What’s in your RV kitchen? Chances are, whether it’s your first RV or you’re a seasoned full-timer, there’s going to be at least one accessory on my list that could make cooking in your RV that little bit sweeter.
Let’s face it, when you’re out discovering new places in your motorhome, you really don’t want to be tied down to your kitchen(ette) sink. So I’ve included a few of my top RV kitchen accessories that I find save me time and hassle, as well as the essential must-haves.
Space, or lack of it, is probably the biggest problem when you’re looking to kit out your RV kitchen. And as any seasoned RVer can tell you, smaller spaces require greater organization.
So take a quick look through my favorite RV kitchen items and see how we compare. I’ve covered both the essentials and the nice-to-haves, just in case you feel like treating yourself.
Here we go, here’s my top 27 RV kitchen accessories.
1. Refrigerator Bars
Simple enough, but a definite must. Refrigerator bars keep your food items securely in place, preventing spills and mess.
I use these Camco double refrigerator bars, they keep even bulky items in place, they’re extendible and spring-loaded for ease of use. I also use a couple of them in the bedroom overhead cupboards to keep my heavy winter bedding from falling out when l’m on bumpy roads.
2. Pot & Pan Protectors
What’s that annoying rattling? With my first RV it took me a couple of trips to realize that my stacked pans were the culprit. That was a relief as I was thinking thousands of dollars to detect and repair some fault, when all it took was a few dollars and a handful of pan protectors.
I recently bought these new pan protectors. They’re thicker than my last ones and can be cut down to size. They are also great for protecting your non-stick pans and keeping them in good shape for longer.
3. Drawer Organizers
If you’re anything like me you probably have an accumulation of “that-might-come-in-use-some-day” bits and pieces. Not only do they mount up, but they tend to take over and it becomes impossible to find the things you’re looking for. Sound familiar?
Get a set or two of these handy drawer organizers. What’s great is they have non-slip feet so you’ve not got them moving all around when you’re on the road. The non-slip lining helps keep things in place and the fact that they come in sets of three separate, differently sized trays means they’ll fit in your RV drawers, unlike the big all-in-one trays. I keep one in the bedroom too for all those things that end up in the bedside drawer.
4. Kitchen Sink Strainer
In my book, life is simply too short to spend time dealing with gross blocked up pipes. It’s also too short to spend time painstakingly scraping clean every tiny food particle off each pan, plate, fork… You get the point.
Purchase a kitchen sink strainer for your RV. This one has 2mm holes so you don’t have to wait around for it to drain. It’s also sturdy and easy to clean. As it’s a two piece pack, I stuck the second one in my shower. If you or your partner has long hair this keeps things flowing nicely.
5. Carbon Monoxide Detector
While the other items may be more about convenience and saving time and dollars, this one is about life and death. Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the main causes of poisoning deaths each year. And when you’re in a tiny living, read breathing, space like an RV, a carbon monoxide detector is a MUST!
Okay, chill out you may be thinking. I don’t use any naked flames in my RV. Aside from malfunctioning or unvented LP gas appliances, or improper use of portable gas-powered heaters, you can also get carbon monoxide poisoning from exhaust leaks from a vehicle engine or a generator. Note, this does not even have to be your vehicle. It could be from someone else’s vehicle, or generator, parked in close proximity.
Purchase a carbon monoxide detector today, fit it and you won’t have to worry anymore about the so-called “silent killer”. It could literally save your life. I use this one, it gives a digital read out so you can check levels and the reading is refreshed every 15 seconds. An alarm sounds if dangerous levels are reached and you can also double check that the alarm is working with its handy test function. There’s a back up 9V battery included, so you’re covered for all eventualities.
Seriously, if you don’t have one, get one ordered today. If you do already and it’s been a while, give yours a quick look over or replace it.
6. Electric Can Opener
Easily forgotten, but you’ll struggle without one. I like this electric can opener. It’s quick, easy to use and gets the job done.
