There are many reasons one may plan to cook in a hotel room.
Budget, food allergies, diet and time all play a part.
Eating out while traveling can put a big dent in your travel budget. This site states that meals for a family of four would typically cost about $132 a day. This does not include snacks, tips or alcohol which could easily add an additional $50-100 (especially if you imbibe in a couple of your favorite adult beverages).
I can easily prepare three meals a day in a hotel room for my family for a fraction of that cost.
What about food allergies? I admit that finding gluten-free and dairy-free options are much easier than they once were but depending on where you’re traveling, options still aren’t widespread. If you have severe allergies, your only option may be to prepare your own food.
The same goes for diets. If you follow a diet plan to lose weight, you know how easily you can ingest your daily calorie allowance when traveling. Even preparing one meal in your hotel can help minimize weight gain.
It only takes me a few minutes to whip up a great meal which saves time driving to a restaurant, waiting to be served and driving back to the hotel or resort. Plus, if I enlist the help of my family, our meal can be prepared even quicker and we can call it family time (you may want to insert an eye roll here, nine times out of ten, I’m preparing the meal solo but one could hope).
Have you ever gone on vacation and longed for a home cooked meal? I have. Plenty of times. Which is actually the real reason that I started cooking in a hotel room. My husband got tired of eating out.
When our kids were younger, my husband traveled for weeks at a time with his job which often led us to travel with him. When traveling that frequently, the cost of dining out at a nice restaurant was prohibitive and while the occasional stop at McDonald’s or Chick-fil-A is fine, too much of a good thing (or bad, depending on how you look at it) is bad for your health and waistline.
It was during this time that I began to seek out hotel rooms with a kitchenette. But sometimes that’s not possible and other times, the kitchen wasn’t properly stocked with basic cooking tools, making it hard to prepare the meals I planned. So I started to pack a few essentials. Over time, my list of essentials has grown and so has the number of decent meals I can prepare with limited resources.
Are you curious as to what I pack in my portable kitchen? Follow along, I’m getting to the good stuff.
Just what is a portable kitchen anyway?
A portable kitchen is simply a collection of basic kitchen utensils and items you need to create quick and easy meals in your hotel room. Just so you know, I’m not talking gourmet, but you should be able to create good basic meals while you’re traveling with little advance preparation.
Gathering kitchen utensils and other supplies.
It’s important to note that my portable kitchen won’t look the same as yours. I have spent a large number of years traveling and preparing meals in a hotel room so what I opt to pack is based on what I’ve found lacking in most hotel room kitchenettes.
My list of supplies includes:
- A small Crockpot is perfect for heating up soups or even browning hamburger in a pinch.
- A small baking sheet- I use the baking sheet that came with my toaster oven. It’s small and doesn’t take up a lot of room.
- A can opener. I can’t tell you how many kitchenettes are missing a can opener.
- A small cutting board and paring knife.
- A large plastic serving spoon and/or spatula.
- A Collapsible Mixing Bowl
(I actually have two of different sizes). - A colander.
- A set of measuring cups.
- A Collapsible Mixing Bowl
(I actually have two of different sizes).Thank you to Squish by Robinson Home Products for providing me with some products to try.
Squish offers a line of collapsible products that are perfect for rounding out your portable kitchen without sacrificing valuable space.
- A dish towel and scrubbing sponge.
- Dish washing liquid.
- Clorox wipes.
I pack all my supplies in a medium sized plastic tote that can also serve as a makeshift sink if I need it to.
Other items that may come in handy.
- Ziploc bags.
- Aluminum Foil.
- Cooking Spray.
- Salt, Pepper and basic spices.
- Paper plates, bowls and plastic ware for easy clean-up.
I keep my portable kitchen packed and ready to go at all times so when an opportunity to travel arises, we’re ready to go with minimal preparation, ensuring that my family can continue to eat home cooked meals, even on the go.
- Don’t forget to stop back next week when I begin to share some of the quick and easy recipes that you can easily prepare in a hotel room.
What would you add to your portable kitchen?
Disclaimer: I was provided with Squish products to use for the purpose of writing a review (to come). No further compensation was provided. This post does contain affiliate links.
© 2013 – 2019, Tonya Prater. All rights reserved.
