Grill On!

   More than any other area of the home front, enthusiasm and innovation have propelled rapid change in the outdoor kitchen. With a bit of professional help, today’s outdoor kitchens can be filled with precision instruments engineered to do justice to the most exacting gourmet’s cooking skills.
   In the mid-1950s, the first outdoor gas-fired grills (with 20-pound propane tanks) were introduced by Chicago Combustion Corporation, the company that became Lazy Man. When Lazy Man controlled the market, homeowners were still quite captivated with air-conditioning and lounging indoors around the TV.
   “We sold many, many Lazy Man grills when we opened in 1974, and they were fine for burgers and steaks,” remembers Bill Mullet, president of Mullet’s Appliances. “Back then, cookouts were infrequent events. Today, competition between top-name manufacturers is intense because, when we’re not entertaining friends outdoors, we’re gathered around the pool with our families.”
   Certainly, with outdoor living the center of all new construction in Florida, and the pool pavilion morphing into a home’s most important oasis, alfresco kitchens command attention.
   At Mullet’s Appliances’ showrooms in Sarasota and Naples, for instance, grills designed by the likes of Viking, Wolf and Dacor are geared toward a high-end clientele demanding style as well as premium performance.
   Perfectly seared meats and delicately grilled fish and veggies can be cooked with equal ease with a Wolf built-in grill that maintains precise control of the gas flame, aided by an infrared burner. Free-standing stainless steel carts are just as popular.
   Smart design includes basics such as grill lights activated when the cover is lifted and battery-powered ignition switches. Outdoor accessories such as warming drawers and wok burners are also big sellers.
   “Lately Viking seems to be leading the charge with innovation,” Mullet says.“Their most recent enhancement is a UL-approved outdoor oven.”
   Viking also sells a complete line of stainless steel cabinetry to coordinate with any conceivable outdoor kitchen design. All of the top-name manufacturers are
rushing to offer products for the burgeoning outdoor feast. Dynamic Cooking Systems, long known for restaurant-grade grills, recently introduced a free-standing patio warmer.
   “Unless it’s raining, I can’t imagine why anyone cooks indoors,” Mullet muses. “Actually, with the covered areas that are a standard feature of our grand estates, even rain won’t stop you from creating a gourmet meal in the great outdoors.”
   Terry Mahaney, owner of Cookin’ Out Gas & Grill in Nokomis, agrees. “In the North people call them summer kitchens, but that’s not really how we see it in Florida,” he reasons. “Cooking outdoors can keep the heat and food odors out of your home. The patio or pool areas are really the best places to entertain during most months of the year.”
   Cookin’ Out Gas & Grill, in business for 14 years, features 21 brands of grills, as well as smokers, turkey and fish fryers and accessories. Servicing the area between Tampa and Naples, Cookin’ Out Gas & Grill offers expertise in every aspect of designing outdoor kitchens, from initial measurements to final installations. Mahaney’s background in aeronautical design and fabrication comes in handy with custom installations.
   “We get involved in every aspect of the design,” says Mahaney. “We sit down with the client to help them pick out the tile, marble and finishes. These days it’s normal for people to incorporate a sink and UL-approved refrigerators and ice makers. With all of the consideration that goes into custom estate homes, you can see why the outdoor kitchens are so elaborate. With the use they’re getting, they need to be.”
   For purists in search of the flavor of charcoal, the Primo Grill and Smoker™ is a sure-fire success. Fashioned after a Japanese kamado, which traces its roots to China 3,000 years ago, the ceramic oven will function as a smoker or grill.
   “These are made of a space-age ceramic that can reach high temperatures and smoke all day long,” he explains. “This type of product is popular.”
   High heat sears meat fastest for that most desirable grilled flavor. Perhaps the greatest innovation in grilling surrounds infrared, the radiant energy cooking
previously offered only in restaurants. Thermal Engineering Corporation (TEC) pioneered the concept in the 1960s. When its patent ran out a few years ago, many manufacturers entered the field. The result is many new products including combination grills with gas and infrared burners.
   “I’ve always sold TEC grills, and now we’re selling about seven brands of infra-red grills,” Mahaney reports. “Convertible grills, which can change from gas to infrared in about five minutes, are extremely popular.”
   Robb & Stucky’s Patio stores in Naples, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers and Sarasota, feature outdoor products manufactured by KitchenAid, a brand long associated with high performance kitchen appliances. Since the introduction of its legendary stand mixer in 1919 and first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products designed for cooks.The company has recently enhanced its built-in and free standing grills with thoughtful new features and updated styling.
   “KitchenAid grills are designed for those that love to
cook and entertain,” notes Jon Rubinstein, Robb & Stucky vice president.
   New enhancements to KitchenAid grills include a built-in thermometer to easily gauge internal grill temperatures without raising the lid, and halogen surface lights on built-in models for easier viewing of food when grilling after dark. All models offer the unique SureSear™ system that distributes heat evenly over the entire grill surface. These high performance grills feature a 14,500 BTU infrared back burner for slow roasting and optional side burners.
   The complete outdoor collection from KitchenAid includes a freestanding and built-in refreshment center, a serving cart, an outdoor refrigerator and an icemaker.
   “The company has listened to home cooks, culinary professionals and designers with the goal of creating the best possible cooking and entertaining products for the outdoors,” says Rubinstein.
   For the chef that really enjoys entertaining outdoors, design finesse meets cooking finesse in outdoor powerhouses that complement exquisite estates.

Store Locations:

Cookin Out Gas & Grills
509 East Laurel Road
Nokomis, FL
(941) 484-5026
(800) 441-4745

Mullet’s Appliances, Inc.
4233 Clark Road
Sarasota Business Park
941 921-5531 or 800 648-4906

Robb & Stucky Patio Showrooms:
7501 South Tamiami Trail
Sarasota
941 922-8900

Casual Living • Outdoor
Across from Bonita Bay on U.S. 41
26501 S.Tamiami Trail
Bonita Springs, FL
239 390-2222
U.S. 41, just south of John Scanlon Lexus
14380 S.Tamiami Trail
Fort Myers
239 415-0800

Photography courtesy of Mullet’s Appliances, Inc. and
Robb & Stucky Patio

Written by Casey McCabe