Pots, pans & paraphernalia..

[FredFlintstone]

Hello nice Cali folk,

Looking for a little bit of advice regarding pots, pans, kettle, plates, bowls, cutlery etc, etc?

So, we've pinched a few bits and pieces from our kitchen and from our old camping supplies, but just wanted to ask what you guys recommend? What works for you, if there's anything that's stackable, works with the cupboards, what you put in where, what brands and names you have gone for and why?

Any recommendations on non-stick, etc, etc.

Thanks very much

 

[andyinluton]

Tefal ingenio pans for us, the detachable handle makes them easy to store. Also plastic clip on lids available so can be used for storage of unfinished food in the fridge.

 

[NessL]

Hello nice Cali folk,

Looking for a little bit of advice regarding pots, pans, kettle, plates, bowls, cutlery etc, etc?

So, we've pinched a few bits and pieces from our kitchen and from our old camping supplies, but just wanted to ask what you guys recommend? What works for you, if there's anything that's stackable, works with the cupboards, what you put in where, what brands and names you have gone for and why?

Any recommendations on non-stick, etc, etc.

Thanks very much

Ridge monkey https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/ridgemonkey-toaster-granite-2. There’s quite a few posts on you tube about the many different things you can cook in it. We like it’s versatility - it stops any splashing when closed (but can also be used as two separates) and takes up very little room. We also have their bigger pan, but I wouldn’t buy this one again, for the opposite reasons.

As far as cupboard organisation goes, we also bought these https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/vw-california-t6-easy-fit-drawer-kit. Expensive, but has made use of the kitchen so much easier. No need to continually re-stack the cupboards. We did try the cheaper IKEA storage box solution first.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Ridgemonkey pans for us as lightweight, easy to clean & store. Combined with sea to summit x32 set.

Collapsible sea to summit containers with lids make good salad bowls & handy for storing left overs in the fridge.

For cutlery - cheap viners stainless steel set. Find that camping specific cutlery tends to be expensive and rubbish!

+ take a couple of sharp knives from the home kitchen.

Yeti mugs / tumblers for hot and cold drinks.

 

[wildslammer22]

Hello nice Cali folk,

Looking for a little bit of advice regarding pots, pans, kettle, plates, bowls, cutlery etc, etc?

So, we've pinched a few bits and pieces from our kitchen and from our old camping supplies, but just wanted to ask what you guys recommend? What works for you, if there's anything that's stackable, works with the cupboards, what you put in where, what brands and names you have gone for and why?

Any recommendations on non-stick, etc, etc.

Thanks very much

My advice is to think about what you are likely to be cooking in the van. Like many others I use a ridge monkey for versatility and compactness which covers most frying needs. If we are 'properly' cooking it tends to be outside on a BBQ/Cadac/Dutch oven. When forced to cook inside it’s generally boiling pasta/rice and warming up a sauce, for that collapsible cookware from Sea to Summit or outwell work perfectly and takes up very little precious storage space. I also use collapsible kettles, colanders, wash bowl etc for the same reason.

If you plan to cook more elaborate meals inside the van then investing in a good set of non stick pans make sense, there are plenty of stacking options with detachable handles to minimise storage space required. My advice would be to look at hiking centric brands like Sea to Summit, MSR, GSI etc as they tend to be lighter, more compact and better designed. You will pay a premium though!

Whatever you do I hope you enjoy the process, kitting out the van to meet your specific needs is all part of the fun of Cali ownership!

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Tefal ingenio pans for us, the detachable handle makes them easy to store. Also plastic clip on lids available so can be used for storage of unfinished food in the fridge.

Hello nice Cali folk,

Looking for a little bit of advice regarding pots, pans, kettle, plates, bowls, cutlery etc, etc?

So, we've pinched a few bits and pieces from our kitchen and from our old camping supplies, but just wanted to ask what you guys recommend? What works for you, if there's anything that's stackable, works with the cupboards, what you put in where, what brands and names you have gone for and why?

