Full Timers, what you use for cooking

[donanddona]

What ever will fit in the oven (stowed there). We use two. One stacks inside the other.

[Comanchecreek]

TFal skillet Crock pot. Everything else is yard sale stuff. Don't get to crazy. You'll find that you don't need or want everything under the sun unless you spend all your time inside cooking.

[bareftn]

elec fry pan and crock pots are great

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Philos3

As to the insta-pots and stove top pressure cookers, it depends on many factors. I have tried both the All-Clad electric and the stove-top pressure cookers. I prefer the stove top model. It is simple to use and you can manually adjust the pressure levels.

The more you know about cooking, the less you will like all these idiot proof electrical conveniences, because they limit you to lousy results.

But, hey, whatever. Some RVers simply prefer to eat out or quickly.

AMEN! I have several stove top pressure cookers, most are the old Mirro brand with parts still available. As long as the seals and the safety valves are in good condition and you pay attention to what you are doing they are safe to use. I have one 6 qt aluminum Mirro that belonged to my grandmother I have been using it for over 40 years with no problems. Just bought new gasket and safety seal for it, they have been replaced before. In over 40 years of cooking with pressure cookers I have only had one incident, and it was my fault. I put too much liquid in while cooking a whole chicken, stopped up the steam vent and blew the safety plug. Took a while to get all that chicken and grease coating off the ceiling by the stove.

As far as cookware for full timing I would use the same stuff I use at home, just don't bring the whole collection. Pick out the pots are going to use the most. I like my cast iron and have a couple that I pack in the camper, my wife has a saute pan that she can't live without. We tried a nesting set back when we had the popup and didn't like it very well. Dishes we use a basic white Corelle set, easy to get replacements for if I break a couple. For drinkware I have a few Tervis pieces.

Just as a side note, I bought my bride a fancy pants electronic controlled crock pot for Christmas a few years back, it crapped out about two years later, took it apart and the control board was bad, no repair parts available. I will give kudos to Crock Pot® they did replace the unit even though it was out of warranty. I will stick with my old fashioned stuff.

Aaron

[D-Man]

I have a Nuwave induction cooktop and I have the "red copper" pans that came with it. The cooktop is great, but not big on the Nuwave fry pans, but we also bought the Copper Chef pan, and we love that and use it a lot both in the oven and on the cooktop. I also have an antique Hatfield no. 10 steel fry pan that has about a two foot long handle on it I inherited from my mom when she passed away. I use it whe cooking over an open wood fire, so needless to say, it gets used quite often. One more item that we use constantly is a microwavable black plastic "pot" with a cover that has strainer holes in it. It gets used almost every day for something in the microwave.

[Lawilcoxon]

I love my nu-wave induction burner. It cooks fast and safe and it's easy to store when not in use.

[Vince and Charlette]

My DW is an "extreme" cooker...even bakes bread regularly using a Zojirushi while camping. Also, check out Saratoga Jack's ThermoPot. When moving to the next location DW makes dinner in the morning with this new technology cooker. Pour the ingredients in the pot, even raw potatoes, and bring them to a near boil on the stove. Then put the pot into the ThermoPot, seal the vacuum lid and stand it in the sink for stability. When you arrive in the late afternoon or evening, its totally cooked and still hot. She also collects Griswold cast iron cookware and uses it almost daily. You can guess, we eat quite well.

[rracer5]

Originally Posted by Dorrie

Ok I am at a cross road here. We have a 5th wheel and hopefully in the next year we will be living in it. I have the dishes (Corelle), nice plastic drinkware (Waverly). Now what do you use for cooking? I see the infomorcials (sp) for Copper Chef. It looks ideal for F/T but is it worth the money? I have been to Camping World and looked at the cookware that stacks into one. Very expensive and HEAVY. Not sold on that yet. The gentleman told me there is another cookware they sell but they cannot keep it on the shelf. I wonder if it is the Copper Ware.

Later on we will get a grill but right now What do you use to cook in the Kitchen.

Thank you

You don't mention what kind of cooking appliances you have ie; 3 burner stove w/oven or induction cooktop w/separate convection microwave?

