 4 types of ceramic stones (heat deflectors and pizza/baking), several sets of racks/grates & 2 multi-level rigs for stacking stones/racks. And I have a storage problem.

So, to my question: Has anyone built an outdoor grilling/smoking/storage cabinet and if you have, can you please share suggestions/photos? In particular I am looking for options on how to store the various stones/racks while keeping them close, out of the weather and easy to access. Right now I am leaning towards a cabinet with drawers for the stacking rigs, a big drawer for the racks/stones to stand on end between dividers and another drawer for tools. I may go with a granite top, or at least an insert, to serve as a pizza making surface rather than doing dough in the kitchen and running it out to the egg to cook. We do pizza parties with 4-6 pies this time of year.

Just to make folks drool a bit, today the boss is traveling leaving myself, her father and his buddy alone for our weekly Saturday food/drink/cigar/gab-fest. 2 massive racks of ribs and several pounds of pork belly are 2+ hours into a 5-6 hour cook:

[attachthumb=#]

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We probably should add a salad to balance things out... [big grin]

But I digress, back to the questions. I believe I have a couple options:

• Make a kitchen type setup, with the egg in the center and storage for lump/smoking woods, items listed above, and other implements. Basically a big outdoor kitchen - lots of time and $$.
• Take a more conservative route, leave the egg in its' stand and make a separate storage cabinet for stones/racks & leave the lump/smoking wood in the metal cans - easier and cheaper.
• Or???

Would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.

RMW

* Yes, the BGE has a lifetime warranty. The fault was mine.

 

[tiralie]

Has anyone built an outdoor grilling/smoking/storage cabinet and if you have, can you please share suggestions/photos?

Yes, Chris Hughes built a nice stand. and Howard made a nice one too.

Yes, the BGE has a lifetime warranty. The fault was mine.

I am thinking about getting a green egg. What did you do wrong. I thought these things were industructible...but I suppose in the north east the freezing rain/ice crap we get in the winter will break anything.

Tim

 

[rmwarren]

Has anyone built an outdoor grilling/smoking/storage cabinet and if you have, can you please share suggestions/photos?

Yes, Chris Hughes built a nice stand. and Howard made a nice one too.

Yes, the BGE has a lifetime warranty. The fault was mine.

I am thinking about getting a green egg. What did you do wrong. I thought these things were industructible...but I suppose in the north east the freezing rain/ice crap we get in the winter will break anything.

Tim

Tim - many years ago I made some steel gadgets to raise the grill above the fire ring. From the factory the grill sits on the top of the fire ring about 3-4" below the top of the bottom 1/2 of the egg shell. Too close to the flame for many cooks.

I used 3 pieces of 1/8" X 1" flat bar about 10" long, each piece slid between the upper fire ring and the outer egg shell (bottom) and extended up the the top of the shell, with some little tabs welded to each to hold the grill. Worked great for many years, then I decided to replace the gasket and got energetic and removed the lid to clean both edges. I loosened the bottom steel ring (of the hinge) that wraps around the bottom shell. Over time the fire ring had exerted pressure via the steel strap on the shell, when I loosened the band the shell popped, major crack.

That crack was totally self inflicted. The fire box & ring had both cracked each into 4-5 pieces on their own, but as long as they were in place this did not affect the grill. The crack in the shell widened until it was about 6mm, and I could not control the temp any more.

I would wholeheartedly endorse the BGE or the KJ grills, and I think the Primos are pretty good too. The KJ 2014 has a better grill system, they call it "divide and conquer", and it is pretty versetal. The Vision and other brands you see at the big-boxes are inferior in my opinion. Thinner ceramic and not as good fit/finish.

Thanks for the links, I will check those out. About to finish off the ribs and have a cold one...

Cheers.

RMW

 

[Kevin D.]

Been wanting a BGE for years now. But the wife balks at buying a genuine BGE versus the half of price Costco knock off.  What is it about the Costco knock-off that you would advise against it?

 

[rmwarren]

Been wanting a BGE for years now. But the wife balks at buying a genuine BGE versus the half of price Costco knock off.  What is it about the Costco knock-off that you would advise against it?

Ceramic was much thinner. It also has that "spring assist" on the front, without it the lid would shift sideways when closed so the hinge hardware is not very good. Overall just more cheaply made than the BGE or KJ.

Some folks on grilling forums seem to be very happy with them.

RMW

 

[leakyroof]

Let's start with what you probably already know since you're a 'former' Big Green Egger. This is one of their old tables that they seem to be moving away from[they now offer Mahogany, smaller, and more money]. Plus, they also sell a 'wrap-around' style unit with drawers and side tables that is powder- coated steel and other materials.
Plain table like this one doesn't sound like it would meet your needs at all for storage unless you added drawers.
This  Cypress table actually took a huge amount of abuse from the dealer that used it for demos on the EGG and survived . At some point they restained and varnished it, but some rot still happened on a few top boards. They burned 4 lower boards pretty badly due to either heat transfer or no stone support or air gap off the wood to prevent burning in the first place.
Do you need mobility like this one with casters or will every thing stay put like a built-in?

