Are you pimping your RV for a cross-country adventure? Are you trying to make sure all must-have gadgets and appliances are installed into your RV before you go on the road?
From multi-cookers, your favorite espresso machine, toaster, electric griller, I’m sure you’ll agree that an oven should be on top of your must-have RV kitchen’s list.
This post tells you everything you need to know about the super-useful oven, what type of oven you should buy for your family trip, and things you should remember when using the oven in your RV kitchen.
Types of Ovens
Different ovens exist, each with slightly varying functions. For example:
- Toaster ovens (used for browning/toasting bread, heating pizzas, and so on)
- Microwave ovens (used for reheating food, defrosting frozen meat)
- Rotisserie oven (cook meat evenly, some units can fit two whole chickens)
- Steam oven (used to steam veggies and other food)
Of course, there are gas ovens vs. electric ovens, which vary in the source of heat.
Then there’s a choice between conventional vs. convection ovens, both of which can either be gas or electric. Convection ovens look and work like the conventional oven, they can both bake, broil, toast, and so on, but convection ovens are designed with a fan inside that circulates heat for even cooking and lower power consumption.
The most commonly used type of oven for RVs are microwave ovens and convection ovens.
5 Reasons Your RV Kitchen Needs an Oven
- Helps anyone cook faster. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of traditional grilling, or you already have a stove in your RV. Having an oven means you’d be able to defrost food quickly, heat up anything in a jiffy, and cook a wide range of food even if you’re miles away from home.
- Consume less space and power. These space-saving, compact ovens not only save space in your small RV kitchen, but they also consume less power that you won’t have to worry about RV batteries draining while you cook. This is especially true if you go with a convection oven that cooks food at a lower temperature.
- Use it as a microwave or as an oven. If you’re worried that you need to buy two types of oven, go with a convection oven with two modes: microwave for heating, then oven for broiling, baking, and cooking anything from cookies to whole chickens. The trick here is to use the proper type of cookware depending on what mode you’re using the oven for.
- Never skip meals while on the road. You’d be surprised how many times you have to keep on schedule while you’re on the road. With an oven, you can pop frozen waffles or frozen burritos and breakfast will be done before you know it. You can drive while cooking your favorite steak, or baking cupcakes for your kids’ afternoon snack.
- Lessen food waste. Leftovers can now be stored in your RV ref or cooler, since you’d have the oven to reheat them the next day. You’ll be able to lessen food waste, and in turn, save money in the process.
Sold with the benefits of an RV oven? If you are, don’t just buy one yet. You must remember these 3 things when purchasing one for your RV, caravan, or motorhome.
3 Things to Know before Your Purchase Your RV Oven
These three things ensure you maximize the potential of an oven while on the road:
- Consider power consumption – Because every appliance you have in your RV can add up power consumption, you’d have to be really choosy which gadget or appliance you’d hook up. Consider buying ovens with low wattage (of around 500 watts). Of course, this won’t be an issue if you set-up solar power.
- Oven position is important. – Some RVs come with an oven built into the vehicle already. But if it isn’t, you may have to retro-fit one permanently. If you’re going to DIY this, make sure you consider adding a cradle to protect it from shocks and vibration.
- Customize its height and accessories. Make sure you can reach the oven (imagine how annoying it would be to have to tip-toe everytime you’ll place food into your oven). You should also think about the cookware you’d like to use with your own (and their storage). Pots and pans can be bulky, and we all know RVs have limited space, so choose wisely.
Having a reliable oven while you’re on the road is something many people fail to prepare for. If you’re someone who loves cooking from scratch, this shouldn’t be negotiable. Buy an oven suitable for your RV or caravan, and make food prep, reheating, baking, and cooking a part of your family’s road adventure.
