FT Cooking/Baking

[MrsSquid]

For various reasons, my husband and I believe that a Class A diesel pusher is the right choice for us when we start to full-time in a couple of years.  I keep looking at the limited counter and  pantry space, not to mention the change in day-to-day living, and I wonder how much my cooking and baking will change.  

As an example, I was telling my husband that I'd probably start using pancake mixes and cookie mixes so that I wouldn't have to store things like flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda etc. Then I wondered if storing quick mixes wouldn't end up being about the same amount of storage. If so, then it becomes a question of time spent and whether we are boondocking or have full hookups. 

I would like to hear what others experienced when they became full-timers. Did you think you were going to cook and bake more than you do? Perhaps the opposite was true?  I certainly realize that what is right for one may not be right for another, but it would be interesting to hear others' experiences.  Thank you!

[2gypsies]

We cooked as we did in the sticks and bricks. We carried all the staples and used them.  You get used to lack of counter space and tend to put things away as soon as you're finished with it... like the container of flour, sugar, etc.   I will say that traveling you have many opportunities to try new foods in different areas of the country so we ate out probably a little more than when we had the house. 

[Kirk W]

With us there was less baking but most other things were pretty much the same. 

[Al F]

Generally ovens in RV's are quite a bit smaller than in a house, so that needs to be considered.  Most cooktops are 3 burners and the space between the burners is less.  One large pot/pan on the front burner limits you to a 1-2 quart pot in the back burners. 

Most RV's these days come with a microwave convection oven.  Gas ovens are pretty much a thing of the past unless you order a new RV with the gas oven.   We really dislike not having a gas oven, but we seem to be the exception based on many, many comments in forums from folks who wouldn't use the gas oven even if it came in the RV.

Counter space, we had a 35' 5th wheel and it had at least twice the counter space of the 40 diesel pusher we had.  BTW we are in a 29' class A and have almost no counter space.  You learn to work around the lack of counter space. 

As far as cooking goes, in our day to day life we cook about the same in the RV as we do in at house. 

While we don't full time, we do spend from 6 months to over 10 months each year in the RV.

Flour, sugar, etc we don't buy 10 pound packages, we buy smaller containers saves a lot of space.  We also store the 4-5 pound packages away and only keep smaller containers (pint to quart size) in easy to access places for day to day cooking.

[jbh]

Cook the same way you do at home unless there's a good reason to change. Often "instant" and "mix" means don't bother to make it.

You'll probably learn early on to buy smaller quantities. Also consider decanting into plastic containers. As far as bugs are concerned your RV is essentially "outdoors."

[docj]

For whatever reason, most newer MH's seem to really skimp on the amount of kitchen counter and work area.  In many coaches the available work surface appears to primarily be the covered stovetop and the sink (with sink covers installed).  That would be totally unacceptable to us.  Our MH has a kitchen nearly as big as many residential ones.   With a residential fridge and lots of storage we have all the sugar, flour, etc, that we can possible need. I have 48 spice jars in racks on a wall and our appliances line the counter.   We like cooking (and eating) and don't see any reason why what and how we cook has to be altered just because we're full-timers.  We rarely go out for dinner except for special occasions; we can make anything we want and it often tastes better than what we can buy at a restaurant!

[SWharton]

We try to cook simply and not have many pots and pans. We find we can cook the same but since everything has to be hand washed we try to minimize dirty dishes. We will not use paper or plastic dinnerware. We don't have an oven but have a larger toaster oven which we use. We are not much into desserts so we just buy the Pillsbury cookies and make 4-6 at a time. Healthier for us that way.

We try to limit shopping to once a week. We find the biggest problem is our plans change on the fly.

One pot meals, crock pot and now have a pressure cooker(bought the non-stick insert). Still learning the pressure cooker.

[MrsSquid]

Docj - I grinned when I read the 48 spice jars. I was thinking that that's another area where I'll need to do some downsizing. 

JBH - I love my Tupperware! I have a lot of the modular mates storage and plan on utilizing them heavily.

Al F - I too noticed the huge difference in counter space in the 5'ers in comparison to the Class A. That was a definite pro for the 5er as we compared. It's encouraging to read from everyone that you learn to live with the limited counter. Like Docj noted, it's pretty much the covered stove top and covered sink these days.

Kirk - I do kind of think I'll do less baking. I haven't used convection microwave ovens much. I'll have a learning curve.

2gypsies - Yes, my husband loves to try new foods. So, I'm sure we'll be eating out too. It may take us a bit to find that balance.

