Essential Caravan kitchen equipment 

Suggestion: Cut a sock and put on the bottom of your glass jars that are sitting close to each other, less chance of glass damage and less rattle. I agree about drinking from plastic. After two years you have developed certain habits that show what you actually use. It's true, newbies have to learn this so your video is most helpful. IF..you cook outside, an iron skillet is a must as it is usable inside and out. The OMNI stove top oven is very popular to bake in.

We have a set of tefal ingenio pans (special offer at Argos) that dont have attatched handles but come with a handle that securely clips to the pan. We also have set of knives with covers too. I don't like to cook in the van so we got an Outdoor Revolution induction hob that we use outside, it doesn't draw too much electric

I fell into the same trap, I’ve been a caravaner for a whole 3 months now and I bought all the lightweight products such as cutlery, plastic plates and mugs, and I soon realised I’d made a mistake so I replaced most of the stuff with house hold gear, and found it heck of a lot better. Thanks for the brilliant videos Dan they’ve been a tremendous help because I was totally green about our way of life, now my wife and me and our dog are looking forward to spring time so we can get out there again. Good luck and best wishes 👍

We collect our first caravn next week after many years under canvass. Your vids have helped us greatly with all the important aspects for starting out from tow ball prep, tyre pressures, nose weight etc.etc. most of which we had no idea! So thanks guys, really appreciate these 'tutorials' a lot :0)

Quite agree. We’ve been caravanning a long time now and what we use has also evolved over time. Carry normal equipment, but only the bare necessities, principally because of the weight. We also switched to “proper” cutlery, crockery and glasses and found, I think it’s called “Arcopol” dishes, which look and feel like real china, but will not break when dropped etc - a bit like oldstyle Pyrex china but much more upmarket!! I stuff our cushions into the upper lockers, before closing the door. This just gives added security to the locker contents, as we remember, all too vividly, the horror and mess of a caravan being caught by a strong side wind, whilst travelling downhill, not at any great speed I might add, and overturning. Actually looked at your video on WiFi connecting and found ourselves following your journey - think we’ve all been there and great that you’re trying to help newbies 😃

I've just discovered your videos after caravanning for a few years now. They are really informative, so please keep them coming! My only slight concern with this video is where you say that you stow your glass jars in the top lockers when towing. It is not the risk of them falling out that is the major problem, but the potential for altering your caravans centre of gravity too high. Heavier stuff should be lower down and near the axle(s) for safe towing. I stow all of mine in a collapsible box on the floor for this reason.

Hi dan, i find very usefull is a frying pan splatter platter, excellent if your cooker is close to wall or window etc as it saves spitting fat all over the place and makes cleaning a hell of alot easyer than constant useing up your kitchen roll.

Useful stuff. We also have the Coleman pan set that you have. The problem we have with ours is that we find it really dangerous trying to pour anything hot out of the pans with that removable handle as it just doesn't feel safe!

We've just brought our first caravan and this video was really useful as we were planning on buying plastic plates and cups but have now decided not to on your advice. These videos are really helpful Thankyou.

Don't be conned into buying an expensive caravan toaster, we looked at special "low wattage" ones at £30+ only to find the basic modes from tesco, argos etc are just the same 700 - 800 watts

great tips, I just find the multi no handle pot, a major pain. The handle doesn't stay on right, especially when you are trying to drain the saucepan. You get so far and the pan comes off the handle.

Another good vid, we have been caravanning for about 3 years and have replaced most of the kitchen equipment we started out with. I wish your vids were about when we got our first van. Our top tip is we store our wine glasses in a cardboard wine bottle carrier from Sainsburys. Keep up the good work.

I have stackable plastic boxes the type that have clips on the side for tea, coffee, sugar.. bit lighter... also we came from camping years ago and bought 'proper' cups and glasses .. but went back to our original plastic cups because it didn't have that 'holiday feel' we were so used to .. keep up the good work 👍

Hi, we have just bought a 1966 caravan. Never caravanned before. Your equipment start up guide was just what I needed so thank you.

I bought a couple of Muggis for storing cups and glasses securely. Brilliant! Not had a chip or breakage since. They’re made from recycled plastic and cost less than a tenner from on-line retailers.

