# Simple, cheap, temporary, outdoor kitchen.



## matlori (May 22, 2013)

So this year we are growing our first large garden (1/2 acre). I will be freezing and canning much of it because we have no root cellar (any advice for that is cool too ) A member of my household insists on running the AC, I have a hard time justifying the cost. The cost of running the AC is going to be terrible if I do all this in the house. I would have to work with what I have around the old place. I am sure there is an old flat top wood stove around, an extra electric stove/oven, a nice bar-b-q with burners, a couple old bathroom sinks and tubs, someone even left old counter tops here! What could I use as a temporary roof, and how far from the house and other buildings would this have to be? Any links to any info would be great. I had mentioned to my husband about this in the fall and he likes the idea of keeping some of the heat outside, might be nice to use all summer too! If we end up liking it, maybe in a few years, we could build a really nice one to use year round!


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## matlori (May 22, 2013)

Forgot to mention, I have a couple little toddlers and two dogs that would need to be kept out, and a baby that would need to be protected form the rain/sun.
Otherwise I would just pop up a table, and plug in the stove to call it good! lol.


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## Wolfy-hound (May 5, 2013)

Outdoor kitchens used to be fairly common around some of the South, too hot to heat up a house.

You can have it right next to the house(your outer walls should be insulated so heat from outside shouldn't affect the inside temps).

If it were me, I'd use metal roofing. You can always tear it down fairly easily and reuse it in other projects, or you can leave it there for many years if you learn to love your outdoor kitchen.

The outdoor kitchens I have seen personally were almost a regular small kitchen on a porch. If you set up a low fan or put in a ceiling fan, you can disperse heat fairly well(obviously don't blow a fan on a stovetop while trying to use it).


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## matlori (May 22, 2013)

We do have some metal roofing around here, could try to get enough. how high from the heat source , electric stove, bbq, or wood stove would the ceiling have to be? We have lots of pallets around that could be used too somehow?? This could be fun to have !


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## rancher1913 (Dec 5, 2008)

last year i built a temporary canning kitchen for the wife, this year i'm working on the permanent one. last years was large cornstalk bales stacked to make three sides then some boards across the top with an old billboard tarp for the roof. we used a turkey cooker burner for the heat source and with her 41 quart canner she did about 1500 jars. a plastic laundry sink hooked to the outdoor hydrant gave her a water source and sink, the drain runs out the back and dumps on the ground. at night we hung a lantern for light.


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## Lilith (Dec 29, 2012)

I do 90% of my canning in a pop up screen tent I bought at family dollar for $20, the screen keeps the bugs out, and I can setup my screen tent and campchef cook stove right next to the garden with a few folding tables and large wheel wagons to haul the cooled jars into the cellar with. I normally use the garden hose for water. We use the same setup for camping, so it is no extra cost to us. All told, I have invested is about $250 for a complete camp kitchen that doubles as a temporary caning kitchen. When the kids were babies, I could put them in a portable playpen in the far corner as well, and things were good.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

All you need is a picnic table and some *gas cookers*.
You won't be able to use an electric stove without access to a 220 volt line, and you can't control the heat with wood.


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

i have a covered porch w/table. i use fish cooker and water hose from well with shut off on hose. may invest in camp chef double burner


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