A virtual cooking class on wheels, the RV Cooking Show takes viewers on adventures to some of the most sought-after or interesting but little known RV locales then creates a healthy, easy destination-related RV recipe in host Evanne Schmarder's RV kitchen. Tune in to our RV TV...it's always delicious!

Friday, April 3, 2009

Top 10 RV Kitchen Storage Solutions


Guest contributor Kay Hasty

As a longtime fulltime RVer (12 years), I’ve found that organization in the RV kitchen is key to easy meal preparation as well as very helpful in keeping everything in its place and a snap to find. It also makes RV cooking fun! Over the years I’ve collected a wide variety of plastic containers – mostly rectangular – to store pasta, rice, sugar – even cereal. In my experience, the rectangular containers store in cabinets more efficiently than round containers do.

In this RV Cooking Show blog entry I thought I’d share with you my “top 10” RV kitchen storage solutions, tips and tricks:

1. Sugar and flour stores really well in plastic rectangular containers. I like the Tucker brand found at The Container Store.





2. My spaghetti is kept in a round Rubbermaid container with a lid that actually measures servings. I keep it in the pull-out rack of my pantry.


3. Tupperware comes in many shapes and sizes and seems to last forever. I’m still using some very old Tupperware containers for dry food storage.

4. Wal-Mart sells containers that are specifically designed for storing dry cereal. Having had ants sneak into cereal boxes prompted this choice. Have you had THAT RV experience yet?

5. Another Container Store find was a multi-sectioned plastic box. I keep various types of crackers in this box. This container, accompanied by a dip, transports nicely to an outdoor neighborhood “happy hour”.

6. While I have several spice racks I just don’t seem to have enough spice rack storage space. I use plastic baskets (rectangular, of course!) for storing additional spices. The height of the basket sides helps me quickly identify and locate what I’m looking for.

7. One basket that I use is just the right size for storing all my kitchen wraps and bags. Love that!




8. Many RV kitchen cabinets are tall inside and there is so much wasted space. I use rubber-covered metal shelves with legs and secure them inside the cabinets to provide extra, usable shelving for pots and pans, dishware, etc.

9. When I put a food product into a container I snip the directions off the box and tape it to the top of the container.




10. I label the visible front of my containers according to its contents using a piece of masking tape and a black Sharpie marker.

I’m amazed at how many utensils, gadgets, staples, herbs and spices, etc. I have found space for in my 5th wheel kitchen. Kitchen organization has been an on-going, fun project.

No matter how long I’ve been on the road I’m always on the lookout for new RV kitchen ideas. What do you do to take advantage of your galley space or to organize your cupboards? Share a comment below so everyone sitting around this “virtual campfire” can benefit from your experience!

See you on the road,

Kay

PS - Check out the RV Pots & Pans & Warm Tortellini Salad RV Cooking Show episode and peek inside Evanne's RV kitchen! She even has an RV Pots & Pans Checklist for you!

6 comments:

Becky said...

You're the QUEEN or orgainzation! Thanks for the great ideas. I'm going to use the spice basket idea for my kitchen, even though it's not in an RV!

Linda V. said...

Probably my biggest RV kitchen convenience is a thick wooden cutting board that exactly fits over one side of my double-bowl sink. It creates much-needed work space, since my counter area is so small, but still leaves one side of the sink open.

Linda V. said...

Another thing I thought of after watching Evanne's video showing her kitchen utensils...a good way to cushion pots and pans (especially non-stick which you don't want to scratch) is to simply put a paper plate inside each pan when another pan will set in it. You can cushion a lot of things this way - plates, bowls, etc. - by merely putting a paper plate between the items.

RVCookingShow - Evanne said...

Hi Linda V,

What a clever idea to use a paper plate between your pots and pans, dishes, etc. I'm going to give that a go next time we move about.

Thanks,

Evanne

RV Dealer said...

What idea sir..simply put a paper plate inside each pan when another pan will set in it. thank your suggestion

RV for sale

mainstreetsteamboat said...

One of the best and most versatile recipes I have ever gotten came from an RV magazine. It is called 6-can Soup.
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can Rotelle tomatoes
1 can canned chicken (Swanson)
2 cans chicken broth
(This could be re-labeled Chicken Tortilla Soup) Dump all ingredients in a sauce pan (don't drain cans) and heat. Serve with tortilla chips.

I adapt this recipe for a lot of things. Don't add the chicken broth and it becomes salsa.

If you have pre-cooked chicken, chop and eliminate the canned chicken.

Add cilantro, chopped onion and fresh tomatoes to the above ingredients.

We keep these canned ingredients in the cupboards at all times. We are never at a loss for a meal.

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