The 3 small appliances we can't live without in our RV
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With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we've got food on the brain! Alright, who are we kidding, we always have food on the brain. We love a good homecooked meal, something we've been enjoying as a couple since well before we launched into our life of travel. We won't lie, we were a little apprehensive at first as we made plans to hit the road. Would we still be able to cook all our favorite things in such a tiny space? The full-time RV experts said as a rule of thumb, "How you cooked at your house will be how you cook in the RV." But how, exactly? At the house, we had a big kitchen with a double oven and dual-sided refrigerator. We'd bake batches of cookies, make our own pie crust, and even cook up our own taco bowls using the bottoms of giant muffin tins for shape. We were cooking maniacs, with Anthony taking on the role of executive chef and Nicole being the detail-oriented and creatively free sous chef and pastry chef. It's no wonder that at our wedding, Nicole's brother coined us the Reasoning and the Seasoning in the kitchen, a term that kind of caught on and has been used many times over the past 7 years.
Contrary to expert opinion, we found that we did have to alter our cooking a fair amount in the RV. The biggest change was making smaller batches of everything, and of course there were some obvious limits, like not being able to make our taco bowls (of bake muffins, for that matter), or roast a bird in the oven. Thankfully we'll have the Villa Anderson oven to satisfy that necessity on Thanksgiving. All that to say, we have been able to make most of our favorite dishes in the RV, many thanks to a few appliances that we brought along for the ride.
Before we get into our small appliance haul, let's talk about what our kitchen already came with from the beginning. For a small trailer, the kitchen is well equipped. We have a 10cu.ft. electric-powered fridge/freezer combo, a large sink, a 2-burner propane stove, and a microwave/convection oven combo. Certainly enough to cook a good meal, but we're picky about our culinary endeavors. A few extra appliances that work well but don't take up too much space are extremely helpful during mealtimes.
We realized right away that the convection oven wouldn't be our favorite appliance, after testing it out on our maiden voyage. So, Nicole got to work behind the scenes, searching for something that would be more sufficient. She also knew that she'd desperately miss her frozen pizzas if she didn't have a big enough oven to cook them, so her motives were partially selfish. Nevertheless, for Christmas last year she gifted Anthony a Presto Pizzazz Plus rotating pizza oven. Don't be fooled by the name; this "pizza" oven cooks so much more than just pizza. You can basically put anything dry on the pan and the heating elements work their magic to produce surprisingly consistent, crunchy yummies.
The best part about the Pizzazz is that it's very quick and has literally no frills. There's no temperature to set, which to our chef minds was alarming at first, but after cooking dozens of different dishes - from pizzas, to leftovers, to frozen chicken tenders, to tortilla chips (the viable alternative to taco bowls) - and even baking cookies on multiple occasions, we learned that temperature selection wasn't needed. We just choose which heating elements to use; we have a choice of both bottom and top, or just one or the other. Then we turn the dial to indicate the cook time. The pan rotates between the elements for the allotted time, and ding! Food is served!
We never in a million years thought that this little appliance could hold up to our culinary know-how, but after a year of putting it to the test, we're thrilled with its convenience, ease of use, and small footprint. When we're not using it, we stuff the pan in the back of one of our cabinets, and the base fits under our countertop. We always prefer the Pizzazz over our convection oven, which is now mainly reserved for baking wetter items.
The only downside to the Pizzazz that's worth noting is that, if we're cooking something for a long time or something even mildly greasy or crumbly, it will set off the smoke alarm. So now we try to remember to run our kitchen Max Air fan when the Pizzazz is on, something that's smart to do anyway to keep the heat, moisture, and smells at bay.
Our next small appliance that's a must-have for us is our Instant Pot. We had it in our kitchen before we hit the road and used it a fair amount, but having it in the rig has given it a whole new life. There is so much you can do with the Instant Pot that the possibilities seem endless. We've used it as a pressure cooker, steamer, rice cooker, slow cooker, and even mini-oven and air fryer, because we have an Instant Pot with an air fryer lid. Which brings us to our definitive answer to one of the most common questions we see on the RV forums, Instant Pot or air fryer for the RV? Get yourself the two-in-one! The air fryer lid works great and you're not taking up valuable space with two appliances. It's a no-brainer.
Though of our 3 must-have appliances, we use the Instant Pot the least, it's super handy when we want to cook a larger amount of food. We don't even need a big pot for our stove because we just use the Instant Pot. This is the appliance we use to make soups, rice, and mashed potatoes. We've also done some pretty funky stuff with it.
Our last must-have small appliance, which also takes priority over our stove, is our electric skillet. Anthony has had the same one for years, but we never truly appreciated all that it could do until we brought it on the road. First off, it's held up incredibly over the years. We've had to make a few minor repairs to the cover and the base comes loose once in a while, but that's mostly because we use the skillet for almost every meal. It has a spot on top of the stove because we prefer to use it instead of the gas cooktop. During travel days we wrap the glass cover in a dish towel and let it ride on the floor, cushioned by our chair cushions. It is 100% worth the effort and space to have it with us on the road. It cooks hot sandwiches, pancakes, and burgers so evenly that we've decided to hold off on getting a grill - something we thought we'd want immediately. It has a nice tall lip, so we can cook eggs, marinated chicken, and even sauces without worrying about drips and spills. Best of all, the skillet it so easy to clean! The nonstick coating works like magic, so oftentimes we just need to wipe it down with vinegar and a paper towel. For full cleanings, we just use soap and water and rinse it in the sink. It doesn't fit in the sink, but spilling a little water is a small price to pay for this wonderful little addition to our kitchen.
Because of the skillet's nonstick coating, we need to be extra careful to use nothing abrasive on it, and now that it's so old, we're keeping a close eye on it to make sure the coating stays intact. As with a lot of electric skillets, it can be a bit finicky with its temperature regulation. We can set the specific temperature, but oftentimes it seems like the difference between 350 and 400 degrees is the difference between the food not cooking and burning on the surface of the sun. It could also stand to have better conductivity; the side closest to the heating element heats up more than the side further away. We also sometimes miss our griddle, which had a catch drawer for grease. Our skillet holds in all the grease and moisture, which is sometimes a pain if we're trying to get the food to brown or crisp up.
We know we aren't getting professional chef-level masterpieces from these appliances, but they have been outstanding at allowing us to whip up a tasty dish quickly and conveniently on the road. Whether you're a foodie like us or someone who wants easy prep and cook options in a small space, we can't say enough good things about our culinary trifecta. In fact, we're planning on using some of these appliances to cook Thanksgiving dinner! They'll make wonderful supplemental cookware to the kitchen essentials at Villa Anderson.
Bon Appetit!