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Over the years, we’ve traveled full-time and part-time in everything from large motorhomes to camper vans and truck campers, and our RV kitchen setup has changed quite a bit along the way.
One thing we’ve learned is that there’s no single list of RV kitchen essentials that works for every trip. What we bring for a weekend at the lake with friends can look very different from what we pack for a road trip across the country. The size of the RV, how long we’ll be gone, how often we’re moving, how much cooking we plan to do, and what other gear we need to carry all factor into what earns space in the kitchen.
So while these are some of our favorite RV kitchen gadgets and tools, we don’t necessarily bring every item on every trip. Some have been longtime staples, some make more sense when we have extra space, and others are especially useful for certain types of RV travel.
Use this list as inspiration for building an RV kitchen setup that works for the way you travel.
Our Favorite RV Kitchen Gadgets & Appliances
We’ve used the kitchen gear on this list in a variety of RVs and travel situations, including off-grid camping in our truck camper. Some items come with us more often than others depending on the RV, the trip, and how much cooking we plan to do.
1. Stovetop Oven
We discovered the Omnia stovetop oven at an RV show, and it quickly became one of my favorite ways to bake in the camper. I love it so much that I even created a collection of Omnia Oven Recipes.
Our RV kitchen setup has changed quite a bit from one camper to another. Some RVs have a traditional built-in oven, while others have a convection microwave/oven combo or no oven at all. The Omnia gives us another option when we want to bake without access to a traditional RV oven. It’s lightweight, compact, and I’ve used it to make everything from cornbread and frittatas to brownies and bread.
The Omnia isn’t compatible with induction cooktops, so whether we bring it depends on the RV and its cooking setup. We’ll pack it when we have a compatible gas or electric stove and plan to do enough cooking for it to earn the space.
Check Out Our Omnia Recipes
Watch Us Use the Omnia in Our Camper
Check Price on Amazon
2. Multi-Cooker
The Instant Pot became one of my go-to cooking appliances in the RV and eventually replaced our slow cooker. I use it mostly as a pressure cooker, but our model also handles slow cooking, rice, steaming, sautéing, warming, and more. That versatility is especially useful in an RV, where we try to make the most of the space we have.
Over the years, I’ve used the Instant Pot to make all kinds of meals in the RV and I’ve shared several of those recipes and cooking videos in my Instant Pot recipes guide.
A few accessories have made ours even more useful. We have a clear glass lid for checking on food when using functions like sauté or slow cook, along with a ceramic inner pot that’s nonstick and easier to clean, which is a nice benefit when we’re trying to conserve water.
Like the Omnia, whether we bring the Instant Pot depends on the RV and the trip. It takes up a fair amount of storage space and requires electricity, so it makes more sense when we’re traveling longer, cooking frequently, and have a power setup that can support it. For a short trip when we’re mostly cooking outside, we may leave it at home.
Check Out Our Instant Pot Recipes
Watch Us Cook with the Instant Pot in the RV
Check Price on Amazon
3. Cast Iron Skillet
Joe is our resident cast iron skillet master, but I enjoy cooking with it too. We’ve used a pre-seasoned Lodge cast iron skillet for years, and it’s one of those simple pieces of cookware that can handle a wide variety of meals.
Keeping cast iron well seasoned is key. We’ve used avocado or coconut oil to season ours, along with a stainless steel scrubber to help clean it without making a mess of the seasoning.
I especially like using the skillet for some of my favorite Chinese dishes, and Joe made a delicious noodle stir fry with it while we were camping at Big Bend National Park.
Cast iron is durable and versatile, but it’s also heavy, so whether we bring it can depend on the RV and how we’re traveling. When it makes the cut, it’s one piece of cookware we know we can use for a lot of different meals.
Watch Joe Make Noodle Stir Fry at Big Bend National Park
Check Price on Amazon
4. Compact Blender
We have Joe’s mom to thank for this RV kitchen gadget. After borrowing hers, we quickly got hooked on making smoothies and shakes in the camper.