BJH says
We travel a lot for hockey tournaments. I take an electric skillet and a small hot pot. I don’t take a crock pot because I don’t feel comfortable leaving a cp going in the hotel room….my luck it would short out and burn the place down and then I’d somehow be liable or something crazy. Plus, i am just not THAT organized. But the skillet is great. We can make pancakes (easy travel, because a mix and water is all I need, plus syrup). We can grill sandwiches, or heat up a meal that I premake, or make on the spot. One time I made cube steak, but it got a bit too steamy and i was afraid I was going to set off the sprinklers. Haha. So I was cooking in the bathroom.
The hot pot helps heat water super fast, and sometimes I take a small toaster. Great for toast and bagels in the morning….great for when we have a 6 am game and hotel breakfast isn’t ready yet.
Tonya Prater says
Those are fantastic ideas! My appliances have changed since I first wrote this post and it is on my list of posts to update. I know use an Instapot instead of the crockpot- for the same reason. Plus, an Instapot can cook things so much faster. My favorte it a jr fry daddy that I use as a skillet, to boil water and even to steam things or heat things up. I’ve traveled with this alone many times and didn’t miss anything else. Thanks for sharing your ideas! Cooking in a hotel room has saved us SO much money over the years!
Have Trisha will travel says
I am just putting together some ideas for a travel kitchen. Last year I made a travel picnic case for our trunk when stopping at rest stops. It work well because everything is there and goes right back into the soft cooler. Now I am ready to make another bag for some cooking in the hotel. Thinking of an intapot but I already have a small crock pot a small george foreman a pressure cooker and a hot plate. Might just see how it all fits in a rolling duffel bag. I would add your collasable bowls and maybe a dishpan for clean up is difficult with the small sink and faucets. Let be this blog
Tonya Prater says
I’m in the process of updating this post. 🙂 My new travel kit includes a George Foreman Grill, a jr. fry daddy, an instapot and a collapsible dishpan to match the collapsible bowls. I carry all my items in a bag from Thirty-One Gifts but a rolling duffel bag is good too. The Jr. Fry Daddy is perfect for using it as a skillet, bowling water and even steaming veggies.
Rosa Tribble-MacDonald says
I’m a Truck Driver, and I cook all the time in my truck. I love these ideas all of you have. I get tired of the same recipes all the time. In my truck I have a mini fridge, crock pot(2qt), microwave, and coffee pot. I use the coffee pot to heat up soups, and cook pasta with noodles. I don’t have a lot of space for all that I want, but this post gave me a great deal of ideas to use. Thank you
Tonya Prater says
Thanks so much for your comment, Rosa! I’m glad you found it helpful. I have changed up the items I travel with a bit and plan to update this post. My biggest find was a Jr. Fry Daddy, which was suggested by a reader. I use it to boil water and steam veggies. Now I really can make anything in a hotel room. I have tried the new Instant Pots, but admit I don’t understand the craze yet. I may change my mind if they come out with one that is smaller and better suited for one to two people which would also take up less space.
Donna says
Coming into this blog 3+ years after it was written — thank you! Recently found out we have some health issues and going out to eat when we road trip is not good for either of us. So I started packing “the portable kitchen”.
I recently put in an induction burner, skillet and saucepan, to go with the other “portable kitchen” necessities. I find that a decent spatula (pancake turner) is also lacking in the average kitchenette, so that’s in my kitchen box. We carry our own plates, cups and silverware, too, because we don’t always get a kitchenette. (Have you seen how difficult they are to find, these days, except in the extended-stay places?)
Tonya says
I’ve considered adding an induction burner to my portable kitchen as well. I may have to give it a try. I’ve noticed that even when hotels offer kitchenettes, they sometimes charge for the pots, pans, cooking utensils and dinnerware. I made the mistake of leaving my portable kitchen at home when my family traveled to Atlanta last year. We had booked a kitchenette so I thought I’d save space. They charged an extra fee for the items I needed to cook and I ended up running to Walmart to buy what I needed for substantially less than what the hotel charged for two weeks of rental fees.
Erin says
We were just relocated due to catastrophic storms that hit our home and will (per the insurance) be in a hotel for the next three months. That being said I am eager to see your post. I am already sick of eating out for a week. Thanks in advance.
