Ramblings from an old man

[Mingus Pirate]

Since 1990 I have been RVing. My first was a 24 ' Fleetwood Wilderness that initially I used for hunting and fishing. From 1994 to 2000 I full timed in it before it was called that. During that time I went to flea markets, factory outlet stores, Camping World, and other places to buy cooking and serving essentials. My first real plates and flatware were purchased at a drug store, and two pots and pans at a flea market. Up until then I used disposable plates and flatware while sporting.
A service for four is adequate. If more people attending use disposable plates and flatware. My current dinnerware is Corelle, service for four. They are ceramic, nest, thin, light weight, and don't break unless you drop them on concrete or stone tile. Don't ask how I know.

After about a year of full timing I bought a set of Revereware that I am still using today. A 1 quart, 3 quart, 5 quart (for chili) pots, and 3 sizes of pans that I no longer use due to clean up. For the pans, 9" and 12" I use Oxo nonstick pans and recognize they don't last more than a couple of years and replace them accordingly. I bought the silicone/glass lids to cover multiple sizes.

Sorry Revereware is only available on like eBay used.

If you can find copper bottomed stainless steel pots get them for sauces and boiling. Else buy induction ready pots for better heat distribution.

Simmering on a gas stove is impossible unless you stand there and stir. Buy a simmer plate to put between to burner and your pot. I thought about automatic stirrers but just can't do it. Maybe you might want to try one.

I have cooked numerous turkeys in my RV. Some in the small oven where I cooked a 10 pound turkey that I had to smush it to get it in the oven. Get the biggest two piece broiler pan you can fit in your oven. You will find many uses for it. Similarly, get two cookie sheets with side walls.

There has never been an issue with uneven cooking results or poor temperature control with any of my ovens. These include Magic Chef, Furrion, and Dometic. I haven't tried any others.

We found a Mueller 800 watt immersion blender with an additional small blender bowl for making things like salsa and deviled eggs. The salsa can be kept in the bowl because it has a locking lid. Don't buy the battery ones. They don't last.


After my full time adventure I bought a house and moved my kitchen into it. I worked a few traditional jobs until I was "retired." So after that I had three contract jobs, one year each in three different states, where I lived in travel trailers, and a fifth wheel, moving my kitchen out to them. Again, I refined my search for the ultimate kitchen utensils.
Here they are:

Knives. You need five. A large knife 9" and 12", fillet knife, serrated, and pairing knife. Get flat blades, not hollow ground. For sharpening get the two slot manual sharpener that has a handle and sits on the counter, while you draw the knife through the sharpener. Don't buy electric sharpeners. They ruin your blades and grind them away and are expensive.

Pots and pans
I have had a crock pot, food processor, and other crazy gadgets that never stayed in the RV. I either gave them to other campers or thrift stores. I do have the food processor at home, but not in the RV. So back to I only needed the pots and pans, and still use them. Get back to basics. Cook like your grandmother did. It's healthy. Get 1 and 3 quart pots.

On that order, although not an appliance buy the Americas Test Kitchen cookbook. It's the best $30 you will spend.

If you don't have a convection oven, buy a Breville convection toaster oven. It cooks evenly and the extra parts make cooking pizza, toast, and even broiling steaks easy and delicious. In lieu of a Breville, if you want toast Walmart has a two slice toaster for $10.

A blender? I have had two. The first on wore out this year after 33 years. Frozen drinks and sauces are its purpose. It's worth it. Daquaries and frozen Margaritas are great.

By the way keep your coffee grounds in ceramic or glass. I accidentally left some Cheetos in glass jar over the Summer in the trailer and they were still good in the fall. You cannot have too many glass jars, and dump the plastic. All plastics have mold release agents, flowing agents, and unpolymerized hydrocarbons like gasoline, oils, and waxes. I get most of my glass jars from Costco buying the large pickles keeping the jars. Keep the jars to store cereal, junk food, dried beans, dry dog and cat food, anything semi-perishable. I use the olive and salsa glass jars to store smaller volume stuff. We save glass jars of multiple sizes for storage. I used to wrap Bungee cords around the jars to keep them from breaking. I don't anymore. In twenty years I have only broke one because I dropped it.

Don't buy alcohol in plastic, only glass. Alcohol really leeches out the baddies from plastic.

Spices:
Go to Bed Bath and Beyond or Amazon and buy the Old Thompson spice rack with 20 jars. You can get extra jars. Mine lives next to the stove. I used to mount it to the wall, but don't have any space.

I use a Brita picture for water. RO or distilled water is hungry for ions making you lose bone density, causing osteoporosis. You need the magnesium and calcium salts for your health. If you want a plastic bottle of water, reuse the one you have. Each time you use it the plasticizers reduce making the bottle safer. Don't waste your money on water machines, RO units, or other expensive things. If you don't like the water taste try a 1 micron carbon filter (Amazon). It takes out the baddies and leaves in the good stuff. For an RV a 10" cartridge is adequate, and by comparison is cheap. I usually get six months out of the filters.

Utensils
I only have one word for utensils; OXO. Spoons, large forks, can opener, B-B-Q tongs, scissors, wisks, only the small one, spatuals, etc. Regarding spatulas get a thin flimsy one and a stiff one.. additionally,, get the wooden handled silicone one.. The exception to OXO are to find wooden spoons, battery or manual can opener, wine stoppers, stainless bowls that nest, Orville hot air popcorn popper (Microwave popcorn is not good for you.), a small hand mixer, and the like on Amazon or Bed Bath and Beyond. I found a great box grater with a plastic storage box that fits to the grater. It is great for cheese. Also, look at utensils at Tuesday Morning. That's where I found the salt shaker and pepper grinder.

I love the flexible cutting boards. They are easy to clean, bend to dump stuff in your pot, and fit against the wall of your pantry. Also, you can line the back of your freezer to make defrosting easier.

Things that failed. Crock pot, pressure cooker, food choppers (Use knives.), glass measuring cups (Breakage), pots that don't nest, any aluminum pan, air fryer, most plastic containers.

I love my egg cooker. It makes easy peel eggs for deviled eggs.

I use high quality plastic bags for freezer storage (Foodsaver). Yeah, I don't like plastics, but we have to compromise somewhere. Speaking of that I have a foodsaver that vacuum packs food. It's great for steaks, chicken, pork, and more. It keep freezer burn away. Don't waste your money on prepared bags. Get the 11" roll and make your own bags. I do buy rolls from Cabela's, Costco, and Amazon.

I bought 3 stainless steel measuring cups at Tuesday Morning. They nest. I prefer the Pyrex measurers because they are easy to use and accurate. However, they are at home because they break.

Glassware. We use glass that fit in our cup holders in our chairs. We use polycarbonate glasses and wine glasses outside. Don't buy anything you don't want to break. I had 4 $16 wine glasses that I liked. Broke 3 of them and don't use the last one. Our favorite are the round pint canning jars with the handles. They fit in our cupholders. You can get them at a restaurant supply place, with canning lids, so you don't spill. We carry three and the rest of the case is at home.

Grilling
After about 10 different propane grills, we have a Weber Q1000. It's small, cooks well, and parts are cheap. We have a 10' hose to connect it to a propane tank. Also, we bought the side tables from Weber and installed them. We don't carry the little propane bottles.

What I have described is not minimalist. It is reasonable comfort to cook and have a lifestyle that is safe and healthy. Over the past 30 years of camping I have the stuff I described and live happily ever after.

I guess that about covers it.