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6 Electric Kitchen Appliances That Will Save Propane In Your RV

This post was updated on March 15th, 2024

The ability to cook wherever you travel—and whenever you happen to be hungry—is one of the best things about traveling with an RV. That said, there are some drawbacks to cooking in an RV. For many, the number one drawback is the fact that their cooking appliances run on propane.

Sure, propane appliances are nice to have when boondocking, but the rest of the time, the gas stove and oven in an RV can be quite a nuisance. For one thing, they can seriously heat up an RV. During the heat of the summer, when it’s hard to keep your RV comfortable anyway, this is a serious issue. On top of that, these gas-powered appliances suck up expensive propane.

Because of these things, many people prefer using electricity to cook their food whenever they’re hooked up to shore power. After all, electricity is almost always included in campground rates, so why not take advantage of that?

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Of course, in order to cook using electricity, you will need some electric appliances. Fortunately, there are tons of options out there. Here are our top picks for RVers.

1. Instant Pot

The Instant Pot is by far the best electric kitchen appliance for RVers. This handy appliance is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and much more, all wrapped into one small package.

Pressure Cooker
The multi-purpose Instant Pot. Image source: Pixabay

It’s perfect for getting dinner on the table quickly after a long travel day, or for leaving things cooking while you’re out sightseeing all day. It’s also relatively easy to wash, making it an excellent tool to add to your RV kitchen cabinet.

2. NuWave Oven

Do you like to bake but feel unsure about the RV oven? The NuWave Oven might just be the appliance for you.

appliances
The NuWave Pro Plus Oven

This portable device can do just about anything a regular oven can do, but it’s all-electric, easy to put away, and cooks much faster than a traditional oven. Not only that, but this little appliance is multi-purpose, offering users the option to air fry, steam, grill, and much more in addition to baking.

3. Duxtop 1800-Watt Portable Induction Cooktop

For all you stovetop cookers out there, check out the Duxtop 1800-watt portable induction cooktop. An induction cooktop is perfect because it allows you to cook things just as you would on a stove without using any propane.

Duxtop induction cooker

These portable burners evenly distribute heat—ensuring everything cooks evenly—and controlling the temperature couldn’t be easier. This particular model is especially well made, and when taken care of, could easily last years.

Be sure you have the right pans to use with this cooktop! It requires a pan made with a magnetic material such as iron or steel.

4. Bonavita Variable-Temp Gooseneck Kettle

Heating water for tea or pour-over coffee is a pain on the propane stove. The water tends to take quite a while to come to a boil, and this means more propane used and more heat and moisture put into the air.

This is why every RVer should own an electric kettle. An electric kettle can be used anytime you need to heat water and will do so much more efficiently than pretty much any stovetop model.

We especially love the Bonavita Variable-Temp Gooseneck Kettle, which is easy to adjust, easy to use, and easy to store when you’re done with it.

5. Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven

If the NuWave Oven doesn’t suit your fancy but you still want an oven that can run on electricity, or even if you just make a lot of toast, a toaster oven might be best for you. In our opinion, the Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven is ideal for RV living.

This is one of the smallest toaster ovens on the market but has all the functionality of a larger unit. It cooks evenly but does so much more quickly than the average toaster oven, making it perfect for the person on the go.

6. Presto 16-Inch Foldaway Electric Skillet

Finally, we must mention the Presto 16” foldaway electric skillet. We love electric skillets for a variety of different foods. We find that they often work better than a pan over a stovetop when we need to make large batches of something, and we always like to keep one on hand.

That said, electric skillets can be pretty space-consuming. This is part of why we chose the skillet we did. The handles come off of this little cooker, making it super easy to stack and store. We also really love the built-in pour spout, as well as the high sides of the skillet.

By stocking your RV kitchen with these electric appliances, you’ll never need to use the propane stove or oven again for as long as you have an electric hookup. Why not start your shopping today? You could have a much more functional kitchen by the time your next camping trip rolls around.

See also: 4 Ways To Save On Propane While Camping



10 thoughts on “6 Electric Kitchen Appliances That Will Save Propane In Your RV”

  1. Most campgrounds I’ve stayed in, meter electric separately and pass the charge directly to the individual user. Expect to see more solar and Li+ batteries builtin by the manufacturers for just this reason alone.

  2. Wow, spend $400 on appliances to save on using a propane tank fill for $30 that lasts us over 4 weeks on vacation. (That included several cold nights using the furnace.) The trade off is marginal. We use an old single burner white gas stove left over from my backpacking days to alleviate heating up the RV if needing to heat a pot of water or such, otherwise, charcoal and my Smoky Joe is all I need. Propane appliances are a great backup. By the way, we found that the cheapest stainless steel teapot from Walmart heats a quart of water very quickly. I doubt you could do it quicker in a Bonvita.

  3. What about an air fryer. I used one last time out and cooked everything needed right under the inside fan over the stove

  4. I agree with James, the campgrounds will certainly not enjoy increased use of these appliances. I feel guilty turning on the second air conditioner and only do it when the temperature gets unbearable. Just as various discounts affect the bottom line of these campgrounds don’t forget that all the costs are passed on to the ultimate consumer in campground fees.

  5. Seems funny. We used to want propane appliances to save our precious battery capacity and not overtax our weak RV electrical systems. But now with better battery tech, LED lights and TV’s, energy effiecient everything and 50 amp RV’s, we want to use electricity and save propane. Times have changed.

  6. liked everything here EXCEPT for the Gooseneck Kettle thing: its neck can break easily, even when used in a home kitchen!

  7. Yes these electric conveniences are great, and we have some of them ourselves. But lets not loose sight of the fact that campgrounds allow for a certain amount of usage per night, per guest. When they see their profit margins start to shrink, and believe me they are not making as much profit as you think, they will simply raise over rates or install meters on their campsites. The old adage “there is no such thing as a free lunch” clearly applies here!

  8. I agree that some electric appliances are valuable “glamping”. We were mostly an electric coach and used propane only for the outdoor grill. We had a built in induction cooktop and a portable we would use outside. Our versatile pressure cooker, small rice cooker, and electric fry pan were also valuable. Also don’t forget the coffee bean grinder and electric coffee pot. With induction cooking our cast iron skillet and Dutch oven were indispensable. My 2 cents for cooking well while glamping around our beautiful amazing USA.

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