Options when Building a Barbecue Counter

Building an outdoor barbecue counter may be on your list of things to do. A barbecue counter is a great item to have especially if you do a lot of barbecuing and need space to put your sauces or pans or even a place to store your barbecuing needs. Depending on whether you have a portable grill or if you have a stationary barbecue pit could help you determine whether or not you want a portable barbecue counter or a stationary barbecue counter. The benefits of a portable barbecue counter include taking it to wherever your grill is, moving it around as needed to use for a counter anywhere, and moving it or using it as you want easily. The benefits of a stationary barbecue counter include it won’t roll around on you while you are working, sturdier/more stable, and you can attach it to a stationary barbecue for style and usability. Your outdoor barbecue counter should be for your needs and should be designed for functionality.

The easiest barbecue counter to build is a stationary one. However you can buy wheels that will turn any stationary object portable. So you may want to try the stationary barbecue counter first. The underneath can be made of treated lumber but for the counter since it will be in the weather I would use formica, laminate, or tile. If you have some left over vinyl from flooring you can use that as well. The reason to use these materials is they will be easier to clean and the weather won’t damage them as much as regular wood. Remember to use hot pads if you are going to put hot pots out though.

You can use screws or nails, the benefit to the screws is they will stay in a little longer even though the wood shrinks and stretches with the heat and cold. I would use a sheet of plyboard under your choice of counter material. The plyboard sheet is a little less expensive and will be quicker to attach. It is also lighter and if you build a stationary counter that you need to move by hand it will be easier to pick up than an all wood counter.

Your counter should be at least 24 inches wide and 18 inches deep. Any cook knows that is not a lot of room to work with, so the bigger the better. My personal minimum is 36 inches wide and 24 inches deep. This gives you room for at least three big pans possibly 6. You may want to put doors on your barbecue counter and turn it into storage. You can hide your grill tools and any items you may need to barbecue.

Just remember the more you build onto the barbecue counter the heavier it will be. So choose the portability wisely.