I love RVers’ ingenuity! Here are some kitchen tips and tricks fellow RVers have taught me. The tips will save you time, money, and even a bit of frustration as you RV!
I hope these tips work as well for you as they do me.
Grocery tip
RVers make it a habit to keep an insulated bag in the back seat of the car and truck. An instant ice bag rides inside it. (The kind you twist to activate. Like this.)
How it helps: The bag is ready in case you purchase an item that must be kept cold on the ride back to the RV campground.
Bitter coffee
Add a generous pinch of kosher salt to the top of the coffee grounds before adding the water. Your coffee will not taste bitter.
How it helps: You can save money by not purchasing expensive coffee blends. More $$ for RV travels!
Add creamer
Substitute flavored coffee creamer for milk when making French toast. My favorites are hazelnut and vanilla. Yum!
How it helps: One less spice to pack along in your RV. Let the creamer do double duty!
Soften brown sugar
If you need to soften that rock-hard brown sugar, just slip it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Or, put marshmallows inside the brown sugar bag to soften the sugar within a day.
How it helps: You’re going to pack along marshmallows for s’mores, anyway. Just pop a few extras in the brown sugar bag! Not a s’mores fan? Use your microwave and get those cookies stirred up in a jiffy.
Soft ice cream
Keep your ice cream soft and ready to eat. All you have to do is place the carton inside a zip-type bag, zip it closed, and place it inside your RV freezer.
How it helps: No more ice crystals or so-hard-it’s-impossible-to-scoop ice cream!
Quick chill wine
Place your wine bottle inside a tall pitcher. Add ice and cold water. The wine will be chilled in about 20 minutes—or by the time you get snacks prepared and delivered to the campfire.
How it helps: Store unopened wine bottles elsewhere and save precious space inside your RV refrigerator.
Easily remove husks
Shuck corn quickly like this. Place the corn (with husk) into your RV microwave. Heat on high for 30 seconds to a minute. The corn easily slips out and leaves the husk (and silk) behind.
How it helps: Save time (and frustration). You’ll have more time to watch the sunset!
Dice eggs with a cooling rack
Forget packing an egg slicer/dicer. Use your cooling rack instead. Place a cooling rack over a bowl. Then press a hard-boiled egg through the rack. The diced eggs will fall through to the bowl, instantly ready for your salad. This also works for dicing avocados.
How it helps: No egg slicer needed so the method frees up some RV drawer space.
Grate cheese easily
Spritz a quick spray of your cooking spray onto your cheese grater. Then grate away! Also, if you grate soft cheese, put the cheese in your RV freezer for about 30 minutes. It will harden a bit and be easier to grate. In a hurry? Use unflavored dental floss to cut soft cheeses into slices.
How it helps: Cheese will not stick to the grater. Save money by purchasing block cheese and have more $$ for adventures.
Keep snacks cool
Fill a zip-type bag with ice. Zip the bag closed and place it in the bottom of a bowl. Top with lettuce leaves. Then arrange your appetizers on top of the lettuce.
How it helps: Your appetizers will remain cool and safe to eat!
Top it off
If you use coffee that comes in a 48-oz. plastic container (like Folger’s brand) don’t toss out the lid when the container is empty. The lid perfectly fits a Corelle bowl!
How it helps: No need to transfer leftover food into a storage container. Plus, you’re recycling!
More juice
Before juicing lemons for lemonade, try this. Put the lemons in the microwave and heat on high for 7-10 seconds. Remove and use your palm to roll the lemons back and forth on the countertop. Then poke a hole in the non-stem end using a skewer. Squeezed juice can be directed exactly where you want it.
How it helps: You’ll get much more juice with less effort. This works for limes, too.
Cut herbs quickly
Use your pizza cutter to quickly cut herbs. Bunch up the herbs and place them on a cutting board. Then roll the pizza cutter over the herbs in all directions until the herbs are cut to your satisfaction.
How it helps: Saves time (and is even kind of fun).
Preserve tomatoes and more
If you store tomatoes stem down they will last longer. Or you can remove the barcode sticker and put it directly on the stem end.
Also, to keep bananas fresh longer, tightly cover the stem with plastic wrap.
How it helps: Reduces waste and allows you to spend less time at the grocery store. Win, win!
Scoop tip
Use an ice cream scoop to remove seeds from a cantaloupe. It works much better than a spoon.
How it helps: An ice cream scoop is usually sharper than the edge of a regular spoon so removing seeds is easier—and quicker, too. You can get the melon to the picnic table in no time.
Even out baking
Some RVers put a pizza stone in their RV ovens to help even out temperatures when baking. Here’s an alternative idea. Use an AirBake insulated bakewear sheet. Place your casserole dish or cake pan atop the AirBake sheet to bake.
How it helps: Things will bake more evenly and, unlike a pizza stone, the AirBake bakewear sheet weighs less and will not break.
Your turn
Do you have some tips and tricks for your RV kitchen? Share your ideas in the comments that follow.
RELATED
- Extremely clever ways to use kitchen gadgets in other ways around your RV
- Self-stick hat hooks keep kitchenware in place—brilliant!
- Off-grid RV kitchen tips to extend time away from hookups
RVDT2672
For the most even heat in a RV propane oven, measure the shelf below the rack between the air holes at the edges. Visit a metal shop or copper artist and get a pure copper sheet to match your measurements. Only needs to be about an 1/8″ thick. Put the sheet directly on the shelf but do not cover the holes at the edges. Copper rapidly moves heat from a point source (the burner) across its entire width. Doubt me? Take a scrap piece of copper tube. Hold one end in your bare hand and rapidly cut the other end with a hack saw. See how fast your hand gets hot.
Thanks Gail – these are great tips for a person learning the ropes of chefdom! I.e., me!
Lots of great tips, thanks! I purchased a set of ten glass bottles with metal screw caps, intended for beads and such, at a hobby store. Each one holds about two teaspoons of my most used herbs and spices and they all fit in a 1.5 x 5″ plastic box. Labels on top. Since we don’t live full-time in our RV this is plenty for a six month season. Also, my biggest goal is fewer dirty dishes, so why make a rack dirty when a fork will do?
Thank you, Gail! Most of these were new to me. Have a great day and safe travels!