Essential pots/pans

[Allentc2]

Given the limited space in RV (in my case, a 33-36' Class A) kitchens, what would you all say are "must haves" in the pot/pan/bakeware categories? Or kitchen utensils in general?

[Pat & Pete]

It all depends on what and how you eat .

Could be as much as multiples of everything or as little as tin foil and a hot dog fork .

[Velos]

We have been fulltiming since 2001.  We don't have a built in bbq and I didn't like the mess of carrying one so I have a large cast iron skillet to do burgers, steaks, chops etc. and a teflon spatter lid. During the summer I use a crock pot vs the oven to prevent heating up the rv.   We also eat out a lot.  We have gotten in the habit if eating our main meal mid day instead of having a big dinner.  We have short travel days and like to get set up in a park before the crowds arrive and enjoy the early bird specials in local restaurants.  Most people know "your not from around here are you" and strike up interesting conversations.  When we first started on the road we bought one of the first editions of Roadfood USA by Jane and Michael Stern now a website https://roadfood.com/ and used some of the suggestions for our destinations to eat across the USA and would look for suggestions in the different towns  we visited along the way. They specialize in Mom and Pop and one of a kind eateries not chain restaurants.

[rpsinc]

Kind of like www.flavortownusa.com??

[SWharton]

We don't have an oven so have a large toaster oven. I have switched out my crock pot for an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker(has 6 different functions) and added my food processor(can mix cakes, bread, shred cheese, chop onions, nuts  etc.). We tend to do one-pot cooking or simple cooking. Also have switched to buying pre-mixed bags: Alfredo and Noodles, rice mixes, jambalaya etc.

[trailertraveler]

2 hours ago, Allentc2 said:

Given the limited space in RV (in my case, a 33-36' Class A) kitchens, what would you all say are "must haves" in the pot/pan/bakeware categories? Or kitchen utensils in general?

Since you list a size range, do you even have an RV yet? In my experience with a 27' Class C, 27 and 29' travel trailers; the issue is not so much one of not enough storage space as poorly designed storage space. Cabinets rarely have enough shelves to make good use of the space. Adding shelves or nested baskets, which I have done in several of the overhead cabinets, can improve the situation. The pantry  in our current trailer had a bottom storage area that was far to tall to make good use of. I installed two additional shelves. The under sink cabinet had no shelves so I added one. 

Nesting sets of pots, pans, cookie sheets, microwave cookware, etc., take little more space the a single one. Weight may be a bigger issue than the amount of storage space.

Edited July 8, 2018 by trailertraveler

[Coleen]

One medium-small stainless steel saucepan, with a cover. One extra large (soup pot) stainless steel pan, with a cover. A large cast iron skillet. A cast iron Dutch Oven, with a cover. A standard size slow cooker. We recently added an electric pressure cooker, which we are using quite a bit. Two casserole dishes, one medium and the other large, with covers. An electric fry pan. A Vita-Mix. A set of four real dishes -- dinner plates, bowls, and mugs. Two wine glasses. Four place settings of silverware, plus a couple tablespoons. A paring knife, potato peeler, cheese slicer, flat grater, wire whisk, can opener, large slotted spoon, large spoon, two silicone spatulas/scrapers, a cork screw, two pancake flippers, a four-cup glass measuring cup, a butcher knife, and a bread slicing knife pretty much round out the rest of it. That gets us through months on end of boon docking or staying in resorts with full electric. We also have a food dehydrator that we often use, but I wouldn't consider it essential for most people. Our RVs have all had a three or four burner stove top and an oven. If we have a microwave, we use it some but when we didn't have one for a year or so, we it wasn't a problem to be without one. When it comes to fixing the Thanksgiving turkey, I buy a disposable aluminum roasting pan -- RV ovens vary, but I've done 21 pound turkeys in mine.

 

[Coleen]

I forgot the coffee pot! Not sure how I could do that. It gets used most every day. And, canisters for dry goods.

[Allentc2]

1 hour ago, Coleen said:

I forgot the coffee pot! Not sure how I could do that. 

You got that right!!! LOL

Trailertraveler - no, I don't have an RV yet. I've been exploring the idea for a couple of years now. I'm going to the RV show in Hershey PA this September and at that point I'll finalize my plans. With any luck I'll be nomadic by October 2019. LOL

[LFDR3116]

Toaster ,  medium crockpot,  2 pizza pans without holes that can double as cookie sheets, over the burner griddle, dutch oven, 2 large and 2 small frying pans with covers, 2 large pots, 2 small pots with covers,  2  6 size muffin tins, 2 cake pans, 2 sizes of Pyrex glass baking dishes, 1 glass pie dish,  2 Pyrex casserole dishes with covers.  2 serving bowls, 6 corelle cereal bowls, 6 melamine bowls, 6 dinner plates, 6 small plates, 2 wooden salad bowls, lots of various tupperware and lids, 6 coffee mugs and a variety of beverage glasses both tupperware, plastic and glass.   A glass set of Pyrex mixing bowls with covers that double as serving bowls.  A drawer full of utensils, a knife block with Cutco knives, 6 paring knives of various sizes,  the coffee pot,  insulated coffee butler, cutting board, a couple of flower vases,   a full service for 12 of silverware.  Can opener, hand mixer , microwave omelet ,  2 sizes of glass measuring cups, a set of plastic measuring cups and spoons and 1 very large measuring cup that is big enough to mix up a brownie mix or cake mix, batch of cookies etc. and probably a few other things I'm forgetting.  My kitchen is pretty complete .  Just missing a lot of the larger serving items I used to have, large bakeware items or fancy things like a bundt pan .  

