When you’re gearing out a welfare van’s kitchen, you need to make do with a very compact space. There isn’t much room that you can work with, which means that you have to be smart about the appliances that you put in there.
In this blog post, let’s take a look at some of the best appliances for functional van kitchen that you can choose to make the most out of your off-road cooking experiences.
1. Portable Stove/Hob
A campervan stove top is one of the most important things that you need to include in your welfare van kitchen. Not specifically a stove top, per se, as much as an appliance that you can reliably use for cooking or heating purposes. This can also be a hob or a large oven + stove combo, etc.
In most cases, a stove or hob is where you start off a cooking experience. You can make do without a lot of other typical kitchen appliances when you’re out on the road but a stove/hob is not one of those.
Depending on the size of your van as well as the budget that you’re looking to spend on this, there are different types of products that you can go for. We will talk about that in some detail before moving on.
Basic Stovetop/Hob
The “basic stovetop/hob” is the name we’re giving to the cooking appliance that consists of just the top area i.e., the burners, without any additional attachments (oven, storage, etc.).
There are many benefits to getting a simple and compact stovetop for functional vans for kitchen. For one, they are light and easy to move around. They are also easier to clean and maintain – all of which are major upsides for appliances that you have to use in remote, makeshift settings.
The absence of extra attachments i.e., storage cabinets or oven, beneath the stovetop can be handy since you can just haul the stovetop on an existing counter or surface without worrying about creating a specific space for it.
There are two main categories that campervan stovetops can be divided into vis-à-vis the way they are powered/operated.
- Gas stoves/hobs
- Electric stoves/hobs
Depending on the exact size or type of the vehicle you’re working with (as well as the electricity or power set-up you have), one of these can be a better choice than the other.
Gas & Electrical Stoves/Hobs
Using gas stoves/hobs is common in vehicles like RVs and welfare vans, etc. They run off of propane tanks that are stored inside the vehicle.
There are different upsides and downsides to getting gas stoves/hobs. The main benefit is that they have fuel of their own and are not dependent on the electrical system of the vehicle. They are also reliable and can be used to cook just about anything that a normal home stove can be used for.
These upsides can be understood better in contrast with electrical stoves and hobs. Electrical stoves have to run off on electricity – which is typically generated by the vehicle’s solar powering system (bigger vehicles like RVs usually need to have this type of system for all the electrical appliances).
While this is beneficial in that there are no propane tanks – and their concomitant dangers – involved, it does mean that the stove becomes dependent on the already-burdened power system.
It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of both so that you get the best gas hob for campervan. You should get the type that is most suited to your particular vehicle.
Stove + Oven/Storage
If the space inside the van allows it, it can be worth it to bring a whole stove unit inside there. A stove unit, as we’re calling it, is basically a stovetop joined with a downstairs oven/cabinet compartment.
Just as we categorized the stove tops and hobs into electric and gas ones, the same categorization applies here as well. You can find full-size stoves for welfare vans in both configurations.
The main benefit of using a bigger stove as compared to a smaller hob is that you get to enjoy more functionality with the oven. You can prepare a much more diverse range of food than you could with just some simple burners.
The downside, on the other hand, is that it takes up space and it can be a bit of a pain to move around.
2. Portable refrigerator
We did talk quite a bit about stoves and hobs above, but it is justified considering how important they are.
Another important appliance that you should never forget for your welfare van is a portable refrigerator.
Wherever there is food, there is a need for a fridge. Here are some of the main reasons that you should not skip getting a fridge for your welfare van kitchen.
Benefits
- A fridge in your welfare van can help your food go longer without getting spoilt.
- By letting you store groceries, a fridge can also make it possible for you to cook meals yourself whenever you feel like it…which is pretty much the purpose of a welfare van. Apart from this, the other option is to eat out – something which people want to avoid due to health and safety reasons.
- For the same reason cited in the point above, having a fridge can also mean saving money on the go. Buying raw foodstuff in bulk, storing them away in a fridge, and cooking meals as you go can help you save a lot of money.
How to buy the best fridge for your functional welfare kitchen?
If you want to make sure that you go right with your choice when buying a fridge:
- Buy a fridge that has the capacity you need. It’s not much use buying one that does not provide you with the space that you require while you’re out and away.
- Along with getting the capacity that you need; you should also look at the size of the appliance itself. Your fridge should neither be so small as to constrict the space inside nor should be so big as to not fit inside the van.
- The wattage and power requirements are also something that you have to keep an eye out for when buying a fridge for your welfare van. You should get one that can comfortably and easily run on the setup that you’ve created.
You have to create and follow criteria like these if you want to get your hands on the best appliances for functional van kitchen.
3. Coffee Maker
Compared to the somewhat wide usage/purpose that stoves and fridges serve, it can sound a bit specific when we talk about coffee makers now.
Having a coffee maker in your van kitchen can be a great idea. It can help make your breakfast complete and also let you get a cup whenever you feel like it during the day. Making coffee without a maker can be a bit of a hassle on its own but even more so when it has to be done in a van kitchen.
A coffee maker saves you from that hassle.
When it comes to choosing one for your kitchen, you can actually follow the same pointers that we mentioned for fridges above. Make sure that the coffee maker you pick has the capacity you need, is decent sized for your kitchen, and has a suitable power consumption, etc.
4. Storage
When we mention “storage” as one of the best appliances for functional van kitchen, we mean storage units and spaces that you can install in and around the kitchen area.
You can never have enough storage in a welfare van. There is always a need to store things – especially in the kitchen. It can be anything from utensils and cutlery, etc., to food and drink.
Here are some storage appliance ideas that you can try out for your functional van kitchen.
- Shelves: Installing shelves in the kitchen area is a smart way to increase the overall storage space while keeping things tidy and compact. You can line the shelves up against the walls to keep them unobstructive, and they can be handy spaces for you to keep the kitchen items.
- Overhead cabinets: Along with shelves, overhead cabinets are also one of the best appliances for van kitchen that you can get (in terms of storage). Cabinets are just as handy as shelves except that they keep the stored items secure and in place.
- Hooks and knife strips: Small items like cups, spoons and knives can annoyingly take up space when they don’t have their own dedicated storage. You can install things like spoon/cup hooks and magnetic knife strips to give these items a place of their own.
Best Appliances for Functional Van Kitchen | Final Thoughts
While there is a lot of other stuff that you can get for your functional van kitchen, the ones we’ve discussed above are pretty much the most important. If you are thinking about setting a kitchen up, make sure you have a nice hob, fridge, coffee maker, and storage spaces all ready.