David Lupberger: Hi! I am David Lupberger with servicemagic.com. The outdoor kitchen is one of the fastest growing trends in home improvement. More than ever before, the backyard barbecue is becoming a centerpiece for friends, family, even business meetings. Today we're going to take a closer look at this trend.

In the last few years the demand for outdoor kitchens has skyrocketed, as homeowners bring the comforts of the indoors, outside. Stores like Lehrer Fireplace & Patio in Denver now keep a full range of outdoor appliances on hand.

So can you tell me how popular outdoor kitchens have become in the last few years?

Ken Lehrer: It's grown dramatically. In fact, it's hard to even almost calculate the numbers. Everybody is coming in, because there is the capability of whatever level that they want.

David Lupberger: So everything literally that an indoor kitchen can do, we can bring outdoors.

Ken Lehrer: Yes, you can. This year would be a prep station. In other words, you have your sink, you have your ice chest, you have all your vegetable trays here. This is an example even of a trash container, if you can believe it. We can do everything up above, where we prep everything and slide it into the trash container.

David Lupberger: Okay.

Ken Lehrer: Then Here is examples of warming drawers, where you can steam and have everything set here. Side burners are very traditional, for no better word, where you're actually doing your accessory items, back to eliminating going inside; that was the traditional way of running inside, coming back, going back inside, back and forth. This takes care of all that cooking.

Then you've got storage drawers. Even right here what we have is refrigeration, where you have marinating drawers and everything that you can imagine. So as I was mentioning, you literally do not ever have to go inside.

David Lupberger: That means that whatever your taste, you can find something that suits your needs. A basic model like this runs about $2,000. A more complete kitchen like this one could be around $20,000 or more, depending on how many bells and whistles you want.

Ken Lehrer: The shape and the size of these are unlimited.

David Lupberger: And make no mistake, building an outdoor kitchen is a construction project that requires a professional, with skills to bring it all together. Corwin Transue is a pre-screened servicemagic.com professional who specializes in outdoor kitchens

Corwin Transue: I work with the homeowner. I go out to their house, and I take a look at the setting that we're building it in, and then I talk to them about what they want it to be used for. For instance, do they want more counter space, or do they want more seating area? How big of a grill do you want to have in it, and stuff like that. What are all your components? Then we design around that, and then aesthetically we match it to the colors that are already going in the house.

John Dickkut: We wanted the place where when we come home from work, we can escape to our backyard.

David Lupberger: John Dickkut is one of Corwin's happy customers. He actually designed his own outdoor kitchen and loves to show it off.

John Dickkut: To be honest with you, it's gotten us away from the TV. I think we talk more, we share more, because we're doing it out here.

David Lupberger: Outdoor kitchens may also add value to your home. They will at the very least create an impression on everyone who sees it. To find a pre-screened professional to build an outdoor kitchen, or for any home improvement need, check out servicemagic.com.