Ten holiday caravan cooker alternatives

How many ways can you cook when you’re away in your holiday caravan or lodge? Here are 10 great suggestions in our gear guide to caravan cooker alternatives.

Most holiday caravans and lodges will have a full cooker and hob – and possibly a microwave oven – but there’s always the temptation to add another style of cooker, especially if you want to save on fuel costs and time, and also enjoy cooking outdoors.

So, here’s a selection of 10 caravan cooker alternatives to your humble caravan oven and hob – which can also be used when you get back home, making them even more desirable. That might just get your juices flowing!

Top caravan cooking tips

• Make sure any type of cooking appliance is fully cooled before storing it away
• Check manufacturers’ recommendations. If an item is designed for use outdoors don’t be tempted to use it in your holiday caravan
• If cooking outdoors, consider your neighbours, especially if it involves creating smoke
• If it’s an appliance that gets hot on the outside make sure any surfaces it comes into contact with or close to are protected to avoid damage
• Keep small children away from any hot surfaces
• Make sure outdoor cookers aren’t too close to your caravan or lodge or decking
• Don’t leave any cookers indoor or outdoor unattended unless specifically designed to be left such as a slow cooker

Also see our gear guide to gas barbecues.

Star Player 1

Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer

With manufacturer claims that you can save up to 75% on your energy bill, air fryers are growing in popularity. Air fryers quickly cook fresh or frozen food by circulating really hot air – using little or no cooking oil.

This Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer has two “independent and self-contained cooking sections” so you can cook two foods in two ways but serve them on your plate at the same time.  With temperatures of up to 240 degrees C, Ninja’s Max Crisp function will evenly cook food in minutes and add that extra bit of crisp.

It also has six ways to cook, from roasting to baking, air frying and reheating as well as a “dehydrate” function for drying out things like fruit.

Measures 31.5 cm (H) x 38 cm (W) x 26.5 cm (D) with a food capacity of 7.6L.

Key features Sync feature, non-stick drawers and parts, dishwasher-safe parts

Expect to pay £199.99

Find out more: www.ninjakitchen.co.uk

 

Star Player 2

Cookworks digital halogen oven

Halogen ovens can heat up faster than a conventional oven, due to their smaller size and the fan circulating the hot air inside. They also claim to be more energy efficient as they can achieve faster cooking times.

This Cookworks digital halogen oven is great for quickly cooking up meals for two. This tabletop cooker can bake, grill or roast and has two separate racks so you can cook different ingredients at once.

Temperatures range from 60 degrees C to 250.

Measures 33 cm (H) x 41 cm (W) x 32 cm (D) with 15 L food capacity.

Key features Timer, cool touch body, 10 heat settings

Expect to pay £56.00

Find out more: www.argos.co.uk

 

Star Player 3

Morphy Richards Easy Time slow cooker

Is there anything better than arriving back to your holiday caravan after a long walk to the smell of a slow-cooked stew or casserole? Slow cookers come in a variety of sizes and cook ingredients at low temperatures for a long period, often enhancing the flavours of your meat and vegetables. They also use less energy than a conventional electric oven.

This Morphy Richards Easy Time slow cooker has a non-stick pot and a clear countdown timer, plus an automatic keep warm setting, which will keep your food at the right temperature for two hours if you don’t get back to your caravan in time.

There are three heating settings: high, medium and low.

Dimensions are 263mm (H) x 368mm (W) x 327 mm (D) with 6.5L food capacity

Key features Dish-washer safe removable inner cooking pot, glass lid, non-slip feet

Expect to pay £67.99

Find out more: www.currys.co.uk

 

Star Player 4

Lakeland 3L Pressure cooker

In contrast to a slow cooker, a pressure cooker is great for those who want to cook recipes, which normally take hours, quickly. They’re also great for preserving nutrients and vitamins and again, can be more economical than a conventional oven.

If you’re new to pressure cooking this compact Lakeland pressure cooker could be a good introduction – there’s also a 5.5L version. It still uses your caravan stove as the heat source and is suitable for all hob types, including induction.

Made from stainless steel it also has a second glass lid so you can serve from hob to table!

Key features One-handed lid locking system, two pressure settings, pressure release valve, three-year guarantee

Expect to pay £89.99

Find out more: www.lakeland.co.uk

 

Star Player 5

Remoska electric cooker

This is a super-efficient electric cooker which looks like a pan but as well as normal cooking it also bakes, roasts and can be used to make puddings.

This multi-talented one-pot cooker has a stainless still lid with a Teflon-coated non-stick aluminium element underneath, which cooks your food. Heat is transferred quickly and evenly from the lid to your food inside the non-stick cooking pot.

