Helpful Tips for Cooking in an RV

The dreaded question you must answer every day of your life, what’s for dinner? Really, the hardest part of meal prep is often deciding what to make. But we are here to help! Before you take your RV trip, you should come up with a meal plan. Then the hardest part is behind you. RV kitchens come in all shapes and sizes. Let’s start with the building blocks of the perfect RV kitchen, and hopefully you will find some inspiration for some delicious dinners that will make you King or Queen of the campground!

Cooking in your RV can be just like cooking at home with some minor adjustments. With a pantry, dishwasher, residential-style fridge, over-the-range convection microwave, induction cooktop, stainless steel range hood and amazing residential-style oven – you can have a nicer RV kitchen than you have at home! Let’s start with some terms and definitions and discuss the nuances of RV kitchen appliances.

Induction cooking is not new, but it finds a special place in an RV kitchen due to the mix of safety features important for tight living quarters. Induction cooking works by generating heat through an electromagnetic field. Heat is generated when a specific pot or pan is in contact with the burner. Induction cooking is achieved very quickly, reducing the amount of time and energy spent on creating your meal. Once the cookware is removed from the burner, the heat dissipates faster than on non-induction cooktops, making the overall area safer from accidental burns.

You can find convection cooking in microwaves and ovens. Convection cooking utilizes a fan to circulate air all around the food which results in a faster cooking time and more even cooking. In a microwave, convection is a good feature to have since non-convection microwave cooking can sometimes result in cold spots — something eliminated through convection cooking. Faster cooking typically equals energy savings which is an important element of RVing. If you want to bake a pie with a perfectly browned crispy crust, convection is right for you!

Moisture levels inside RVs are very important. Too much moisture and you could have issues with mold and mildew among other problems. Boiling open pots of water on top of an RV cooktop sends ribbons of steam directly into the air, raising the humidity levels. Covering simmering pots will help reduce some of this extra moisture. Having an adequate roof vent will also allow the moisture to escape.

Using your range hood vent fan also helps remove moisture, but it is primarily used to rid the air of cooking odors and smoke.

Not all coaches have dishwashers. This appliance may only be important to you if you plan to spend a lot of time in your RV or if you really hate handwashing dishes! In order to use a dishwasher in your RV, it is important to make sure you have enough space in your wastewater tank and enough water in your freshwater tank to run your dishwasher. If you do not, or your RV does not have a dishwasher, fear not! Here are some tips to reduce the amount of clean up after mealtime.

1. Use paper plates and disposable cutlery.
2. Use cast iron pans, these can double for campfire cooking as well.
3. Prep ingredients before your trip. No cleanup will be necessary for knives and cutting boards.
4. Choose recipes where you only need one pot or one dish like soups or casseroles.

Cooking in your RV does not need to be limited to using the appliances that came with your motorhome. A crock pot, instant pot, air fryer and electric skillet are all appliances that can run on electricity and if you want to conserve propane, but you have access to RV electricity hookups, they are great choices for cooking.

Don’t forget to pack knives, large serving spoons, spatulas and anything else you may need for cooking. Always be sure to write down, memorize or print out your recipes just in case you have poor reception where you are camping. Here are a few recipes perfect for your RV kitchen to help take some of the stress out of decision making so you can be well on your way to a relaxing and fun camping experience.

From the Instant Pot to the oven, here are some easy dinner suggestions that can be prepared ahead of time, are easy to clean up and are sure to be crowd pleasers.

Omni 18L Family – Air Fried Monte Cristo Sandwich – Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Vortex Air Fryer – Easy Roast Salmon and Asparagus – Instant Pot Recipes

Queso Supreme with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Chiles – Instant Pot Recipes

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