Gadgets can make any kitchen experience much easier and it is even more true when you are cooking out of an RV kitchen. With a smaller space, and when you are having to cook at the same capacity as you do when you are home, gadgets and tools become a must. Tools for organization, cleaning, storing, or even cooking itself, can make your experience much easier. Not to mention if you are splitting your cooking time between two kitchens! For me, it is an outdoor grill along with the RV kitchen. So here are some of the must-have RV kitchen gadgets we suggest will take the stress out of cooking while on the road.
Must-Have RV Kitchen Gadgets alone won’t use your space wisely. Check out these camp storage hacks!
1. Collapsible Strainer
A strainer is something you will always need throughout your time cooking. Especially if you have a pasta lover in your family like me. It doesn’t help with just pasta though. When we bring veggies or forage we use our strainer for cleaning off our haul.
However, that does not mean that it is something that needs to be out all the time. It also doesn’t need to take up much space in your cabinets. A collapsible strainer is easy to stow away but is still readily available as needed. Space saving is the name of the game here!
2. Metal Knife Holder
A strip of metal hung from the wall, is a great way to hang your knives. While you probably should have extra caution if you have children with you, it is a great way to free up space in your drawers for other essentials. These holders will permanently attach to your RV wall. That way when you make it to the site you just place your knives up on the wall.
You may be thinking, “Well this is great and all but what about when traveling?” I am with you! While traveling you will still need to put this with your other utensils. However, having the knives right where you need them when cooking makes life so much easier! Consider even having a second set for prep in your outdoor kitchen.
3. Magnetic Spice Racks
You know that knives are not the only must-have RV kitchen gadget that uses magnets. Having a magnetic spice rack can really help to save space. Not only that, but it will provide you with the seasonings you need right at your fingertips.
The great thing about a magnetic spice rack is that you can pack precisely what you need. For full-timers, this may be a lot of different spices. For the weekend warriors though you can pack what your recipe calls for and be all set. All of the spices you need and no digging through a camp box!
Speaking of spices for recipes. You should check out these Camping Recipes right now!
4. Covered Cutting Board
A cutting board that is meant to either cover a sink space or a stove can be a great way for you to add some extra kitchen space. Especially when it comes to cooking with kids, who may still need to learn the dangers of the kitchen, covering these hazards may make your experience less stressful.
Not only is this a space-saving idea but it also helps to decorate your kitchen area a bit more. Especially since most sink covers that are provided stock in the RV are pretty plain. This gives you an opportunity to bring in some rustic charm like the one from OldCrookedRabbet over on Etsy.
If custom isn’t what you need or want. There are lots of commercial options that are available as well. From trusted names like Camco or others. Having a sink or stove insert cutting board is a must-have RV kitchen gadgets.
5. Water Filter
As you travel throughout the world, you want to make sure that your water is as clean as it can be. This, of course, does not mean that you are going to be able to eliminate any taste you are not used to from back home. However, with this Berkey Gravity Fed Filter, you can sip from anywhere knowing your water is safe.
Now when it comes to safe savings strategies this one may not be the best. However, it is a reliable way to ensure you have clean drinking water. Using extra filtration even after your RV filters ensures that your whole family has the water necessary to stay out on those long hikes.
If you are in an RV you may have considered glamping. Check out my favorite glamping activities.
6. Collapsible Drying Rack
A collapsible drying rack is a great way to save counter space as well as cabinet space. Rather than keeping a drying rack on your counter, being able to store it somewhere else is a great way to utilize your counter space appropriately. Additionally, by collapsing the drying rack, you can feel confident in knowing you still will have space for other cookware and your grocery list.
7. Tension Rods (for storing things and for keeping things up)
While tension rods are not always meant for this purpose, they are perfect to stretch across the bottom of your cabinet on the inside. This way, you can drive as necessary knowing your dishes, or ingredients will not start to fall over the floor when you are driving. I still remember my first tow of the trailer. Something I did not expect was the 9.0 Level earthquake that would occur while I was comfortable up in the tow vehicle. Opening the trailer door I quickly found that some cabinets had opened and things had spilled out.
Having a tension rod to hold things in place and limit shifting in flight was key. I have a few of them throughout my cabinets. I also take an extra to hang wet clothes up in the shower. With the Max-vent fan, it makes drying clothes in the RV overnight a breeze.
Learn these camp food storage techniques before your next trip.
8. Air-tight Containers
Air-tight containers make it incredibly easy to store all your necessary ingredients in an efficient way. Additionally, it is a great idea in order to prepare your food while you are on your trip. The air-tight containers keep food lasting longer, and give you confidence that you are able to store what you need without much headache.
They also make storage in cabinets that much easier for things beyond food. Personally, we store all of our travel games in them as well. Having the games in a centralized box means that everyone knows where things are at just when we need them on a rainy day. Get a variety of sizes so that you can have exactly the right one to store your gear in a stackable fashion.
9. Pop Up Sponges –
These thin sponges are a great way to save space in your storage area. They do not reach their fullest weight and size until they are actually applied to water. So you can purchase many of these sponges knowing you will have space for all of them. Additionally, it is known that these sponges last longer, since they can hold more fluid than your regular sponges. Bonus points because brands like AirNex pop-up sponges are biodegradable!
I don’t know how many times I have found myself forgetting to add a sponge into the trailer. Now with these, I have a stock of them because they are small and I can store them out of the way. They come in handy for a ton of tasks beyond just washing the dishes. From doing bathroom clean-up to wiping down the kayaks to prevent the spread of quagga mussels they are super thin and super handy.
10. Wireless Refrigerator Thermometer
Unfortunately, when you are staying in an RV, nothing is guaranteed to work all the time, the first time. However, it is important to know when something is wrong or needs to be fixed. By owning and using a refrigerator thermometer, you can keep a close eye on the temperature of your fridge in order to know when it is dropping. Having a wireless version is great because as soon as I reach the temp I need I get a ding on the hub station.
I have found that having an RV fridge thermometer helps when packing as well. When I was first starting out I didn’t know how long it would take to completely cool my fridge before I could start packing. Sure I could plug in and leave for a couple of days. However, that made some neighbors a bit feisty. Now with the thermometer, I have dialed in exactly how much time I need before food can safely get packed into the fridge.
Final Thoughts on the Top 10 Family Camping Cookware
Needless to say, there are hundreds of must-have RV kitchen gadgets out there. These 10 should get your RV kitchen set up with some great tools and space-saving ideas. Not only that but they will help to organize your indoor and outdoor kitchens together.
Knowing these hacks ahead of time is truly valuable when it comes to preparing for an adventure such as an RV trip. We hope these gadgets can help you find the hacks that work best for you and make your life on the road much easier.
What must-have RV kitchen gadget can you not live without? Tell us in the comments below, on our Facebook, or on Reddit!