Any recommendations on non-stick, etc, etc.

Thanks very much

One consideration which we overlooked when we first had our van is what type of hob(s) will you use?
We bought a 2 ring Induction hob last year and of course, it didn’t work with aluminium saucepans. So if you are thinking of getting an induction hob in the future, it might be worth getting suitable pans at the outset as they will be ok on gas or induction.
FYI We got the induction hob so that when we’re on EHU we don’t need to use up our gas.

 

[dspuk]

These have been perfect for us and pack super small into a bag with screw on handles.

3 Piece Induction Pan Set

Outdoor Revolution’s new 3-piece Induction Pan Set is made from high quality aluminium body with a ferrous metal base so it is compatible with all electric induction hobs. This set can be used with any heat source including gas. The pan set has a non-stick coating for a better cooking and...

www.outdoor-revolution.com

Live everyone else we also have the trusty XL Ridge Monkey.

 

[The Tall Luthier]

Our right hand side cupboard is full of cutlery, pots pans and cleaning equipment. We put them in white box containers from IKEA, KUGGIS, they fit quite well.

Ridge Monkey frying pan, Collapsable pans for one-pot cooking. collapsable kettle. Travel mugs with lids over standard, metal cutlery over plastic/metal rubbish, plastic plates. CORKSCREW
Cadac Safari BBQ for cooking outside.

A plastic/canvas waterproof bag for putting dirty dishes in is soooooo much better than a collapsable bowl as it stores to nothing.

 

[montyburns1982]

I use cheap wheat straw cutlery from AliExpress, new Cali owner but been camping for years.

Cheap plastic camping crockery, ridgemonkey XXL and some cheap saucepans. Also got a 240v hot plate for use on hookup.

 

[Hawthorn37]

For cooking we use 2 things around 90% of the time. A Ridge Monkey deep pan with griddle lid, and the planche plate on the CampinGaz Party Grill 400. We also carry with us an Outwell frying pan (a bit thin and buckles when heated), a small Kampa collapsible non stick saucepan (for beans, or a few veg), and collapsible colander to wash and shake dry salad. Also a collapsible kettle (rarely used in favour of a small electric kettle).

Very recently we bought a Cadac covered pan (marketed as a paella pan), an impulse buy, but we‘ll see if that expands our campsite menu!

 

[yossarian]

Tefal ingenio pans for us, the detachable handle makes them easy to store. Also plastic clip on lids available so can be used for storage of unfinished food in the fridge.

The Tefal pots are available in stainless steel if that interests you.

 

[Corradobrit]

Moneta Etna Minispace pan set with detachable handle. Made in Italy and the finish matches the new Ridge Monkey design. Price has gone up a fair bit since I bought them but it does fluctuate. I paid around 58 euro shipped.

https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B083X6SFRY/

 

[Anthony1]

Ridge monkey https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/ridgemonkey-toaster-granite-2. There’s quite a few posts on you tube about the many different things you can cook in it. We like it’s versatility - it stops any splashing when closed (but can also be used as two separates) and takes up very little room. We also have their bigger pan, but I wouldn’t buy this one again, for the opposite reasons.

As far as cupboard organisation goes, we also bought these https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/vw-california-t6-easy-fit-drawer-kit. Expensive, but has made use of the kitchen so much easier. No need to continually re-stack the cupboards. We did try the cheaper IKEA storage box solution first.

We bought the drwaers for our T5, but told they won't fit. But someone on here showed by slightly filing down the look latch, it does fit. Well worth the high cost.

 

[ArunAlec]

Whatever pans you get make sure they are not too big! If I recall the manual gives maximum dimensions. If you use too wide a pan the flame is deflected and can do damage (normally melting the plastic bowl).
As with all “accessories“ I recommend not rushing out and buying anything until you’ve had a few trips away. ….. Apart from a RidgeMonkey! After trying various “camping toasters” the RidgeMonkey was the only thing that did half decent toast.

