I’ve mentioned before that I think one of the biggest benefits of RV travel is the ability to cook literally anywhere you land. We’ve made dinner in Walmart parking lots and at the top of a mountain outside of Yellowstone National Park. We’ve whipped up a delicious lunch sitting outside of a movie theater and in the middle of the desert. This truly is an incredible perk, and one we take advantage of every single day.

When we’re boondocking, we tend to use our propane stovetop and oven to cook in our RV. However, when we’re in campgrounds with hookups, we much prefer to cook using the electricity that is included in our camping fees and save our propane for when we really need it. Not only does this save us money, it also makes cooking much simpler, cuts down on the amount of moisture we’re putting into the air, and helps keep the temperature of our RV down.

In order to cook with electricity and take advantage of all these benefits, we use a few different small kitchen appliances. The following are our top small kitchen appliances for an RV, and they’re items we think every RVer should consider investing in.

Instant Pot Duo

First, we highly recommend an Instant Pot. These are incredibly popular with RVers, and once you use one you’ll probably understand why.

Not only does the pressure cooking feature on these appliances make cooking a quick and easy process—much appreciated after a long day of exploring—it has a number of other features as well. Instant Pots can also be slow cookers, yogurt makers, rice cookers, and a number of other things, making them an incredible and versatile addition to your tiny RV kitchen that really does earn its place in the cabinet.

Instant Pot Vortex Mini Air Fryer

We also own and love an Instant Pot air fryer. The version we have is the Vortex Mini which is the perfect size for both storing in our RV and using our small amount of counter space. That said, it is limited in terms of how much it can cook at a time, so those cooking for more than a few people might want to consider the larger version.

We love to make fried potatoes and sweet potato fries in our air fryer, but we also use it for baking. We’ve made cinnamon rolls and biscuits in it, and have plans to try muffins. We find that our air fryer is much faster than our oven and it cooks much more evenly.

DeLonghi Dedica Espresso Machine

Okay, I’ll admit that this one is a bit unusual. That said, our DeLonghi Dedica espresso machine and the burr grinder that sits beside it are the two small appliances we use every single day without fail. We love our coffee, and have found that with a couple of easy modifications, this grinder and budget espresso machine actually make very good espresso.

In fact, it’s so good that we often find ourselves feeling disappointed when we purchase espresso beverages from coffee shops.

We love that the Dedica didn’t cost us an arm and a leg. We also really appreciate its small footprint and the fact that it’s lightweight. It’s also nice that the machine tends to stay put on the counter during travel (we are brainstorming better options though). I highly recommend this machine for RV travel, and I’m not sure we would be quite as happy on our adventures without it.

George Foreman Grill

Yes, most people prefer to grill outside, and I totally understand the appeal of that. That said, our George Foreman grill has been a staple small appliance in our RV since we started and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

We love that this little grill cooks meat quickly and with very little effort on our part, and we often end up putting it to use on the busiest days when we’re too tired to do much else. The non-stick plates are easy to wipe off, making cleaning up after dinner a breeze—even when water and tank space are limited—making this an ideal boondocking cooking method.

hOmeLabs Chill Pill Countertop Ice Maker

Admittedly, we don’t have this particular appliance just yet. It’s high on my wishlist, but counter space in our RV is so limited I really don’t know where we would keep it. That said, if you do have the counter space to spare, this is an appliance you might want to consider.

The hOmeLabs Chill Pill creates plenty of ice for the average family and only takes 8–10 minutes to do so. Having one will save you precious freezer space and help ensure you always have ice for those iced espresso drinks or the beer or soda you drink around the fire in the evenings.

---

May contain affiliate links.

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

Michael S. ~ “Kelly was calm, informative and assuring. She made a stressful situation much better. This was our first time being stuck/helpless in our RV and we’re so glad Coach-Net had our back’.”