Outdoor Kitchen and Hot Tub: How to Plan the Two Together
An outdoor kitchen and a hot tub work best as two zones a few steps apart: close enough to talk between, far enough that smoke, grease and spills stay away from the water. Plan the path between them, the direction of the wind, shared firewood or power, and where people will sit in between, and the two become one place to spend the evening.
Plenty of owners have built the two together. At Camp Moose Trail near Golden, a communal fire and a wood fired pizza oven share the property with the tub and the sauna. Here is how to plan the pairing at home.
Think in zones
Most good layouts have three zones: cook, gather and soak. The kitchen is busy, warm and bright. The tub is quiet and dark. The gathering space, usually a table or a fire, sits between them and lets people move from one to the other without either zone interrupting the other.
Distance and the path between
A few steps, often 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 m), is the sweet spot in most gardens. Close enough to hand someone a plate, far enough that a dropped glass does not end up in the water. Make the path level and solid underfoot, because people will walk it barefoot and wet, often in the dark.
Smoke and wind
A grill, a smoker or a pizza oven all make smoke, and so does a wood fired tub while it heats. Note which way the evening wind usually blows and put the kitchen downwind of the tub. Keep a wood fired tub's chimney clear of any kitchen roof or pergola: it needs about 10 ft (3 m) of vertical clearance above the cap and no structure or flammable material close by.
Sightlines
From the tub, you want the view, not the bins or the barbecue lid. From the kitchen, it is nice to see the tub, so the cook is part of the evening. Angling the kitchen so it faces the tub while the tub faces outward usually does both.
Shared services
Power
An Electric or Hybrid hot tub needs its own dedicated 240V, 30 amp circuit. Plan it with the kitchen's lighting, fridge and outlets so the trenching is done once. Installation options covers where the tub's equipment can sit.
Water and drainage
If the kitchen has a sink, the hose bib that serves it can fill the tub. Keep the tub's drainage route separate from any kitchen greywater, running downhill and away from both.
Firewood
A wood fired tub and a pizza oven burn the same dry, seasoned hardwood. One covered woodpile between them serves both, with a box of smaller splits for the oven. The best firewood covers what to stack.
Timing an evening
A wood fired tub takes about two to five hours to heat from cold, depending on size, so light it before you start cooking and it will be ready when dinner is done. An Electric holds its set temperature and is simply waiting. Either way, the rhythm owners describe is the same: cook, eat, then soak while the kitchen cools down.
Materials that work together
Stone, concrete, steel and cedar all sit well beside a cedar tub. If you are building kitchen cabinets or screens in wood near the tub, choose copper free finishes, and see cedar care for how to keep the tub's cedar looking right beside them.
Where to start
Site the tub first, for the view and the stars, then fit the kitchen around it. The tub's base, clearances and drainage are the least flexible part of the plan. Landscaping around a hot tub covers the ground, and preparing for delivery covers the base.
Common questions
How far should a hot tub be from an outdoor kitchen?
Close enough to talk between them, far enough that cooking smoke, grease and spills stay away from the water. A few steps, or a short path of 10 to 20 feet, works in most gardens. Put the kitchen downwind of the tub where you can, and keep a wood fired tub's chimney clear of any kitchen roof or pergola.
Can a hot tub and outdoor kitchen share electrical?
They can share a panel, but not a circuit. An Electric or Hybrid hot tub needs its own dedicated 240V, 30 amp circuit. Plan the kitchen's circuits and the tub's at the same time with your electrician, so trenches are dug once and the panel has room for both.
Can a pizza oven and a wood fired hot tub use the same firewood?
Yes. Both want dry, seasoned hardwood, so one covered woodpile can serve both. Pizza ovens burn hotter and often prefer smaller splits, so keep a stack of kindling sized pieces alongside. Store the pile a little away from the cedar of the tub.
Should a hot tub be covered by the same roof as an outdoor kitchen?
Usually not for a wood fired tub, which needs about 10 feet of vertical clearance above its chimney cap and no structure close by. An Electric tub can sit under a roof with good ventilation. Many owners prefer the tub under open sky either way, for the stars.