Organize Outdoor Kitchen Spices & Grilling Tools With IKEA's Brilliant Add-On Unit

Whether you have a bona fide outdoor kitchen or a utilitarian grill station in your backyard, chances are those areas can use a bit more organizational help. Since they are outside and exposed to all sorts of elements, not many people bother with installing shelves or storage units. They're worried that the constant exposure to rain and strong sunshine will warp or ruin those units, making the outdoor food prep area look worse for wear. However, IKEA's BÅTSKÄR add-on can help.

This add-on is comprised of two thin shelves made from galvanized steel and polyester powder coating that can be attached to a wall above or next to a grill or to a separate kitchen unit. Because of the shelves' long-lasting and long-wearing materials, they can take whatever mother nature throws at them and come out still looking good. If you have an outdoor food prep area but it lacks functionality or storage space, then these racks can help. 

The BÅTSKÄR shelving unit consists of two extended shelves with lips attached to two vertical bars. These vertical bars can either be screwed into a wall to create floating shelves near a grill or outdoor kitchen counter, or they can be attached to a BÅTSKÄR closed kitchen unit, which is a standalone kitchen cabinet and counter you can buy to create a DIY outdoor kitchen. The add-on itself is rather long, clocking in at 47 inches, which is nearly 4 feet. It's also nearly 7 inches wide, creating just enough space for a variety of grilling or kitchen needs. It's also an affordable unit, clocking in at $90 on the IKEA website.

Not only is it made from durable materials such as galvanized steel and polyester powder coating, but the shelves are perforated, allowing any water or dirt to freely flow through rather than build up in the shelves. As for what you can store here, there are a variety of items. You can line up your bottled herbs neatly on the two shelves, or potted herbs and plants on top. You can store your different oils and bottled sauces there, or hang your cooking utensils from the bottoms or the sides. You can also display various serving dishes, whether they're platters or cutting boards. 

Is the BÅTSKÄR shelving unit a handy addition to the outdoor kitchen that you want in your backyard, but you still need more storage? In that case, why not also look into the GRILLSKÄR back panel, which costs $80 on the IKEA website. This is also built specifically for outdoor kitchens, and it consists of a large, perforated black panel made from steel and covered in a powder coating. The panel comes with three containers and two hooks, allowing you to store everything from kitchen utensils to cutting boards to oils. 

For the ultimate kitchen setup, you can use both IKEA products. Since the BÅTSKÄR shelving unit is more robust and wider, it can house bigger items like potted herbs, heavy wooden cutting boards, and a line of cooking spices. And since the GRILLSKÄR panel utilizes smaller baskets to corral items, you can store your everyday, most needed items here, like oils, cooking utensils, and tea towels. This will make them close at hand, and you can always buy more baskets and hooks if your needs evolve and grow.