Outdoor Kitchens are becoming very popular features of many middle and higher-end homes. They’re a great way to add some extra features to your outdoor areas, as well as a way to use up a space that otherwise may not see all that much use.
When it comes to an outdoor kitchen or cooking space, there are a lot of options available for you to consider when thinking about countertop material. There’s wood, tiled, stainless steel, and plenty of others to pick from.
For us, however, if we’re talking about a countertop that combines form and function, we are personally very big on granite countertops here. They’re super durable (a great feature for being outdoors), are easy to clean, and, when treated regularly, can stand up to the general wear and tear of being outdoors too.
Add to that the naturally beautiful stone patterns that you can find them in, and it is hard not to love granite as an option for your outdoor kitchen space.
However, this then leaves people with another issue that they’ll need to consider. After all, having a countertop material decided is great and all, but what kind of countertop should you even go for in the first place?
Well, that’s what we’re going to help you with here, by showing you some potential ideas to give your vision some much-needed inspiration. From small sides to huge spaces, we have you covered here!
L-Shaped Outdoor Granite Countertop
We’re starting this list with a classic design idea that many indoor and outdoor countertops use.
We do love a good L-shaped countertop here. Not only does it give a cook or anyone working on it plenty of space for everyday use, but there’s just something about the way that it helps divide a living space up that appeals to us. It turns what could easily be just a single-sided work or cooking space into something a little more active, moving around a little more.
Plus, when you combine that with the two-tiered design that allows for people to sit around the outside, you can combine your eating and sitting space into this countertop design too.
This particular setup also adds that little extra touch of the outdoors by having a grill cooker built into this countertop, a feature that we’re going to see a lot of in this guide. If you love facing friends and family as you work on a good grill-out dinner in your outdoor kitchen, this is a great countertop design.
Grill & Granite Countertop Combo
This next countertop design shares a few similarities with the previous one that we covered. However, in this layout, there is a much greater emphasis on the ‘living part of the outdoor kitchen, where folks can sit around and chat while eating outdoors.
This kitchen top can still be used for cooking, but given that the grill and cooking space are actually at a lower level. Plus, the flag/soapstone-like decorative stones around the sides of the countertop add a nice contrasting texture with the pristine smooth surface of the top side of the granite.
Add to this design a fire pit that is just separated enough from the main worktop that people can easily move to sit around it, and you have a great pairing of both the compact and close feeling of the countertop, whilst also allowing for a more open relaxation area as well.
It’s a great pairing, at least in our eyes!
2-Tiered Granite Outdoor Countertop
This next countertop has quite a lot in common with our first entry in this list, with it utilizing a two-tiered granite countertop. However here, it is stretched out to an insane proportion!
This particular countertop uses the greater space that a large outdoor space and backyard provide, having a working countertop that is much longer than any design we’ve covered so far. The single-sided workspace means that any food or meal you’re preparing is on one side, so no need to run around in 3 directions trying to find the right side!
Like in the last entry with this feature, the two-tiered system allows for a pretty clear distinction between the cooking and sitting spaces, while allowing them to interact with one another, so a chef can keep talking and hanging out with friends or family while they’re hard at work.
Add to that some necessities that every kitchen should have, from waste disposal to storage/fridge space (depending on your needs, and you have a great kitchen countertop design on your hands!
Extended Granite Outdoor Cooking & Countertop
Now, if you’re looking for a countertop that has all the bells and whistles of a great indoor kitchen, just placed outdoors, then this is an excellent option for you! This layout has everything that you could need in a kitchen space, from a grill to plenty of refrigerated storage, to waste disposal. There’s even a corner for a kitchen sink here!
Plus, the two-tiered design adds just a little extra space to place a few items when you’re in the middle of a big meal! While this particular design is more focused on being a cooking space than a dual living space, all it takes is simply extending that higher tier out a little more and leaving enough room for stools and chairs.
Again, this is your outdoor kitchen countertop design, so feel free to pick and choose what elements you want from each of these ideas! They’re an inspiration, not instructions, after all!
Outdoor Countertop Granite Kitchen Area
This design is a great inspiration for people who enjoyed the previous entry’s dedicated cooking area for their countertop and want to take that aspect of their outdoor kitchen design to the next level.
This plan pretty much turns an entire corner of your backyard or garden into a kitchen room, only outdoors.
One part of this countertop is a dedicated space for cooking with the grill and other tools, while the opposite side has plenty of space for both cleaning, cooking, and waste disposal.
The stone-fire oven separating these two sides is the centerpiece that helps divide the two and looks great at the same time.
And, of course, there is the third countertop to boot, which gives a beautiful curved surface for yet even more cooking space for you to use.
And, on the other side of that third surface, there’s a seating area for guests to eat and socialize, which also gives a gorgeous view of the entire countertop space. These corners, coupled with the entire countertop space being tiled, help keep the countertop space in its own space. No spilling out to other parts of the garden, and
Curved Granite Countertop
Speaking of good countertops that use served to their advantage, this next one isn’t quite as grandiose in size and scale but still manages to create an outdoor kitchen feature that gives you maximum space with a smaller footprint.
The curved end piece to this layout is relatively small, at least when compared with many of the other entries here. However, there’s still a surprising amount of utility in just this granite countertop piece alone, with a sink and storage space, as well as plenty of room
The curved aspect helps get just a little extra room out of this design while keeping the overall footprint still pretty small. If you’re looking for a granite countertop idea that is a little more inconspicuous, this is absolutely a great idea for those corners that are doing nothing on your patio!
2-Sided Outdoor Kitchen Countertop
We’ve covered a lot of designs that are either a single surface or box in people inside the outdoor kitchen countertop design on almost all sizes. This one shakes things up a little by having two separate countertops, rather than an L or U-shaped countertop, or even the long single-sided designs that we’ve seen here.
Well, perhaps calling it a 2-sided countertop is a little generous, as one side is taken up almost entirely by some of the finest outdoor ovens we’ve seen, including a dedicated stone pizza oven and grill.
However, the other side of this countertop is free for pretty much any need, whether it’s cooking and preparing food, or just idly sitting and chatting while you’re watching someone else hard at work cooking.
The miniature sink design is surprisingly space-saving too, while still benign and functional. Still, this design helps replicate a premium indoor kitchen design outdoors, while still looking amazing, even professional!
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it! There’s pretty much no limit to what you can do with a good countertop design and a little planning ahead of time.
From giant, party-sized, and accommodating kitchen designs, to small, nestled a corner for cozy, intimate space. All of these ideas and more can be done with your outdoor cooking space, for pretty much every design sensibility.
And, of course, all of them can use a granite countertop as their main material to boot! If these countertop ideas don’t help spark a little inspiration for your outdoor kitchen dreams, we don’t know what will!