3 Essential Caravan Kitchen Appliances Every Caravan Needs
Setting up a functional caravan kitchen is all about choosing the right gear to make the most of your compact space. You need appliances that work hard, fit properly, and don’t take up more room than they’re worth. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or months on the road, the right caravan kitchen appliance setup can make the difference between enjoying home-cooked meals and living on takeaways.
In this guide, we’ll run through three must-have appliances that form the backbone of any well-equipped caravan kitchen and ensure you eat just as well on the road as you do at home.
Why Space-Saving Caravan Cooking Appliances Matter
Caravan kitchens are tight. There’s no getting around it. Most vans give you maybe a couple of square metres of bench and storage space to work with, if you’re lucky. That means every appliance needs to earn its spot by being genuinely useful, compact, and ideally doing more than one job.
The best small caravan kitchen ideas focus on multi-functional equipment that maximises your limited space without compromising on capability. A good caravan kitchen should let you prepare proper meals, not just reheat things. You want to be able to cook a steak, boil pasta, heat leftovers, and clean up afterwards without feeling like you’re working in a shoebox. Whether you’ve got a slide out kitchen or traditional fixed layout, choosing the right cooking appliances will transform your cooking experience.
The three appliances below represent the core of what you need. Get these sorted first, and you’ll have a kitchen that actually works.
1. Dometic MO9722 Two Burner Stove with Sink
When space is at a premium, combination units make a lot of sense. The Dometic MO9722 Two Burner Stove with Sink combines your cooktop and sink into one compact unit, freeing up valuable bench space for food prep and other tasks.
What Makes It Essential
This unit gives you two gas burners and a full sink in roughly the same footprint that most standalone cooktops occupy. The space savings are significant, especially in smaller vans where every centimetre of bench matters.
The robust safety glass lids do double duty. When you’re not cooking or washing up, they protect both the stove and sink while giving you extra counter space. That’s genuinely useful when you need somewhere to chop vegetables or rest a plate, especially in compact kitchens where interior space is at a premium.
The right-hand sink configuration works well for most layouts, and the 12V ignition means you don’t need matches or lighters to get cooking. It’s a proper two-burner setup that can handle everything from your morning coffee to a full dinner service.
Why It’s Worth The Investment
Combination units like this represent some of the best caravan kitchen ideas for space efficiency. You get full cooktop and sink functionality without sacrificing half your benchtop. The Slimline model (MO9722R) is specifically designed for caravans and RVs, so its dimensions and installation requirements are well-suited for mobile applications.
The AM version comes with a black-coloured top lid that looks good and wears well. The gas operation means you’re not dependent on shore power or draining your batteries to cook meals, which is crucial for free camping or remote stays. As one of the most reliable gas powered appliances available, this caravan stove is ideal for off grid adventures where conserving battery power is essential.
2. Camec 12V Flush Mount Range Hood
A range hood might not seem essential until you’ve tried cooking without one in a confined space. The Camec 12V Flush Mount Range Hood deals with cooking smoke, steam, and odours that can quickly make a small caravan uncomfortable.
What Makes It Essential
Cooking in a caravan without proper ventilation is miserable. Steam condenses on windows and surfaces, smoke lingers for hours, and cooking smells embed themselves in soft furnishings. A good range hood solves all of this by actively extracting air while you cook.
This Camec unit features twin 2-speed extraction fans that give you control over ventilation strength. Light cooking only needs low speed, while frying or anything that generates serious smoke gets the full treatment. The custom LED lighting strips illuminate your cooking surface properly, which is more important than it sounds when you’re trying to check if something’s done.
The stainless steel finish looks professional and wipes clean easily, which is important for keeping your van looking good. Removable filters make maintenance straightforward: just take them out, wash them, and slot them back in. Simple.
Why It’s Worth The Investment
The flush mount design sits neatly against your ceiling or cabinet, so it doesn’t protrude into your already limited headroom. At 518mm wide externally, it covers a standard cooktop adequately without dominating the space.
