We have a granite bar with a regular old SS sink and the old Moen faucet we took out of the kitchen. It's been up for about a year in the burning hot So. Florida sun with no cover... no problems so far.

Adrienne, thanks for your input and thought process. I am considering a trellis over my outdoor kitchen, but not sure how good it will be for protection, probably good just for shade, but rain would probably still be able to get in. So maybe i should look into something else since I dont want the grill and other stuff to get messed up..
Remodelfla, thanks for sharing your experience. It sounds like any old sink and faucet will do, provided the weather is good. I am in CA, so the weather is usually nice too.

Adrienne- What type of ventilation do your in-laws have for this kitchen?

Sinks get filled with water. Rain is not going to hurt them.

if you live in a climate where it gets cold enough to freeze, then you need a way to drain the pipes when not in use. If you don't need hot water, then you can just attach a hose to a spigot and detach at the end of the season.

A lot of people use fiberglass, stone and/or tile for outdoor 'cabinets', especially when a grill is concerned. No issues with fire, water or insects.

With sink drainage, you need to check with codes. Since this is considered 'grey water', you might be able to let it run to the garden, or store it to water the lawn or plants.

Hot water is very good to have in an outdoor kitchen. Think chicken hands.

Most people I know use stainless or stone sinks outdoors. Resins do degrade with exposure and time. Might last what you're planning to be the lifespan of the outdoor kitchen, but if you get something more durable it could be there decades after you're gone.

It's also a nice accessory to have a lid made for the sink that covers the whole thing. Not the kind with a cutout for a finger to pull it, but with a handle on top. That way, when you go to use it, the sink just needs a quick rinse, rather than cleaning out leaves and spiders and dirt. That's with or without a solid ceiling so long as it's open at all.

As to the grill, most have integrated covers, right? On a gas grill? It won't get messed up. If you don't use it year round you can put a cloth or plastic cover on during the off season it to keep it looking pretty. Barbecues (charcoal or wood) are left out and open in all weathers and are fine, though, again, a lid cuts down on cleaning time. The difference is a few leaves don't bother the barbecue.

Do you have patio furniture now? Check how dirty it gets. That's how dirty your outdoor kitchen will get from rain, blown dirt and (possibly) pollution.

So Cal valley here, so it's been pretty hot(nothing like Texas, though!) & we have both wind & pollution.
My outdoor kitchen has been functional since April & used 3-4 times/week. It is "L" shaped with the grill on one leg & double stainless sink w/hot & cold (our old Moen, too!), fridge, and bar height seating on the other. It has a solid roof with skylights, but the grill leg is not under the roof per code & ventilation requirements. The structure is framed with metal studs & covered with stucco & brick tile. Two sets of stainless doors access plumbing & storage under the sink & grill.
I chose textured, non-gloss, large format tile for the counters so there is no reflected glare (as there might be with shiny granite). I have a few potted plants on the counters. It all gets soaped down once a week & spot cleaned with use, as does the glass table.
The concrete floor gets swept about twice a week & hosed down once a month.
All in all, it's been easier to maintain than I expected & a great place to cook and entertain.
I'm still considering misters for those days over 100 degrees, though!

weedmeister, thanks for the info. i didn't think about drainage of the sinks. going into the garden seems like a great and green idea.
pllog, i also did not consider insects and leaves, a cover would be nice. it sounds like that would need to be custom though? i don't think i have ever seen sink with cover.
tomuc2chus, i plan on using tile, and stucco for our outdoor kitchen also, as we have a mediterranean style house. i like your idea of stainless doors too, but do you find that all of these materials get too hot in the sun?
thanks!!

Well, mine is mostly in the shade. It's on the east side of the house, adjacent to the kitchen & sheltered to the south by a jutting-out bathroom.
It gets morning sun & though bright, it's not gotten hot enough that the metal on the doors, sink, or grill can't be touched. The light through the skylights is filtered just enough also, so that none of the surfaces get very hot as the sun hits them.
There is one area of the bar that gets sun until about 2pm & that's the hottest spot. It's rough, matt-finished, ivory-colored tile & touching that spot is uncomfortable to your hand if you keep it there, but probably wouldn't leave a mark! I found that spot by leaving out a candle...ooops!

We are planning to have a grill bar w/ sink and small refrigerator on our large screened in porch. However, when we saw the price of the outdoor vent hoods we nearly decided to end our plan. Now I am thinking that maybe we could use an interior vent hood because it is a very protected location on the porch, Any thoughts on doing this?

H Lucy, i guess it depends on how enclosed your outdoor kitchen is. I don't know if you need a vent hood at all? How about just a good outdoor ceiling fan? i wasn't planning on any ventilation for mine since i will at most have a small trellis over it for shade purposes and no walls.

Yes, a sink lid is custom, unless the sink you choose has a matching cutting board which you can use, but it's easy to make. Just cut it out of plywood or plastic. There are a few types. If the sides of your sink are angled, you can do a flush lid out of 3/4" or 1" thick plywood with the edges angled to fit to keep the lid in place. That takes more skill, but is nice. Even fancier, you can have it made with applied edges and tiled in the middle so that it matches the counter.

If you want to do it unskilled DIY, cut it out a bit larger than the sink. Sand it well on all sides. Use a piece of half circle or quarter round trim molding to cut "feet" from. Make them about 3" long. Glue then nail the feet around the bottom of the cover, about a quarter inch from where the sides of the sink should be. Add a knob or handle with screws. Use weatherproof finish to complete. Not hard. :)

I even know of one guy who made a similar plywood cover for the whole counter. I'm not sure if that's overkill or if he thinks that gets him out of cleaning. :)

Lucy, if the porch has an actual roof that's part of the house (not an awning), you should be able to use a regular hood. Might be a good idea too. Check your local codes. You'd surely have to have it on a GFI circuit, but other than that, and a question about how you'd handle the exhaust end (isn't it going to show?), I can't think of why not.