I always take both types of coffee pots, also a medium size crock pot, an electric skillet, an electric pot, a microwave, a two slice toaster oven and an electric wine chiller, to go with my stainless wine glasses. All of these items have a designated place to go.
I am surprised to see how many people list a pressure cooker...
What does everyone make in it?
Our very first meal in our Airstream was lemon chicken in a pressure cooker. What is so wonderful about a pressure cooker is that it cooks fast and you avoid a lot of condensation inside. I just took a whole chicken with a split lemon and threw in some kale, onions, carrots and garlic, salt and pepper with some water and cooked it at high pressure for 20 minutes. It was delicious!
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An illustrated illustrious full timing artiiist I know does most of his cooking in a smaller pressure cooker. Cooks faster, uses less gas.
A water-saving tip he uses: Wash and wipe rinse your dishes in white vinegar, don't use up much water doing dishes.
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Airforums 22655 and now, WBCCI 22655
The only electric appliances I carry are a toaster and a handheld electric mixer. The toaster is a convenience since I can and do make toast on the range, but when I have shore power the toaster is much more convenient.
The handheld mixer is for cakes, which are nearly impossible to make without one. It runs off a small inverter if necessary.
I use an ordinary pot in the oven the way most people use crock pots.
I make coffee with a plastic funnel filter that sits on top of my thermos, and a teakettle.
I make rice in an ordinary saucepan, on the range.
I do have an outdoor grill which has been less than satisfactory; I may replace it soon or do without.
I do not use a pressure cooker in my cooking either on the road or in my stick house.
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And, just as important, where do you keep them?
The toaster goes in the drawer under the forward dinette seat, which also holds the glassware (in a cardboard box cut to size with individual cells for each glass) and the large pot. The mixer goes in the bottom drawer in the galley where it's out of the way.
A good quality French press, set of pans, and an absolute must outdoor BBQ grill. We also bring a small size George foreman but still haven't had a need.
2010 30' Classic
Vintage Kin Owner
South of the river
, Minnesota
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,169
I really find that the galley layout in my trailer has plenty of room for everything, except the dish drainer, which is too big for anyplace but the coat closet so it lives there. It's the folding style so it doesn't take up much room there though. I've done all kinds of fancy cooking for as many as 8 people and find that as long as you avoid the pitfalls you can bring what you need.
A few tips:
1) Corelle stacks more tightly than other dishes so you can carry more, 12 place settings if you want. When you have plenty of plates and bowls, you can repurpose them for all kinds of stuff, pan lids, mixing bowls, storage containers, bakeware. I don't carry all the coffee mugs that came with the place settings.
2) Plastic bags and wrap use much less space than tupperware type containers or mason jars. Also, again, you can cover corelle bowls with plastic wrap to make storage.
3) Buy food in small packages, especially condiments. Or, repack stuff yourself at your stick house if you want to save a few pennies.
4) Make sure everything nests. You don't need the high-buck nesting cookware, just be sure that the shapes work together so you don't end up with a 2 quart saucepan that won't fit inside the 3 quart saucepan. If you carry bakeware this is another area to watch, just choose a combination of sizes that will nest instead of getting a 10x10 square and a 9x12 rectangular or something.
5) I cook by weight and carry a small digital scale. It uses up less space than a full set of measuring cups (I still have a small nesting set). This isn't for everyone I realize but once you get your recipes converted over it's faster, more accurate, and less messy.
6) Be on the lookout for small and collapsible stuff. I have a single-panel cheese grater rather than the more common box style. I have a collapsible lettuce spinner. I have a two-prong "ah-so" style cork puller that is smaller than the mechanical corkscrews most people use. I have full size spatulas but they're shaped in such a way that they stack better in the drawer.
7) Take a look at the locking, folding knives the tacticool martial arts wannabes use. I have a Kershaw Blur that I keep in the galley and use for routine cutting and chopping. Takes up less room than a kitchen knife, because it's shorter, and when it's shut the edge is covered so it won't get beat up by other stuff in the drawer or cut your hand if you are groping around the kitchen trying to find something at night. It's all aluminum, stainless steel, and plastic, and is easy to keep clean.
We only have 3 things on our MUST HAVE list. The mini charcoal grill, the deep cooker and the coffee pot. The deep cooker is actually number one for us. You can do eggs, pancakes, sausage etc. for breakfast and then fry the fish you caught for dinner. This is our favorite item.
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Indian Harbor Beach
, Florida
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 182
We have learned to pack light, with exception of two cast iron skillets...can't leave home without them! Do most of our cooking in them. After reading this thread, I'll be adding my pressure cooker! Love pressure cooking!
Andi
In my 28' CCD I carried:
Hot Water Pot -- used daily with a Polycarbonate French Press
Toaster -- used infrequently
Hand Mixer that came in a storage box -- used twice in two years
In my Westy I only carry the Polycarbonate French Press.
I heat the water in a pot on the stove.
I do not like my cupboards and pantry to be cluttered with a bunch of specialized machines at home so I am even more spare on the road.
We are planning a GA to WA trip this summer and I am considering eliminating my sauce pot since my vertical sided lidded fry pan could do double duty as a sauce pan. That would leave me with a sauce pan w/lid, omelet pan and fry pan w/lid.
The ONLY electric appliance I take is a toaster, which is nice for bagels and for toast, if there's shore power (also have a stove-top one for boondocking).
Usually take along a Coleman propane 2 burner stove for outside cooking and a small Weber propane grill ... and have the usual small slillets, pots and pans and bakeware and a Thermos Thermal Cooker, which I love for soups, stews, etc.
Have been thinking about getting a new and smaller than at-home pressure cooker. They are terrific for roasts also. It can cook a pot roast and a bunch of vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots, green beans) in a little over a half hour, start to finish. But even a small one is nearly the size of my Thermal Cooker.
I have a portable ice maker at home, but Mr says we can't take it. I think it would be a great addition. Any thoughts?
We don't bring ours for short trips, but when camping in one spot for a few days, it's great to not have to run to the store for ice. In warm weather, the ice maker gets a workout.
Keurig coffee maker, toaster, fry daddy, george foreman grill, crockpot... that is all the appliances we carry. Would not be without the Keurig and grill..
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Marvin & Annie
Niki (fur baby)
1979 Argosy 30 (Costalotta)
WBCCI 10103
"Happiness is a warm Puppy" Charles Schulz
We boondock 90% of the time. When we restored/renovated our Safari we removed the oven (It was very rusty and shot) added another cupboard in it's place. Installed a new stainless 3 burner top. No electric appliances for cooking. TV & Sat. run from batteries most of the time. Stainless wine glasses a must.
__________________ Tim
TAC MI 14
Everyday is a Saturday
We keep our Viking induction burner in the trailer! It works out great when we have shore power. It's very responsive.
We also have a 3.7 quart Kuhn Rikon Duramatic pressure cooker. It's small enough to fit some place in the trailer, and we just bought a Bodum electric hot water pot. Gemma got it in orange to match the interior of our groovy 1974 Tradewind's interior.
Murray likes to travel with a full contingent of AllClad pots and pans and it is a constant battle convincing him not to pack the #12 cast iron skillet.
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