Tonya says
Sorry to hear about the storms, Erin. Did you see this post? You could make some of these recipes, depending on what equipment you have with you. I invested in a Jr. Fry Daddy for my portable kitchen which allows me to boil water quickly so I can make pastas and cook veggies. I also have a toaster oven, but I don’t travel with that as often. Both are relatively inexpensive & if you have the extra money and can greatly increase the type of meals you can cook- especially if you don’t have a kitchenette in the hotel room. https://travelinspiredliving.com/5-easy-recipes-that-wont-take-away-from-your-vacation/
JOHN d says
We took along a small Proctor Sylex contact grill on our last air trip and made some great burgers. Next time I we’re taking a small 750 watt hotplate and found some very light weight pans. I’ve expanded our possibilities with a 750 watt inverter,69660, from Harbor Freight. As a test, I fried a burger with the hot plate/inverter setup with the inverter clipped to my car’s battery. Now we can cook anywhere the car goes.
The hot plate, a few pans, and the inverter weighs about 7 lbs so i should be able to carry it in checked luggage. All this effort is because meals at one of our favorite destinations cost 3 times as much meals at home town restaurants.
Tonya says
Great idea! My husband and I recently went on a camping trip and pulled our camp stove out at rest stops to cook many of our meals. Preparing food this way can certainly save a lot of money. I’ve never thought of trying an inverter with the car battery. Great idea!
Jamie says
im glad that I stumbled upon this blog. My husbands work leads our family of four all over the country. I’ve stayed in places with full kitchens, all the way down to the mini fridge/ microwave combo. It may be helpful to mention, when my son was an infant, I asked the (very kind) hotel staff to keep a few teething rings in their freezer. I stored them in ziplock bags. Also, small blenders, like the magic bullet or nutribullet travel easily and are great for starting soups, nut butters, and smoothies.
Tonya says
Hi Jamie, We’re in a hotel this weekend as well. I just picked up a Fry Daddy, Jr. and last night we ate beef tips with egg noodles and steamed carrots. I think I can make just about anything on the go these days. 🙂 We do have a small blender, but I’m the only one who does smoothies on the road so we pretty much leave that at home unless we’re away for extended periods of time. I never thought of packing it for soup starters though. Thanks for the comment and I hope you have fun on your travels! 🙂
Keri Burley says
I know this is an old comment, but I pretty much live on the road and have found that traveling with an InstaPot pressure cooker is priceless. It is a skillet, steamer, slow cooker and pressure cooker. I also try to snag things available at breakfast for some of my meals, like some scrambled eggs, bacon and syrup to toss together with some minute rice and some frozen peas and carrots for a fried rice or some peanut butter cups and an apple to make a lunch snack, some instant oatmeal packets to sprinkle on some canned peaches for a cobbler.
Tonya Prater says
Hi Keri, Thanks for stopping by and sharing! I admit that I am not a fan of the InstaPot but I’m intrigued by your comment and willing to give it another try. 🙂
Elisa says
My husband and I travel for work. We got tired of eating out for every meal so I purchased a large rolling tote (called our portable kitchen) and it goes everywhere we go now. I love some of your ideas you have posted and will add these to my kitchen. One thing I learned from a fellow traveler and wanted to share with you is I purchased a Presto fry daddy (the smallest one for around 19.00) and we use that to boil water in to make pasta, mac and cheese, etc. It has been a huge asset to my portable kitchen. So between my skillet, crockpot and fry daddy (and the microwaves in the rooms) I have everything I need to whip up a healthy cost effective meal for us.
Tonya says
I never thought about a fry daddy! What a great idea! I’m definitely adding it to my portable kitchen as well. Thank you so much for sharing. I want to go buy one today so I can try it.
Gina says
ic there is a kitchenet there is already cooking allowed and yes these things are all nice but we travel and don’t do kitchenets except on rare cases. So we travel with a nuwave oven and an electric skillet. Spices and utensils, plates and real silverware besides the bullet blender and store it all in upright 5 drawer plastic system. Only places you really can’t cook is if there are no water things in the rooms in case of fire.
Lynn says
the smallest portable grills (I got the small George F. for less than $15) means grilled sandwiches, chicken breasts, veggies, etc even at a hotel without a kitchenette.