 

[Cali Phillip]

Tefal ingenio pans for us, the detachable handle makes them easy to store. Also plastic clip on lids available so can be used for storage of unfinished food in the fridge.

Second that, love ours they were a recommendation on here but do find they tend to slide on the hob if the vans not level.
With the cost of the 907 gas and hopefully sites moving to EHU by pay use, induction might be a good idea.

 

[Anthony1]

Whatever pans you get make sure they are not too big! If I recall the manual gives maximum dimensions. If you use too wide a pan the flame is deflected and can do damage (normally melting the plastic bowl).
As with all “accessories“ I recommend not rushing out and buying anything until you’ve had a few trips away. ….. Apart from a RidgeMonkey! After trying various “camping toasters” the RidgeMonkey was the only thing that did half decent toast.

Interesting. I bought a Ridge Money but my wife refuses to use it. She is a superb cook and can cook almost anything with our Ingenio pans. We have a toaster for EHU and this when not available and it make pretty reasonable toast.

 

[Cali Phillip]

Interesting. I bought a Ridge Money but my wife refuses to use it. She is a superb cook and can cook almost anything with our Ingenio pans. We have a toaster for EHU and this when not available and it make pretty reasonable toast.

View attachment 112133

Nice and simple toaster

 

[flying banana]

Magware cutlery. Pricey but brilliant. Magnet together to help prevent rattles. Also a fan of the tefal ingenio pans.ridgemonkey also but,falling out with the ridge monkey as they leak all over when flipping and the handles keep falling apart. Think I'm going to replace that with the ts grill

 

[Celia Vanchez]

Hello nice Cali folk,

Looking for a little bit of advice regarding pots, pans, kettle, plates, bowls, cutlery etc, etc?

So, we've pinched a few bits and pieces from our kitchen and from our old camping supplies, but just wanted to ask what you guys recommend? What works for you, if there's anything that's stackable, works with the cupboards, what you put in where, what brands and names you have gone for and why?

Any recommendations on non-stick, etc, etc.

Thanks very much

We’ve had our Coast for 17 months and kitchen utensils is an ongoing issue. We have gravitated to the Sea To Summit range of collapsible kit. Saves on space (key) but at the same time very functional

 

[chez786]

We have the Lidl version of the Tefal pans . They are great and way cheaper . Cadac . But this trip we took our new ninja speedi. On hook up why use your own gas . It was a game changer on hook ups in the uk

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Have considered taking our Ninja air fryer but it’s a bit bulky. We use a small induction hob when we’re on EHU rather than our gas hobs.

 

[dripster]

These have been perfect for us and pack super small into a bag with screw on handles.

3 Piece Induction Pan Set

Outdoor Revolution’s new 3-piece Induction Pan Set is made from high quality aluminium body with a ferrous metal base so it is compatible with all electric induction hobs. This set can be used with any heat source including gas. The pan set has a non-stick coating for a better cooking and...

www.outdoor-revolution.com

Live everyone else we also have the trusty XL Ridge Monkey.

Plus one for this pan set. Robust and packable, good sizes.

 

[Kayleigh]

Magware cutlery. Pricey but brilliant. Magnet together to help prevent rattles. Also a fan of the tefal ingenio pans.ridgemonkey also but,falling out with the ridge monkey as they leak all over when flipping and the handles keep falling apart. Think I'm going to replace that with the ts grill

View attachment 112139

That’s very organised

 

[Nick.C]

Hello nice Cali folk,

Looking for a little bit of advice regarding pots, pans, kettle, plates, bowls, cutlery etc, etc?

So, we've pinched a few bits and pieces from our kitchen and from our old camping supplies, but just wanted to ask what you guys recommend? What works for you, if there's anything that's stackable, works with the cupboards, what you put in where, what brands and names you have gone for and why?

Any recommendations on non-stick, etc, etc.

Thanks very much

We have got the GSI Bugaboo Base Camper Cook set. Very compact and stackable pans with detachable handle and seems to be really good quality

 

[flying banana]

That’s very organised

It is now. Amazing how much filth gathers in there