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What Are Your Small Kitchen Appliances of Choice?


SpaceNorman

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As mentioned in a previous post - my wife and I are both new to RV'ing and are in the process of outfitting the kitchen of our first coach. I'm guessing that our coach's kitchen is similar to most with a convection / Microwave and a small LP cooktop. We're downsizing from a kitchen that includes 25+ years worth of accumulated kitchen gadgets .... and I'm feeling like we haven't "thinned the pile" as much as really should be able to.

 

We're hoping to tap the experiences of those who've been down this road before. Besides the stuff that comes with the coach - what small kitchen appliances (coffee makers?, crock pots?, electric skillets?, toaster ovens?, etc.) do YOU use? Which do you consider "indispensable" and which do you view as "nice to haves"?

 

Thanks!

The Spacenorman

2012 Holiday Rambler Endeavor 43' DFT

2012 Jeep Liberty

Our Travel Website: www.penquinhead.com​

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Well, let's see. We have a toaster, a Hamilton Beach Flex Brew coffee pot, a burr-type coffee grinder (yes, we like our coffee), electric skillet, small Crock-Pot, icemaker (since the fridge does not have one), and a hand electric mixer. I believe that is all. Of that list I would say, for us, the Crock-Pot is the only thing in the nice to have category. The others we use on a routine basis.

 

Not an electric appliance but we also have a pressure cooker that gets fairly frequent use.

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My kitchen is pretty rustic, but I don't suffer. Appliance wise... rice cooker and ice maker. The rice cooker (japanese style with several settings that will make stews/soups when I'm lazy, baking, etc) would fall into the necessity for me, and ice maker as just a nice to have. I have a hand grinder for coffee and use a french press, toasted items are done over the stovetop or grill on a toast rack or in the oven, "slow cooker" is a dutch oven.

 

I don't use shore power though so if there is a non powered option, I will generally go that route, and I prefer anything I carry to have more than a single purpose.

 

I HAVE been looking at one of those bullet type mixer/blender/chopper thingies though. :lol:

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As the chief cook and bottle washer, when we went fulltime I determined to do it simply: toaster, convection/microwave to get rid of the horrible gas oven, a good set of pots and pans, and a coffee maker and grinder. I don't regret that choice at all. We had a good run, many great meals, and we kept it simple.

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We have an electric skillet, a 2-slice toaster, a hand mixer, two sizes of crock pots, a drip coffee maker, and an ice tea maker on board.

 

For Yarome: We use our electric skillet pretty much as you would use any large frying pan. It adds on to the sometimes limited capacity of our three burner stove quite nicely. It can also serve as a warmer to keep food hot until served, or be taken outside to augment the grill instead of chasing in and out to get a meal cooked.

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
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We use our electric skillet all the time - why bother with propane when we've already paid for the electrical power with the site rent?

 

Along with the skillet, we have a Cusinart Coffee maker, toaster, burr coffee grinder, hand mixer, long hand-held electric whip for crushing ice, etc., and an electric cork screw (helps with the arthritis in the hand), plus an electric griddle (Cusinart) that has reversible plates and also has interchangeable waffle plates.

 

Barb

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
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Re: Electric skillet.. that makes perfect sense. Thanks!

 

Kind of what I figured, but the ones I've seen have such odd shapes. I was just curious if there was some specialty use in American cooking I wasn't aware of. ;)

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We have settled on a crockpot, good toaster-oven(our microwave is not a convection one) and Keurig(I use it a lot to heat water besides some coffee). We use the crockpot when we are someplace for a week or so and do some basic restocking for on the road(pot roast, stew, soup etc.). The toaster oven can fit a 9x9 pan or a 6 cupcake(for muffins) pan).

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Toaster, small crock pot, Ninja Pulse, Kitchen aide hand mixer, Braun Stick, couisanart Griddler(we don't own any other grill and its interchangeable griddle and grill plates were fabulous). Small coffee pot

Ron & Linda

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Induction burner when I didn't have a stove top, Cuisinart food processor, and a MicroHearth. The last is not an electrical appliance but let me grill foods in the microwave. We don't drink coffee and rarely eat bread so we didn't need a coffee maker or toaster. We did bring a small toaster oven but I don't remember ever using it. I didn't have room to bring a crockpot but that would be next on my list if I did.

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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We have a toaster, a small food processor, which seldom gets used except for making laundry soap, and a coffee grinder. Coffee is made in an Aeropress because we like coffee with flavor.

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Went to Goodwill and bought an old, small, crock pot. It was actually labeled "Crock Pot". Not as big as the one in the SnB and not as fancy but it doesn't draw much electrical current and makes just enough for the two of us for dinner with no leftovers.

 

Paid $7 for it.

 

Also a toaster and a coffee maker. I'm thinking about checking Goodwill every now and then for a toaster oven.

 

WDR

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I don't have any that are absolutely essential. But I would certainly miss these if I didn't have them: Vita-Mix, Crock-Pot, and electric fry pan. We also frequently use our bread machine. We have a toaster that we use occasionally. I thought the Vita-Mix was too heavy to take along, but, I really missed it, so ended up buying another one.