 

 

[sandsys]

I like multi-use items. One of my best discoveries is a Corning pie plate with a plastic cover. It's as big as a dinner plate so I use it to contain meals that have foods than can be hard to chase down since the sides give me something to push against. I also use it as a soup plate. And to store leftovers to reheat in the microwave. And to hold deviled eggs for a potluck. You can also break a few eggs into it and scramble them there before cooking them or use the eggs when breading some meat or veggies. It can go in a regular oven, a solar oven, or a microwave oven but not on the stove top. Like I said: multi-use.

Linda Sand

ps. I don't drink coffee so don't have mugs but I make my hot chocolate in a measuring cup and drink it right from that.

[Randyretired]

My dear wife used to do most of the cooking but now can't.   One of the appliances I found pretty easy to use is an air cooker.  Even though it is kind of bulky I wouldn't be without it.  We both like the way the food turns out.  My daughter just remodelled her kitchen and put in an induction stove.  Not considering one for the RV yet but they are pretty impressive! 

[sandsys]

2 hours ago, Randyretired said:

My daughter just remodelled her kitchen and put in an induction stove.  Not considering one for the RV yet but they are pretty impressive! 

I had an induction burner in my van. My experience is they cook quicker, safer, and cleaner than any other method except for microwave.

Linda

[FL-JOE]

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 11:13 AM, Pat & Pete said:

It all depends on what and how you eat .

Could be as much as multiples of everything or as little as tin foil and a hot dog fork .

This really sums it up best, especially since you don't even have an RV yet.  However, one thing to keep in the back of your mind as you move toward your goal of RV ownership is that your equipment may dictate the types of pots/pans you end up having.  Someone brought up having convection cooktops, which are becoming more and more popular in RVs.  When we got ours all of our stuff had to be switched out because our old pots/pans would not work on it.

[Dutch_12078]

We have our silverware, dishes, regularly used pots and pans, toaster, etc., stowed in the kitchen cabinets & drawers, plus the drawers under the dinette bench seats. Lesser used roasting and baking utensils are stowed under the bed along with an assortment of food storage containers. Grilling utensils are stowed in an outside bin along with the gas grill.

[CincyGus]

Really depends on how many you generally cook for and how you cook. Generally we cook for 2-4 people although we have a couple large campouts where we have about 3-4 other couples join us. I have a weber Q2200 grill and a Camp Chef Ranger III 3 burner stove that gets most of the action as we prefer to cook outside unless weather makes it impossible. 

I have a 12" skillet, a 10" skillet, a 1 and 1/2 gallon saucepan and that about covers our needs when it's just the 2-4 of us. If we are doing a group thing, One of the people that comes has "Big Daddy" which is a 20.5" steel skillet that we can use over the camp fire grate or on top of one of our propane burners we have from the turkey frying kit. 

 https://www.agrisupply.com/big-daddy-skillet/p/72357/

Makes great stir fry, chili and can cook about 4 lb's of bacon in nothing flat.

As far as utensils, must haves are long wood handled tongs, spoons and spatulas. Nothing worse than trying to cook over a fire, grill or stove and getting your knuckles burned because you're using 5" salad tongs to turn steaks over a campfire or trying to stir a pot of chili with some plastic spoon that wants to melt and is getting flimsy.

 

[glarbsttentenford]

On 7/8/2018 at 10:48 AM, Allentc2 said:

Given the limited space in RV kitchens, what would you all say are "must haves" in the pot/pan/bakeware categories?

Did you pick up your Newmar, April ya? Happy Trails!

[Allentc2]

I did, thanks! Took possession of it on the 25th (I think) in Albany, NY, drove it down to Somerset, PA and had a ton of solar installed over the course of a week, then brought it home. Planning on some more small trips before winter, then next spring heading to Livingston, TX to become a Texan. LOL

[glarbsttentenford]

^ HAPPY TRAILS Y'ALL!

Edited September 5, 2019 by glarbsttentenford

[KarenS]

I have a micro/convection oven and a regular oven. I have tried the micro/convection oven but I have no idea how to use it or the other oven. Is there a site I can go to that can help with this?

[Randyretired]

1 hour ago, KarenS said:

I have a micro/convection oven and a regular oven. I have tried the micro/convection oven but I have no idea how to use it or the other oven. Is there a site I can go to that can help with this?

If you google how to cook with a microwave convection oven there is information available.  Google has information on RV ovens also.

Edited January 23, 2020 by Randyretired

[SWharton]

I gave up on the micro/convection that came in the RV. I work my daughter's micro/convect with no problems but the RV one I never could figure out. The other oven works like a normal oven, other than you need to light the pilot light. They tend to bake uneven so many of us put some tiles in the oven to help even out the heat.

 

Correction:: Micro part is normal, convection is totally beyond me.

Edited January 25, 2020 by SWharton

[sandsys]

When using the micro part your pans cannot be metal. When using the convection part they can. Corning/Pyrex bakeware can be used in either mode. Silicone bakeware can be used in either mode but tends to be floppy so needs to sit on a plate or something to provide structure.

Linda Sand