 

[leakyroof]

On the new, and very pricey wrap around units from BGE, your Egg or Smoker is centered, which is nice, and you have storage galore.  Copying this type of design allows a work station on either side of the smoker much like lots of other grills, and storage of your various items close at hand.
If you build it out of wood, then it's down to which outdoor rated material do you use, and how much do you want to spend in just raw materials.  Powder coated steel will last a bit, not as long as stainless , but how much of that type of construction could you actually make on your own.
Mixing stone and metal is popular around here, and everywhere, and the stone can just be a veneer type thing over some wood framing and cabinet structures that you build yourself to keep the cost down.
Another thought I had was seeing if any Used Medical or Resturant equipment places around you have some used stainless steel cabinets that you could covert or salvage for your grill stand/table. Even if it's just some drawers that you take off a beaten cabinet, they'd weather or age very well outdoors and you'd save having to make a drawer set in your design.
Maybe worth a look.  Anyway, here is a link to the type of current stuff that BGE is offering

http://www.biggreenegg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Big-Closed.jpeg

 

[rmwarren]

Thanks Leaky. My previous table was similar to the Cyprus one you posted, but converted from a potting bench the boss and I built years ago. When I trashed the egg we converted it back to her potting bench again.

I like the layout of the metal BGE station in your second post. If I go mobile that is probably the general idea.

As far as materials, I have a couple sheets of primed 3/4" MDO, that should hold up to the elements long term and I can just miter the corners, caulk any exposed seams and paint it. I also have a bunch of 6 & 8/4 spanish cedar leftover from floor boards in a boat we no longer have, it might make a good top with the proper finish. On an interior Jatoba countertop I used Osmo and fell in love with it, I might give their outdoor oil a try on the cedar.

Thanks for the input.

RMW

 

[leakyroof]

Thanks Leaky. My previous table was similar to the Cyprus one you posted, but converted from a potting bench the boss and I built years ago. When I trashed the egg we converted it back to her potting bench again.

I like the layout of the metal BGE station in your second post. If I go mobile that is probably the general idea.

As far as materials, I have a couple sheets of primed 3/4" MDO, that should hold up to the elements long term and I can just miter the corners, caulk any exposed seams and paint it. I also have a bunch of 6 & 8/4 spanish cedar leftover from floor boards in a boat we no longer have, it might make a good top with the proper finish. On an interior Jatoba countertop I used Osmo and fell in love with it, I might give their outdoor oil a try on the cedar.

Thanks for the input.

RMW

  That all sounds good. I'm using Sikkens Cetol for many outdoor items since it needs less maint. than the oil finishes that I had previously used.  A bit more glossy than oil, but not as much as a Gloss Varnish.
It seems like BGE is branching out with their Egg Islands and newer tables. More upscale to compete with some of the VERY pricey outdoor grilling companies that are out there.
Around here on the North Shore of Chicago, you can see some backyard set-ups that run into the $20K plus on just the equipment along from what the dealers tell me.
It all adds up once you have sinks, refrigerators, grills, smokers, pizza oven, stove, more grills........ [big grin]

 

[rmwarren]

Thanks Leaky. My previous table was similar to the Cyprus one you posted, but converted from a potting bench the boss and I built years ago. When I trashed the egg we converted it back to her potting bench again.

I like the layout of the metal BGE station in your second post. If I go mobile that is probably the general idea.

As far as materials, I have a couple sheets of primed 3/4" MDO, that should hold up to the elements long term and I can just miter the corners, caulk any exposed seams and paint it. I also have a bunch of 6 & 8/4 spanish cedar leftover from floor boards in a boat we no longer have, it might make a good top with the proper finish. On an interior Jatoba countertop I used Osmo and fell in love with it, I might give their outdoor oil a try on the cedar.

Thanks for the input.

RMW

  That all sounds good. I'm using Sikkens Cetol for many outdoor items since it needs less maint. than the oil finishes that I had previously used.  A bit more glossy than oil, but not as much as a Gloss Varnish.
It seems like BGE is branching out with their Egg Islands and newer tables. More upscale to compete with some of the VERY pricey outdoor grilling companies that are out there.
Around here on the North Shore of Chicago, you can see some backyard set-ups that run into the $20K plus on just the equipment along from what the dealers tell me.
It all adds up once you have sinks, refrigerators, grills, smokers, pizza oven, stove, more grills........ [big grin]

A guy who sold cedar lumber and outdoor furniture recommended Sikkens to me once. How well does it hold of on a horizontal surface like a table top? Can I get 3-4 years out of it before needing to refinish?

We get a lot of wind/blowing rain but not nearly as much snow as you do. [poke]

RMW

 

[leakyroof]

Thanks Leaky. My previous table was similar to the Cyprus one you posted, but converted from a potting bench the boss and I built years ago. When I trashed the egg we converted it back to her potting bench again.