Coleen Sykora

Escapees Life Member #19747

Workers On Wheels

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Essential to me is the portable induction cooktop ,a Bunn Coffee maker and my electric pressure cooker. I have Kitchen Aid Stand mixer too that I wouldn't give up easily. Really like the dishwasher drawer and the residential Refrigerator/Freezer, but they aren't small items.

 

Rod

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We didn't bring much of anything from our S&B, most was simply not conducive to small spaces. Our small appliances consist of a one cup Keurig, two slice toaster, small blender, a crock pot, and a portable induction cook top. That's it.

Some other suggestions: get nesting cookware like Rapid Chef or MagnaWare, takes very little space. Four place Corel Dishware, again stores in very little space and doesn't chip or break easily. Nesting mixing and salad Bowles, etc.

Just think small...

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I have an electric skillet that is used every morning for my hubby's breakfast. We also have a coffee maker and crockpot. The other thing I brought from the house and I mentioned again the other day that I am glad that I did, is my food vacuum sealer. I always buy meat in bulk and divide it for the freezer and with only the two of us, I'm always freezing extra roast dinners (from the crockpot), soups, ect.

God never promised us a quiet journey, only a safe arrival.

 

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...a Hamilton Beach Flex Brew coffee pot,...

 

I didn't know what this was so I looked it up. Then I looked it up on Amazon. Now I own one -- well, I will when it arrived. It's being shipped.

 

Thanks, Chalkie! You're making me spend money! :P

 

Re: the electric skillet -- any particular brand that you all have found is particularly good and/or the "best fit" for RV use?

Jeff & Laurie

South Texas

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Angus (five pounds of bad azz chihuahua)

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An appliance that hasn't been mentioned is a juicer. We bought an inexpensive electric juicer our 2nd winter season in Arizona. Frequently our neighbors will give away oranges, lemons or grapefruit they have harvested from their trees. The free fruit sometimes can be small and not easily juiced with an old fashioned manual juicer. The electric juicer makes an easy job of the smaller fruit. We use it weekly during the winter season.

Warren & Sandy

2006 New Horizons 36 ft 5ver

2003 Freightliner FL60 - Mountain Master conversion

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Small rice cooker

Small Belgian waffle maker

Electric skillet

Keurig coffee maker

Ice maker

small croc

2 slice toaster

egg cooker

2000 Holiday Rambler Imperial 40' DP

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2004 M2 106 MDT

 

It's What You Learn, After You Know It All!... That Counts!!

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I didn't know what this was so I looked it up. Then I looked it up on Amazon. Now I own one -- well, I will when it arrived. It's being shipped.

 

Thanks, Chalkie! You're making me spend money! :P

 

Re: the electric skillet -- any particular brand that you all have found is particularly good and/or the "best fit" for RV use?

 

You're welcome! :lol:

 

We have a Presto 11" electric skillet. They actually hold up pretty well considering they are only about $25. We have had one in the S&B for quite a while.

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OK, thanks to y'all, I now own a 16 inch Presto electric skillet Model 06857.

 

I have got to get off this thread!! :blink:

Jeff & Laurie

South Texas

Hounds: Auggie (beer drinking English Cocker Spaniel)

Angus (five pounds of bad azz chihuahua)

Homebase: 2015 Heartland 365 Key West -- The "Uno Mas"

The Office: 2016 Crossroads Hill Country 26RB

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I have got to get off this thread!! :blink:

 

Want more shtuf?? :D This is my coffee maker when I'm hanging around camp most of the morning. Delicious and keeps nice hot coffee all morning.

 

When on the go.. this is my baby I could never live without. I use both lids, but the press lid is really my "go to" mug for my first morning hit. ;)

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This question is not intended to be smart-alec; I just really don't know the answer:

 

I have an 1800W portable induction top that allows very fine temperature adjustment (1-100). On it, I use a high quality, stainless, 10" sauté pan with glass lid. For those who use electric skillets, have I basically got the same as what you have? I guess another way to ask this is, can I use the same recipes for electric skillets, if any, that you do?

 

Jerry L

2008 Country Coach 38' Allure 470

2008 Country Coach Allure 470 38'

425 Cummins, 4 slides, tag

2014 4-dr Jeep Rubicon

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They are a bit different in my opinion, an electric skillet is usually pretty thin metal with a single loop heating element. That requires a lot of stirring and attention to your heat settings, easing them up to the proper level rather than just cranking it to the heat you want to avoid a scorched ring on the pan bottom. Once up to heat the skillet is less prone to scorching unless it is really full and what you are cooking is pretty thick.

 

With the induction unit you may well have a thicker pan and you will have more even heating of the pan bottom so there is less likelihood of scorching anything. What you are missing is the temperature based control so you'll have to monitor that and adjust the power level manually to keep it where you want.

 

Recipes should be very similar varying only in watching the temp on the induction unit.

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