We recently completely remodeled our pop-up camper. In the process, we decided to take out the kitchen. In this post, I’m going to show you what we use to cook with when we camp since we took out the kitchen and what you can do if your pop-up doesn’t have one.
We decided to remodel our pop-up after discovering water damage, which you can find here. (We actually had plans to since we bought it but the water damage discovery was when the total rehaul happened.) We wanted an open concept living area and we are so happy we did it. If you want to see what we did, go to this post.
During the remodel, I decided to take out the kitchen sink. The first reason is that in order to close our camper up, you had to flip over the stove and sink. I noticed several times that the sink would leak. This was a huge annoyance for me. I also hated flipping the counter over to transport it. We lost so much space on the floor.
The picture above shows the stove and sink before we took them out. At first, I thought I would really miss the counter and cabinet space but we took it out for a weekend trip without it and I don’t miss it at all.
Our next project is to replace the countertops. We are planning on using stain-grade plywood that we will sand and stain, then put polyurethane on.
Now that you have seen my before and after pictures, I’m going to show you how we cook when we go camping. We have a few favorite kitchen “appliances”.
Electric Burner
I decided to go with a dual electric burner for when I need a cooktop while we are camping. I cooked sausage gravy on it on our last trip and it worked great! The reason I went with this burner is so I could cook two things at once and cook inside or outside.
It’s so easy to use, you just plug it into an outlet and turn it on. I did notice that it boiled water very fast. It was impressive for a $30 burner.
Gas Griddle
We have a gas griddle that we bring on our trips for cooking outside. It’s a Blue Rhino brand griddle but I have found one that’s exactly like it made by Blackstone that you can see here. You use little camping propane bottles as fuel. They’re the little small green camping ones by Coleman.
This griddle is my favorite. We have cooked everything from eggs to hibachi to hamburgers.
Dutch Oven
The Dutch Oven is a must-have if you plan on doing any cooking over the campfire. Our favorite thing to make in it is Campfire Nachos. My biggest tip would be to season it before you go camping to keep things from sticking. We have also lined it with aluminum foil before cooking in it to keep the cleanup to a minimum.
Another of our favorite recipes is Dutch Oven Beef Stew. This recipe is wonderful when you are camping in cooler temperatures.
Charcoal Grill
We don’t always take a grill but when we do we use our Char-griller Brand Akorn Jr. It’s small in size and easy to transport. We love this grill and you can set it right on top of the campsite picnic table.
This grill can also be used as a smoker. It has an insulated design and locking lid (perfect for transporting).
Why We Love to Cook Outdoors
Taking our kitchen out of the camper wasn’t a big deal for us because we love to cook outside. The entire idea behind camping is to be outside anyway. We bring a camping table or we use the picnic table at the site with a tablecloth on it and we have no issues at all.
The only time you might run into any issues is if it’s raining or the wind is blowing too strong. This is why I always have the electric burner in my pop-up. Its best to have a backup plan when you plan out your camping meals.
If you are new to camping, we have a beginner’s tent camping guide and a beginner’s pop-up camping guide. You can also follow us on Pinterest for even more camping tips and ideas.