It's the 21st century. We've gone from simple, little Weber barbecues out in the back yard to those totally prefab units that come with sinks and built-in shelves. Sonoma County's largest homebuilder, Christopherson Homes, is now offering upgrades for barbecue outlets on its Eagle Ridge Homes at Sky Hawk. For some folks, especially Northern Californians blessed with good weather, their outdoor area for cooking and entertaining may be even better than what's inside. Many people have upgraded their indoor kitchens with things like Wolf ranges and commercial-style, glass door refrigerators, and the outdoor kitchen is a natural progression, Kunit said.
People feel cramped in their interior kitchens.
It is actually less expensive to do it outside rather than expand it into larger rooms. Hardly a place for just hot dogs. For one Chicago couple who seven years ago bought a couple of dozen acres and an old house in the Dry Creek Valley in Healdsburg, their outdoor kitchen has become their showcase. After they got the house finished, they thought of redoing the garden. When they are in California, they want to be outside.