Outdoor Kitchen Modules: How Makers Can Show Every Combination in 3D
6 min read
An outdoor kitchen is bought as a set, and every module and material changes the look. How to let buyers build the combination in 3D and send a request.
Outdoor kitchen modules look like a simple set: grill, sink, worktop. Then the buyer starts asking. "Will it fit on my 4000 mm terrace?" "Gas or charcoal?" "Won't a steel worktop get too hot in the sun?" "What happens in winter?" "Can it go under a roof?" Every answer changes both the look and the price. That is why an outdoor kitchen maker gains a lot from an outdoor kitchen modules configurator, where buyers put the combinations together in 3D themselves.
Short answer
In an outdoor kitchen configurator the buyer lines up grill, sink, fridge and prep modules, picks the worktop material and a roof, and the 3D view updates straight away. You receive a request with the order of modules, total length in millimetres, materials and extras, instead of "how much is an outdoor kitchen?"
What buyers want in their outdoor kitchen
An outdoor kitchen is bought as a set, not a single item. The common modules are:
- Grill module. Gas, charcoal or a ceramic egg-style cooker. Buyers want to see where the gas bottle goes and how much space is left beside it.
- Sink module. With a water connection or a tank. This is one of the first things people ask about.
- Fridge module. An outdoor fridge under the worktop, with a door or a drawer.
- Prep space and drawers. Somewhere to chop, and storage for plates and tools.
- Corner module and bar top. For an L-shaped kitchen, or when people sit at it.
- Hob or pizza oven. Extra modules for people who cook more than steaks outdoors.
When modules appear as separate blocks with widths, such as 600, 800 or 1000 mm, buyers can see for themselves what fits on their terrace.
Worktop and carcass materials: what buyers want to know
Outdoors, the material is not only about looks. Buyers want to know how it copes with the weather. The table shows what is worth showing for each one.
| Material | What the buyer asks | What to show in 3D |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel | Will it get hot in the sun, will fingerprints show | The brushed finish, joints and edges |
| Ceramic | Can it take a hot pan and frost | The stone or pattern finish, slab thickness, edge |
| Concrete | Will it crack, does it need sealing | Colour and texture, the thick edge |
| Natural stone | Will it stain, how does it look wet | Pattern options, polished or matt surface |
| Timber (carcass cladding) | Will it go grey, how to look after it | Grain and colour, how it sits with the decking |
| Powder-coated steel (carcass) | Which colours, will it rust | RAL colours, how they pair with the worktop |
Prices are left out on purpose: they depend on your suppliers and modules. The configurator can calculate them live as the buyer switches material.
Roof, pergola and weather: the questions every buyer asks
In a northern climate an outdoor kitchen spends most of the year in rain, sun or snow. Buyers know that and ask:
- Will there be a roof? An open kitchen, a canopy over it, or a pergola over the whole area. A roof changes the picture a lot, so it is worth showing.
- How is it covered? Covers for the modules, a grill lid, sealed doors.
- What about winter? Does the water need draining, does the fridge need switching off, do the modules stay outside?
- What does it stand on? Decking, paving or a concrete slab, and whether adjustable feet are needed.
You can put these answers straight into the configurator as short notes beside each choice. Buyers read them when they care, not in an email three days later.
How a maker shows the combinations in 3D
The configurator takes the buyer from big decisions to small ones:
- Shape and length. Straight, L-shaped or with a bar top. The buyer enters the space available, for example 4000 x 2500 mm.
- Grill. Gas, charcoal or ceramic. This is the main module and the rest are arranged around it.
- Other modules. Sink, fridge, drawers, hob. The configurator shows how much room is left.
- Worktop. Steel, ceramic, concrete or stone, with a note on each.
- Carcass and doors. Colour and finish.
- Roof or pergola. Open, under a canopy or under a pergola.
- Extras. Lighting, covers, towel rails, a bin.
- Review and request. The buyer turns the kitchen around in 3D and sends you the whole combination.
The configurator also applies your rules. For example, a charcoal grill can't sit next to the fridge, a sink module is only available with a water connection or a tank, and a given worktop is only made up to a set length.
Below is an example kitchen configurator built by Trimata. It is an indoor kitchen, but the logic is the same: modules, worktop and fronts change in the 3D view.
There is more on kitchen configurators on the kitchen 3D configurator page, and on how the tool itself works in the 3D configurator overview.
What every request brings you
- the kitchen shape and total length in millimetres;
- the order of modules from left to right;
- the grill type and list of appliances;
- worktop and carcass materials;
- whether a roof or pergola is needed;
- an image of the kitchen the buyer put together.
The outdoor kitchen season starts in spring, but buyers choose in winter. A configurator is ready in up to 2 weeks, so it is worth having one live when buyers start comparing. Send us your list of modules and materials. We review your request within 24 hours.
