Whether you are going on a long road trip with your family or camping, it’s always good to have cooking gadgets on hand in case you don’t have restaurants nearby. Thankfully there are several to choose from that can be fully powered by your vehicle or with a battery. So you can make coffee, bake a pizza and keep your drinks cold no matter where your journey takes you.
1. Mini Fridge
Keeping perishable food or drinks cold during your trip is important, especially if you’re traveling in the summer months. There are several options, ranging from a large cooler that has a car power adapter to a small fridge that fits a few cans of soda or other food and has a handle to make it portable.
2. Pizza Maker and Portable Oven
You thought you would have to do without pizza on the road? Think again! There is actually a portable pizza oven and sandwich toaster that connects to your car’s power and gives you piping hot pizza like you are at home. The only downside is you need to be near a grocery store to buy a frozen pizza or ingredients to make your own pizza and have a cooler or another way to keep everything cool until you’re ready to cook.
3. Espresso and Coffee Machines
Sometimes you have to hit the road early or you are camping and there is no Starbucks nearby to get your coffee fix. Luckily, there are many portable ways to get caffeine. There is a cigarette lighter-powered espresso machine that only needs water and an espresso pod to give you a shot in a short amount of time. And there are car-powered immersion boilers that can give you hot water to use a French press or make a cup of instant coffee.
4. SteriPEN
If you are traveling somewhere that has questionable water quality, either in the US or abroad, the SteriPEN can purify water and keep you from getting a stomach bug while traveling. It uses ultraviolet light to get rid of germs in most water in less than a minute, runs on normal batteries, and fits in most water bottles. Yes, it costs more than $50 but it’s worth it to keep from getting ill on a trip.
5. Portable Grill
There is a wide range of grills you can take with you on your next trip, from small charcoal-powered basic models to battery-powered grills to those that use small bottles of propane gas. What kind of grill you bring along depends on how you will use it. If you are going to be cooking at a cabin, a small propane-powered grill is a good idea. If you’re camping in the woods with nowhere to get more gas, maybe consider a charcoal grill that is lighter-weight and easier to use no matter where you are. Plus, you can roast marshmallows over a charcoal grill!