Thank you for your great videos, We have just purchased our first caravan and have much to learn so brilliant to hear your comments.

This makes the point so well! Sorry you had to go through that. We do the same for camping but we do have plastic crockery well did. I am in my early 20s and been camping with my parents since I can remember - plastic plates are fab for kids but we are just about to donate them all and get at least Melanie.

We use a lot of stainless steel camp gear. Here's a few examples. MSR Alpine frying pan and stowaway saucepans, Stainless Eagle copper bottomed camp kettle and Wok from Norway (sold by Ray Mears), One small spun steel pan with folding handle, Zebra pot (14cm), tiny coffee grinder and a Stanley coffee press and Zebra stainless steel mugs. Most utensils are wood (some home made). We use bamboo plates which have held up well but bamboo mugs do not work well with hot liquids. We also now have a couple of titanium plates. This kit can is extremely strong, light and long lasting and some items can be used for tent camping and backpacking. Our Eriba Triton caravan is small so we have to go fairly light weight. We have a three burner hob in the van but we tend to cook outside or in the awning using a Cadac cook2cook stove. You have come to the same conclusions as us as far as kitchen gear is concerned.....keep it simple....and as light as possible.

Thank you very much for you great videos, My wife and I have been caravaning for about 1.5 years tho we've been in tents for about 22 years, ive been watching videos about caravaning but they either tell of the spec or they are Americans in their trailers but thanks to "Carry on caravaning" we found you "The Trudgians" great videos, great craic, and in a van and campsites similar to over here in Northern Ireland, keep the great work up, Thank you again,

Great tips Dan, i think our 2 most useful kitchen/cooking items are our electric hot plate (Caravan specific) that we use to cook in the awning when it's to cold or wet to use the cadac outside, & our hob top steamer which is great for cooking 3 types of veg on 1 gas ring. I like the stove top coffee percolator. If/when we get our new van i think we'll have a sort out as we've got loads of old/unused stuff. Regards Jon

picking up 1dt ever caravan in 2 weeks. your videos are so helpful. thanks a lot.

We stopped using those double loop handle saucepans because it is impossible to pick the pan up with one hand in order to strain off water/liquid. In their favour though, they are easy to store. Zebra pots are great and I see you have the metal retaining clips rather than the plastic ones which were supplied with my Zebra pot. We use a conventional frying pan with a lid and a couple of MSR Alpine Stowaway stainless steel pans with folding handles plus the Zebra. Totally agree with your chosen utensils. Melamine plates & dishes are now generally considered to be unhealthy it seems (as is aluminium). Having said that we are still here after over 40 years of camping/caravanning. We purchased cheap stainless steel plates from The Range last year. They are OK..ish. They did get very hot when hot food was served on them and they slid about on the table.They didn't do the cutlery any good either. We have now bought eco friendly bamboo plates and mugs. Check out the kit by Strider (on eBay and in some camp shops). Glasses - should always be glass. We found stainless steel coffee tea & sugar containers with good seals to be lighter than glass and unbreakable. So in general we arrive at the same conclusions as yourselves after 20 years of caravanning. Enjoyed the video.

Hi Dan. The only caravan specific item we have is a low wattage kettle. Our crockery is Corelle glassware which is incredibly light and very strong. Ours mugs are white Luminarc glass mugs which are designed to be stackable.

So many mentions of a Cadak. No idea what that is.

Totally agree,beer and wine in plastic glasses is just wrong!

Thanks for the videos our only problem is limited weight allowance for items in the caravan so we can’t use normal crockery etc. Maybe if we buy a different tow car in future but until then we have to travel super light !

Brilliant video, very helpful for us first time caravan owners. I'm glad I found your vid before going out buying stuff. 👍 cheers

We came across your video and my wife has been and purchased the coffee percolator today from Lakeland. Keep up the good work we really enjoy watching your videos🙂

My 2c worth. Put Chucks Wipes between the pots and between stacked plates to stop them scratching. Get a kettle that allows the handle to fold down and store it wrapped in a tea towel. Anything that moves or rattles will rub. Anything that rubs, scratches. Can koozies (stubby coolers) easily protect drinking glasses, and small bottles.

