Planning an Outdoor Kitchen in Switzerland: Location, Connections, Materials and Costs

The best location for an outdoor kitchen sits close to the living area, stands on a solid surface – and is chosen so the wind carries smoke away from the seating area. Settling these three points before getting a quote saves you the most expensive corrections later. On the wind question, one Swiss grill manufacturer offers a simple tip in its planning guide: observe for a few days where the smoke drifts; the ideal location is one where grill smoke is blown away from your own living area and your neighbours'. For the ground, specialist retailers' checklists recommend a solid terrace or a concrete foundation, plus short paths to the indoor kitchen – and from the start, a thought for sun, wind and rain protection. Add to that the safety clearance: the Swiss fire-prevention advisory body (BFB) recommends placing the grill stably on a stable surface outdoors and keeping flammable materials such as garden furniture at least one metre away. For a permanently built outdoor kitchen, this metre isn't an operating rule you improvise in the evening but a planning dimension: it belongs in the layout before the first quote is requested.

Practically every outdoor kitchen needs power – water and gas are comfort questions with a fixed and a mobile solution each. According to the manufacturer, many grills and refrigerators need power; plan a weatherproof outdoor socket directly at the kitchen location. For water: a permanently installed tap with a sink is comfortable, but running the pipework outside is a lot of work; mobile tank solutions are a practical alternative if the effort isn't worth it. For gas, you have a choice between gas cylinders and a permanently laid line — a permanently laid gas line is best installed by a specialist company: trade checklists explicitly point this out; which rules apply in your municipality is best clarified with your gas utility or installer. For cylinder operation, the BFB gives clear rules: never store gas containers inside a building, and not in poorly ventilated, recessed areas, because LPG is heavier than air. Check connections regularly for leaks with soapy water or leak-detection spray, and replace damaged hoses and pressure regulators immediately, but at the latest after five years. If you want to integrate the cylinder into a kitchen module, it's best to discuss the compartment's ventilation directly with the supplier.

Outdoors, materials prove themselves when they shrug off moisture, temperature swings and weather over the years – and they do so differently for each component. Precision pays off here, because "stainless-steel kitchen" is often only half the truth: at the Swiss manufacturer azado, for example, the grills are made, according to the manufacturer, from 1.4301 Inox chrome steel, while the kitchen carcasses are made, depending on the model, from weatherproof aluminium, Spanish ceramic, HPL, 3D-printed concrete or solid stone. The most important materials at a glance:

Plan from the grill outward, and give the worktop more room than you initially think necessary. The grill as the "heart" of the outdoor kitchen – this rule of thumb from specialist retailers' checklists is the right starting point: choose the grill module first, then plan the kitchen around it. At azado, four grill models are available: El Maestro (60 × 40 cm), El Rey (80 × 50 cm), El Jefe (80 × 50 cm with a variable crank) and El Original (100 × 60 cm). The most common planning mistake lies elsewhere, though: one outdoor-kitchen supplier explicitly recommends in its guide planning enough worktop, "because this is often underestimated" – and not placing the bar directly behind the grill, because it quickly gets too warm there for guests. In terms of equipment, azado is modular and almost everything is configurable: drawers, built-in cabinets, wine coolers, refrigerators, sinks, Quooker taps and bar solutions. Rounding out the equipment, finally, is fire-fighting readiness: the BFB recommends keeping a watering can with water, a fire blanket or a fire extinguisher on hand while grilling – and never extinguishing a grease fire with water. Light the fire with lighter cubes, lighter paste or a chimney starter, never with methylated spirits or petrol.

At the Swiss manufacturer azado, the publicly listed prices range from CHF 11'900 to CHF 57'800 – as of August 2026, with an important caveat: the entry price applies to the compact Cubo model, currently listed as heavily reduced; the top end marks the el Doble model. In total, azado publicly lists around 20 models, among them, for example, Viento (CHF 13'500), Moduló (CHF 14'900), Sarita (CHF 18'900), El Rey (CHF 24'900), Calanca Stein Massiv (CHF 26'500) or la familia 5m (CHF 47'000). A concrete example of the pricing logic: the Largo outdoor kitchen – 3.7 metres long, carcass in weatherproof aluminium in the colour of your choice, worktop freely selectable, El Jefe grill included in the configuration shown – is listed in the shop at CHF 46'500, with a delivery time of six to eight weeks. Important: these are list prices; since every kitchen is individually configured in materials, grill module and equipment, the actual quote will differ. azado, based in Wittenbach, SG, states it produces 80 percent in Switzerland and is Swiss Label certified. Budgeting also involves the formal side: as a rule of thumb, one grill manufacturer states in its planning guide that simple outdoor kitchens generally don't need a permit, but constructions with a fixed roof can be subject to permit requirements depending on regional building regulations. That's a manufacturer's assessment, not legal advice – only your municipality's building authority can settle it with certainty, ideally before you order. When ordering through Imperial Interiors, part payment is possible: a deposit on order, the balance before delivery.

An outdoor kitchen in this price range isn't bought off a spec sheet – working height, material feel and the mechanics of the grill modules need to be tried out. In our showroom at Nüschelerstrasse 30 in Zurich, five minutes' walk from the main station, we show azado and advise you on the configuration: which grill module suits your way of cooking, which material suits your terrace and architecture, which modules your routine actually needs. The initial consultation is free; bringing photos and measurements of the terrace gets you more concrete answers. On request, our team also comes to your home for the first visit free of charge – especially for questions of location and connections, nothing replaces looking at the real situation. We handle delivery and assembly throughout Switzerland with our own team. We're open Monday to Friday from 10:00–19:00, Saturday from 10:00–18:00.