Cooking in Van what would you spec now?

Lenny HB said:
Induction hob is ideal no flames to blow out all the heat goes to the cooking pot.

At the moment we use a single gas burner outside but hopeless when it's windy even with a small windshield. It will be getting replaced with an induction hob in the next van, not got lithium in this van.
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Was so impressed with portable induction single hob ring...I converted the one in our apartment....it's like having gas again, instant heat control....
 
You need an Omelette Pan in your cooking armoury - perfect for omelettes / tortilla or use as two very light weight frying pans. Note they are half the Amazon price in the Mercado Central, in Valencia!

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As someone who is always on the move when out in the van, usually one night, three maximum ever, I think an oven and hob is an essential part of a self contained motorhome, its bult in and always available, having to get an air fryer and various bits of electrical hobs out, clean them up and put it all away again just doesn't appeal to me. However, its obvious from this thread though that lots do enjoy their induction hobs and air fryers and its worth the storage and any faffing involved so not knocking it, just not for me (y)

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When I built our van I installed Thetford gas oven/grill, two burner hob/sink and microwave. We use the microwave and the hob a lot the oven not so much, but it is useful when not on hook up. We eat out a lot of the time so rarely do any "proper cooking" the oven takes far too long to heat up so on a nice warm evening having the oven on for an hour just makes the van very uncomfortable. Not keen on BBQ but do carry a throw away for emergencies.
We don't have an Air fryer at home so not sure of it's advantages. We have not experienced any situation where we have gone hungry although if any one has read my blog and over 2000 of you have, we did end up with a pot noodle style meal for our 51 wedding anniversary because of bad weather, Im not sure an Air fryer would have been any help on that occasion.
So keeping an open mind but don't think we will be ditching the gas oven any time soon.
 
We think nothing of driving thousands of mile in a vehicle with gallons, or even litres, of petrol or diesel slopping around in a flimsy plastic tank, which is very prone to catching fire and exploding in the event of an accident. Or even, as I saw recently, someone smoking a cigarette while filling up at a petrol station. Yet there's this emotive thing about a sturdy gas tank being a bomb. If you're worried, turn the gas off while travelling. You can't do that to a petrol tank!
 
Our new Pilote was specced (by us) without an oven which the dealer seemed to think was a bit crazy, but for us made a lot of sense. I don't know how we'd survive without the additional drawer space. We have two internal gas rings.

I do all the cooking (at home as well as in the van). In the summer I cook outside, mainly on the Webber Baby BBQ or with the gas OOni Pizza oven which can be used for a lot more than just fantastic pizza. Both plug into the external gas point. I'm thinking of adding an external gas burner as well this year so I can boil rice or do veg while I BBQ.

In winter I use the pressure cooker on the hob, or still cook outside. I found the Webber can even do oven chips perfectly well and I've happily cooked steak and chips on it.
 
Previous van had oven, grill, microwave. This van has a two burner hob. We did a lot of thinking before changing. I can safely say we don’t miss them at all. I do all the cooking and we tend not to eat out. We do have a Remoska for when on hook up. When we did up the kitchen I decided to have an induction hob, again a lot of research as I preferred gas to electric because of the instant response and controllability of gas. Discovered some chefs were going over to induction. Installed a four ring induction hob, I love it. So I would welcome an induction hob in a van. if you had gas as well as induction, that takes up space, and need gas cylinder of some sort. Would need sufficient power or hook up. May be it depends on what sort of camping you prefer and what else you fitting in the van.
Don’t have an air fryer, so no experience. From what I have read I don’t think we would use one.
 
Not read through, this is our first van without an oven or grill, it has a used 4 times in as many years microwave, would be lost without my 2 essentials, remoska for when on hook up and cadac for gas outside. When we have the awning up use the remoska on a table in the corridor between it and the motorhome. Never stayed anywhere long enough to put up a kitchen tent, bit may in the future, will just use the quest with a side or 2 open.

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For the pair of us, outside cooking is not worth the effort. Grilling or barbecueing (cremating?) leaves greasy utensils and stuff that needs cleaning and putting away so you can travel the next day, unless you're onsite for a longer stay. Much quicker to cook inside the van in the normal way. We do have an outside gas point, which we have never used. But I know there are people who never cook inside the van, and also some who never use their own to toilet. We all have our different ways.
 
jumar said:
An Oven in a Motorhome, just how British is that,🤔
Preparing and cooking like you do back home, for goodness sake...the good lady is on holiday too.🥳
One pan cooking is simple, or if doing rice or pasta, two pan...but jumartoo can do it in one.
So my spec would be....double gas ring, single Induction. Add to this something suitable for cooking outside....Afterall isn't the van hot enough inside during the summer without ovens, preparing Sunday roast.... adjust to motorhome life, motorhome cooking...try something different, be adventurous, this is leisure experience...enjoy it..🤔🥳🥳🥳🥳👍🇪🇦
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Exactly the reply I would write, it's a holiday for both...2 Gas rings, 2 saucepans and one fry/Grill Pan....a small charcoal Grill for outside..all we need...
 
urban_biker said:
Our new Pilote was specced (by us) without an oven which the dealer seemed to think was a bit crazy, but for us made a lot of sense. I don't know how we'd survive without the additional drawer space. We have two internal gas rings.

