The Simple Skoolie Kitchen!

There are several choices to make when setting up your Skoolie or Van Kitchen: “What's the best Oven for a Skoolie?” “What's the best Microwave for Vanlife?” “Do I need a Full Size Fridge?” The list goes on and on. You have to consider design, size, space, capacity, and quality, to say nothing of power requirements and functionality. - All of this while you're learning new skills, sorting out your budget, and trying to figure out how to cram your entire life into a Bluebird.

“How am I going to make a Full Kitchen fit into a Shortie, Shuttle, or even a Van?”

The answer?: “Keep It Simple.”

It's easy to get drawn in by all the videos of people with the massive solar arrays, top dollar appliances, and live-edge “everything”, but is that really what you need? What is the reality of living on The Road? Are you going to cook three full meals a day? Are you going to do a lot of baking? Are you going to keep shopping at Costco and stocking a freezer with food that will never again see the light of day?

Well... some people might, but most of us don't.

The intent of this Article is to show you how to make a simple and inexpensive, but fully functional Kitchen. You'll be able to cook or bake just about anything you want, without breaking the bank, or installing any Propane lines.

Many of us actually cook more often once we're on The Road, but we also tend to cook more simply. You'll likely find yourself gravitating toward “one dish meals”, more canned goods, and prepackaged items like yogurt and energy bars. A piece of fruit and a sandwich make a great lunch or dinner! The old classic PB&J might be your new best friend.

To each their own, of course. There is a lot to be said for having all the comforts of home, and for some folks, having a large Skoolie Kitchen is part of the dream. If you're a gourmet chef, a hardcore foodie, or just really love to cook, and you have the budget, by all means, go big! - There are some great choices for Full Ovens on our Cooking Page, and we list some very Road-Friendly full size Fridges on our Refigeration Page.

For a lot of people, however, space, simplicity, and expense are major factors, and if we're honest with ourselves, we're much more likely to “heat up” or “dine out” than we are to make an extravagant meal. Everyone loves the idea of having a big slide in stove, but how often are you actually going to use it? Once a week? Once a month? How often does what you're baking require the entire oven? Do you need 4 burners on top? Is it worth giving up all that counter and cabinet space, and installing a big Propane tank?

Again, if the answer is “Yes” it's all well and good, but what if you could have all the functionality of the slide-in, but keep the counter-tops open, and save hundreds of dollars on your Build?

The Simple Solution: - Portable Cooktops.

Especially true for Vanlifers and Shotie-Dwellers, but even in a Full Size Skoolie, it's all about multi use space. A permanently mounted Drop In Cooktop doesn't have to take up a lot of room, but it is still counter-space that you could use for something else when you're not cooking.

Portable Induction and Infrared Cooktops are actually much more efficient than gas and they tuck away into a drawer when not in use. We use the Induction Cooktop featured below. It boils water in about 2 minutes, and barely touches our Power Reserve. (We run the system featured in our Simple Solar Tutorial if you're curious about Power Requirements.) Take your pick between an Infrared or Induction Cooktop, and a Camp Stove that you can run from 1 pound Propane Bottles. (The one below will run on Butane as well.) - We actually have all three, but the Induction gets the most use.

Tech Tip: - Induction Cooktops work by magnetizing the pan and transferring heat directly to the food. They're slightly more efficient than Infrared, but do require Stainless Steel or Cast Iron cookware. (Click the image for a set we recommend.) - If you're in love with your existing Ceramic or Aluminum pots and pans you'll want an Infrared Cooker to use with those.

“Yes, but what about baking? I live on frozen pizza and love to make cookies!”

The Simple Solution: - Camp Chef Oven

Technically speaking, you could accomplish all of your cooking with a Camp Chef Oven and a Microwave. If you rarely cook and you're very limited on space, this might be a way to go, but even then, you should consider that the cost of Propane will add up. We strongly suggest the Electric Cooktops because, even with a moderate Solar Setup, your Electricity is essentially “free”. One pound Propane bottles are not. - Still, this unit will allow you to bake brownies outside, or bacon and eggs on the beach!

At 24” by 18” by 31” tall, The Camp Chef Oven is designed to tuck away quite nicely in a lower cabinet. The inside of the oven is 16” wide by 10” deep and 8.5” high, so you won't be cooking a Turkey and you might have to cut the pizza in half, but you could roast a chicken, and it will fit a small cookie sheet, muffin tray, or bread pans.

“So what about heating up leftovers or making popcorn?”

The Simple Solution: - 700 watt Microwave

Yes, you can have a microwave in a Skoolie or Van! Since it runs on 120 volts you'll need to switch on the Inverter, but 2-3 minutes of this will use less power than 30 seconds of a hair dryer. We bought one small enough to fit in an upper cabinet and mounted it with a little Velcro. It will fit a full size dinner plate, and it “cooks” in just about the same amount of time as the larger (1000 watt) Microwave that we used to have in our house.

One of the toughest areas to come to grips with is Refrigeration and Food Storage. You want a full size fridge, but it takes up a lot of space and draws a fair amount of Power.

The Simple Solution: - 12 volt Cooler or “Chest Style” Fridge

Many of us grew up with a great big Refrigerator full of food that we rarely ate. If you look in your fridge right now you'll probably find condiments and salad dressing that expired months ago, and likely things in Tupperware or tinfoil that you don't even remember. How many people do you know that have a fridge stuffed full of groceries, and a trash can full of empty Taco Bell wrappers. We've been conditioned to think that having a lot of food on hand represents “security”, and while there is some truth to that, refrigerating items that you're not going to use is a waste of money and energy. - Stock up on canned goods and eat more fruit.

The 12 volt Chest Refrigerators are much more efficient than a stand up 120 volt unit, and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much they hold. You'll have to get use to stacking things and digging through, but a tighter packed fridge uses less energy, and since warm air rises, it takes less to keep it cool. Here are a couple of our favorites (slightly different sizes) and a Dual Zone 12v Fridge for those that want a freezer.

From The Driver's Seat: - Most of these 12v Refrigerators can also be set to use as a Freezer. If you have a larger family, buy 2 and dedicate one for each.

The Ultimate Simple Solution: - A Fully Functional Kitchen with just 3 - 4 Appliances.

To recap and clarify: If you're tight on space, or just don't want the hassle and expense of setting up a big kitchen that you rarely use, we recommend an Induction/Infrared Cooktop, 700 watt Microwave, and a 12v Chest Refrigerator. These will actually meet most of your cooking and food storage needs, and are pretty light on Power use. We'd add a Single Burner Camp Stove for a backup, or, if you Like to bake, a Camp Chef Oven, instead. (Bacon and eggs on the beach!)

Freedom is closer than you think.