What are folks using for cooking utensiles?

[BatDude]

We have a new 16' Scamp and need to outfit for The road for an extended 6 week trip in January.

We have the 2 burner stove and microwave. What are folks using for cooking utensils?

[Noreen Bradshaw]

Welcome to the FGRV forum and congratulations on your new camper.

Personally, when camping/travelling I use the same kinds of cooking pots and dishes as I do in my kitchen at home. I don't mind preparing and cooking in the camper, or at the picnic table. Depending on the weather. And I don't mind washing up after the meal. While I may not be the world's best cook, most of the time I prefer my own menu's to a restaurant meal or fast food.

[Martins HeirCon]

We carry one heirloom 14" Iron skillet, one medium saucepan that mostly gets used for rice and coffee water, and an 8 quart stainless stockpot. I try not to carry anything that won't serve at least two purposes. We each have one insulated cup for any/all drinks.

No microwave, don't trust them. We usually use paper plates and plastic utensils just for convenience. Since we usually camp in primitive areas without water hookups, it's a hassle to wash more than necessary.


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[RogerDat]

Skillet, plus a small and large sauce pan. Lots of aluminum foil since we tend to cook on the fire. Flat griddle can be useful and takes up little space, size made for Colman two burner stove work well.

Sister and her husband get a lot of use from a smallish electric frying pan. Used inside and out for everything from breakfast to hot soup. Skillet dinners to hot sandwiches.

A couple of nested bowls with snap lids for serving and storing stuff like salads.
Marshmallow/hot dog forks.

Debate in our household over convenience of not washing disposable dishes and implements vs. the space saved by having a plate, bowl, and cup per person. Stacks of disposable dishes take up a lot more space. But paper plates do make a nice easy clean food prep surface.

[Jon Vermilye]

I carry a Magma stainless 7 piece cook set, a small sauce pan with lid, a medium sized mixing bowl, 2 pie pans (I like to bake blueberry pies for pot lucks), and a griddle for my Coleman combination grill/stove. I cook on the Coleman most of the time, and have a large toaster oven for baking when I have hookups.

[David B.]

We also use the stackable Magma stainless 7 piece cook set, paper plates & plastic flatware at times, but usually one regular (non-disposable) plate, cup, each. Paula cooks indoors all the time, as it just seams like such a hassle to bring everything out of the kitchen, cook, then bring everything back inside.
Dave & Paula

[Timber Wolf]

I am still refining my cookware but we use the microwave when plugged into shore power as well as a small hotplate on a table outside. Have a toaster too and use it some. I bought a new small non-stick skillet just for the camper and put one pot with lid in there too. If going off grid I have a (propane) Coleman stove and lots of cast iron skillets and dutch ovens I take if I expect to cook over a real fire. But only when the trip calls for it as that stuff is heavy/bulky. We bring utensils from home in a lid-locking flat plastic container, a couple or three of each kind of thing.

[BatDude]

WOW thanks all,

We are considered by some to be ± "hardy souls" since we lived in Central America for the past 26 years and worked in the jungles as conservation biologists. Wife worked on jaguars (cats not cars) and I do bats.

So that style of camping usually 5-6 hours by forest trail from ANY resources would be considered by many seriously "Off the grid" LOL.

Now we are back in the First World we really want to travel a lot and get re acquainted with the U.S.

I am now an insulin dependent diabetic and doing our own food guarantees I stick to my extremely low carb meals w/o hidden sugars often in restaurant food.

So all of your tips and suggestions of what works is very helpful.

Cheers all,

[Tomodachi]

The most used "utensil" we use is an electric "hot pot" for boiling water. It's the fastest and we don't use any of our fuel. Coffee in the morning, tea on a cold afternoon, water for soups, and doing dishes are all easy as pie! Otherwise, we do most of our cooking outdoors and have become fairly good "cast iron" cooks with 1 skillet and 1 Dutch oven for the 2 of us. Stuffed pork chops, lasagna, and cobbler are our favorites!

[RogerDat]

Don't think I would store cast iron in the overhead cupboard, have heard of cases where that really stresses the fasteners.

