Unless you’re a full-timer, chances are the cookware in your motorhome’s galley looks like mine – a few extras and mismatched odds and ends from garage sales and thrift stores. It’s tough to make a good meal with worn-out pans and dull knives, and I recently replaced some of those castoffs with cookware that makes cooking on the road a pleasure.
What makes great motorhome cookware? First, it has to be lightweight. All of us fight the battle of overloading our rigs. Cookware like cast-iron pans, while great for cooking, are simply too heavy to cart around in an RV. Second, mobile cookware should be multi-functional. You should be able to do more than one thing with the item to limit the number of cookware pieces. And finally, RV cookware should be easy to clean and maintain. Who wants to spend time scrubbing cookware when you could be hiking, kayaking, biking, or doing other fun things the RV lifestyle affords?
As editor of www.realfoodtraveler.com, I have the opportunity to field test a number of cookware items and here are a few I recommend for the motorhome galley:
1. IMUSA Dutch Oven
Nothing is easier than a one-pot meal and IMUSA, makers of reasonably priced ethnic cookware, produces an incredibly light Dutch oven (aka caldero). The 6.9-quart nonstick Dutch oven with lid is made of cast aluminum and weighs less than 4 pounds. It’s 100 percent oven safe (up to 535 degrees Fahrenheit), can be transferred from stove to oven and cleans up easily; www.imusausa.com
2. Argee Chop Keeper
These lightweight plastic chopping boards (three to a package) feature ½-inch sides to keep juices from dripping all over. In addition, Chop Keeper boards keep things where you put them so you’re not chasing onions, cherry tomatoes, or nuts, and keeps multiple foods from mixing on the board. The plastic is beefy and stands up to plenty of knife cuts; www.argeecorp.com
3. WearEver Pure Living Ceramic Cookware
Ceramic is the hottest trend in nonstick cookware because it’s incredibly durable, offers quick, nonstick release and it’s easy to clean. WearEver’s ceramic pans and baking sheets feature scratch- and stain-resistant hard ceramic coating over an aluminum core. The surface is free of carcinogenic chemicals like PFOA and cadmium; www.wearever.com
4. Edge of Belgravia Ceramic Knives
Pans aren’t the only cookware items incorporating new ceramic technology. Ceramic knives are super hard and durable and don’t require sharpening like traditional steel knives. The Edge of Belgravia ceramic knives have cool ergonomic handles that make cutting and chopping a breeze and they’ll stay sharp as a razor for years; www.edgeofbelgravia.com.au
5. WearEver Cast Lite
For those who love cast-iron pots and pans, WearEver has come out with Cast Lite nonstick cookware that’s durable and lightweight. Weighing in at about half the poundage of traditional cast iron, Cast Lite pans heat quickly, have great release without oil or butter, and put a good sear on foods. Best of all, they are guaranteed for life; www.wearever.com