Discover the best campervan cooking equipment and van life kitchen essentials I use for easy, space-saving meals on the road.
I’ve been doing van life since 2016, and cooking awesome meals in my camper van (or now my adventure truck) is one of my favorite parts of van life. But now that I’m traveling full-time with my son, I’ve had to prioritize meals that are quick, convenient, and easy to clean up. With limited storage space in our rig, I can’t pack everything I’d like, so I’ve pared down our campervan cooking equipment to the essentials we use the most.
In this post, I’m sharing my favorite tried-and-true van life kitchen equipment essentials — the cookware, utensils, and gear that make cooking on the road simple and stress-free. Whether you’re outfitting a new build or upgrading your current setup, these van life cooking essentials will help you eat well without cluttering up your space.
Over the years, I’ve figured out what camper van cooking equipment is actually worth the space — and what we can live without. These are the major appliances I use the most in our van. Some people love having things like a toaster oven or an Omnia stovetop oven (if they cook with gas), but for our setup, this list covers everything we use to make cooking on the road easier.
Induction stove: While gas stoves are great for outdoor cooking, an induction stove makes cooking inside your camper van so much easier. There’s no setup required, no hauling ingredients outside, and cleanup is a breeze. Just note that you’ll need a powerful battery system and inverter to run it. I highly recommend avoiding a built-in propane stove — I had one in my first van, and it took up a lot of space, wasn’t the safest option, and was a huge hassle to clean.
Small air fryer: Apart from our stove, our air fryer is the appliance we use most. We have the Instant Pot Vortex Mini (2-quart capacity), and it’s the perfect size for a pack of tofu, which we eat regularly. I also use it for making sweet potato fries, roasting veggies, heating up leftovers, and even toasting bread.
Small Instant Pot pressure cooker: I bring the smallest size Instant Pot in our camper, and it’s a game-changer for quick, hands-off meals. It’s perfect for cooking rice, quinoa, beans, soups, lentils, and one-pot pasta. I love that I can set it and forget it — freeing me up to clean up, play outside with my son, or get some work done while dinner cooks.
Cookware: I use the Magma Nesting Induction Stainless Steel Cookware Set, and it’s been amazing. While this set is heavy, the handles are removable and the pots nest together to save space, and they’re super high quality (unlike most camp cookware). In my experience, the stainless steel holds up better than nonstick. I used to have the nonstick version and the coating got scratched on some bumpy roads.
Microwave: A microwave is definitely a luxury item, but now that we have one in our Rossmonster Baja Trail truck camper, I use it daily. It makes heating up leftovers, milk for my morning matcha, or late-night popcorn quick and easy. I survived eight years of van life without one, but if you have the space and power capacity, it’s a nice convenience to have.
Blender: We brought our big Vitamix, but honestly, it’s too bulky, heavy, and annoying to clean for van life. While I love it for smoothies and homemade hummus, a personal Ninja blender is a more practical choice. It’s compact, easier to clean, and you can eat or drink right out of the blender cup.
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Cooking Utensils
Below is a list of the cooking utensils I use most frequently in my camper. I recommend searching for a cooking utensil set that includes most of these items so you don’t have to buy everything separately. Look for food-grade silicone tools — they’re safe, heat-resistant, and easy to clean.
I keep things organized in my drawer with dividers so everything is always easy to find.
Want to make cooking on the road even easier? Download my free list of easy van life meals and must-have pantry staples. It’s packed with simple ideas and ingredients that make grocery shopping and meal planning a breeze — perfect for keeping your camper van kitchen stocked and stress-free.
Dinnerware
When it comes to dinnerware in our camper van, I like to avoid plastic as much as possible. Since we put effort into making good meals, it’s nice to enjoy them on normal-sized plates and bowls instead of tiny, flimsy camping dishes. Here are my recommendations:
4 plates: Even if you’re only traveling with two people, it’s helpful to have four plates so you’re not forced to wash dishes immediately — and you’ll be ready if you have guests. I like the heavy duty RTIC Anywhere Plate Set and lighterweight Hydro Flask stainless steel plates.
4 bowls: These Hydro Flask camp bowls are lightweight, durable, and big enough for a hearty bowl of soup, salad, or cereal.
Insulated mugs: Bring one per person. I use the Yeti Rambler mug — it keeps coffee and tea hot for hours and the lid is really easy to clean.
Extra cups: It’s nice to have a 1 or 2 extra lightweight cups on hand for drinking electrolytes, cold beverages after a hike, or a glass of wine by the campfire.
Silverware: I prefer using regular silverware over camping-specific utensils. It’s heavier, but it’s much nicer to eat with and makes meals feel a little more homey.
Coffee/Tea
Coffee and matcha are on our morning menu in our van. Here’s the van-friendly kitchen equipment we use to get our fix.
Kettle: A small electric kettle is perfect for quickly boiling water for coffee, tea, or instant meals.
Coffee maker (Aeropress): The Aeropress is small, compact, and makes a delicious cup of coffee. It’s also super easy to clean — once you’re done, you just plunge the grounds into the trash and give it a quick rinse. No messy wet grounds going down the drain.
Compact coffee grinder: We typically buy ground coffee since it’s easier, but if you prefer using whole beans, you’ll want a small hand-crank or electric coffee grinder.
Milk frother: I use a handheld milk frother to make creamy, frothy milk for my matcha. It’s lightweight, easy to store, and makes my morning drink feel like a treat.
Loose leaf tea steeper: If you like drinking loose leaf tea, a small tea steeper is a must. It barely takes up any space and makes it easy to enjoy high-quality tea without the waste of tea bags.
Using the Aeropress Go coffee maker in my camper van
Food Storage
When it comes to food storage in a camper van, saving space and keeping things organized is key. I like to use reusable, non-plastic options that are compact, durable, and easy to clean.
Collapsible silicone tupperware: Space is always at a premium in a camper van, and collapsible tupperware is a great solution. When you’re not using them, they flatten down and barely take up any room.
Stasher bags: Stasher bags are reusable, durable, and come in a variety of sizes. They’re perfect for packing to-go snacks for hikes, storing leftovers in the fridge, or even reheating food — they’re microwave-safe and can handle being put in boiling water. Wait until these go on sale though since they are pretty expensive!
Clean-Up
Keeping your van kitchen clean is much easier when you have the right tools. I like to keep things simple with quick-drying towels and compact cleaning gear that doesn’t take up much space.
Quick-dry towel or dish drying mat: When doing dishes, we place a quick dry towel on the counter to lay out the clean dishes off before we dry them.
Dish brush with soap in the handle: Makes washing dishes quick and easy without needing a separate soap bottle.
Eco-friendly dish soap: Using biodegradable, non-toxic soap helps protect the environment — especially when you’re draining grey water outdoors.
Final Thoughts
After years of part-time van life — and now traveling full-time with my son — I’ve learned that having the right kitchen setup can make or break your experience on the road. Keeping it simple, convenient, and easy to clean helps us spend less time dealing with dishes and more time soaking up the places we’re there to explore.
I hope this list of my favorite campervan cooking equipment and van life kitchen essentials helps you feel more confident in building out your own kitchen setup.
If you have any favorite kitchen gear you can’t live without, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
With two decades of hiking and seven years of van life under her belt, Kristen has dedicated her life to helping people experience the positive effects of nature. As a pioneer in the outdoor blogging space, she founded Bearfoot Theory in 2014 and has since authored more than 350 blog posts about outdoor travel, hiking, camping, and van life. Her work has been featured in National Geographic, Outside Magazine, and Backpacker, and when she’s not on the road, she lives in Park City, Utah with her partner Ryan, their son, and two adventure pups.
