cooking equpment

marto1944 · Senior Member

cooking equpment

Happywanderer · The Master

I have one saucepan with lid and one fryingpan with lid, thats all I need as each can be used for all sorts of cooking. I have the van gas stove plus I carry a portable one that has those gas cannisters. Also have a whistling kettle, 5 dollars at a market. A pile of cooking utensils for any occasion. A plastic container that carries all my unbreakable dishes and good cutlery, and a few good china coffee mugs.
Can't think of anything else. Hope that helps and welcome.

marto1944 · Senior Member

Hi

thanks for you info it sounds like keeping it simple is the way to go

regards

peter

Nicholstones · Guru

We have the Tefal Ingenio sets of saucepans (3) and frypans (2). These come with a removable handle that can be attached to any in the set, and a removable lid handle. The saucepans also come with plastic sealing lids so you can cook something, then store it sealed in the fridge without having to put it into a separate storage container. Then just take off the plastic lid, whack on the handle and the proper lid and reheat. The entire set (frypans, saucepans and all lids) stacks up into a single neat pile, making them much more space efficient and convenient than normal saucepans. The cookware is quite good quality too.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

I have a heavy frypan which is ok to put on a campfire as well as the gas stove. Also a medium size saucepan for boiling water or cooking rice or pasta or vegs, or use as a mixing bowl if making meat-balls etc. But they dont fit neatly! I have taken others but ended up not using them.
As for crockery.. we threw out the melamine and plastic, and use corelle now. Its light, doesnt break easily and is nice to use. For wine-glasses we have small insulated steel mugs, keeps the wine cool and tastes ok. One thing I wouldnt be without is a good knife... hacking away with a blunt knife can blunt your sense of humour fast!
Good luck, and enjoy your travels Marto.

marto1944 · Senior Member

thank you all for the great ideas hopefully I will be better prepared now

peter

Rip and Rosie · Guru

Happywanderer wrote:
I have one saucepan with lid and one fryingpan with lid, thats all I need as each can be used for all sorts of cooking. I have the van gas stove plus I carry a portable one that has those gas cannisters........................ (snipped)

I'm like you Marj. One saucepan with a lid and a frying pan with a lid. I can do all I need with that and any available BBQ.

Like you I have the gas, plus a little butane stove. I also carry a little electric hotplate so that I can use 240 volt if in a CP (and save my gas).

Like Gerty, I hate blunt knives, and carry a good sharp kitchen knife and sharpener, and not to forget a decent chopping board.

I carry nice coffee mugs and 2 nice wine glasses (carefully).

I also carry a bowl which triples as a fruit bowl, salad bowl and mixing bowl as needed.

Happywanderer · The Master

I also have a small toaster oven which I bought for the occasions I might get power, but have only used here at home as the element has blown in the house oven, so it has come in handy.
It cost only a few dollars at Woollies last year.

Sheba · Guru

Been keeping an eye out for at Op-shops, and finally found last week, a Wide-mouthed Thermos Flask, to cook Rice in. Tried it out yesterday. Have only used Basmati so far, but it cooked nicely. Trying Brown Rice [ which I prefer] at the moment. Will let you know how that goes too.

Cheers,

Sheba.

Nicholstones · Guru

Sheba wrote:
Been keeping an eye out for at Op-shops, and finally found last week, a Wide-mouthed Thermos Flask, to cook Rice in. Tried it out yesterday. Have only used Basmati so far, but it cooked nicely. Trying Brown Rice [ which I prefer] at the moment. Will let you know how that goes too.
Cheers,
Sheba.

How does that work Sheba?

Rip and Rosie · Guru

You put one measure of rice in, add 2 measures of boiling water, close it all up, and about 20 to 30 minutes later, perfect rice.

Happywanderer · The Master

Also works for Risone and anyting else really small, like Polenta etc.

Sheba · Guru

Read somewhere that it doesn't work the same with Brown Rice, hence the test tonight. Didn't check the Basmati 'till about 3 hours. Still experimenting with Quantities at the moment. With the Basmati I put 1 cup rice, and filled up. It wouldn't take 3 cups of water, but still cooked really well.

Put 1/2 cup brown Rice, and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in this time,[about 3 hours ago]. Not cooked enough yet.

Cheers,

Sheba.

neilnruth · Guru

Sheba it might be better to have a bit more wtaer than you need to get it out of the thermos more easily. Easy enough to drain off the extra water.

