Motorhome Kitchen Essentials and Cooking Tips

One of motorhome travel's great pleasures is preparing your own meals while surrounded by beautiful locations. A well-equipped motorhome kitchen lets you eat better than many restaurants—fresher, healthier, and exactly to your taste. But the compact space requires thoughtful equipment choices and adapted cooking techniques.

After years of cooking in motorhome kitchens ranging from basic to luxurious, I've learned what works, what doesn't, and how to create delicious meals efficiently in small spaces. This guide shares those lessons to help you make the most of your motorhome kitchen.

Essential Kitchen Equipment

The temptation is to pack everything from your home kitchen, but restraint is essential. Every item must earn its space through regular use and versatility. Start minimal and add items only when you genuinely miss them.

Cookware Priorities

A quality nesting pot and pan set designed for camping offers the best space efficiency. Look for sets with removable handles that allow compact storage. You need at minimum: one medium saucepan (2-3 litres), one frying pan (24-28cm), and one larger pot for pasta or one-pot meals.

A cast iron camp oven or Dutch oven is incredibly versatile if you have space—it works on the stovetop, over campfires, or in ovens, handling everything from bread to roasts to desserts. The weight is significant, but the cooking capability makes it worthwhile for many travellers.

Choose cookware compatible with your stovetop. Most motorhome stoves are gas, so standard cookware works fine. However, if you have an induction cooktop, you need magnetic-base cookware—check before packing.

Essential Utensils

Quality over quantity applies especially to utensils. A good chef's knife, well maintained, handles 90% of cutting tasks. Add a paring knife and a serrated bread knife for complete capability. Invest in a compact knife protector or magnetic strip—dull knives are frustrating and dangerous.

Essential utensils include: wooden spoons, silicone spatula, tongs, can opener, vegetable peeler, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl (collapsible versions save space), cutting board (flexible silicone boards work well), colander (collapsible), and a grater. That's really all you need for most cooking.

Small Appliances

Be selective with electrical appliances—each draws power and takes space. A few earn their place for most travellers:

A stick (immersion) blender handles smoothies, soups, and sauces without requiring the space of a full blender. A small toaster or sandwich press creates quick meals and snacks. A portable electric kettle (low wattage for 12V or efficient 240V) provides hot water faster than stovetop heating.

Some travellers swear by slow cookers for hands-off meals, instant pots for versatility, or air fryers for crispy cooking without smoke. Assess your cooking style and power availability before committing to larger appliances.

Storage Solutions

Organised storage transforms a cramped kitchen into a functional workspace. The goal is everything accessible without digging through piles of equipment.

Maximizing Cabinet Space

Shelf risers double your usable space in cabinets, creating layers for different items. Stackable containers keep dry goods organized and prevent spills. Use the inside of cabinet doors for mounting spice racks, measuring spoon holders, or small baskets.

Non-slip mats prevent items sliding during travel—the frustrating clatter of things shifting in cupboards adds up over long drives. Properly secured items also reduce breakage risk.

Fridge Organization

Motorhome fridges are smaller than home units, requiring strategic organization. Use clear containers to group similar items and see contents at a glance. Keep frequently used items at the front. Maintain fridge inventory and meal plan accordingly to prevent food waste in the limited space.

Pantry Essentials

Stock your pantry with versatile ingredients that form the base for many meals. Essential dry goods include: pasta and rice, flour and sugar, olive oil, various spices and herbs (consolidate into small containers), stock cubes or paste, canned beans and tomatoes, and long-life milk or alternatives. These basics, combined with fresh ingredients purchased along the way, enable diverse cooking.

Cooking in Small Spaces

Adapting your cooking approach to the motorhome environment makes meal preparation easier and more enjoyable.

One-Pot Meals

One-pot cooking is your best friend in a motorhome. Dishes like risottos, pasta sauces with meat and vegetables, curries, stir-fries, and hearty soups minimize washing up while maximizing flavour. Develop a repertoire of one-pot favourites that satisfy your household.

Sheet pan dinners (where everything roasts together) work brilliantly if you have an oven. Toss vegetables and protein with oil and seasoning, roast until done, and enjoy with minimal fuss.

Prep Efficiently

Limited bench space requires organized prep work. Complete all cutting and preparation before heating any pans. Have ingredients measured and ready. Clean as you go—washing items immediately after use keeps the small space manageable.

Consider doing prep work outside when weather permits. A portable table expands your workspace considerably, and outdoor prep keeps cooking odours from building up inside.

Meal Planning

Planning meals in advance reduces food waste, simplifies shopping, and ensures you have necessary ingredients. When you know what you're cooking, you shop efficiently and don't end up with forgotten vegetables rotting in the fridge.

Plan meals that share ingredients—buy spinach and use it in an omelette one night, salad the next, and smoothies for breakfast. This maximizes freshness and minimizes waste.

Outdoor Cooking

Part of motorhome life's charm is cooking outdoors. A portable barbecue or camp stove expands your options and keeps the motorhome cooler in hot weather.

Barbecue Basics

A portable gas barbecue (either standalone or bayonet-connected) enables proper grilling. Beyond the obvious steaks and sausages, barbecues excel at vegetables, fish wrapped in foil, pizza on a hot plate, and even damper in a camp oven over coals.

Learn to use the barbecue lid for indirect cooking, enabling roasts and whole chickens. This technique transforms a simple barbecue into a versatile outdoor oven.

Campfire Cooking

Where fires are permitted, cooking over coals is deeply satisfying. Cast iron camp ovens, wrapped foods cooked directly in coals, and simple damper connect you to Australia's camping heritage. Always check fire regulations and conditions before lighting any fire.

Food Safety on the Road

Proper food safety prevents illness that can seriously disrupt your travels.

Monitor fridge temperature, especially in hot weather. Motorhome fridges can struggle when ambient temperatures exceed 35°C. Keep the fridge well-ventilated, minimize door opening, and consider adding ice packs on extreme days. A fridge thermometer helps track temperature consistently.

Use coolers with ice for supplementary cold storage during shopping trips or extended off-grid periods. Frozen water bottles work as ice packs and provide cold drinking water as they thaw.

Be cautious with leftovers. Limited fridge space means eating leftovers promptly or disposing of them. When in doubt, throw it out—food poisoning far from medical care is a serious situation.

Water Conservation While Cooking

Cooking uses water, and when free camping, conservation matters. Steam vegetables instead of boiling for better nutrition and less water. Wipe plates with paper towel before washing to reduce water needed for cleaning. Reuse cooking water (unsalted) for watering plants or preliminary cleaning.

Washing up efficiently becomes an art. Two small basins—one with soapy water, one with rinse water—use far less than running water. Wash cleanest items first (glasses, then plates, then cookware) to extend the usefulness of your wash water.

Embracing the Motorhome Kitchen

The constraints of motorhome cooking often lead to creativity. Without access to extensive ingredients, you learn to create delicious meals from simple components. The results are often healthier, tastier, and more satisfying than elaborate home cooking.

Some of my best meals have been simple dishes prepared in motorhome kitchens with fresh local ingredients: prawns bought from a fisherman that morning, vegetables from a roadside farm stall, or bread baked in a camp oven. The setting and the freshness make ordinary ingredients extraordinary.

Embrace the limitations as opportunities. Your motorhome kitchen might be small, but the dining rooms it offers—beaches, forests, desert sunsets, mountain views—are the finest in Australia.