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Topic: Kitchen starter kit for newbies

User 252594

18/8/2013 at 3:22pm
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Hello. We have done a couple of short trips in the family tent we bought 2 years ago but we have taken the plunge and booked a week-long trip in September.

Up to now we have travelled very lightweight in the cookery department with a small single burner propane stove, a bucket windbreak/washing up bowl and a picnic set.

What kitchen equipment should we get?? What do we need as essentials, as opposed to luxury?? I am boggled by the amount of stuff available and the prices!

We have a small bucket BBQ which we were planning to take, but we think that we will also need to invest in a 2 burner stove with a grill as a minimum (the grill will be very important for our fussy eater). The Campingaz Camping Chef seems popular/good but should we go with old model plus carry case or the new model with integral hard case (but small grill?). Any tips on windbreaks and stands etc? Is low level cooking better or worse with small children around? I would be worried a toddler might tip a kitchen stand?

Based on what our fussy eater eats (lots of frozen potato waffles), I am not sure that we can avoid a powered cool box..... or can we? If we go for the powered then we have to learn all about electrical hook up so any tips there would be good!

Lastly a folding table - we have seen versions where it is possible to have them set quite low so that we can sit on cushions on the ground instead of putting young kids on stools.

Thanks in advance to all you knowledgeable people!
F

melmel74

18/8/2013 at 6:20pm
Location: Essex
Outfit: Croyde 6 Bude 4 Vango Zeal Klondike

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Hello am sure that plenty of others on the site will give you some great advice but here is what we take for a family of 4 (kids are 8 & 6):

Single burner suitcase style stove (as gas is lightweight and cheap)
Cobb cooker (invested in this after several tries with various gas burners. Don't like the idea of lots of gas around and the Cobb is a pleasure to cook on and gives a good choice of options for meals - loads of info on here about the Cobb. I know this may be seen as a luxury item but we spent so much testing various gas things I wish I had just got this first)
Kettle
Outwell stacking saucepan set (all goes inside each other in small bag)
Seasoning - decided this makes a HUGE difference - salt, pepper smoked paprika and Chinese 5 spice
Roll up cutlery thing - got this for this season after being fed up with knives and forks all over the place
Cheap toasting rack thing from The Range which toasts really well on suitcase stove

Also have fussy kids - one really only eats meat and 3 veg esp roast dinners and pizza - hence the Cobb. Can do a full roast inc Yorkshires and various pizza type meals on that.

It seems a lot investing in kitchen equipment but unless you want a bbq every day it can make all the difference on a longer trip if you can vary your food. Plus once you have it can eat out at beach etc an cook in garden far more!

Good luck with your search.

-------------
2015 April: Polstead, Suffolk. May: Two Acres, Ely. Waveney River Centre and Whitehall Farm, Norfolk. Aug: Howstean Gorge / The Quiet Site / Fron Farm / Cae Du / Trevayne Farm - BOOKED!

Trekkin Tekkie

18/8/2013 at 7:58pm
Location: None Entered
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We're a family of 5. We don't travel light. We almost always get electric hook-up.

We use:
2 burner hob and campingaz 907 bottle.
gas bbq with propane bottle.
1000w electric kettle
"George Foreman" style electric grill.
Aldi electric coolbox.

As said above, see the trillions of Cobb threads. We have one but don't use it. Gas is so much easier.

In terms of pots and pans etc the pans are not camping specific type, but perhaps just cheapo versions of what we use at home. Ditto cutlery.

Table and chairs: I like to sit at a table as we do at home, so it's a full-height affair. When the little ones were little we used a high chair (Kampa) or at one point the car seat sufficed.

I think with the right equipment and sensible precautions high level cooking is safer than doing it on the floor. Also a lot more comfortable for the chef.

I can't be doing with living on the floor whilst camping, so the hob and some work surface space too is normal height. We use an Outwell kitchen unit thingy.

Fridges / freezers: a freezer is going to set you back a few hundred quid. An effective fridge will also set you back a bob or two. An electric cool box is cheaper but not so effective in warm weather...

In the end, like everyone else, you'll work out what works for you after a few trips, and possibly having made a mistake or two along the way.

TT

User 252594

18/8/2013 at 9:21pm
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Thanks so much for your replies!

The Cobb sounds very interesting indeed - given that baked potatoes and pizza (along with potato waffles) are some of the few approved foods this could be worth a look for us - despite the expense......

Gloucester

18/8/2013 at 10:30pm
Location: Gloucestershire
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Baked potatoes, pizza & waffles can all be done in a halogen oven? £30 and we use it daily at home too :)

-------------
2014
Far Peak & Whitemead- April
Whitemead & Ord House - May
Top Barn - June
Mill Farm - July

2015
Rowlestone Court Farm - May
Bosworth Water Park & Whitemead Forest Park - July

User 252594

20/8/2013 at 9:44pm
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Halogen oven sounds interesting but we have managed to book a site with no ELU!! Looks like we will be heading down the Cobb route plus a toasting rack for the single gas burner!

User 252594

07/9/2013 at 8:55am
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Thanks to everyone who replied.
In the end we added a Cobb, a sunncamp coolbag with stand and a toasting rack plus some led lanterns (99p shop impulse buy which were amazing!)to our kit. Our table was a square of mdf from the shed.propped on bricks from the fire pits on site! It all worked well but the car was rammed so we will have to slim down our cllthes and toys packing next time! We are very.impressed with the cobb and found that it made better toast with our folding rack compared to the gas stove!

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