Choosing fuel for an outdoor kitchen in Sarasota.
Which fuel should you choose for an outdoor kitchen in Sarasota? Choose by the meals you make most: gas for regular grilling or griddling, charcoal or split wood if you enjoy tending a fire, and pellets for a grill that needs an outlet. A ceramic kamado is a charcoal cooker; a griddle is a cooking surface.
Written by the Pinecraft Barbecue showroom staff, September 2026.
Why fuel comes first
Natural gas, propane, charcoal, split wood, and wood pellets are fuels. A ceramic kamado is a cooker type, while a griddle describes its cooking surface. The fuel and appliance you choose affect utility planning, storage, and the space needed around the cooker.
Before an island is built, check the exact appliance's fuel type, opening dimensions, enclosure instructions, ventilation, and clearances in its manufacturer's manual. Details vary by cooker, so use the instructions for the selected model.
Start with the meal you cook most often, then decide whether a second cooker earns the space. Read the planning guide for the utility and location questions alongside fuel choice.
Gas grills: choose the supply that fits the plan
Choose a gas grill if burner-operated grilling fits your routine. Natural-gas and propane configurations are model-specific: the Napoleon BIG32 product page, for example, lists a propane model and links its installation and operating manual. Confirm the fuel configuration before planning the supply.
A cart grill stands on its own; a built-in grill sits in an island opening. Cutout, enclosure, ventilation, and clearance requirements vary by model, so use the selected grill's manual when laying out the island. Napoleon's BIG32 product page and linked owner's manual are one model-specific example. Pinecraft's catalog pages cover built-in lines from Twin Eagles, Delta Heat, and Napoleon.
We design your kitchen and supply the equipment; licensed contractors we work with install it.
Charcoal: the fuel for a kamado or other charcoal cooker
Charcoal is the fuel; a ceramic kamado is one type of cooker. Big Green Egg recommends natural lump charcoal and describes temperature control through its vents. Lighting coals, adjusting airflow, and clearing ash are part of the routine, as its manufacturer's getting-started guide explains.
Big Green Egg is the kamado line in Pinecraft's catalog. Compare sizes in the Big Green Egg size guide. If you plan a built-in installation, use the specification sheet for the selected Egg size; the maker's Large EGG sheet gives its own opening and clearance requirements.
This is a showroom display at 3303 Bahia Vista St, not a customer project.
Split wood: a hands-on fire for pit cooking
Wood and charcoal are used together in some smokers. For example, Meadow Creek describes its SQ36 offset smoker as charcoal/wood-fired, with indirect heat from a side firebox and vents that help control temperature. Choose this format when tending a live fire is part of the cooking you want to do.
A separate pit needs its own footprint and placement in the plan. Meadow Creek is the smoker line in Pinecraft's catalog, and the Meadow Creek smoker guide compares its cooker formats.
Wood pellets: a controller-driven cooker with power needs
A pellet grill burns wood pellets and uses powered controls to feed and manage the fire. Pit Boss says its North American pellet grills need a 110-volt outlet and recommends keeping pellets sealed away from moisture; see the maker's pellet grill FAQ for those model-specific details.
Plan for the exact grill's power connection and dry pellet storage before building around it. Browse the Pit Boss catalog category and contact the showroom for product details.
This is a showroom display at 3303 Bahia Vista St, not a customer project.
Griddles: a cooking surface that still needs a fuel
A griddle describes a flat cooking surface, not a fuel. Fuel options vary by model: HALO's official Elite4B product page, for example, lists propane and an optional natural-gas conversion kit. Check the exact appliance before planning its supply.
A griddle also needs its own cooking and prep space in the layout. Pinecraft's catalog pages show griddle categories from Evo and HALO; confirm the current model, fuel, and dimensions for the one you select.
Choose the cookers, then size the plan
You can choose one fuel or plan for more than one cooker. Confirm each appliance's supply, opening, clearance, and working space before the island is built; a gas grill and charcoal kamado, for example, have different fuel and installation instructions.
Start with outdoor kitchens if you want to plan the island around the cookers. The catalog explains how to ask about a product through the showroom. A lanai or salt-air location raises separate layout questions; read the salt air and humidity guide and the lanai and screen enclosure guide.
Outdoor Kitchens by Pinecraft Barbecue starts with a free, no-obligation home measurement in the Sarasota area. See the service area for the community list. We design your kitchen and supply the equipment; licensed contractors we work with install it. Call (941) 217-6995, visit 3303 Bahia Vista St, or use contact to send the sketch and photos ahead of the visit.