Tips For Cooking Excellence

For the most part, cooking in an RV is straightforward. With limited space comes streamlined appliances, reduced work areas and everything you bring inside must be multi-purpose. For me, it’s all about simplicity with convenience when I’m on the road (and even more so at home). However, here are few Tips For Cooking Excellence.

Here are my 8 tips for great cooking without making a mess in your rig.

Tip #1: Keep bulky items out of the way

We keep our small pots and pans stored under the dinette seats. The overhead cabinets can get rather crowded (our rig is tiny) but this frees up valuable counter space while giving us easy access to items we use most frequently.
We have some nice glass baking dishes that are perfect for stashing stuff underneath too.

Tip #2: Use a microfiber cloth for a non-stick finish

These things are great. I use one to wipe down the counter after prepping and another to give my stainless steel appliances a quick shine. They’re inexpensive, machine washable and come in an array of colors – nice!

Tip #3: Store utensils in canisters or magnetized holders

We store our cooking utensils inside the oven which helps save space as well as keep everything clean and organized. Even if your RV doesn’t have an oven this is still a useful storage spot for those utensils you don’t want disappearing from the kitchen table when company comes over. You may also consider a magnetic knife holder or two on the walls of the kitchen.

Tip #4: Use slip-on stove guard covers

These things are super handy for protecting your countertops and cabinets from grease and grime that could result from messy cooking accidents. We picked some up before we left on our first trip and they’ve come in extremely useful. Simply slip them over burners, ranges, or oven knobs as needed to protect your surfaces and keep the mess contained to one area. They can even be removed, rinsed clean, and set aside until you need them again later. I highly recommend these if you don’t already have any stashed away somewhere in your rig…you won’t regret it!

Tip #5: Keep items close by with magnetic holders

Metal pegboard screwed to the wall is a great way to keep things close by and off the countertop. I also like this magnetic knife holder. It’s perfect for propping pieces of paper or recipe cards right up next to where you’re cooking.

Tip #6: Keep appliances covered with washable potholders or oven mitts

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve burned our hands on hot pots without oven mitts nearby! Not only do they help prevent those types of accidents but they protect your appliances from grease splatters too. This is especially helpful when cooking at the stove – just pull one out of the drawer, pop it over that burner knob and go about your business. If you don’t already have some at home you can pick up a pair of these for $4.

Tip #7: Invest in an electric pressure cooker

Although we haven’t done it yet, I’m 100% certain that one day soon we will become owners of an electric pressure cooker. These things are amazing and eliminate the need for multiple appliances such as microwaves or slow cookers. They can help you prepare meals with little to no added water (hello canned veggies and jerky), use fewer pots and pans, and make cooking on the road easier than ever…check out this post by Vagabond Dishes if you want to learn more.
I’ve seen them priced anywhere from $49-$100 but keep your eye on Craigslist they’re frequently listed there from $10-$30. Here’s one that I’m considering picking up from a local seller for ~$40:

Tip #8: Use cling wrap or foil to keep counters clean

These also happen to be the two main ingredients needed to create an awesome solar oven. Don’t let that stop you though, this is just another way to save space and keep areas of your rig cleaner while camping. Simply cover countertops with these when cooking messy foods like corn on the cob or you can even use them in combination with potholders or stove guard covers if you don’t want spills damaging your appliances below.

Tip #9: Add cabinet door holders

If your cabinets aren’t already fitted with these it might be worth looking into. Not only do they provide a great place to keep recipe cards, but you can place measuring spoons and cups inside, freeing up even more space on your counters. I’ve seen them range anywhere from $5-$15 depending on where you choose to shop for them.

Tip #10: Use pill bottles as spice containers

Label the lids with masking tape or paint pens and you’ll never go hungry because of an inability to find that particular spice bottle again! We like storing ours in clear plastic shoe boxes (which usually cost less than $2) then tucking those boxes into cabinets when we’re cooking – simple yet effective!

Bonus Tip: Keep “dirty” utensils out of sight & away from guests…

In our case, it helps to keep our dirty utensils magnets on the outside of a cabinet where they’re not easily seen by guests. If you have a larger rig this might be a little more difficult but if you use smaller appliances, utensils, and pots/pans you can probably hide your mess behind these items or out of sight under a stove guard cover as shown above. We also like storing ours in clear shoe boxes as well as plastic grocery bags which we then tie shut with kitchen twine.

What are some of YOUR best RV cooking tips? Leave them in the comments below or find us on Facebook! Thanks for reading! 😀