The Ultimate Kitchen Essentials List for Camper Van Cooking
Wandering around the world is much easier on a full belly! Travelling with our vans, we are the lucky adventurers that carry a full kitchen with us anywhere we go.
Every morning, we can enjoy the simple luxuries of a good cup of coffee and a hearty breakfast. And during the day, we can barbecue, roast, bake, bend and steam pretty much food we fancy (*not specifically in that order).
Your van kitchen will ideally need space for a stove and/or oven, sink, fridge, and storage for cooking accessories and utensils. But like any other item that ends up included in your travelling gear, your kitchen essentials need a bit of thought. To achieve a compact and practical kitchen, you can't have too many gadgets around, and it also means shopping for multipurpose kitchen gear that maximises usefulness. Your kitchen items need to be durable, quiet when you drive, easy to clean and as compact as possible to save space. We will share our top kitchen essentials for camper van cooking in this guide.
A good chef's knife
You can downsize many items when moving into your van, but a full-size chef knife shouldn't be one of them. Cutting, chopping, slicing and dicing is still mostly done by hand, and with a quality chef's knife by your side, you'll save yourself a lot of effort and time. And since you can use a chef’s knife for all of your cutting needs, this is a valuable purchase that will serve you for your entire trip and more.
Food prep' essentials
Preparing the food is the first step in any kitchen. Cutting, peeling, processing, we've got you covered. We spent a long time looking for kitchen products that are highly functional, easy to use and clean, and that are built to last.
Blender
If you’re a fan of making dips, sauces, soups or smoothies, you’ll likely want a powerful blender. As you know, maximising space and function is key when living in a small space with limited storage - and it's particularly true regarding food processors, which can range from small to voluminous.
Kitchen Accessories
The list is long... but if you cook like we do, you know that it takes great tools to get the job done. Here's a quick collection of the kitchen accessories that we are taking on the road with us in our van's kitchen.
Pop Up Steamer / Colander
This steamer basket virtually transform any pot into a quick, efficient steamer. We also double its use as a colander to drain and wash vegetables and salad greens.
Kitchen Shears
Definitely a tool you will always want within reach, for stripping herbs or cutting meats and vegetables. These kitchen shears from OXO are great. With a comfortable handle, these shears are extremely sharp and heavy-duty. The blades even separate for easy cleaning.
Salt & Pepper Grinder
It's difficult to cook without salt or pepper.. Get a pair of quality grinders that are easy to refill and use. These grinders from Oxo look great, are well thought out and will last a long time.
Cookware
You don't need the entire collection of small and big pots, saucepans and skillets that you traditionally have in your home kitchen, it would simply be overkill and take too much space. Get 2 - 3 pots/pans and that will cover all your needs.
Stackable pots and pans can save on precious storage space in your camper van. All the pots and pans fit inside of each other using less storage area. Some nesting cookware sets come accessories like a colander or with one pot lid that can fit all the other pot sizes saving even more space. Whether you want to buy individual pots and pans or buy a set that fit into each other, it is your choice.
Long lighter
This lighter is suitable for indoor and outdoor use, is USB rechargeable and features a long flexible neck for different lighting needs. Perfect for firing up your camping stove without burning your finger's hairs!
Cooking utensils
A good set of cooking utensils will get a lot of use. These non-toxic eco-friendly utensils are made from high-quality natural wood that will not deform easily and is highly heat resistant Also easy to clean and non-scratch.
Other cookware alternatives:
A real oven or is a gas stove top enough?
A gas camping stove to cook meals while living the van life makes sense: they are relatively cheap, compact, simple and easy to fix or replace - and they run on gas which means, no drain on your battery.
But if you are like us and want a full kitchen in your van, a real oven complete with burners is an item you won't regret having.
Eating & drinking utensils
Difficult to eat without them, these kitchen utensils will find their place whatever your kitchen setup is: a good cutting knife, some cutlery, plates and cups, and a few kitchen accessories to make your cuisine on the road a little bit easier!
Enamel plates
Stainless steel or enamel plates are the best suited for living outdoors. Sturdy, they won't get scratched or break easily.
Stainless Steel Stackable Cups
Stackable to save valuable kitchen space, these drinking cups are ideal for van-life, as they are very strong and durable. The last thing you want in your campervan is broken glass all over the floor from a dropped glass. Take these steel cups anywhere without the fear of breaking them at the first bump in the road.
Stainless Steel Cutlery
A set each ( 1 knife, 1 forks, 1 spoon, 1 coffee spoon) is all you need. Stainless steel for easy clean up and durability.
Coconut Serving Bowls and Spoons
Amazing set of coconut bowls and spoons, 100% natural, hand-made and polished. They are sustainable, biodegradable, durable & lightweight. We are not worried about how they will hold up on those bumpy roads.
Wine Bottle Opener
How else are you going to open that bottle of wine?
Coffee & Tea on the road
Portable Coffee Espresso Maker
One of our pleasures in life is a good espresso in the morning. If you feel the same, you can't go wrong with adding the WACACO Nanopresso to your kitchen setup. There is no better luxury than enjoying a delicious espresso wherever you are.