Running on 12V means it works off your house batteries, and the power consumption is reasonable enough that you can use it without worrying about draining your system. The mounting cavity dimensions (465mm x 187mm x 53mm) mean it fits most standard caravan installations, though you should always measure your space first. When considering energy efficiency and minimal drain on your electrical system, this unit strikes a good balance between performance and battery power usage.
Good ventilation genuinely improves your quality of life in a caravan. This unit does the job without taking up excessive space or power.
3. NCE Stainless Steel 20L Microwave
Microwaves aren’t fancy, but they’re incredibly practical in a caravan. The NCE Stainless Steel 20L Microwave gives you quick reheating and simple cooking without needing to fire up the stove or oven for small jobs, perfect for those who prefer quick meals or need to reheat food efficiently.
What Makes It Essential
Sometimes you just want to reheat last night’s leftovers or warm up a ready meal without the hassle of using the cooktop. A microwave handles these jobs in minutes, saving you time, fuel, and cleanup effort.
The 20-litre capacity is a good middle ground for caravans, as it’s large enough to handle dinner plates and decent-sized bowls but compact enough to fit in a typical caravan kitchen setup. The 440mm x 332mm x 259mm dimensions mean it’ll sit on a benchtop or fit into a purpose-built shelf without dominating your kitchen, helping you save room for other essentials.
The even microwave distribution ensures food heats uniformly, which matters more than you’d think. Nobody wants a meal that’s scalding around the edges and cold in the middle. The 700-watt output provides enough power to do the job properly without excessive power draw.
Why It’s Worth The Investment
This NCE microwave comes with genuinely useful features that make caravan cooking easier. Five power levels give you control over how you heat different foods. The memory function lets you save your common settings, so you’re not reprogramming it every time you want to reheat your coffee.
Auto menus take the guesswork out of common tasks, while the defrost settings handle frozen ingredients properly. The 30-second-plus setting is handy for quickly adding time without navigating through menus.
The LED display is clear and easy to read, and the cooking end signal lets you know when your food’s ready, even if you’ve stepped outside. The mirror finish door and silver exterior look good and coordinate with most caravan interiors.
The 250mm diameter glass turntable is removable for cleaning, and the whole unit is straightforward to maintain. It’s a practical caravan kitchen appliance that does exactly what you need without complications. Among the key features that make this unit stand out are its compact size and reliable performance, making it both cost-effective and practical for modern caravans.
Putting It All Together
These three appliances form the foundation of a functional caravan kitchen. The Dometic stove and sink combination handles your cooking and cleaning needs in a space-efficient package, the Camec range hood keeps your air clean and your van comfortable, and the NCE microwave adds convenience for quick meals and reheating.
Together, they give you the capability to prepare proper meals, maintain good ventilation, and handle the quick heating tasks that come up daily. You’re not limited to cold food or constant restaurant meals. You can actually cook the way you do at home, just in a more compact space.
What About Installation?
All three of these appliances are designed for caravan and RV installation, but they do require proper setup. The stove needs gas connections and adequate ventilation. The range hood requires 12V wiring and ducting or a recirculation setup. The microwave needs 240V power, typically from shore power or an inverter if you’re off-grid.
If you’re not confident with gas fittings or electrical work, get a qualified technician to handle the installation. It’s worth doing properly to ensure everything works safely and reliably. Understanding your caravan’s electrical power capacity is crucial when adding appliances like microwaves, and some owners may want to consider induction cooktops as an alternative to gas if they have sufficient power available.
Get Your Caravan Kitchen Right with RV Spares Online
A well-equipped caravan kitchen doesn’t happen by accident. It takes thought about what you actually need, how much space you have, and what style of camping you do. These three appliances cover the essentials without overcomplicating things or eating up all your available space.
At RV Spares Online, we stock quality kitchen equipment from brands like Dometic, Camec, NCE and more because they’re proven to work in caravans. These aren’t household appliances that someone’s trying to squeeze into a van, they’re designed from the ground up for mobile living.
If you’re setting up a new caravan kitchen or upgrading your current setup, start with these three essentials. Once you’ve got your cooking, ventilation, and quick heating sorted, you can add other items based on your specific needs and available space.
Browse our full range of caravan appliances and accessories to find everything you need for your caravan.
