What's In Your Kitchen Kit?

[BlessedMommy]

So, I'm looking to put together a travel kitchen kit. It would be super helpful for when we're out and about, or if we end up staying the night somewhere unexpectedly, etc.

 

I've already bought flexible cutting boards and a collapsible colander. What else would you recommend carrying with you? And what type of a box do you store it in? I would like something that could be locked up so that my kids wouldn't get into it.

[kareng]

I invested in some backpacking pans.  They are lighter weight and all fit inside each other so I could take them on an airplane in a suitcase.  About $75 or up to get the bigger size and good ones.  They have little holes in the lid so you can drain pasta without the colander.

 

Open Original Shared Link   

 

I also got these foil grill pans at Walmart in the summer.  They work well on  a grill.  My hub will turn down a few of the slits to let the grease out and hold them in place.  Some grills are so gross, who would want to use them anyway?

 

this isnt the exact one:

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

Dish Sponge and a dish towel in odd color so they stand out from the stuff that is there (I get a pink or purple sponge) 

 

Some plastic/silicone utensils for the pans.

 

Depends where you are going - some things you may not have to drag along - foil to cover cookie sheets, dish soap, paper towels

[IrishHeart]

and

 

I love my Koolatron cooler. 

 

Open Original Shared Link

[notme]

i used to drag everything, but now it's pretty much Lifestyles of the Unprepared:  ziplock bags, paper plates, tinfoil.  if i know i have something i'm planning to cook, i'll bring the appropriate stuff (hard to fake a colander - i have done it, but it's hard lolz)  maybe a little stainless steel pot or frying pan.  if i go to my friends or relatives house(s), i usually just take over the kitchen    and cook for everybody.  i have learned to forage pretty well (and fake it other times) i can usually scrounge up a knife from a hotel or whatever.  i do bring dish soap to wash before i use it.  i can pack pretty fast anymore (and it used to take me days before and agonizing over everything) you'll get good at it

[NatureChick]

I have a whole variety of cooler sizes. A cutting board is a MUST. I have a little one that is about 6 x 8 that fits into even my smallest cooler - love it. 

But I agree that for most circumstances, you don't need an entire kit so much as a couple of items to make life easier and you can always pilfer from your own kitchen for the day. I can imagine all sorts of scenarios that could require something different - metal spoons instead of plastic to serve or cut a food that would otherwise be gluten-free when you're at a family picnic or holiday gathering. Not much use in bringing a gluten-free pie if your hostess only has a plastic pie cutter. Or if you started dating someone who only has pans with non-stick coating and you want to make eggs for breakfast in bed for the two of you, you'd need a pan. Then again - don't date someone who only has non-stick pans in their kitchen - not a good sign. LOL.

But I think that finding ways to manage gluten-free out in the world is also partly a matter of confidence and practice in finding gluten-free foods where you would least expect them. Next time you go into a gas station convenience store, challenge yourself to find something that is gluten-free. Even in that barren zone of nothing but prepared foods, I can think of three items off the top of my head that are safe, and that is before I even look at the beverages. 

But I can imagine your kit being a must if you were going on any sort of vacation, in which case I agree that checking out camping gear is a great idea for space- and weight-saving designs. 

[BlessedMommy]

I remember finding KIND bars in a gas station! Yum!

[BlessedMommy]

So, I did finally put together a little kit for the van.

 

So far, I put the following items in: packets of Planter's Nuts, soy jerky, gluten-free crackers, a few GoPicnic meals, packets of Justin's peanut butter, some paper plates, some plastic forks, a small paring knife, some aluminum foil, 2 flexible cutting boards. 

 

I plan on grabbing a few items per week to restock the food as it is eaten. So far it is proving to be very convenient to have a road kit on hand! I will continue to revise and add items as I go. 

[1desperateladysaved]

I like my electric skillet and spatula.  I also have paper plates, cups, bowls, salt shaker, and napkins.  All but the skillet remains packed in my car so I don't have to repack for each trip.  One word to the wiser, though, Make sure to take the car that has the bin in it!

[SMRI]

I like my electric skillet and spatula.  I also have paper plates, cups, bowls, salt shaker, and napkins.  All but the skillet remains packed in my car so I don't have to repack for each trip.  One word to the wiser, though, Make sure to take the car that has the bin in it!