If you have the conventional gas oven, get yourself a pizza stone & put it on the metal ceramic shelf just above the burner. Otherwise, everything you try to bake will burn on the bottom before the top cooks.

Taking into account your storage space, we have medium & small fry pan, large, medium & small pots w/assorted lids. An oval slow cooker, an old electric deep skillet, Farberware Air Fryer and a Nuwave Oven (which is the only thing not stored in the kitchen)

Outside we use a WeberQ 2000 (best grill I ever had), adapted with a 5' hose to a regular 20 lb grill tank, & an electric griddle for that pesky messy bacon.

DW uses her kitchen just like she used to use our bricks & sticks kitchen!

[Philos3]

Frying in oil needs some careful temperature management. If you don't maintain the right temperature, you end up marinating the product in oil. There are air fryers you can use an alternative and one can also cook without oil with a good oven at very high heat, but you really are not frying. Chicken wings cooked in a residential oven at highest heat and broiling for a short time at the end are excellent...

Hard to find a quality home frying appliance that can maintain the correct temperature.

You also need to use a high quality oil, like Rice Bran Oil, and best if you use it only a couple of times at most...also oil is expensive to keep replacing but important to avoid tainted oil that is not healthy for you. Many restaurants over use their oil because of the cost of constantly replacing the oil.

Most owners would be better off not to fry at all.

A bit of cooking school advice.

You can taste food the horrid flavor of fries and chicken cooked with tainted oil...very common.

Next time ask the restaurant how often they replace the oil....most common response is once a week....horrid.

[bareftn]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

AMEN! I have several stove top pressure cookers, most are the old Mirro brand with parts still available. As long as the seals and the safety valves are in good condition and you pay attention to what you are doing they are safe to use. I have one 6 qt aluminum Mirro that belonged to my grandmother I have been using it for over 40 years with no problems. Just bought new gasket and safety seal for it, they have been replaced before. In over 40 years of cooking with pressure cookers I have only had one incident, and it was my fault. I put too much liquid in while cooking a whole chicken, stopped up the steam vent and blew the safety plug. Took a while to get all that chicken and grease coating off the ceiling by the stove.

As far as cookware for full timing I would use the same stuff I use at home, just don't bring the whole collection. Pick out the pots are going to use the most. I like my cast iron and have a couple that I pack in the camper, my wife has a saute pan that she can't live without. We tried a nesting set back when we had the popup and didn't like it very well. Dishes we use a basic white Corelle set, easy to get replacements for if I break a couple. For drinkware I have a few Tervis pieces.

Just as a side note, I bought my bride a fancy pants electronic controlled crock pot for Christmas a few years back, it crapped out about two years later, took it apart and the control board was bad, no repair parts available. I will give kudos to Crock Pot® they did replace the unit even though it was out of warranty. I will stick with my old fashioned stuff.

Aaron

I have 3 different sizes of crock pots at home and a small one in the camper its the newest one at 15 years old the oldest one at home is over 40 years old. and as far s cooking pots and pans we have a set in the camper of William Sonoma no taking pots and pans and any cookware back and forth between camper and house

[Dorrie]

Wow, lot of info. Awesome thank you everyone! Sorry I was slow responding. I helped Son move to NC (got a job right out of college).


Ok, well I am not much cooking in the camper. When we had a pop up RPod and a TT I used a crockpot a lot. And that was outside. But in this situation we will be living in the 5er all year. We have 3 burners and it is gas, yeah. I like cooking with gas over electric.
I do have a real good set of cookware I purchased from Sam's Club 14 years ago. Wolfgang Puck's Café Collection. I will try what I have for now, won't bring the whole collection though. Looks like the pots I saw in CW (stackable and heavy and expensive) no one has or just not to thrilled about them. And the square one on infomercials that is copper has not been talked about either (expensive also). One thing for sure will bring the Crock Pot!


I will look into the others that were mentioned also. Just in case the pots I have now don't work out I know the next option. Another reason why I think I will be and feel loss is I am use to cooking in a big kitchen and cooking big meals. Learn to downsize, lol.


Thank you all again
Dorrie

[Dorrie]

Have a electric kettle. I agree it is very handy. Had it since we got the pop up 22 years ago.