It’s turned on and off by a simple switch on the handle and the glass viewing window lets you see how your cooking is going without lifting the lid off.

A heat-resistant stand keeps the Remoska cooking pot stable on your caravan worktop and means the pan can be carried straight to your table for serving your tasty treats.

Dimensions are 24.5cm x 45cm x 18cm (H) and 2L food capacity.

Key features Uses 400W electricity, heat-resistant trivet, non-stick cooking surface, heat-resistant handles, dishwasher safe, 4L version available

Expect to pay £169.99

Find out more: www.lakeland.co.uk

Star Player 6

Outwell Selby griddle

An electric-powered griddle that uses a flat, non-stick surface, which means you can cook with minimal fat/oil, making for healthier food. Plus it’s really easy to clean and great for cooking all manner of meals.

The adjustable temperature control also has an indicator light so you know when the thermostat kicks in.

Dimensions are 61.5cm x 26cm x 9cm.

Key features Steel/aluminium, non-stick cooking surface, maximum 2,000Watt rating, heat-resistant handles, 2.5m cable

Expect to pay £46.99

www.outwell.com

 

Star Player 7

George Forman Evolve 6 grill

Easy to clean, a non-stick surface, quick cooking times and, yes you guessed it, more energy efficient than an oven grill!

The George Foreman grill is great for grilling meats and burgers but can also be used to fry an egg, make pressed sandwiches, make low-fat fries, cook frozen foods like waffles even a pizza.

There are a variety of different grills available, as well as a range of sizes. This George Forman Multi-Plate Evolve 6 grill has an adjustable one-inch hinge so you can adjust the height of the cover to suit the thickness of your food and there’s a deep plate to cook baked-style items like lasagne.

The temperature controls also make it possible to set temperatures for your ingredients and there’s a sear function providing 90 seconds of intense 260 degrees C heat.

Dimensions are: 34cm D x 38 cm W x 16 cm H

Key features: Removable plates, ceramic coating, dishwasher-safe grill plates, additional pan, adjustable cooking angle, auto shut off

Expect to pay £88.95

Find out more: www.georgeformancooking.com

 

Star Player 8

Breville Sandwich and Panini Press

This cafe-style sandwich press will allow you to rustle up a variety of toasted sandwiches, paninis or wraps in minutes.

The Breville 4 can hold up to four sandwiches at a time, toasting the outside and heating up the inside ingredients. It can also be used for toasting tea cakes, crumpets and naan bread.

The hinged lid will allow for different thicknesses of sandwiches and the flat, non-stick plates are easy to wipe clean.

When not in use the lid can be locked in place for easy upright storage.

Key features: 2000 watts, handle locking clip, non-stick, cord storage underneath, 1-year guarantee

Expect to pay £42.49

Find out more: www.breville.co.uk

 

Star Player 9

Lakeland Touchscreen soup maker

Take the hassle out of making delicious healthy soups with an electric soup maker, saving time on chopping, simmering and blitzing.

This touchscreen soup maker from Lakeland will also make light work of making smoothies, iced drinks, dips and sauces in the two-litre glass jug. The see-through jug means you can see the consistency of your soup or sauce and there are four different settings for the coarseness of your soup or for the aforementioned smoothie, puree, etc. The temperature can be set from 75 degrees C to 100 and there are three blend speeds.

Dimensions are: 24 cm x 19 cm x 44cm H

Key features: Ice crushing setting, adjustable timer and temperature setting, three-year guarantee.

Expect to pay: £139.99

Find out more: www.lakeland.co.uk

Star Player 10

Ooni Koda 12

Your very own pizza oven for outdoor use only!  This gas-powered oven from specialist manufacturer Ooni will cook a 12 inch pizza in a minute, reaching temperatures up to 500 degrees C.

Operating from propane, it’s ready to cook food within 15 minutes of firing up with the one-touch ignition. The foldable legs flip out and your pizzas are cooked to perfection on its cordierite stone baking board. The oven also comes with a gas regulator and 1.2m hose to attach to a propane cylinder or bottle.

Packed dimensions are 592mm x 355mm x 150mm high (298mm high with legs open). There’s also a larger sister model, the Koda 16.

Key features Carbon steel shell, 337mm x 337mm cooking surface, foldable legs, heat control dial, range of accessories, flame-safety device, three-year warranty

Expect to pay £299

Find out more: www.ooni.com

 

Over to you…

Do you have any caravan cooker alternatives that you use when on your static caravan or lodge holidays? We’d love to hear what you make of them in the comments box below.