 

That is a great idea.  I'm at a hotel and I booked a suite with a "kitchenette"...which to me means a small 2 burner stove and a smaller full-sized fridge...nope microwave and dorm fridge....wish I had an electric skillet!!

[C-Girl]

That is a great idea.  I'm at a hotel and I booked a suite with a "kitchenette"...which to me means a small 2 burner stove and a smaller full-sized fridge...nope microwave and dorm fridge....wish I had an electric skillet!!

I have a rice cooker that is very similar to Open Original Shared Link and have been experimenting with using it for various meals. I can do a single-serving of rice, then put spinach in the steamer bin with some butter, crack an egg into the rice after it's done and mix in the spinach with some shredded cheese for an instant scramble.

 

I've boiled eggs in it - super easy! Add water, salt and eggs, in about 5 minutes it comes to a boil. Let it go 5 minutes then turn it off and let the eggs sit for 15 minutes. Done!

 

I've used it to cook potatoes - regular and sweet (diced), and to steam vegetables. It rocks.

[gilligan]

I have a small crockpot that I take everywhere.  I put frozen soups, stews, etc. in the cooler, and it makes for a very quick, almost ready made meal.

[bartfull]

I would think an electric skillet would be most versatile. You could boil water in it so rice and veggies and eggs would work. You can fry in it of course, and if you bring a spatula, a slotted spoon, and a regular spoon, you would have all the tools you need.

 

When I moved here ten years ago I came almost empty handed. I had a coffee maker, a frying pan, a knife, fork, spoon, and a spatula. I brought one coffee mug (good for coffee or whatever else I was drinking), one plate, a folding card table, a folding lawn chair, a blow-up air matress (the swimmy type), a pillow and a blanket. All the rest of the room in my Blazer was filled with clothes, family pictures, guitars and my harp, and of course the cat.  

 

I yard saled for furniture and it didn't take much time or money until my house looked like a home. Now I'M the one who needs to have a yard sale because I've got TOO much stuff!

[BlessedMommy]

I found something new for my kitchen kit! The store was having a clearance sale on a lot of cookware and I picked up a little mini enamel coated cast iron skillet for $4. It is very cute and small and fits easily into my kitchen kit. It's the perfect size for heating up a small can of chili or for cooking two eggs. 

 

We had a church campout this weekend where they provided breakfast. I did not eat any of the food there except the pure maple syrup. (I brought my own homemade waffles, peanut butter, applesauce, strawberries, and a couple of raw eggs to cook there) They had eggs at the breakfast, but their eggs were cooked on the same surface as pancakes.

 

So I asked to borrow a burner and cooked myself up a couple of eggs in my little pan. 

[rrmac]

I have a whole variety of cooler sizes. A cutting board is a MUST. I have a little one that is about 6 x 8 that fits into even my smallest cooler - love it. 

But I agree that for most circumstances, you don't need an entire kit so much as a couple of items to make life easier and you can always pilfer from your own kitchen for the day. I can imagine all sorts of scenarios that could require something different - metal spoons instead of plastic to serve or cut a food that would otherwise be gluten-free when you're at a family picnic or holiday gathering. Not much use in bringing a gluten-free pie if your hostess only has a plastic pie cutter. Or if you started dating someone who only has pans with non-stick coating and you want to make eggs for breakfast in bed for the two of you, you'd need a pan. Then again - don't date someone who only has non-stick pans in their kitchen - not a good sign. LOL.

But I think that finding ways to manage gluten-free out in the world is also partly a matter of confidence and practice in finding gluten-free foods where you would least expect them. Next time you go into a gas station convenience store, challenge yourself to find something that is gluten-free. Even in that barren zone of nothing but prepared foods, I can think of three items off the top of my head that are safe, and that is before I even look at the beverages. 

But I can imagine your kit being a must if you were going on any sort of vacation, in which case I agree that checking out camping gear is a great idea for space- and weight-saving designs. 

"Or if you started dating someone who only has pans with non-stick coating"

Nature

What is wrong with nonstick coating, does it contain gluten?

Diane

[BlessedMommy]

Nonstick coating easily gets scratched and any scratches can harbor gluten.

[cyclinglady]

Cast iron can harbor gluten too, but the good news is that they can be de-glutenized unlike non-stick coated pans). Just use dedicated pans for gluten-free eaters for either of these two types.