[Dorrie]

I totally forgot about the griddle. Have that also. No other way to cook pancakes and grill cheese sandwiches.

[Vince and Charlette]

Without a doubt, American eating and cooking habits are changing rapidly. It's getting harder to find MHs that come with ovens anymore. For my DW, it's a deal-breaker on a MH purchase.

[spock123]

Originally Posted by Vince and Charlette

Without a doubt, American eating and cooking habits are changing rapidly. It's getting harder to find MHs that come with ovens anymore. For my DW, it's a deal-breaker on a MH purchase.

I think I had rather have a microwave/convection over myself. We hardly ever use the oven in camper


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[spock123]

Dang I can't see, that should say microwave/convection oven


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[BandJCarm]

I cook outside almost exclusively. Use the oven to bake, rarely. Frying is Blackstone 17" griddle, powered by LP. Grilling is either on pellet smoker or small LP grill. Might use a pot to make a stew or something (but I haven't yet), but that goes on the NuWave plugged in outside.

Microwave inside, of course. And might cook something on stove inside if it's raining.

[Dorrie]

We are bringing a toaster oven. Only use the oven for big things that will not fit in oven. Only thing I use a microwave for is warming up leftover pizza and Chinese food, lol
Will try to cook outside as much as we can. I would think a electric grill will be better than the two other types, gas and charcoal. BUT how does the electric cook? Meaning taste and cooking food.

[rracer5]

Originally Posted by Dorrie

We are bringing a toaster oven. Only use the oven for big things that will not fit in oven. Only thing I use a microwave for is warming up leftover pizza and Chinese food, lol
Will try to cook outside as much as we can. I would think a electric grill will be better than the two other types, gas and charcoal. BUT how does the electric cook? Meaning taste and cooking food.

Don't forget the pizza stone for inside the oven. DW makes cakes, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, pizza etc. in the oven. I do complete roasted chicken on a cookie sheet on the WeberQ grill as well as the usual burgers, chicken breast, steaks, sausage etc.

The thing you have to watch for with an electric grill is, unless you run a heavy extension cord directly to the power pedestal, you will be pulling power from the 5'er if you plug it into the outside plug.

[BlissHunters]

Originally Posted by Jean 7752

I cook in a solar oven as much as possible - at least a few times a week and possibly daily to heat up left-overs. I can roast a 3 1/2 # chicken with potatoes and carrots to a beautiful golden brown, meat falling from the bone, in 2 1/2 hours in the summer. (In winter, I'd cut all the pieces smaller and it would probably take a little longer.) Even though solar is slower, it takes no electricity or propane, the salient point for me, besides the fact that I've been solar cooking for decades (and am a Sun Oven distributor). I once lived off the grid and solar was my only way to cook for over a year. I only had three cold-food days (in Arizona).

Since I intend to do a lot of back country camping, I expect my solar oven to help me save lots of propane and battery, and help be stay longer.

For cookware, the best is dark-colored and lightweight. Because it's lightweight (and so is the oven - just 22 #), I'm happy to bring them all in the trailer, and the same cookware works in the regular oven and on the range.

Good post ty.
When we go ft we plan on boondocking as much as possible which is why before we pull out on our grand adventure we will install solar system.
I had thought about a Sun Oven being diabetic I bake whole grain sugar-free treats.
Have you baked in yours ?

Originally Posted by CampingGator

We use our cast iron when we camp. it's good on the gas stove as well as our Big Green Egg.

Weber Table top Grill recently got a basket to fit for grilling veggies. Low carb diet consists of salads, grilled meats & veggies. 3 years ago I was 100+ lbs. bigger.
Med Lodge cast iron skillet (iron intake).
Electric skillet bought @ Aldis works great in tt or plugged in outside. We have even cooked brown rice in. Heats up very quickly.
Set of nesting camping pots - very light weight hold over from tent camping. Really have to stand over because too thin but doubles as mixing/serving bowls.
Cook 3/4 evenings week gives us enough leftovers for the days we don't cook.
Considering 12V crockpot for the times we are traveling between campsites.
Anyone use one ?
More dishes, pots & pans greater chance that they'll be used ... I'll have to wash them.[emoji26]






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