Shopping List: Kitchen Essentials

I purchased a few of these fun enamel mugs on a whim, and they quickly became our favorites. On slower mornings, we share coffee and tea before our day gets crazy.

Non-breakable drinking cups – preferably with a lid, as it controls spills and I worry less about bugs flying into the cups outside – we ended up using these insulated cups for water and for coffee/tea in the RV, sitting outside, and on travel days.

I like water bottles that have a hook or loop to hold on to, but also have a small spout to sip. There are many options and it is all about your personal preference, but this is sturdy and doesn’t leak.

Flatware – You may have an extra set laying around, but if you need to buy a set, pick what works for you. We picked up this black stainless steel set, which has held up well. I mostly selected it for its looks, rather than function, but have been very happy.

Non-breakable plates ​- While it’s tempting to use disposable products, you should have a good set of plates and bowls. We like these for the durability (and not blowing away) but I wish they could go in the microwave.

These bowls match the plates and are a good size for cereal, oatmeal, or soup. They stack well, although they do stick together a bit when wet.

I saw this recommended by someone else, and I think it’s perfect to save space and access places upright rather than stacked.

I love having color-coordinated storage containers that stack well in the fridge and cabinets.

Paper towel holder – It’s helpful to get items off the counter. We used this one and after a while it did fall off, as did many of our command hooks. This one gets good reviews and we will find sticky tape to re-apply it.

Tension rods to hold your refrigerator items in place. I think we’d use them more if we were taking shorter trips but our fridge is usually pretty packed. We have used these in cabinets to keep pantry items in place.

Silverware Caddy – we keep this on the counter (and in the kitchen sink when we’re driving) and keep our utensils, napkins, and salt/pepper in it. It’s nice not to take up our limited drawer space with silverware, and it’s also easy to move it outside to the picnic table.

Stackable pots & pans – I can’t say enough about these pots & pans. They don’t take up much space, they cook evenly, and they are so easy to clean. The main pot is a little small, but I also brought a stew pot from home for some larger chilis and soups which works out well for us.

A couple really good sharp knives (with sheath) – I grabbed a couple knives of different sizes from my home kitchen, but if you purchase some, just a few like this would be sufficient.

Tongs – we use tongs for so many things and have several pairs for indoor and outdoor cooking. We didn’t purchase these specifically, but I like these different sizes.

Oven mitts – I love the Ove’ glove as I feel like I have a better grip, and it can be used for outdoor cooking and managing the fire as well.

¼ sheet pan that fits your oven – we like this one as it has a lid that we can use to cover food when it’s sitting out and we can use it as a tray when needed.

Cooking utensils (silicon) are important, but you may want separate ones for outdoor cooking. A simple set like this would probably be fine, but you may want to supplement with your favorites from home.

We don’t eat a lot of pasta, but this strainer has come in handy for pasta, potatoes, and draining beans and fits nicely across our sink, and then tucks away to stack in our cabinet.

Drying rack – Usually, I put a towel down and we dry most of our dishes right away, but it is nice to have this drying rack for a few items. It flattens for easy storage.

Trash can and trash bags – our trash can goes inside a cabinet so I didn’t get one with a lid, but if you’re in a buggy area, you may worry about bugs without a lid. We haven’t had too much of a problem, but again, ours is inside a cabinet.

Collapsible wash basin – we leave this in one side of our sink and put all the dirty dishes in it, making it easier to clean. This could easily be used for other purposes as well.

As part of our first-aid, we keep this in the freezer at all times. You can use this hot or cold, but it’s nice and soft on a sore body.

Paper plates, bowls, cups, plastic utensils – When boondocking (without hookups) or on drive days, we tend to rely more on disposable products.

Don’t forget to grab a couple sponges or rags, your dish soap, and dish towels. After getting a bunch of all natural products, we ended up using Dawn since we used it in our black tanks as well.

Spices you typically use in normal recipes (don’t forget to include salt, pepper, and sugar).

We use our pizza cutter quite often for pizza, quesadillas, and sometimes sandwiches. It does take up space, so you could also just use a sharp knife.