I’ll preface by saying I love to cook and bake. My kitchen is my haven, so having a fully functional RV kitchen was a must for me. However I knew I’d need to majorly downsize, and swap my large items for compact and multi-use items. I did a ton of research, talked to other RV-ers, and comparison shopped for the best deals. This is the final list, all of which I own. PS – I bought almost everything exclusively on Amazon because I found their prices to be the most competitive. I also replaced anything I owned that was breakable with eco-friendly shatter proof items; namely plates and cups!
Money Saving RV Kitchen Hacks
I love to save a dollar where I can! Here are some of the best money saving hacks I’ve found for RV kitchens…
- Dollar Store storage containers: I bought all my organization drawer bins at the Dollar Tree! They have every size, for every need. I spent $20 in total for all my cabinets and drawers.
- Use classic shelf liner (like this!) in-between your pots and pans to prevent scratching. There are many expensive “pot separators” out there, but buying a roll of liner and cutting it to the shape you need is so much cheaper and super effective.
- Cutting boards: My RV didn’t come with a sink cover for my 18″ round sink. Instead of buying an expensive wood cutting board, I bought a wood round from Home Depot and sealed it myself for $12.
- Cleaners: In my house I had a cleaner for each thing individually – for my RV I have one spray bottle full of all natural cleaner that I use on everything from the oven to the toiler. Saves space and money!
RV Checklist: No Frills Edition!
- Stackable/collapsible mixing bowls – bonus if you can combine the measuring cups/spoons in them
- Basic utensils for cooking/baking – I have one of each “normal utensil, like one ladle, one spatula, one whisker, etc.
- Set of break resistant plates and cups. I tried to fight this one, but there is no way around it. I love my bamboo plates and glasses!
- Coffee machine – whatever it may be. I like to use less electric, since we only have shore power 50% of the time. So I use a drip maker or french press.
- Dish towels and paper towels, this is a no brainer!
- Sealable food containers. You’ll want ones that have strong seals and LATCH shut – just trust me on this.
- cutting board – either one that spans the top of your sink or over your stove top – anything to maximize counter space!
- Cast iron pan – this is a must.
- Size appropriate pans and sauce pans
- All in one immersion blenders – these can be used for everything from smoothies, to making nut butter, and they are compact!
- Dividers and bins. To utilize your cabinet and fridge space, using containers is the best bet. They keep everything from flying around too!
That’s all folks. I’m all about no frills, I like functioning on the bare minimum. I haven’t found I need any more and actually at times don’t feel like I even need all the bakeware I brought with me!