I like the layout of the metal BGE station in your second post. If I go mobile that is probably the general idea.

As far as materials, I have a couple sheets of primed 3/4" MDO, that should hold up to the elements long term and I can just miter the corners, caulk any exposed seams and paint it. I also have a bunch of 6 & 8/4 spanish cedar leftover from floor boards in a boat we no longer have, it might make a good top with the proper finish. On an interior Jatoba countertop I used Osmo and fell in love with it, I might give their outdoor oil a try on the cedar.

Thanks for the input.

RMW

  That all sounds good. I'm using Sikkens Cetol for many outdoor items since it needs less maint. than the oil finishes that I had previously used.  A bit more glossy than oil, but not as much as a Gloss Varnish.
It seems like BGE is branching out with their Egg Islands and newer tables. More upscale to compete with some of the VERY pricey outdoor grilling companies that are out there.
Around here on the North Shore of Chicago, you can see some backyard set-ups that run into the $20K plus on just the equipment along from what the dealers tell me.
It all adds up once you have sinks, refrigerators, grills, smokers, pizza oven, stove, more grills........ [big grin]

A guy who sold cedar lumber and outdoor furniture recommended Sikkens to me once. How well does it hold of on a horizontal surface like a table top? Can I get 3-4 years out of it before needing to refinish?

We get a lot of wind/blowing rain but not nearly as much snow as you do. [poke]

RMW

  I would think 3 years easily. I've got 4 years now on a Gate that I finished with the Cetol Marine Light[ lighter orange, not as much brown as the Natural Teak Finish version] I added 1 coat last year even though I didn't need to since I was used to touching up other outdoor finishes each season.
Scott B. has long term experience with Cetol.  I only use the Natural Teak Finish color now that I've tried it out on several pieces. The Marine Light will mellow a bit with a couple of years weathering outside, but is just a bit too orange for me. My alley neighbor loves it though, she calls it Honey Colored, so you never know.... [embarassed]
The original Marine Finish Cetol is even more Orange than the Light, it's often called 'The orange not found in nature' by some boating forums... [eek]

 

[englert123]

Before building the outdoor grill one should  examine the design and architecture of the roof and metal roofing. If the roofing was done according to the standards then the cost of the grilling the outdoor is not high.

 

[Tinker]

Richard, I missed this conversation.  What have you finally come up with?
Tinker

 

[rmwarren]

Richard, I missed this conversation.  What have you finally come up with?
Tinker

Nothing yet, I got waylaid by reality. Hope to get back to it in the spring.

Any suggestions?

RMW

 

[Rick Christopherson]

I use the grill year-round and in any weather. So 15 years ago I built this for the deck. Considering I've totally neglected it for the past 7 years, it's still in reasonable shape but is overdue to be refinished. I like that I can step out there, even in the rail, and not get wet.

Some of the key things I considered for the design was that I wanted protection from the elements while cooking, yet still wanted it to feel open. A friend had removed a double sliding door (12 foot) from a lake cabin, so he gave me the two fixed side panels and he kept the two sliding panels. I used one for the rear wall and one for the rear roof. The front roof is cedar shakes and contains 5 halogen puck lights so I can see what I'm doing when it gets dark during the winter months. This lighting has really been invaluable.

The peak of the roof is vented, with the front roof 3.5" (2x4 framing) higher than the rear roof. The slight overlap lets smoke escape but doesn't let water drip in. Much to my surprise, there isn't any noticeable grease accumulation on the ceiling.

The countertop is 12" marble tile laid tight with no grout lines. I don't remember what the cement was that I used. It looks like regular tile cement, but it was some type that cures rock hard. (I neglected to clean a couple of blobs that dropped on the deck and they are still there after 15 years.) The front facade is cherry with a catalyzed lacquer finish. It held up for over a decade, but I should have refinished it a few years ago.

[attachimg=1]

 

[Tinker]

Rick, A nice job on the barbecue area.  I like the openness but that you stay dry in bad weather.

That tile looks like Verte Antique.  That marble got me into a change of lifestyle in mid winter of 1965. I had to fix a fireplace by removing brickwork and replacing with the marble facing.  the job should'a taken me about four hours, but there was this cute chick taking care of the owner's kids.  I ended up spending parts of four days and that girl has been costing me money ever since.  ;D

We recently redid our bathroom and put a seat in the shower.  I found some Verte Antique for the seat. 
Tinker

 

[rvieceli]

Hey Richard -- take a look at used stainless steel restaurant cabinets. I've had two pieces sitting out in the weather for the last 12 years and they are still in great shape.

I've got a base cabinet piece in my kitchen that sat outside in my supplier's lot for probably 10 years before I rescued it. It was missing a door. A lot of the old stuff is 12 or 14 gauge stainless.

 

[Billedis]

Good job Tinker, in more ways than one!  Bill