I do all the cooking (at home as well as in the van). In the summer I cook outside, mainly on the Webber Baby BBQ or with the gas OOni Pizza oven which can be used for a lot more than just fantastic pizza. Both plug into the external gas point. I'm thinking of adding an external gas burner as well this year so I can boil rice or do veg while I BBQ.

In winter I use the pressure cooker on the hob, or still cook outside. I found the Webber can even do oven chips perfectly well and I've happily cooked steak and chips on it.
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Here in Germany they would think you are crazy by speccing in an oven, just 2/3 gas rings are the norm, although 2 gas and an induction ring are becoming more common..
 
urban_biker said:
I do all the cooking (at home as well as in the van). In the summer I cook outside, mainly on the Webber Baby BBQ or with the gas OOni Pizza oven which can be used for a lot more than just fantastic pizza. Both plug into the external gas point. I'm thinking of adding an external gas burner as well this year so I can boil rice or do veg while I BBQ.

In winter I use the pressure cooker on the hob, or still cook outside. I found the Webber can even do oven chips perfectly well and I've happily cooked steak and chips on it.
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I’m with you all the way there - cook outside whenever, wherever possible.

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The Napoleon has a grill above one burner and a plancha on the other, so a full English is easy - plus being used as an oven.

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Minxy I had a cheese and mushroom omelette today, browned to perfection:giggle:(y) I always brown my omelettes under the grill too. The grill in the van is just about up to the job and useless for owt else.

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Guigsy said:
If I were designing my own van, I'd go with diesel heating and lots of battery and solar for a compressor fridge. I'm not sure about cooking though. You wouldn't need a large gas bottle to run a hob. Maybe one induction, one gas?

We use the oven a fair amount. But it's often pizzas or ready meals. I think we could live without.
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Thanks for that comment. I think this is the way we’re going.
 
We currently have an oven and grill which we sometimes use but have not bothered to include one in the specification for our new van. Takes up storage space, heavy and not very good at cooking things properly. When on a hookup we will use a Remoska for jacket potatoes and heating pies, other times we can cope with pan cooking and eating out. When away from home we do things differently, it is part of the joy and liberation that comes with a motorhome.
 
Although an induction hob is a good idea and I will probably get one for the next van I wouldn't want to replace the gas hob. As you could be drawing over 100 amps out of the batteries if the betteries were getting a a bit low I'd be panicking over doing any cooking.

Not having an oven will get an air fryer probably one of the oven type ones.

Can't see the point of a microwave it a van, the one at home is an all singing dancing combi one, only really gets used for 1½ min a day warming the milk for the coffee, food never tastes right cooked in a microwave.
 
We use a duel induction hob and regularly get above 200 amp draw.
Having stated that we are not using it for an hour!
Induction is so much faster than gas especially in a van with low powered gas hobs.
We have 1500 watts at a touch of a button, no wind blowing the heat away.
 
Littlewheels said:
As a qualified Chef l have to advise you that a brown Omelette is a burnt Omelette,there should in fact be no colouring in the perfect Omelette. Of course l accept people have different tastes.
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nope thats the brown sauce

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Our last Hymer was bought as a nearly new in Germany, the first owner was a German bakery owner and had an oven fitted. We were not to impressed with the oven, so, on our current Hymer specified it WITHOUT an oven and saved £700.The remoska is favoured and with plenty of lithium have no worries about using it without hook up.
 
Westbarn1 said:
Our last Hymer was bought as a nearly new in Germany, the first owner was a German bakery owner and had an oven fitted. We were not to impressed with the oven, so, on our current Hymer specified it WITHOUT an oven and saved £700.The remoska is favoured and with plenty of lithium have no worries about using it without hook up.
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I have had a Remoska for a few years now, and because of all the good said about them, I really want to like it BUT its so bloody slow! 😭

Give me my Wok and Cast iron hot plate any day! 😄
 
L' Hobo said:
I have had a Remoska for a few years now, and because of all the good said about them, I really want to like it BUT its so bloody slow! 😭

Give me my Wok and Cast iron hot plate any day! 😄
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Not the best way to do a lovely gammon joint though, a Remoska is by far the best way for cooking joints of meat, they come out tender and tasty.
 
Minxy said:
Not the best way to do a lovely gammon joint though, a Remoska is by far the best way for cooking joints of meat, they come out tender and tasty.
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I can do a gammon joint in my Wok and not be frustrated by the aroma wafting around my van for hours! 😄
 
Happy with our 2 gas and 1 leccy ring. Gas great when no leccy.
I do see the benifit of a air fryer when on leccy.............if there are enough thingy's coming through to run it.

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