'I live in a campervan with no oven – here's how I make my tiny kitchen work'

My tiny campervan kitchen just has two gas burners, a miniature fridge and no oven. But I still cook proper dinners almost every night.

In the time I've spent travelling, I've learnt that successful campervan cooking is all about planning and saving space, mess and fuel.

My partner and I bought the van in 2021, after quitting our jobs to travel.

We soon realised van life is full of extreme highs and lows. Winter is tough (cold and damp) but summer is hard to beat.

It's important to be able to make hearty meals that lift your mood in colder months and quick dishes that require little or no heat when the weather is warm (lighting both burners can make our small living space pretty uncomfortable).

Here's how I make campervan cooking work with no oven, a tiny kitchen and limited power supply.

I knew from the start I wasn't willing to compromise on food. A good workspace, decent-sized hob and storage for ingredients and kit were must-haves.

We had space for cabinets but had to forgo an oven, stick blender and food processor because they use a lot of power and take up valuable room.

But I can still cook really satisfying dishes on the hob, and the mini fridge-freezer has enough space for three days' worth of fresh food, plus some frozen essentials like peas or ice.

With limited room in my spice rack, I stick to the seasonings I use most: turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander, garam masala, thyme and oregano.

Because space is limited, I shop for just a few meals at a time and am always thinking about how ingredients can overlap in different dishes so I don't have odds and ends taking up space.

I find it helps to plan around one or two core ingredients every few days.

For instance, one head of broccoli can go into a stir-fry one night, pasta the next day and fried rice afterwards. It's all about using up ingredients without dinners feeling repetitive.

If I'm careful, I can make a gas bottle last around three weeks (gas isn't cheap!).

You really don't want something stewing for hours on the hob. Meals that are quick to cook – 30 minutes or less – are perfect.

This means I sometimes go for slightly more expensive ingredients like tinned lentils (as opposed to dry) and pouch rice. It's worth it for the savings I make on fuel.

I normally enjoy making dips like hummus and tzatziki. But with no food processor, I go for store-bought versions and elevate them. For instance, I add olive oil and paprika to hummus and mint and lemon to tzatziki for extra flavour.

Stir-fries are one of my favourite van meals because you can have them ready in around 15 minutes and really pack in the veg. Plus they only use one pan so there's very little clean-up to do afterwards.

My basic formula is one or two crunchy vegetables (like peppers, carrots or sugar snap peas), a quick-cooking protein (prawns or chicken, for instance) and fresh noodles.

I go for a simple homemade satay sauce or a zingy mix of lime, chilli, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.

When it's warm, I mostly go for salads and mezze-type foods. I'll often make salad dressings in jam jars and leave them in the fridge. Salads are great in the van because there are no pans to wash.

In winter, I crave hearty, warming meals. My favourite comfort meal is red lentil dal with naan bread, which I warm in a dry frying pan on a low heat.

Another winter go-to is a spicy bean chilli. I use tinned pulses so it's ready quickly and because you can make a couple of portions in one go, you'll have dinner waiting in the fridge after a long day.

For variety, I serve it with brown rice some days, mashed potato or toast on others.

When friends come to visit, we often cook outside on the barbecue. Feeding a group can be tricky as I don't have big pots, so outdoor cooking is perfect.

What I love most about cooking in the van is pulling up somewhere with beautiful scenery and cooking with a view. I've had some amazing dinner dates with my partner.

Cooking in a campervan has made me more organised, more creative and better at using up odds and ends of food.

I might have less space than I'd have in a house, but I still eat well every day and don't feel like I've had to compromise on my meals.

Originally published January 2024. Updated July 2026.

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