[Tomodachi]

Roger, you're right. We keep the cast iron, charcoal and other fuels, and welder's gloves & utensils in the under-seat storage right by the door so it's handy without tracking in dirt, leaves, etc.

[Carol H]

I also carry a set of nesting pots and a good frying pan. I cook inside as well as outside on a portable store. Also a set of 4 plates and glasses - all plastic. I have a stove top kettle as well as a french press for coffee. I small 2 slice toaster for those times I have power. I also carry a small George Foremen grill for days when I can't be bothered to set up the BQ or I just want a quick hot sandwich. A small crock pot that can be used inside or out (have an outside 110 plug). For larger bowls as well as storage containers & colanders etc I look for the collapsible type as in the photo. Oh and of course a real good wine bottle opener

[sharon_b]

batdude, I'm so glad you said you bring your microwave! I took mine this summer & overhead snarky comments about "that's not camping". I feel like I came to have a good time, not spend all night cooking, so it was a good fit for me cooking for 1. and you can cook & eat out of the same dish, so less dishes to wash! Carol H you must be the most popular person at the campground if you remembered the bottle opener

[Ron Merritt]

The Magna nesting cookware is a must have - seven pots and lids all fit in a 12" square. I have the cermamic nonstick coating, which is amazing.

For utentils, I only use silicone tipped. No scratching, easy cleanup and good to 500 degrees. For grilling, I have a nice set of folding stainless utensils I got on amazon - forget the brand name, but they have wooden handles and fold up like a jack-knife. Long utensils are really a nice thing when grilling, the shorties get you too close to the flame.

I use my microwave very rarely - mostly it's a bread box - food out of the thing is just wretched. Mostly when camping, I'm either grilling or doing the one pot meal thing in a crockpot or dutch oven.

[Donna D.]

If it's your health, eat as you would at home. You have the ability to eat the same foods. Maybe not as convenient, but if you are a meat/dairy eater at home... don't change to just "nuts and seeds," because it's convenient. If you use cast iron at home, it works on the road. The only difference is the square footage in the "kitchen."

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by sharon_b

Carol H you must be the most popular person at the campground if you remembered the bottle opener

Actually its the real Mike's Hard Lemonade (not the US malt stuff) and the Canadian beer I bring down thats more popular than the bottle opener

[Donna D.]

BEER EXCHANGE... here comes Carol...

[ShirleyA]

I have a little propane stove that I cook on mostly outside. Since I'm by myself, I have two 10" cast iron pans which I can use separately or together; one as pan, one as lid.
I have one sauce pan, a roll of foil and an 8" pizza stone. I have just added a 4" cast iron pan for making small desserts. My real extravagance is a very small crock pot which gets a lot of use especially on cold days.
When I know I have an upcoming camping trip, I make meals at home with the idea of leftovers as a camping meal. I freeze them so I can heat them up in my little stove and of course out camping they are just the best tasting leftovers!! The frozen packets also help keep things cool in the cooler or in your refrigerator.

[Timber Wolf]

Originally Posted by ShirleyA

I have a little propane stove that I cook on mostly outside. Since I'm by myself, I have two 10" cast iron pans which I can use separately or together; one as pan, one as lid.

I saw a Lodge cast iron pan/lid or two pan combo the other day while researching a recent Thrift Store cast iron (grill) pan purchase. Lord knows I do not "need" any more cast iron but I may have to pick up a set anyway. I love cast iron. My cast iron and nice big stock pot where about the only two things I specified as "mine" on the divorce agreement.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Martins HeirCon

We carry one heirloom 14" Iron skillet, one medium saucepan that mostly gets used for rice and coffee water, and an 8 quart stainless stockpot. I try not to carry anything that won't serve at least two purposes. We each have one insulated cup for any/all drinks.

No microwave, don't trust them. We usually use paper plates and plastic utensils just for convenience. Since we usually camp in primitive areas without water hookups, it's a hassle to wash more than necessary.


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

It's not just microwaves, those toasters can turn on you without warning!!...
Besides all AC appliances steal electricity right out of your wall socket to feed their shocking habits!! It must be that alternating current... they change direction on you in a fraction of a second! They're just hardwired that way.