What we liked most was the size. It’s compact enough to fit in a small RV kitchen, but still powerful enough for things like ice and frozen fruit. When we were traveling in smaller campers, that balance of size and usefulness made it easier to justify the storage space.
A blender isn’t something we bring on every trip, but if we know we’ll be making smoothies, shakes, or other blended drinks regularly, the Nutribullet can earn a spot.
Watch Joe Make Matcha Using the Nutribullet
Check Price on Amazon
5. Coffee Maker
You knew coffee gear was going to make this list. Joe prefers pour-over coffee, and one of his longtime favorites is the Kalita Wave dripper.
That said, pour over coffee isn’t for everyone, especially if you just want to push a button and get coffee going. Depending on how you like to make coffee and how much space you have, a pod machine, French press, or another compact setup may be a better fit.
Joe put together a complete guide to making great coffee on the road, including the gear he uses and tips he’s picked up over the years.
Read Joe’s guide to making great coffee on the road
Check Joe’s Coffee Gear on Amazon
6. Portable Camp Stove
A portable camp stove has been one of our favorite ways to expand the RV kitchen outdoors. Cooking outside gives us more room to work and keeps heat, smoke, and cooking smells out of the RV.
Our last two campers have had portable induction cooktops that we can take outside, so a separate camp stove isn’t always necessary anymore. Still, there’s something about setting up a camp stove and cooking outside that brings back memories of childhood camping trips.
Whether we bring one depends on the trip and the RV. If we’re staying put for several days, cooking with friends, or just want that classic camp cooking experience, it can easily earn a spot. On trips where the removable induction cooktop gives us everything we need, we may leave the camp stove at home.
Depending on the stove and the RV’s propane setup, a compatible propane hose or adapter may allow you to connect to a larger propane source instead of using disposable one pound cylinders.
7. Collapsible Bowls and Colander
Collapsible kitchen gear can be especially useful in an RV when storage space is limited. We’ve used collapsible measuring cups, bowls, and food containers over the years, but one of my favorites is a collapsible colander.
It’s lightweight, easy to store, and simple to clean. This is the kind of kitchen item that makes the most sense for use in smaller RVs, where saving a little cabinet space can make a noticeable difference.
8. Mason Jars
You might be surprised to see glass on this list, but I still find that one of the most versatile kitchen gadgets is the mason jar. We’ve used them for drinks, salad dressing, overnight oats, honey, leftovers, and other small food storage jobs.
Even though they’re glass, they’re sturdy, easy to clean, and easy to replace if one breaks. I prefer wide mouth jars because they’re easier to fill and wash.
Another reason they’ve worked so well for us is that mason jars fit nicely in the refrigerator doors of every RV we’ve owned, which has made them easy to keep secure while we’re driving down the road.
9. Refrigerator-Freezer Thermometer
The refrigerator in our first motorhome didn’t have a built-in thermometer, which made it hard to know whether it was staying at a safe, consistent temperature.
A simple refrigerator-freezer thermometer gave us an easy way to monitor the temperature and adjust the fridge setting when needed. We kept ours in the refrigerator door where it was easy to check at a glance.
10. Ice Trays & Molds
When we had a larger RV freezer, we always kept a couple of silicone sphere ice molds on hand. The larger ice cubes melt more slowly than smaller cubes, so we especially liked them for cold brew coffee, cocktails, and other drinks we didn’t want diluted too quickly.
Once we moved into campers with much smaller freezers, those large molds stopped making as much sense. We switched to compact silicone ice trays that fit our available freezer space better.
It’s a small example of how our RV kitchen gear changes depending on the RV. With more freezer space, we still like the larger molds. When space is tight, smaller trays are the better fit for us.
Bonus: RV Vent Cover for Kitchen Ventilation
This one isn’t technically a kitchen gadget, but it can make cooking inside the RV much more comfortable. A vent cover allows us to run the roof vent fan even when it’s raining, which helps move steam, heat, and cooking smells outside.
That’s been especially useful in smaller RVs, where cooking odors and moisture can build up quickly.
We installed the Ultra Breeze vent cover on several of our RVs and shared a full review for anyone who wants a closer look at the installation and how it worked for us.
