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68 | Kitchen & Bath Design News January 2015 By Elizabeth Richards Product Trend Report G rilling has long been a staple of the summer season, but the outdoor kitchen of today goes well beyond a grill, and the right set-up can be enjoyed through many seasons. Homeowners are using their outdoor spaces as an extension of their living space, and entertaining in these areas expands the need for a variety of appliances and accessories tailored to individual lifestyles. Specialty cooking appliances, refrigeration, customized outdoor entertaining areas and fex- ible options top the trends in outdoor kitchens, according to manufacturers recently surveyed by Kitchen & Bath Design News . "More North Americans than ever are taking advantage of backyard outdoor living spaces for alfresco dining and leisure that fts their lifestyle," says Josef Steigmiller, v.p. for Liebherr Refrigeration, The Americas, based in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. "Increasingly, outdoor living spaces are becoming hubs of the home and need to incorporate fully functioning kitchens for entertaining." Customers love to grill, but most want to do other styles of out- door cooking as well, says John Ruloph, regional sales manager West for Greenwood, MS-based Viking Range LLC. "We're seeing customers creating cooking stations," he says. These stations can include a grilling station, a "multi-cultural infuence" station, and/ or a southern wood-fred smoker station, each with countertops and undercounter accessories that support each type of cooking. OUTWARD EXPANSION When an outdoor space is set up properly, it can expand the available living space, particularly for entertaining. When this happens, manufacturers say, the homeowner wants the personal style of their home extended to the outdoor area, as well. "Right now, the trend is for homeowners to extend the 'heart of the home' to the outdoors. This means that they want to be able to live and cook outside, the way they would in - side," says Ramsay Hawfeld, director of marketing at Eldorado Stone in San Marcos, CA. This requires elevating the outdoor kitchen from basic needs to a full-service area, and adding comfortable seating and a focal point such as freplace, fre bowl or water feature to seamlessly blend the indoors with the outdoors, he says. Mitch Slater, president of Danver Stainless Outdoor Kitchens in Wallingford, CT, says that his frm is seeing a move away from a stand-alone barbecue island style to the outdoor living room concept with a kitchen. "The focus is more on an enter- taining space rather than just a cooking space," he says. Often, he adds, more than one outdoor location is being used, such as an additional bar area near a pool. "More and more homeowners are turning their outdoor kitchen on the deck or patio into major entertaining spaces," agrees Steigmiller. In these spaces, he adds, consumers are looking for compact, outdoor, Entertaining Moves Today's outdoor kitchens are far more than just a grilling station; rather, these spaces are designed to mimic the aesthetic of the indoor kitchen, with enhanced cooking functionality, refrigeration, countertop and cabinet space and a personalized design geared for entertaining. Viking Range Corp. has introduced a line of Viking Professional Outdoor 5 Series grills, carts and companion units. New features to the 24"-deep grills include 25,000 high-intensity BTU stainless steel grill burners, the 15,000 BTU Goumet-Glo Infrared Rotisserie Burner, stainless steel grates and Easy Lift Canopy System. Circle No. 156 on Product Card The 15" Series Beer Dispenser and Dual-Tap Beer Dispenser from True Manufacturing Co. feature the exclusive True Precision Control, a climate technology that ensures refrigeration accuracy within one degree of set point. The patented airfow technology provides beer with the least amount of foam, and allows for two diferent ales to be chilled and served at the same time. The Dual-Tap accommodates two 1/6 barrels and can be converted into a refrigerator. Circle No. 155 on Product Card Stone Forest's farmhouse sinks are hand carved from solid granite, and can work in any outdoor kitchen. Various apron-front style options are available: polished or rough, foral bas-relief and natural. Stone choices vary upon the model, but include blue/gray, beige and black. Circle No. 157 on Product Card