RVs let you enjoy the comforts of home, if you remember to bring them along. When you keep our favorite RV kitchen gear for $50 or less on board, you’ll never be without the best ways to cook on the open road.
Save Money Camping with RV Kitchen Gear Under $50
Everyone has their favorite RV kitchen accessories. But they all make for an easier time camping in an RV. Here are popular RV kitchen accessories that no RVer should go without, including:
- A cast iron skillet
- RV water filter
- Countertop blender
- Pressure cooker
- Portable camping cooler
- Fire extinguisher
Let’s take a look at each RV accessory we can’t live without.
Cast Iron Skillet
A cast iron skillet is one of the most useful RV kitchen accessories you can carry. A cast iron skillet is sturdy extremely difficult to break. It’s also versatile.
- Cook over a fire. The cast iron skillet can be used for campfire cooking. Simply set up a campfire for your cast iron skillet and cook away.
- Make something on a stovetop. Use cast iron skillets the same way as a regular kitchen pan.
The cast iron skillet is one of the best pieces of budget kitchen gear. When they get hot, they stay hot longer than other pans. Use it frequently and it becomes seasoned, making it the original non-stick pan. Cast iron is simple to clean with hot water and a gentle brush.
RV Water Filter
There are dozens of RV water filters for all budgets. Some are counter-top water filters, others are more high-tech and advanced. Whatever model you buy, a water filter gets better quality tasting water than without one.
Water filter uses include:
- Drinking Water- Boiling water is always an option, but who has the time? A filter delivers clean and refreshing water that you can just drink straight away.
- Cooking Water- If you’re using cooking water, filtrated water is a safe bet to help your food taste better and be safer. Running water through a filter and then using it to cook can almost guarantee it will be clean, so you don’t have to worry when you eat.
As someone who only ever drinks water, I want my water to taste good. I use a filter at home. When going camping, where I may not always know the quality of my water, RV water filters give me peace of mind.
The Berkey Gravity-Fed Water Filter is an RVer favorite for big budgets. But when it comes to RV kitchen gear for $50 or less, external inline water filters are a great low-cost option that provides safe drinking water too.
Countertop Blender
Another versatile piece of RV kitchen gear is a blender. They come in all power ranges, shapes and sizes. Best of all they help you create delicious and healthy food and drinks, quickly and efficiently.
A good blender can:
- Make Smoothies- Smoothies are a healthy and delicious drink or meal replacement option that can be quick and easy.
- Whip up Desserts- Milkshakes and other frozen treat options are great for long summer camping days.
- Speed up Recipes – Most blenders can process certain foods fast. They can be used to make sauces or garnishes or whatever else gives your meal extra oomph.
Blenders like the professional grade Vitamix cost more than $500. But for RV camping, you can find a good one for less than $50.
Pressure Cooker
A stovetop pressure cooker is similar to a crockpot, but cooks much faster. A crockpot commonly cooks for four or more hours, but a pressure cooker can cut the time by as much as half. This pressurized cooker is capable of creating many meals. If you are looking for an easy dinner, this is how to do it.
Pressure cookers can be used for many purposes, such as:
- A Rice Cooker– Cook your rice to perfection. You’ll never want to make rice in a regular pot.
- A Meat Cooker- Meat can e difficult to cook and takes time. Rather than standing by your grill, you can use your pressure cooker for cooking meat.
- Any Meal Imaginable- There are many recipes that can be made in a pressure cooker whether you are a meat-eater or vegan.
The pressure cooker is also perfect for RVers because it saves propane when cooking. It’s the only pot you’ll ever need on the road.
Portable Cooler
Portable camping coolers help keep food cool when you go on side trip adventures. Even the most inexpensive cooler can give hours of cool food and beverages for day trips or evenings around a campfire.
Some good reasons to carry a camping cooler include:
- Going on day trips- Take your favorite food and drinks from the RV without having to go shopping.
- Extra food storage-When your RV refrigerator is jam-packed, a cooler comes in handy for extra food. You can also stash extra-perishable food in it when you don’t want to run your propane RV refrigerator while driving.
- Keeping drinks cold-This one seems obvious, but if you want to leave your RV refrigerator for perishable food, a camping cooler can be used exclusively for drinks.
Coolers are a top must-have RV accessory under $50.
Fire Extinguisher
One of our favorite pieces of RV kitchen gear under $50 can save your life in a worst-case scenario. Fire extinguishers aren’t sexy or fun, but neither is dying in an RV fire.
Fire extinguishers are often placed on a wall, closest to the greatest risk of RV kitchen fire dangers.
If a fire ignites, here’s what you need to do:
- Grab the fire extinguisher
- Aim the hose at the ignition source
- Pull out the safety pin
- Spray
Especially with cooking in such a small, a fire extinguisher is a must. Just be sure it’s a high quality, ABC-rated fire extinguisher or it might not work at all.
Conclusion
Camping gives us the chance to enjoy the simple life. But when you carry this must-have RV kitchen gear under $50, you get more time to enjoy it and less time standing in the kitchen.