8 proven ways to cook in a camper

Cooking in a campervan can be a challenge for first-time campers. Let us reassure you right away: the devil is not as scary as he is painted. You can cook almost any food in a camper. We know people who cooked dumplings and created multi-ingredient homemade sushi. In short: it's possible!

In this article, we have collected methods for preparing food in a camper from experienced campers. Many of these will also be used in a caravan. The advice will be useful not only for beginners, because the caravan industry is famous for its Ulan imagination and remarkable creativity, so even experienced travelers may not have heard of some ideas.

1. Jars

Let's start in an unusual way: what to do to avoid getting boiled? This is a well-known tourist trick that is usually used to save time.

Martha:

I am traveling with my husband and friends. Let's be honest: we don't feel like cooking on vacation because we prefer to explore and relax. So before we leave, we prepare our food in jars to avoid this responsibility while on the road. Canned soups and meals can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, enough for a week-long trip. Warming up food takes literally a few minutes, we don’t waste time, and we don’t have to constantly clean the kitchen.

2. Frozen products

Another solution for tourists who want to limit their cooking is frozen food. However, the important thing to remember here is that the refrigerators and freezers in most campervans are much smaller than those found in home appliances. Please note that on a long route you will need to shop and replenish supplies.

3. Ways to create a small tabletop

Anyone who is faced with the task of preparing dinner in a camper for the first time pays attention to the small countertop.

Kitchen space in the Adria Coral XL Plus 600 DP camper. Photo: Polish caravanning database.

Kitchen in the Weinsberg CaraHome 550 MG camper. Photo: Polish caravanning database.

Unfortunately, compared to a home kitchen, there isn't much work space in a campervan. A large cutting board, plate and bowl can fill the entire space. What to do about it?

Andrzej:

I'm traveling in a campervan with my wife and four children. We cook every day, but we have introduced some innovations. We prepare food not in the camper, but outside, on a camping table. There we cut food, peel vegetables, etc. We transfer the finished pot or pan to the camper on the burners. We recommend it because it's less messy, has more space, and allows two or three people to cook at the same time while sitting at the table. In the cramped kitchen of a camper, this is simply impossible without bumping into and disturbing each other.

In some campers, you can get an extra piece of countertop by sliding or covering the sink.

Pull-out sink in the Laika Kosmo 209 E campervan. Photo: Polish Caravaning database.

You can also use the dining table to prepare meals. In some camper models it can be increased using a sliding panel.

Panel for extending the table in the Benimar Sport 323 camper. Photo: Polish Caravaning database.

If you plan to prepare beautifully presented meals, it will be much easier to prepare them on the dining room table than on the kitchen table.

Dining and kitchen area in the Rapido Serie M M66 camper. Photo: Polish caravanning database.

4. Dishes from one pan

Unlike a home kitchen, a campervan has a limited number of burners. Most often there are two or three. Therefore, the ideal solution would be one-pot dishes that are easy to prepare, do not require complex ingredients and are tailored to the needs of tourists. As the name suggests: we cook them in one pot or pan.

For the hungry crew, the "peasant pot" recipes are the recommended solution, and each recipe can be modified to suit your tastes. All types of potato casseroles with vegetables or meat, omelettes with additives, vegetables fried in a pan, to which you can add meat, sauce or fish, are perfect for a hike. Another advantage of this solution is the limited number of dishes that need to be washed.

5. Bonfire

Some tourists cook food on the street and have a lot of fun doing it.

Photo CC0 Public domain. 

Caroline and Arthur:

We hardly ever use campsites. We camp in the wild, but in places where you can have a fire. We love to sit there in the evenings with friends, and at the same time we cook food, for example, potatoes baked over a fire and sausages from sticks. Most often we cook in the old Indian way, that is, on hot stones.

Of course, not everyone is an expert in old Indian methods, so we've included helpful instructions.