Read Our Ultra Breeze Vent Cover Review
Check Price on Amazon
A Little Blast From the Past
For those of you who have been following along since our early RV days, here’s the very first video we made about our favorite RV kitchen gadgets.
A lot has changed since then from our RVs to our travel style, and the gear we choose to bring. It’s fun to look back at what made the cut at the time.
We hope this updated list helps you decide what makes sense for your own RV kitchen. What earns a spot in your setup may depend on the RV, the trip, and how you like to travel.
Have a favorite RV kitchen gadget or appliance? Share it in the comments.
Good content, very informational. Thank you so much
Wow, I’m so glad I found you guys. No one ever thinks of us RVers and to find a site that is actually dedicated to us is awesome. Love the stove top oven, great idea, waiting for mine so I can try it out. Thanks again and keep ‘um coming, please.
I am looking for a grill, I am quite impressed with the Weber propane grill. Thank you for your suggestion.
Kait- Would you be willing to share you corn meal muffin with cheddar cheese recipe ?
Hey Penny, you can get the recipe here. Let me know if you make it and what you think.
Hi Kait & Joe, wish you both the best!
I love your list and have a question about the oxo set. I am trying to organize our camper pantry better and keep tempting scents down. I have seen mice get in and nibble lids to Pyrex in seasonally-used houses and now they live our vehicles too. Yikes! I was thinking of going the mason jar route in our campervan because of that but like the shapes of the oxo set. Any thoughts?
Great to hear from you Betsy! We still use mason jars and OXO containers and can’t imagine mice getting into either of them. I keep strong smelling seasoning packets in the OXO containers and the scent is completely contained until I pop open the lid.
It’s always interesting to see what other RVers and overlanders have in their galley. In our case we have seriously minimized our kitchen gadget collect to save space. All of the new silicon collapsable bowls and things are so useful! And because we are 100% solar without a generator, heavy electrical users such as an instipot or automatic coffee maker are out. Our cooktop is a Wabasto fueled by our truck’s diesel, we tend to cook things the old fashioned way…slowly. We don’t have a counter top water purifier, instead to save space we installed a General Ecology Seagull water purification system under our living area, near the 40 gallon water tank. OTOH, we have overlanding friends who bring almost an entire kitchen store with them, which is crazy to us. To each their own and vive le difference!
Hi Kait, Do you use a Thermometer with your Omnia Stove Top Oven?
No, I haven’t been using a thermometer for dishes in the Omnia. So far I’ve been going by feel.
Hi Russos! Hubs & I are long term campers/RVers looking forward to retiring in 4 more years. Have read Joe’s Book 1 & 2 now going through the links. Thanks for all the insight, can relate to many trials/errors you’ve had & looking forward to the next adventure.
You’re very welcome! Please consider leaving a review of the books if you haven’t already. Thanks!
We like the versatility of the Instant Pot. We could follow the link from your store to Amazon but we’d actually like to buy their more recent model (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y1MP2PY/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza). If we switch models like that will you still get credit for that transaction?
Hi Jack! Thanks for being so thoughtful. We should get credit if you use this affiliate link for the new model http://amzn.to/2xUmPhT Enjoy the IP!
Love my pressure cooker use it everyday it’s also a rice cooker, yogurt maker and slow cooker all in one.
We just discovered Instant Pot and love it!
My two most treasured kitchen gadgets are the Delphi alkaline water maker and the Saeco espresso machine. Together they make the best coffee ever. One cup at a time is a great time, energy, and coffee saver too. I have collapsible spoon measures, cup measures, colander, and even a collapsible salad spinner. Nesting items also make for great space saving.
Jerry
Thanks for sharing Jerry! Love that there are so many collapsible kitchen gadgets now.
OK. Looks like we have a bit of research to do. We have heard quite a few RVers that love their Berkey systems…we just use a very simple Brita filter!! We finally bought a collapsible colander, but otherwise we don’t have any nifty kitchen gear!!
Hi Jessica! We love our Travel Berkey and have also met many fellow RVers that have the similar setup. Let us know if you get one.