7. Sink Caddy
It may seem like a small detail, but if you don’t get a sink caddy what are you going to do with your damp sponge and brush once you’ve washed up and you’re about to drive off? This handy sink caddy keeps them secure and there’s space for your dish soap too. I like how it hooks over your sink divider, so you can easily unhook it when you park up to use the sink and there’s no suction cups to come unstuck when you’re heading down the freeway. It also comes with a sponge and bottle brush.
8. Kitchen Cutting Mats
Kitchen cutting mats are definitely the way to go in a small RV kitchen. They’re hygienic, this set I use is actually also anti-microbial, while being lightweight and incredibly easy to store. You can also transfer your chopped food directly to the pan or plate thanks to their flexible design, saving mess and hassle.
9. Microwave Cover
You’ve got a microwave, so you need a microwave cover. Unless you just love cleaning it out several times a day. For your RV, I recommend this collapsible microwave cover. Simply fold flat once you’ve washed it out and you’re good to go.
10. Dish Drainer
Dish drainers tend to take up a lot of valuable counter space which can be a hassle if you want to make a coffee or prepare dinner while it’s in use. They’re also pretty difficult to store and they take up a load of cupboard space. When they fit in your cupboards that is.
After months of resigning myself to living with my standard dish drainer getting in the way (I even stored it in the bedroom closet for one trip), I finally got myself one of these. Thanks to its collapsible design it’s easy to store and when in use it doesn’t hog counter space as it fits neatly over your sink. I seriously recommend getting one of these for less hassle and more space.
11. Oven Gloves
Self explanatory, but easily forgotten. Go for the best with one of these speciality flame and heat resistant oven gloves. They’re made from the same material used to make fire fighters’ protective clothing. Need I say more? I use mine for BBQs too. That’s how tough they are.
12. Pan Scraper
Make easy work of stubborn baked-on stains with these ergonomic, new-style pan scrubbers. Their bright, cheerful colors ease the pain of one of my least favorite tasks.
13. Mini Ovenware
You may be thinking you’ll pack up a load of stuff from your bricks-and-mortar kitchen, but you’ll often find that many everyday cookware items are too big and cumbersome for an RV kitchen.
Don’t get frustrated and massacre your lasagna when you find it won’t fit in your RV oven! Get some mini ovenware and portion your servings to size. This is a great little, non-stick set that you can even use with your camping stove.
14. Cast Iron Skillet
I personally love this cast iron skillet! It’s pre-seasoned for use straight out of the box, allowing you to cut back on the amount of oil you need and to avoid chemicals you find in treated pans.
15. Mini Ice Cube Trays
Yet another little item you’ll need to buy downsized. This two pack of mini ice cube trays is essential for summer on the road. Or for when the campsite store’s out of ice. Again.
16. Immersion Blender
Not essential, but still one of my favorite RV kitchen accessories, this 4-in-1 immersion blender takes up hardly any space and it’s easy to use and clean. From smoothies to cupcakes, soups, cocktails… get one and you’ll wonder how you managed without it.
17. Stackable Mixing Bowls & Measuring Cups
Like with the blender, there’s gonna come a time when you want to make full use of your RV kitchen and cook more complex meals, or try your hand at baking. This 13-piece mixing bowl and measuring cup set is ideal for your RV kitchen. No more searching the internet to see how many tablespoons are in a cup! They’re stackable, so great storage-wise and there’s also a mesh colander for passing your sauces or sifting flour.
18. Hanging Spice Rack
I like my food to have a taste to it, but I don’t like messing about with all those herb and spice containers. I had them stored in a plastic container for a while. Drove me nuts, I’d end up having to get them all out looking for a specific one. Then I discovered this ingenious solution. Now I simply open the cupboard door, select what I want, season, and return. The six cabinet strips hold 30 jars, so there’s plenty of room. They’re super easy to put up too, no tools required.