SWharton - I have a number of small appliances, and it's going to be a challenge to decide which to take and which to donate. We bought a pressure cooker based on comments we've been reading on various forums, and I too am starting to incorporate it into my cooking. So far, I am very mixed about it. I'm not nearly enamored with it as some people seem to be with theirs. 

Thanks folks. I'm enjoying reading about the experiences. 

[Kirk W]

One further thought on the baking side and that is that with only two of us, most baked goods must also be stored until used. Our motorhome didn't have much space for such unless it could be kept out when parked for longer periods. We have also learned that with no children and our ages increasing, we find that baked goods are best done in very small amounts as we eat too much of it when readily available. 

[SWharton]

The 2 appliances I really miss is the bread machine and the food processor. If I brought the bread machine that would entail the flour container and I only make bread 1-2 times a month. When I am craving some better bread I pick up a loaf at Panera. The food processor is another story. We used that on a regular basis but have learned to live without.

I did take all my spices and "condiments", various oils, vinegars etc.

One thing I have found is the major variation in supermarkets across the country. I never go to a supermarket with a serious meal thought. I have learned to have several in mind depending on what is available. We mostly shop Walmart just for convenience but each area of the country has different eating habits. We use Sams for our meat, not as good as our butcher back home but better than many of the supermarkets. Chicken is chicken and we generally buy the pork tenderloins. We are now in Phoenix and turkey tenderloins or boneless turkey breasts and medium egg noodles are challenges to find. Fine noodles(like for chicken noodle soup) don't exist.

We do eat out more on the road. It is great to try different food. Cajun in New Orleans, Mexican in the SW, lobster in Maine, crab in Maryland and Virginia.  We do start missing fish as we our home was on the east coast and fish was very popular. You can get most everything you want but the price is the show stopper.  Also miss a good NY style deli. We have collected a list of favorite restaurants across the country.

I find that we store too much food. I keep trying to trim back but years of habit need to be broken. We also have "easy" food when we are traveling vs. when we are in camp for a while.

You will just need to be flexible and adapt. Once you are on the road for 6-9 months it is time to go through all the cabinets and clean out. We try to do this now at least once a year.

[MrsSquid]

1 hour ago, Kirk Wood said:

One further thought on the baking side and that is that with only two of us, most baked goods must also be stored until used. Our motorhome didn't have much space for such unless it could be kept out when parked for longer periods. We have also learned that with no children and our ages increasing, we find that baked goods are best done in very small amounts as we eat too much of it when readily available. 

Yes, those are some of the same reasons I expect to bake less. I thought just buying a cookie mix now and then or those Pillsbury dough paks might be the way to go. Then, since they probably won't taste as good, we'd eat even less!

[MrsSquid]

9 minutes ago, rm.w/aview said:

Some appliances will be easy to let loose, but don't be so quick to let go of the ones that you're on the fence about. Your Class A will have cargo capacity that can be measured in tons, so after a reasonable timeframe has passed you'll be more acquainted with what should stay or go. 

When we need counter top space beyond what our RV provides, which does just fine for the everyday, we'll use a 2'X4' folding table. Now this is a general use utility table so we'll put a cute red & white vinyl(?) table cloth on it whenever food stuffs are involved.

Good point about not being so hasty to get rid of small appliances right away,  and as you as SWharton noted, to evaluate as time goes on.  I like the idea of the additional folding table for those times when you want a little extra counter space.  We have a couple of folding camp tables that would work. I didn't think of that. 

[docj]

14 minutes ago, rm.w/aview said:

Some appliances will be easy to let loose, but don't be so quick to let go of the ones that you're on the fence about. Your Class A will have cargo capacity that can be measured in tons, so after a reasonable timeframe has passed you'll be more acquainted with what should stay or go. 

 

I know that some here won't approve, but we travel with our (very) large KitchenAid mixer, the Cuisinart and a Breville Smart Oven all out on the counter in their normal positions.  We've made plenty of hard stops and but their weight on the Corian counters they don't move.  Sure, if we run into a brick wall I suspect they'll move a bit, but that probably won't be the worst of our problems! 

We did learn, however, that the coffee grinder isn't something we want to leave out while in motion.  Having to pick up hundreds of coffee beans off the floor wasn't something we wanted to repeat often!

[docj]

On 2/17/2018 at 6:03 AM, MrsSquid said:

Docj - I grinned when I read the 48 spice jars. I was thinking that that's another area where I'll need to do some downsizing. 

Here's how we deal with that concern, but I have to admit there are only 40 jars in the racks, not 48! 

 

 

[MrsSquid]

2 minutes ago, docj said:

I know that some here won't approve, but we travel with our (very) large KitchenAid mixer, the Cuisinart and a Breville Smart Oven all out on the counter in their normal positions.  We've made plenty of hard stops and but their weight on the Corian counters they don't move.  Sure, if we run into a brick wall I suspect they'll move a bit, but that probably won't be the worst of our problems! 