How to cook food over a fire on hot stones? Place large flat stones around the fire and wait for them to heat up. In another option: you need to light a fire on the stones, wait until it burns out, and sweep away the ashes with branches. Carefully place the food on the stones. You have to use tongs because it's easy to get burned. The edges of the stones are cooler where we place products that do not require the highest temperature. You have to wait a while for food, and the process requires control. This way you can prepare many dishes: meat, vegetables, toast with cheese, fish caught at home. Finely chopped foods can be baked in aluminum foil (shiny part on the inside, dull part on the outside). The foil is also useful for dishes with processed yellow cheese, so you don’t have to remove it from the pits. 

6. Camp stove

If you don't have burners, you can use a camp stove. This is a fairly rarely used solution. Usually caravanners cook food in the camper, and people living in tents use the stoves. 

Are there exceptions to the above rule? Certainly. There is nothing stopping you from taking additional equipment for cooking. It will be useful in difficult, unusual situations, such as a large family traveling with different culinary tastes or eating a varied, incompatible diet. For example: if there are 6 people on a trip, one of whom has food allergies to several ingredients, another is on a special diet, some prefers vegan dishes, some prefers meat, and everyone wants to have dinner together at the same time, a camp kitchen will be necessary because the crew will not fit on the burners in the camper with so many pots.

However, remember that the stove will take up some space. When calculating the permissible gross weight, consider the weight of the device and the fuel that powers it.

7. Grill

Caravan enthusiasts often use a grill for cooking. There are many models on the market, but the ones that are ideal for a camper are those that are foldable and portable: lightweight and with additional heating features that allow you to bake or cook food. Campers rarely choose traditional carbon models that are not tailored to their needs for numerous reasons: they are dirty, they are difficult to transport, and some campsites (especially those located in Western Europe) have made provisions prohibiting their use. For this reason, a charcoal grill will work for gardeners, but probably won't suit RVers who prefer gas or electric models.

The grill makes cooking easier and allows you to enjoy time outdoors. Photo by Pixabay.

Lukash:

We cook breakfast in the camper. Mostly cereal with milk or sandwiches. For dinner we use the grill. We use a large camping grill since we are traveling with five of us. We prepare meat, vegetables and warm bread. Everyone eats. There is no need to cook, and since we don’t like to wash dishes, we eat from cardboard trays. It's much more enjoyable on the grill than in the kitchen. We spend time together outdoors. I recommend this solution.

8. Local markets

Where do you shop when traveling in a campervan? Some people avoid supermarkets and go to bazaars. This is a real treasure trove of culinary inspiration! Each country has its own culinary style and local delicacies. Is it worth tasting them? Definitely yes, and at the same time you can make cooking much easier.

Market in Venice. Photo CC0 Public domain.

Anya:

We often travel by camper to different regions of Italy. Local cuisine is tasty and easy to prepare. Of course, the base is pasta. Along the way, we visit markets where we buy ready-made sauces in jars or other semi-finished products from farmers. Add them to pasta and dinner is ready! In the markets you can buy fresh fish, olives, vegetables for salads, phenomenal spices and baked pizza dough that you just need to heat up with additional ingredients that we also buy in stalls. We enjoy trying different local delicacies. We don't have them at home. The trip is more interesting with new culinary experiences. The bazaars themselves are beautiful and colorful. Some of them have been operating in the same place since the Middle Ages. It is not only a shopping destination but also a tourist attraction.  

Cooking in a camper – a short summary

As you can see, there are countless ways to cook food in a camper and everyone will surely find one that suits their taste. It is worth remembering that food always tastes better outdoors. Even if you're not a chef, your meals are sure to please others on the tour if you serve them in a beautiful natural setting or at night under the stars.

Photo CC0 Public domain.

Have you ever eaten in complete darkness outdoors? We recommend it, an interesting experience. To reach them, you must first travel to the proverbial desert, where there is no light from houses, roads or street lamps. 

The advantage of a camper is that food can be cooked in two ways: inside (using all the benefits of civilization) and outside (using a fire or grill). Each tourist can choose what he likes, and if you want to relax during your trip and not worry about cooking, the “jar” solution will satisfy your needs. 

Of course, you can bring mini appliances into your camper to make cooking easier. Some people use a blender, others a toaster. A sandwich maker will help out on a long journey if you want a quick and warm snack. Tourists traveling with children praise the waffle iron. There's little cleanup involved, almost all kids love waffles, and older kids can make the dough themselves.