19. Collapsible Strainer
If your strainer rattles about and takes up too much space, check out this super all-purpose strainer. It’s collapsible and extendable so you can use it to drain hands-free over the sink.
20. Dinner Plate Cradles
Keep your dinner plates safely stored while you’re on the move with these excellent, space-saving dinner plate cradles. No more smashed crockery when you hit those potholes and more space in your cabinets.
21. Cabinet Door Paper Towel Roll Holder
Another little essential, this time to keep your paper towels from rolling all over the place, while maximizing your storage space. Simply hang this holder over your cabinet door and you’re done.
22. Cupboard Bars
A definite must-have RV kitchen accessory. Even if the contents of your cupboard don’t end up all over the floor, they can end up all over your head once you open your cabinet doors after a drive. And it’s always when you’re least expecting it. Protect yourself and your gear with these easy to fit cupboard bars. As I mentioned earlier I also use bars in my bedroom overhead cabinets to stop my extra bedding and various other items from ending up on the floor.
23. Camping Utensils
This spork to go set, complete with bottle opener and carry bag, is one of my favorite recent purchases. Use it in your RV or take it on picnics or camping. One colorful spork easily replaces your knife, fork and spoon. Now, okay I’m not suggesting you use this for every meal, but if you want to grab a snack or go for a picnic or BBQ they really come in handy and if you lose a couple, no big deal.
24. Coffee Pod Organizer
As I’ve mentioned before, a smaller space calls for greater organization. Now you’re probably thinking, okay I really don’t need a coffee pod organizer and yes, you’re correct. However, when space is an issue and storage space is on the short side, it’s essential that everything has its place to avoid chaos.
No, you don’t need one, but it’ll make your bleary-eyed morning reach for coffee much easier.
This stackable set allows you to store your teabags too and as it’s transparent you can see when you’re getting low, cos let’s face it, it really sucks when you’re miles from nowhere and you realize you’re out of coffee.
25. Coffee and Espresso Maker
You just can’t beat a good cup of coffee in the morning. Ever wish you could make coffee-shop style coffee at home? Or even better in your RV watching the sunrise over the Santa Monica Mountains? Well now you can, thanks to this great invention. Compact enough for traveling and ideal for your RV kitchen, the AeroPress Coffee Maker makes a seriously good cup of coffee, without any bitterness, thanks to its full immersion brewing method. If you really wish you could have an espresso machine in your RV, get one of these, it won’t disappoint.
26. Instant Pot
As you can probably guess, I’m pretty keen on home cooking and for me nothing quite beats a traditional slow-cooked meal. Kit out your RV kitchen correctly and it can be fully functional to cook whatever you feel like. After all RVing is about freedom, so I purchased this instant pot, which leaves me free to choose from a huge number of tasty slow cooked dishes with a minimal of hassle.
It even offers Alexa guided cooking, if you fancy trying something new. I’m not great with complex kitchen electric gadgets so I really appreciate the one-button start. There’s literally hundreds of uses for this instant pot, from yoghurt to rice cooking to stews and I’m really looking forward to trying out some new recipes over the next few months.
27. Berkey Water Filter
If you’re planning on exploring the great outdoors, you could really do with a Berkey water filter. I did without one for a good while, but let’s face it, lugging heavy bottles of drinking water from the store and planning when and where to stop and purchase more can be a bit of a drag. So I invested in this Berkey right here.
It can filter up to 15 gallons a day through its self-sterilizing, re-cleanable filters. Its powerful system treats both treated and untreated water so you can even use river or lake water to obtain drinking water. In an emergency, or anywhere where electricity or treated water may not be available, you can rely on this unit to provide you with clean, safe and drinkable water. If you don’t own one already, I seriously recommend you get one.
Summary
I hope this list has been useful to you. When you’re shopping for RV kitchen accessories try to go for multi-use items and accessories that collapse or stack. The more organized, the better. This might sound like overkill, but you’ll thank me when you’ve got everything shipshape, leaving you extra free time to make the most of your RV and your time on the road.