We did learn, however, that the coffee grinder isn't something we want to leave out while in motion.  Having to pick up hundreds of coffee beans off the floor wasn't something we wanted to repeat often!

I'm imagining the coffee beans now. 

Interesting that you're the second person to mention a toaster oven. I was planning to donate that and get a small toaster. As you said, you must have a large counter top in your unit. I'm trying to picture those appliances in the units I saw at the RV show last weekend and I can't see where they would all fit. 

[MrsSquid]

3 minutes ago, docj said:

Here's how we deal with that concern, but I have to admit there are only 40 jars in the racks, not 48! 

 

Ok, I don't cook that much! 

[chirakawa]

7 minutes ago, docj said:

I know that some here won't approve, but we travel with our (very) large KitchenAid mixer, the Cuisinart and a Breville Smart Oven all out on the counter in their normal positions.  We've made plenty of hard stops and but their weight on the Corian counters they don't move.  Sure, if we run into a brick wall I suspect they'll move a bit, but that probably won't be the worst of our problems! 

 

It's not up to me to approve or not.  However, if you do survive that brick wall, just remember that you'll have three fairly large missiles coming up from the rear to also survive. 

[Bill&Jean]

 If you ever have any collusion with your motorhome you’ll find out that those things you are leaving on the counter will be in your lap or on your head we have been there and done that even the washing machine came out and Flew.  We put big things on the floor or in the sink never on the counter.  Bearing that in mind we still cook as we did at home anything is possible to be cooked in the motorhome in some manner 

[bobsallyh]

Don't forget to allow for altitude changes when baking.

[docj]

6 hours ago, MrsSquid said:

I'm imagining the coffee beans now. 

Interesting that you're the second person to mention a toaster oven. I was planning to donate that and get a small toaster. As you said, you must have a large counter top in your unit. I'm trying to picture those appliances in the units I saw at the RV show last weekend and I can't see where they would all fit. 

I've attached a floor plan of our MH with the kitchen size noted.  At nearly 9 feet in length it pretty much dwarfs the kitchens you see in most MH's today.  The angled cabinet that holds the sink provides an enormous counter behind the sink that easily handles the Breville and the Cuisinart.  The KitchenAid mixer sits in the other corner.  All cabinets are fully accessible with the slide in.  The cooktop has a fitted Corian cover that allows it to fully function as counter space.  These days we pretty much do all our "stovetop" cooking on an induction burner that sits on the stove covers.  The microwave convection oven is located on the wall above the cooktop.

[Big5er]

10 hours ago, MrsSquid said:

 I do kind of think I'll do less baking. I haven't used convection microwave ovens much. I'll have a learning curve.

It's really not as hard as you imagine. I like the way brownies and biscuits (ok, I'll admit it..I use the canned Pillsbury ones..I'm a guy) cook in the convection oven better than the gas oven. It is housed in the microwave so you can experiment a bit. I like the rotating shelf better than the fixed shelf. You can find small round baking sheets. Thrown those rectangular ones away 

[MrsSquid]

Thanks for showing the floorplan Docj.  

Bobsallyh - Good reminder about high altitude baking.

Big5er - We like Pillsbury biscuits too. My husband calls them "kerwhopping" biscuits. : )

Thanks for the reminders that I shouldn't leave things on the counter when traveling. 

[sandsys]

I don't cook a lot but even in my conversion van I brought my Cuisinart. Mine stored in a cabinet when not in use. If you have better knife skills than I do that may not be as much needed.

I also bought knife blade safes so I could throw my knives in a drawer--a knife block on the counter did not feel at all safe to me. https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-BladeSafe-Knife-Case-8/dp/B0054752W0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518909003&sr=8-2&keywords=blade+safe+knife+guards

Linda Sand

[SWharton]

We have a knife holder that screwed onto the back of a cabinet door. Holds 8 knives. Different size slots. I have no idea where we bought it, just move it from rig to rig.

[ms60ocb]

23 hours ago, rm.w/aview said:

Your Class A will have cargo capacity that can be measured in tons,

 

My wife picked-up on that fact years ago when we parked in easy sight of a large Class A Pusher. My wife questions why the neighboring husband was always gathering items from the cargo space daily. From the social groups in the RV Parks she learned the lack of kitchen storage in the Class A was made up with the storage below. I wife loves the fifth wheel kitchens and know her Husband (me) could never find the pot she needs if stored in the cargo space below. DW also adds I would never get off the computer to go find the pot.

Clay  40 foot fifth wheel