HI guys, i am very new to your channel and very new to Caravanning having just purchased out van, we have been camping for years so do have quite a bit of stuff but this video has changed my opinion. Thank you so much ill be watching so much more of your video xx

With our newly purchased Lunar caravan we've had to buy some of these things again. We got 16 piece cutlery set from the local Asda for £1.95. We're a bit loath to try normal crockery and glassware so we've bought a set of melamine tableware on Amazon for about £20 and a set of 4 plastic tumblers also on Amazon for just under £6. We were at a local caravan place yesterday and I would imagine that the stuff we've bought today would cost a LOT more from there. We might try some cheap crockery and glassware in the future but plastic is fine for us despite the disadvantages.

Thanks just bought our first caravan, and this was so helpful.

Both Ikea and The Range do a tempered glass ( similar to white Pyrex) crockery. They are similar to Corelle, often advertised in the caravan/motorhome magazines but MUCH cheaper. They are lighter than normal crockery and very hard to break.

You have gone through the exact same process we did. We do not hook up at all as wild campers and we have two extra bits of kit, first we have a thermal slow cooker. Works just like your pot except it is still warm on arrival, second we have a teapot not a coffee perc. as we are both tea gennies :-) Oh yes and a proper glass for the dram is essential ;-)

Visiting nec next Saturday as newby to buy caravan crockery. Thanks for the advice. Just saved unnecessary cost.

Excellent Mr T! Agree with ALL of that - I'd rather drink cheap wine out of a glass than fine champagne out of plastic. And no, I've not broken any of my mugs or glasses either. My only messge to newbies is that while a Cadac is great for families/couples/carnivores, they're not really worth it for solo/couple veggies or vegans. I only say that as you have a lot of Cadac stuff and some people might think they have to have one. I ditched my barbecue very quickly!

Yes thank you so much... enjoy your videos best Mike

Great video Dan, been there with the plastic rubbish and the cheapo utensils, i think everyone starting out buys everything bar the kitchen sink, we found that in the van you only need a fraction of the gear that you would have at home, i have been looking for a coffe pot like yours for ages, ended up with a tiny pot that holds around a two thimbles full, Thanks jim.

It does depend on what you are towing with. I have two cars one fairly modern that I use everyday and one small classic. Stating the obvious my modern car yes it it was just for that I could use normal everyday household stuff but my small classic car i am afraid I do have to buy lightweight kitchen equipment. Tip though if you buy melomine cups and plates rather than plastic they lean more towards crockery. I have never had any problems with drinking and eating from them but then again i do a different type of caravanning...mine is a step up from camping with a tent. As I have a retro T@B 320 RS and how it behind a 1964 Morris Minor 1098 As Well as my everyday 2007 Peugoet 206 HDI.

A lot of metal stuff, you can get some of those items in silicone, lighter. Also when stacking pans use kitchen paper between them, the amount of movement and vibration when travelling is quite unbelievable in a van and non stick pans will scuff through if stacked over time. What many caravanners also dont realise is, using normal household cleaners on white plastic, ie washroom and toilet, degrades the plastic and makes it go brittle, use the natural product plant based cleaners for all white plastic in a caravan, I had a shower tray go brittle from using normal household stuff.

in a word, Ikea. Everything is cheap and strong enough to take a few knocks but if it gets broke then its cheap and easy to replace. Pans, Glasses, cuttlery, chopping boards, utensils etc.

I enjoyed your video and agree with you for the most part but what about weight restrictions for towing with your driving licence

Hi Dan, try Ikea for your plates and bowls. They have a range of those hybrid glass/porcelain sets like the more expensive ones that you can get from the camping shops.

We bought a ridge monkey sandwich toaster/frypan/omelette maker. I got the XL size. Brilliant.

Zebra Pot - how do you use it exactly please? at home - do you cook in the Zebra Pot or you cook in your usual pot and transfer to the Zebra Pot and then Transport? do you put that Zebra Pot into a fridge? when you reheat - dow do you do that? do you use it like some sort of pressure cooker when the lid is locked? or you open the lid and remove that small insert plate? thank you for interesting ideas. unfortunately too late for some items as I already bought lots of plastic plates and cups

Hi, big fan of the channel. Out of interest, do you keep your kitchen equipment in the caravan even while in storage or do you box it away sealed? Thanks

Just subscribed because after many years we are back caravan touring and WOW everything is different. Thanks for all the hints and help. I was just about to buy a set of knives in a woodblock but your knives are so much more secure.

