RV Kitchen Hacks: 12 Simple & Effective Items
Maximize your campsite cooking with these 12 simple & effective kitchen items for your RV.
As you may have already realized, space in an RV kitchen has a big limit compared to the standard house. Whether your traveling in a 40 foot fifth wheel or a 24 foot motorhome, the items you choose to bring into your RV have to play a pivotal roll on your roadtrips. We’ve found that making the most of your space with the right items can create an enjoyable and relaxing camping experience.
We prefer to live and travel with a easy and functional kitchen set up, creating a smooth and laidback camping trip. That being said, not all of these items may be for you, however, it may give you some idea of what you may like to have with you.
These 12 simple & effective items are our personal favorites to use while we’ve been on the road for the past 2 years.
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#1. INSTANT POT WITH AIR FRYER LID
The all star player of our RV kitchen is hands down the Instant Pot. This pressure cooker not only cooks food very efficiently and effectively but it can also bake, air fry, sauté, and dehydrate. It saves having to use to your propane when you have electric hook up at your site and the stainless steel pot inside can be used on the gas stove top as well. The Instant Pot is our go to for making french fries, rice, soups, veggies, and even boiling pasta.
#2. BERKEY WATER FILTER
Coming up in second as our most valued RV kitchen item, is the Berkey Water Filter. This water filter saves time and space when needing access to clean drinking water and a place to store it. The Berkey is a gravity fed filter and can be placed on any surface with no drilling, electricity or invasive installation required. A typical filter with 2 purification elements can filter 6,000 gallons which equals about 8 years if you filter 2 gallons a day. They come in varies sizes from portable water bottles to large 6 gallon filters. We have a 2.25 gallon filter that we keep on the counter next to our sink so it’s accessible and easy to fill.
The Berkey is made from stainless steel and filters just about everything, from bacteria, cysts, parasites, harmful chemicals, such as, herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, lead, mercury, and many other things you don’t want in your water. It can filter raw water from lakes, ponds, and streams, making this one of the most versatile water filters on the market. We keep a gallon jug in the fridge so we always have both cold and room temperature water available.
#3. COLLAPSIBLE DISH RACK
When you’re cooking with limited counter space, having items that fold and collapse can make a big difference in the RV kitchen. Necessary items that can serve their purpose and then be put away make life in a tiny home that much better. This Folding 2 Tier Dish Rack is the perfect addition to any RV kitchen looking to keep your counter space functional. We’ve found that using a Gorilla Grip Silicone Dish Mat underneath versus the common waterproof cloth mats, lets the dishes dry quick and prevents mold.
#4. CUTTING BOARD SINK COVER
A great way to expand your cooking & prep space in your kitchen is with a large cutting board that can fit over your sink. In addition to adding work space in the kitchen, you can also use this to hold your dishes as you clean, as well as, for cooking outside. We have very minimal counter space in our RV so this is a huge game changer for our kitchen. Be sure to measure the length and width of your sink to make sure it fits.
#5. COLLAPSIBLE SINK
A collapsible sink is a great item to have if you are going to be camping at a lot of state parks or campgrounds where you might not have a sewer connection. It’s convenient for doing dishes inside or outside and when water is limited. This can also allow you to save the space in your grey tank for taking showers and using the bathroom sink. We have had this from the start of our RV journey and love it.
#6. MOTION SENSOR PANTRY LIGHTS
Motion Sensor Pantry Lights are extremely helpful when trying to navigate for snacks in a deep dark cabinet. They secure to the wall with a command strip and come in battery operated or USB charger.
#7. CAST IRON PANS
Cast Iron might be the king of making dinners at the campsite. These versatile pans come in a variety of sizes, heat up quick, and cook great over a fire or a gas stovetop. They also fit perfectly inside on RV size oven for easy storage. They are heavier than Teflon pans but in our opinion are worth the weight.
#8. COLLAPSIBLE COLANDER
When we first moved into our RV we brought our set of 3 colanders that we had in our apartment. Once we realized that they took up more space than we had, we decided to swap those for one collapsible colander. This 6 quart pop up strainer can hold the same amount of all three of our old colanders combined, can hang over the sink, and collapses to fit perfectly under our sink. This is a RV kitchen gem.
#9. ORGANIZATION BINS
A great way to organize your RV kitchen is with some fridge bins. These help organize your food and keep it contained as you travel down the road. We had a rough back in last summer in Denver and when we got inside the RV the fridge had exploded maple syrup, pickles, and broken glass all over the floor. Needless to say we learned our lesson, keep items in the fridge contained.
These bins come in varies sizes and shapes so you grab the ones that work best in the fridge you have.
#10. REUSABLE STORAGE BAGS
Reusable Storage Bags are one of the best swaps we’ve made in our RV kitchen. These bags come in varies sizes and take up virtually no space compared to plastic containers, which is ideal, especially when it comes to a smaller size fridge than you might be used to. They are much more durable than your average disposable bag and also work great for storing items in the freezer. Whether you’re storing leftovers from dinner or packing lunch for a hike, reusable storage bags are a great option for your RV.
#11. MAGNETIC KNIFE HOLDER
A great way to utilize kitchen space with your knives is with a Wall Mounted Magnetic Knife Holder. These provide an easy and accessible home for your kitchen knives without taking up any extra counter space. Most magnetic knife holders measure 12 to 24 inches in length and can be mounted to the wall with an adhesive or screws. This is becoming a popular feature on many new RVs and we personally love ours.
#12. REUSABLE DISH CLOTHS & TOWELS
Reusable dish cloths and towels is something we transferred over from when we were living in an our apartment and it has worked just as well in our RV. We store a set of Microfiber Cleaning Cloths and Swedish Dish Cloths in a drawer with our trash bags and cloth napkins and it takes up way less space that if we had to store paper products. We wash them in our weekly laundry and haven’t had any issues. I urge you to try it .
Let us know in the comments what are your favorite RV kitchen items.
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HEY THERE!
WE’RE MIKE & DEANDRA.
Two adventure seekers traveling the U.S in our 37 FT. travel trailer with our two companions, Griffin & Lucy. We share our life on the road and travel guides to our favorite destinations.
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