7 Tips for Preparing Meals in Your Motorhome Kitchen

One of the benefits of staying in a motorhome while you are on vacation is that you get access to a working kitchen. It may be very small, but it should have everything you need: an oven, a cook-top, a microwave, and a fridge and freezer along with a sink.

If you are used to cooking in a full-size kitchen in a regular house however, you may be a bit daunted when you first try cooking meals in a motorhome. There is usually little or no counter space, and fridge and cabinet space can also be very limited.

Below are some tips to help you get used to preparing meals efficiently and successfully in a motorhome. While cooking in such tight quarters takes some getting used to, once you get the hang of it, you will find that it is not that much harder than preparing meals in a big kitchen.

1. Plan meals which use the same ingredients.

First of all, some motorhomes do have full-size refrigerators and freezers, but many have something more along the lines of a mini-fridge. Space for dry and canned ingredients may also be less than ideal.

What can you do about it? Try and plan out a vacation menu in advance. Think about meals you can eat which use ingredients in common. Eggs for example can be used in a lot of meals, as can potatoes, pasta, ground beef, and so forth. The fewer ingredients you are using, the less space they take up in your fridge or cabinets.

2. No counter space? Pack a cutting board to place on top of the sink.

Some motorhome kitchens offer next to no counter space. Find out in advance if that is what you can expect. If so, the easiest solution is simply to get a cutting board and place it over one of the sink basins. Use that as your “counter” while you are preparing your meals.

3. Get used to putting things on the table, dinette seats, etc.

Of course, you may still need more counter space than the cutting board solution provides. If that is the case, you will need to think outside the box. You do not have to only use the kitchen—everything is in one “room” in a motorhome, so take advantage of other useful surfaces.

Set some dishes on the dining table. Put some pots and pans on the seats. Place some ingredients on the desk. Make use of your entire environment if you have to. Because it is such a small area, everything will probably still be within immediate reach.

4. Try and cook with just one appliance at a time.

You may be used to preparing complex meals which involve using the oven and the stovetop, perhaps both at the same time, and maybe multiple burners as well. While you can make these meals in a motorhome, trying to juggle all that can be overwhelming.

It is usually easier to stick with meals that only require you to use a single appliance. Try making a meal entirely in the oven, or preparing a recipe which only requires you to use the stovetop.

5. Try and cook when there are few distractions.

In most motorhomes, the kitchen is essentially a narrow “corridor” between the front of the vehicle and the back. Usually it separates the main living space from a back bedroom. There is generally just enough room for a single person to stand.

So if you have kids running back and forth, trying to push past you, you will have a hard time cooking. It will be a challenge to focus, and it will be hard to physically do the work. In some cases, it can even be a safety hazard. All it takes is a child knocking into you for you to lose your balance or drop something. If the stovetop is on, that could result in burns.

If you can, look for a way to get the motorhome to yourself while you cook. Send the kids to play outside. If your family or friends do not wish to go outside, then try and wait to cook until they are occupied with something (i.e. watching a movie).

6. Clean dishes as you go.

Another trick to cooking meals with limited space is to continuously wash your dishes and utensils while you are preparing your recipes. If you wait to wash up until you are done, you will just end up piling up dishes with nowhere to put them. If you wash them as you go, you will have more free space to work with, and you can re-use the same dishes.

7. Only one person can cook at a time.

You have heard the phrase “too many cooks in the kitchen.” Well, in a motorhome, that idiom applies quite literally, and it is almost always true. With so little space, even two is a crowd.

So plan to cook meals by yourself if you will be the one in charge of meal prep. If you want to share the job of cooking, each person who cooks should do so one at a time. So you can cook meals one day, your spouse can cook meals the next, and so on. If you try to cook meals together, you will only end up getting in each others’ way.

Cooking Meals in a Motorhome Isn’t Too Hard, But Does Take Practice

You are on vacation, so try and keep that in mind when you are planning and packing for your adventure on the road. The trick is to keep things simple. Adjusting to meal preparation in such a small space may seem challenging, but with these tips on your side, you will soon be doing it like a pro. You can enjoy the taste and nutrition of your own cooking while saving money on your trip.