Rip and Rosie · Guru

If you use a wide mouth thermos there is no issue with getting a spoon in.

I haven't used brown rice, but all sorts of white work with the 1 measure rice + 2 of water. I use that measure even if I'm using the gas/electric where I bring to the boil then ruduce heat to absolute min and add firm lid. In a thermos, the water has to be boiling and close it tight to keep the heat in.

If you look in and there's water still there, it's not cooked.

It comes out white and fluffy, ready to eat, no mess, no water to drain off.

Also, you can get it all ready and timing isn't important- it'll still be nice and hot for hours. Use some for lunch, close up, still hot at dinner time.

I got my wide mouth thermos from Kmart.

marto1944 · Senior Member

gee guys is there no end to what some people can do how good are you thanks for the great tips I will try the rice before I go

peter

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Rip and Rosie wrote:
You put one measure of rice in, add 2 measures of boiling water, close it all up, and about 20 to 30 minutes later, perfect rice.

Thank you Sheba and Rosie... I never thought of this. What a good idea!

Will be interested to hear how the brown rice turns out Sheba?

Happywanderer · The Master

I bought a wide mouthed thermos from the op shop thinking it would be great for rice and risone etc. Only to find it says on the bottom, not to put boiling water in it. Must only be for cold stuff, so will have to look for another one. I did buy one a while ago which works but its so small hardly worth the effort. So thats two I have now and not the right one.
Be careful when looking around to make sure you get a suitable one.

Sheba · Guru

Gerty Dancer wrote:
Rip and Rosie wrote:
You put one measure of rice in, add 2 measures of boiling water, close it all up, and about 20 to 30 minutes later, perfect rice.
Thank you Sheba and Rosie... I never thought of this. What a good idea!
Will be interested to hear how the brown rice turns out Sheba?

I can't take credit for it Gertie Dancer. Just trying what some-one else has posted. And they're right about the Brown Rice.

Shame, 'cause I prefer it, but it just doesn't cook like the White rice does, in the flask.

Cheers,

Sheba.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Thanks Sheba... I wont bother now as I prefer brown rice too.
Sorry to hijack your thread marto.

Sheba · Guru

Happywanderer wrote:

Be careful when looking around to make sure you get a suitable one.
These are two that I have found recently. The salt container is just for size comparison. I think the Thermos one makes the best rice.

Cheers,
Sheba.

-- Edited by Sheba on Tuesday 18th of September 2012 08:30:34 PM

Happywanderer · The Master

Thats what I need to look out for Sheba.

Sheba · Guru

Happywanderer wrote:
Thats what I need to look out for Sheba.

Forgot to say the Thermos was missing the Lid, but still cooks rice well.

Cheers,

Sheba.

sandsmere · Guru

Fry pan , baby Q , camp oven , dream pot . That about covers it for us . smile

clbn · Member

a thermomix , is very useful in a caravan 'not cheap' but well worth it , it cooks, blends, chops, steams, makes ice cream, juices, minces meat and much more and draws less power than a kettle.

pambaz · Senior Member

I have 1 large saucepan,

1 smaller and a frypan.

Turbo Oven,

electric hotplate ( for cooking smelly stuff outside),

largish boiler type pot for cooking soup and corn beef on the hotplate.

1 casserole dish that fits in the Turbo oven, I store this casserole dish inside the larger boiler pot with another teatowell cushioning it .

BBQ plate that fits on top of the gas bottle.

Thats it . We have a full stove and oven but rarely use the oven. We have had 2 long trips with just these and it works for us

Only have settings for 2 or how many people are in your van, make things double up for other purposes, but we really like our glass wine goblets so they are rolled in the clean teatowells (another way of doubling up) and I always take my favorite carving and chopping knives from home.

Make bowls do for all sorts of purposes like Rip and Rosie say and yes we always take a good thermos though I have never tried the rice cooking in it.

Do one trip and you will be surprised the stuff you DON"T use! Then take it out of the van.

Pam

Boothie · Senior Member

Two must haves for us is the dream pot and the Cobb Cooker. Couldn't do without them. Another essential is the old Jaffle Iron. Summer trips always require a 20 litre metal food grade drum, available from most bakeries, to cook up the feast of yabbies.(really does not take up much weight and great for boiling the water for the sponge bath when bush camping) Aluminium foil will also replace any saucepans etc and is a hell of a lot lighter to carry. An earthenware pot will also help when making damper or bread.