Bialetti Moka Express Coffee Maker
Very simple to use, with a good quality built and tested through time, this coffee maker works with any stove and will get you the best authentic Italian coffee you could possibly make in just minutes. A true essential.
Manual Coffee Grinder
However you chose to take your coffee, with a good grinder you can have total control over the coarseness of your coffee. This manual grinder have 18 positions to ensure you get the perfect size, plus it's quieter than the electric ones. Feel free to buy those special beans from that Kenyan farm and enjoy them in any way you want.
A set of insulated cups
On those cold van life mornings, you’ll be loving your insulated cup. Eco-Friendly, thick, durable, unbreakable and recyclable. Those are the adjectives you want for your drinking cups! These will keep your drink cool or hold in the heat.
Smart kitchen storage
Having a compact and practical kitchen makes life so much more easier when you're living in a van, where space is limited. Here are some storage options to store food properly, make your van's kitchen more organised and optimize the space even more.
Magnetic Spice Rack
Kit of 9 magnetic spices tin with magnetic board. Perfect to keep all our favorites spices at hand. Your small kitchen will look cute and tidy.
Magnetic Knife Rack
A Magnetic stainless steel bar to store your knifes and silverware safely on the road, while keeping the space optimized and tidy.
Wooden Spice rack
This small wooden shelf is a fairly cheap solution (£5!) to keep your cooking essentials at hand while holding them securely while driving. It would also look great in other places, perhaps to store some books or decoration items.
Veggie Hammock
This Veggie hammock net is a great solution to hold veggies and fruits on a van kitchen. It looks great hanging under a cabinet and gives a bit of extra space.
Cork Coaster
Great to protect your surfaces from your drinks marks. These pretty sustainable cork coasters are a great solution to have around the van.
Drawer and Shelf Liner
When driving, things will tend to move and slide within your drawers, especially when you brake too hard or take a corner too fast. One solution is to add this non-slip & non-adhesive lining at the bottom which will help protect your items and keep them in place.
Outdoor Stoves
Campingaz Camping BBQ
One of the most versatil barbecue you can have. It runs on gas, and you can cook on it pretty much any meal you can think of.
BioLite CampStove 2
When car camping, this is one of our favourite stove to bring with us as we can pretty much burn anything inside it. It runs on wood, and achieves fast and perfect combustion thanks to its powerful internal fan. In emergencies, you can also turn fire into electricity, although it's not the most efficient way to charge up your gadgets.
Washing station
Biodegradable soap
A multi-purpose biodegradable soap that can be used to clean camp dishes, utensils, hands, hair and clothes. The best part is a few drops go a long way. This stuff is highly concentrated, so it lasts a long time.
In Sink Drying Rack
A mini dish rack designed for small spaces. This is a simple, sturdy and stylish drainer to air-dry dishes right in your sink..
Chainmail scrubber for cast iron
Great for cleaning your cookware such as your cast iron pan or skillet. The smooth ring edge will not scratch your pans and keep their seasoning.
Kitchen Safety
Travelling with a fully working kitchen is a daily treat on the road, but it can also turn real quick into a safety hazard. You are living in a confined space, with the fridge, the heater and the stove often just feets apart, and where ventilation is sometimes lacking. It's important to know the risks and keep yourself safe from carbon monoxide and other natural gases by ensuring appropriate ventilation and instaling appropriate campervan carbon monoxide and gas detectors in your vehicle.
We recommend to always read the instructions and setup manual given by the manufacturer to know where to place the co alarm for it to be effective, as the sensors can be sensitive and may respond to steam and condensation as well as other gases.
Small Fire Extinguisher
Living in a van, you have your entire life with you. Stay safe by keeping a fire extinguisher at hand to stop fire expansion and put out a minor fire. The day you need it, you will be so glad to have it.
Carbon Monoxide Sensor
Easy to install and small in size, this battery powered carbon monoxide alarm is a must have in your van for safety reasons and peace of mind.
What to do if your carbon monoxide detector’s alarm goes off?
If your alarm goes off, immediately turn off all potential sources of CO (stove, heater, fridge), get some fresh air and ventilate your vehicle by opening the doors and windows.
Call the emergency services immediately if anyone is experiencing symptoms of CO poisoning (symptoms include headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, feeling faint, and shortness of breath).
Items discarded
In our mission to stock a fully functional and multi-purpose minimalist kitchen, we’ve used some accessories that haven’t stood the test of time or that we thought wouldn't be ideal to take with us. We thought it might be useful to share with you why we decided not to take them. Here's the list of items we decided not to take in our van:
Collapsible bowls & water bottles: Great for saving space in your kitchen during short travels, their downside is their poor durability. You certainly don't want to struggle to eat and drink from flimsy plastic bowls and bottles everyday. We would always recommend finding a lightweight metal or bamboo equivalent.
An ever evolving list
Making freshly brewed coffee without stepping out of the van in the morning, firing up a barbecue at the beach or cooking a gourmet meal with local ingredients bought from stalls along the road are all parts of the joys of our life in the van.
In this guide, we tried to present the best high quality and versatile kitchen essentials that provide the most value for your money. Of course some of these may be different for you and a lot of this depends on your cooking preferences. But this is a list of our must-haves and things we wouldn't be without.
If you like the guide, or feel like we missed an important item, please let us know in the comments.
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