We love to cook. But RV kitchens are notoriously — almost impossibly — small. The limited workspace can challenge even the most skilled food truck chefs. The key to actually enjoying cooking in such a confined space is finding the right tools that pack maximum versatility into a compact, lightweight, and durable package. Here are seven of our favorite RV kitchen gadgets.
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The Best RV Kitchen Gadgets for Every On-the-Go Chef
Flexible Wood Cutting Board
The easiest way to keep the cabinets, countertop, and mise en place in your RV tight is by using compact, lightweight, and cleverly designed kitchenware. This flexible wood cutting board from The Grommet is all three. It’s lighter and more durable than most glass cutting boards, and thinner than traditional wood alternatives. We coated ours with food-grade mineral oil (because the surface is made with real hardwood), and the chopped food slides right off. Plus, the non-slip silicone backing ensures it stays in place while we’re chopping.
Hestan Cue Smart Cooking System
I’m not typically a fan of all-in-one systems that promise to do sixteen different things. The Hestan Cue Smart Cooking System is a rare exception. Fair warning: It’s pricey. But, I’m a firm believer in “you get what you pay for.” The pan + burner combo set guarantees powerful, precise cooking via a clever induction burner. The 11-inch pan is perfectly sized for couples, although the 5.5-quart chef’s pot is available for RVers who need to cook bigger meals.
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The best part about the system, however, is that it integrates with the custom Hestan Cue Recipe App. The app provides step-by-step instructions that allow you to cook elaborate, gourmet meals with restaurant-quality taste.
All American Sun Oven (Solar Cooker)
Spend any time off-grid and you quickly realize that two things become quite challenging without ready access to electricity: Air-conditioning and cooking. The All American Sun Oven aims to solve the latter. It’s not an in-the-kitchen gadget, as it’s designed to be used outside.
Setup is straightforward — just unfold the reflective panels and point toward your nearest star. The sun’s concentrated rays can heat the inside to an incredible 400 degrees which is good enough to cook almost anything. While it sounds like a bizarre infomercial product, it really works. The company even includes a recipe book to help you perfect your oven-less solar cooking skills.
AeroPress Coffee & Espresso Maker
Devotees of AeroPress‘ wildly popular coffee maker will tell you it’s the best and only way to make damn good coffee. Unlike any other brewing method, it uses a rapid, total immersion process that guarantees a smooth full-flavored taste with little bitterness or acidity. Although it packs down small, it’ll pull up to three cups of traditional-style coffee in less than a minute.
While a French press can promise the same, the AeroPress uses a paper microfilter to eliminate grit and make for easy cleanup. Also: It doesn’t rely on electricity so it’s perfect for your RV kitchen while dry camping.
Lodge Cast Iron Pan
For cooking in your RV kitchen or by the campfire, there’s hardly a better tool than an old-school cast-iron skillet. We love Lodge — their products are durable, American-made, and they’ll probably outlast you. Despite the fact that they’re extremely heavy, they’re a perfect addition to your any RV kitchen in every other way.
Opt for a medium size (like a 10.25? skillet) that’s well-suited for making almost any meal for two. Unless you’re traveling with a baseball team, skip the cast-iron pan sets. If you buy the right size, you shouldn’t need more than a single pan. This skillet from Lodge comes pre-seasoned and ready to use.
Clear(2)O® Water Filter
A water filter is hardly a “sexy” kitchen gadget. But, great-tasting H20 can make a big difference in your RV kitchen. For obvious reasons: It’s healthier for both cooking and drinking.
A decent filter like the CLEAR2O RV and Marine Inline Water Filter uses a solid-block carbon filter to reduce contaminants down to one micron (even many of the best filters on the market only filter down to 20 microns) — 70 times smaller than a human hair.
It even reduces herbicides, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, industrial wastes, and perfluorooctanoic acids (PFOA’s) in your water. Plus, it’s inexpensive, easy-to-install, and lasts up to six months.
Planetary Design RV Kitchen Storage
Overlanders are a resourceful bunch. They often travel to places that even hardened dry campers won’t go. So, their tools need to work flawlessly and their kitchens need to be organized to a fault. The Overland Band Bundle from Planetary Design is a clever, foolproof gadget to keep your RV kitchen essentials in check.
The set includes two airtight food storage containers — a small, 4-inch and a medium, 7-inch — plus a durable rubber band to keep them together. (Bonus: The band can also be used to secure measuring spoons to the outside of the containers). It’s perfect for storing coffee, spices, pet treats, or baking essentials.
What do you recommend for the best RV kitchen gadgets? What tools make campfire cooking easier for you?