1.Pots and Pans
When packing your pots and pans you should consider the size of your hob. There is no point in bringing a huge frying pan to do a cooked breakfast and then have no room to put your kettle on for your coffee to go with it! Most meals will require you to use two pans at once so make sure that both can fit onto your hob. To ease on storage there are some great camping pan sets available that stack simply together, but always look for a set which have thick bases as thin bases equal easy to burn the food on the bottom of the pan!
2. Kettle
As mentioned above a kettle is a must for that morning caffeine fix or for that warm cuppa after a long walk in the cold! Yes, if you are hooked up to a mains electric supply then you could bring a kettle that plugs into your van, however, as many people like to either wild camp off grid or in the quiet corner of a campsite away from the busier electric hook up points, then a hob based kettle is often the only choice. Hearing that whistle from your kettle to tell you tea’s ready can be true part of the camping experience! The best camping kettle for a Wallas hob should be one with a base that is as flat as possible in order to maximise contact between the hob and the kettle – to further speed things up also make sure you also only boil what you need, as there’s no point waiting for 1 litre to boil for a 300ml cuppa!
3. Chopping Boards
Some designs of our campers come with the option of a wooden chopping board which fits perfectly on top of the sink. However, we recommend always packing two chopping boards and this way you can separate out raw meats from cooked meats and vegetables.
4. Temperature Probe
Bringing a temperature probe is a good idea if you plan to have a bbq! That way you can check that all your chicken drumsticks and burgers are at the correct temperature. All your food should be above 75°C.
5. Plates, Bowls and Cutlery
We recommend having a set of plates, bowls and cutlery that you leave in your van so that you are ready to go at a moment’s notice! Having a picnic set made of melamine is best as it is very durable which means you can use them on multiple trips without them breaking or becoming scratched!
6. Knives, Spoons and Mixing Bowls
Make sure your knives are sharp as this makes it much easier, quicker and safer to prepare your meal. Don’t forget spoons to stir your pots with and to serve salads, pastas etc. A plastic or melamine mixing bowl can also be a great addition for preparing, serving and even washing up after your meal. A bread knife, scissors, tin opener and bottle opener are easy to overlook and of course don’t forget the corkscrew!
7. Tea Towels
Tea towels are not only perfect for drying up your dishes so you can store them away straight after washing, but they can also be used to wrap around your plates to stop them from rattling when you are driving.
Extra Advice From Jerba Owners
“Don’t forget the plastic champagne flutes!” – Elizabeth Mellor (Elizabeth’s third Jerba campervan, a Tiree, is about to go into production!!).
“Another useful aid is a cutlery tray” – Keith Munro-Brown (proud Cromarty owner).
“I love my wooden chopping board too much to use it!! We carry alternatives!!” – Vanessa Bonner (proud Cromarty owner)
“Silicone loaf ‘tins’ are great for keeping small items together in the fridge or cupboards and being silicone they don’t slide around when on the move” – Jacky Little (another proud Cromarty owner)
“One essential we’ve found to be a lidded sauté pan – like a high(er) sided frying pan. You can cook all the usual stuff eg chilli, curry, risotto, etc. as well as home made pizza. Check out T5 Travels on YouTube for full instructions on making a fab pizza on a Wallas. Oh yes, the aforementioned sauté pan is great for warming croissants for breakfast, too” – Suze Burtenshaw (proud owner of a high top Sanna)
“We carry our Remoska mini cooker. I know they are expensive but, if you have a hook up they are superbly versatile. Excellent for baked potatoes.” – John Waite (proud owner of a Jerba Cromarty)
– Don’t forget to like us on Facebook to be part of the Jerba online community where you can give and receive advice from fellow Jerba owners!
Photo Credit: Jacky Little
See our range of campervans here.