Quick question: where did you get the metal clips for your Zebra billie can? They come supplied with plastic clips - no good for cooking or gas, or on a camp-fire, Ray Mears style.

Thanks for the video and the links to the products.

I don't mind the melamine plates but the cups and glasses have to be real ones. We love our Cadac and wouldn't be without it.

Hi Dan, what size is your Zebra pot ? Best regards Mike

Hello, can you tell us how you orginzed the Pott an Pan in your Caravan. We have an Major 6td. Greetings Front Germany

I use a metal basket to put my glassware in and store in the cupboard.

A "Sausage Barricade" is alway my technique :-)

Finally got round to watching this video, must share with HRH, we use cheap mugs from Asda, 85p and available individually, break/chip one and the local store will have one.

I have de thin white plates from Ikea. They are light weight and it's not plastic 😄 kost me €0,50 cents.

Recently started following you and have just brought out first van. Would love to know what size zebra pot you have and where you purchased it from? Great informative vlog again

Hi Dan, i think i know which Storage site you are on, do you know if they have any space's, preferably undercover as i would like to put our new van(hopefuly) somewhere else. Thanks Jon

You need to do a caravan tour

Hi but with a gross weight limits every gram counts ??

we dont have the same idea on buying LESS..egg rings? no way are they a priority! Boiling water- for tea or coffee, a saucepan will do fine!

Instead of using egg rings can cut a hole in a slice or f bread and use as an egg ring

Is it not a Big weight save to have plastic ?

Nice video again keep them coming, Have you done a video about the Cadac?

Good video, real world an Advise

So useful. Thank you

Can you please make a video showing use newbes to the caravan world how to set up once you arrive on a camp site. I ain't got a clue Please Please. Steph

fUlly agree on the switch from "camping" gear to regular kitchen stuff. Especially glasses. What's the point in travelling to your favourite vineyards around Europe and then drinking out of plastic?! Great tips, thanks

hi where did you get the red saucepans and the silver pot what you have curry's in I want to get them please

Thank you for sharing

Our caravan came with plastic crockery and it does us fine but I agree that you don't need the camping/caravan specific stuff. We have more crockery than we need so some of it might end up in our caravan. I use my travel mug so I don't bother with the plastic cups. We do have some normal cutlery. A cutlery tray is an absolute must. On our last trip out we had my partner's youngest granddaughter (4 years old) with us and using our normal pans wasn't a problem even though our caravan is only a 2 berth with an end kitchen. You just need to be very careful. All the places you've mentioned for buying stuff are good. We bought a 28cm frying pan from our local IKEA today for just £2.70 (www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/cookware/frying-pans-woks/kavalkad-frying-pan-black-art-60139320/) and is lightweight so it is perfect for the caravan. The caravan kettles seem to take forever to boil so we've got a normal kettle. We've always been on EHU but we have the gas hob type as well should we be without mains electricity.

Good vid keep them coming 👍😀

No plastic crockery in our caravan.

Empty Douwe Egberts Coffee Jars, Air Tight With All My Essentials In, from coffee, rice, sugar, herbs etc. I bought two identical stove top steamers but only cook on one base pan with 6 tiers therefore only using one gas ring on stove, potatoes in bottom, veg in tiers. I also bought two Tefal Induction Hobs using the sites electric rather my gas, plus an electric hot plate/griddle plate from Aldi which cooks my breakfast each morning and burgers/steak for dinner. I carry most of the items in the car including my new air awning keeping the balance excellent when towing, in plastic collapsible boxes which stack in car then fold down at site.

I love the Trudgians but this video is stating the bleeding obvious. Keep it up though.

This was one of the best buys we have for our van Collapsible plate drainer & tray, Brilliant bit of kit - www.amazon.co.uk/d/i48/Summit-666015-Pop-Dish-Drainer/B01CEMPVHI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494593489&sr=8-2&keywords=collapsible+dish+drainer+%26+Tray

Do ye have an only fans page?

best purchase i made for the caravan kitchen was the mrs....