PRODUCT CARE

Winterizing Your Outdoor Kitchen

If you live in an area with yearly frost or snowfall, winterizing your outdoor kitchen equipment is an important step. Even if you don’t get snow, it’s always a good idea to give your kitchen a thorough cleaning several times per year.  

We’ve prepared the following tips to help you prolong the life of your outdoor kitchen and ensure it stays in perfect working order.

What needs to be winterized?

Our Grills, Pizza Ovens, Cooktops, and Smoker Cabinets, can easily withstand the elements and do not need winterization. However, if you won’t be using your outdoor kitchen for more than a month or will be away from the residence for an extended time, we recommend turning off the gas and power, giving your products a thorough cleaning and covering your products with a Kalamazoo Sunbrella Cover.

Product Care Tips

For information on seasonal cleaning as well as year-round care, please visit our care pages for each of these products:

  • Hybrid Fire Grill
  • Gaucho Grill
  • Echo Gas-Fired Grill
  • Shokunin Kamado Grill
  • Artisan Fire Pizza Oven
  • Smoker Cabinet
  • Cabinetry and Refrigeration

Refrigerators, Freezers, Wine Chillers, and Beverage Centers

Kalamazoo outdoor refrigeration has been engineered to withstand the elements and does not need to be brought indoors. However, it is important to take action once the daily low temperature is at or below the following guidance:

  • Freezer models: 32°F (0°C) 
  • Refrigerator models: 38°F (3.3°C) 
  • Beverage Center models: 42°F (5.6°C) 
  • Wine Reserve models: 45°F (7.2°C) 
  • Beer Dispenser models: 38°F (3.3°C) 
  • Dual-Zone models: Refer to the warmest temperature compartment above.

Winterization Steps

  1. Empty out all units and thoroughly clean the inside walls and drawers with stainless steel cleaner and polish. 
  2. Switch off the power by removing the toe kicks and hard-powering them off individually. If you can access the plug, unplug the unit. If it can’t be reached, simply shut off the power at the breaker. 
  3. Clean the exterior surfaces with stainless steel cleaner, and give the units a nice coat of stainless steel polish. 
  4. Remove the front grill (toe plate) and clean behind it with a vacuum cleaner to remove any loose dirt or debris. Reinstall.

Keg Tappers

Follow the same instructions for outdoor refrigeration units, then:

  • Clean and drain beer lines.
  • Remove the kegs, empty or otherwise, and store them indoors.

Ice Makers

Kalamazoo ice makers should be winterized before the outside temperature drops below 45ºF. 

  1. Switch off the power on the unit. If you can access the plug, unplug the unit. If it can’t be reached, simply shut off the power at the breaker. 
  2. Turn off the water supply line at your home’s shut-off valve and open the drain valve. 
  3. Use compressed air or carbon dioxide to blow out the water supply line and the internal water circuit. 
  4. Remove all ice from the storage bin, clean the bin and close the drain valve. 
  5. Remove the front grill and clean the area behind it with a vacuum cleaner to remove any loose dirt or debris, then reattach.

Sinks and Other Plumbing

All water needs to be drained from the supply lines and faucets before winter sets in.

  1. Close the water supply shut-off valves and open the drain valves on both the hot and cold plumbing. 
  2. Fully open the hot and cold taps. 
  3. Blow compressed air or carbon dioxide in through the drain valves to force all remaining water out through the faucet. 
  4. If desired, uninstall your faucet and store indoors. Cap off the supply lines. 
  5. Thoroughly clean the sink according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 
  6. Securely cover the sink to keep winter debris from filling it or entering the drain.