Tonya says
I love my George Foreman. I also have the small one that I pack with me and love to make quick wraps that way.
Sam says
How do you take this portable kitchen when you’re flying somewhere? Just omit the bin?
Tonya says
Sam, I’ve never packed my portable kitchen when flying, but if you had the space, you could tuck items into your suitcase.
Shari says
A few years ago, my husband and I traveled across the country staying in hotels. We brought along a small cooler, a glass pie plate to cook in the hotel’s microwave and a presto hamburger maker. We fried eggs, made burgers, hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches in the presto. We heated canned chili and precooked bacon, among other things in the microwave on the pie plate We heated water in the hotel provide coffeepot for instant oatmeal. We carried along a small dish soap and washing sponge, real utensils and Styrofoam plates/bowls. Everything packed nicely in a duffle bag and saved ourselves a ton of money.
Tonya says
Food costs when we’re traveling really eats up our budget. 🙂 I refuse to spend a great deal of money on food when there are so many places to see. We do eat on occasion, but I’d much rather save for a great meal instead of waste money on a bunch of mediocre ones. Thanks for sharing your tips. I don’t have a Presto hamburger maker, but I do have a small George Foreman grill that has become invaluable when cooking on the road.
Jennifer says
I love this idea! One of the main reasons we do not travel much is that we have a large family, and feeding everyone in a restaurant three times per day would kill our budget. I prefer staying where I can cook the meals I know my family will eat. I had never thought of packing along my own portable kitchen! Such a great idea and one that I will use over and over again! Thank you!
Tonya says
My husband travels frequently with his job which means a lot of eating out. When we travel as a family, the last thing he wants is to eat out. And you’re right, it’s so much cheaper to prepare your own food.
Laura @ Beltway Bargain Mom says
These are great portable kitchen tips for traveling families! Thanks especially for including basic cooking supplies that are often lacking in hotel kitchenette. That is something I don’t think about much because our family doesn’t travel often (maybe 1x or 2x per year). But this will come in handy for our next big trip!
Tonya says
I love preparing our own meals. Not only is my family normally happier- it stretches the travel budget just a bit further. 🙂
Danielle @ Bubs on the Move says
This is such a great idea. We have just gotten to the stage where my kids are old enough for us all to sleep in a hotel room together which saves a heap of money traveling. The money we save on accommodation though then gets spent dinning out instead. Great to thing we may be able to cook proper food in a hotel room.
Teresa @ Working Traveling Mom says
I hate when there’s no can opener in the kitchenette! I’ve also brought along the rice cooker on family road trips – can double as a (very) small slow cooker to heat soups, etc. And I bring a corkscrew. 🙂
Mel Lockcuff says
Having the ability to prepare your own meals while traveling saves so much money. We do the same thing, trying to find ways to cook while we’re on a trip, so we have money for other things. This is awesome, Tonya. I love the collapsible products, so easy to store and carry with you.
Thanks so much for linking up to Inspire Me Wednesday and sharing! Definitely looking forward to seeing your easy meal ideas in the coming weeks.:)
Tonya says
I’d much rather spend money seeing more sights, than eating at yet one more restaurant. We do make it a point to try a local pizza wherever we travel. I’ll blame that on the teens in the house. 🙂
Tera Bare says
Great idea! We go to a big National Homeschool Basketball Tourney every year and are in a hotel for about 5 days. Several of us precook meals that can either be eaten cold (like chicken salad) or reheated in the microwave (like spaghetti). But I didn’t know that a hotel would allow you to bring a crockpot and use it in your room. Do you ever have any issues with the hotel?
Tonya says
Personally, I’ve not had problems using my crockpot while traveling but if you have any doubts, you can talk to the hotel directly before making your reservation.
Beth says
I am so excited that you are doing this new series! I love going in road trips with my kids but get really sick of Golden Arches:). I can’t wait to see some of the recipes that work for you on the road! Last summer when we did some traveling I brought one of those fairly deep electric skillets. Good for a myriad of things; even boiling pasta in a pinch:)
Tonya says
I can’t wait to share some of the recipes that my family has tested and approved while on the road. 🙂 Eating out is fun on occasion, but 9 times out of 10, my family would opt for that home cooked meal.