We’ve been living off-grid as nomads for over a decade. To say we’ve learned a lot over the years would be an understatement. Our traveling homes have gone from: glamping in our gold 1985 Volkswagon Vanagon (back when Jason’s hair was longer than mine), to four different RV’s, to sailing catamarans to now living aboard an aluminium explorer yacht (and sometimes our self-built van).
No matter what type of traveling home we have, the galley is our communal center point. We love food, we love cooking and we love making an event out of it. We can make a whole day revolve around what eventually ends up on the dinner table. Spearfishing, foraging…a trip to the farmers market, it’s all part of the adventure.
So, without further ado, here is a running list of our fave floating (or rolling) kitchen appliances, gadgets and gear.
We're only a few months into living aboard UNDRA, so we'll keep updating the list as we go.
Dishwasher
A good dishwasher is at the top of Jason's galley "must haves" (and all of #TeamJason). We've tried a lot of different units and this small but mighty Siemens (SR45ZS09MS) is impressive. It’s big enough to hold a full service for 6 people (big plates, small plates, cups, mugs, flatware...) but compact. Plus it's quiet and does an excellent job.
Coffee (and Tea)
Continuing along the theme of "must haves". We’re pour over people. We prefer light and bright coffee and Jason loves the morning ritual that comes with using the v60. But what we’ve learned over the years is: Hand-pour intimidates guests and high-quality light roast coffee is difficult to find as we travel.
When it came time to outfit our coffee nook, we went down a month-long rabbit hole learning way more than we ever wanted to about espresso machines, grinders, and coffee makers. We ultimately landed on the Fellow Suite of equipment because it’s the perfect balance of craft and ease. Jason can dial in a sweet high-altitude Panama pour-over, yet a complete novice can batch brew a large pot of Uganda medium roast.
- Ode 2 Grinder amzn.to/4wNv4G3 – It all starts with a good grind. This grinder is compact and surprisingly quiet. It is the best all-around grinder allowing us to dial in a V60, French Press, and even espresso grind (if we decide to purchase one in the future). **Do NOT purchase a “GbW” (Grind by Weight) any movement will mess up the built-in scale and over/under grind the amount of coffee.
- Aiden Drip Brewer amzn.to/3RKkr7Y – Step by step guided brewing instructions so anyone can brew a good cup. Precision temperatures, bloom, pulse and dual shower head for good extraction. Full custom brew profiles to dial in and repeat that perfect cup.
- Kettle amzn.to/3RDQI0x – Jason wanted the Stagg for precision pour-over, but Nikki wanted a faster spout for teas. The Corvo EKG Pro is a good compromise, plus it’s less fragile and space hungry…which is important on a boat.
- Coffee Scale - amzn.to/4vDW21V We like the Timemore scale, it’s affordable, accurate, and won’t shut off halfway through measuring your pour.
We still highly recommend these options:
- Jura C9 amzn.to/44UiwRv Our Ena 4 (on the last boat) was compact and awesome, but in Europe they discontinued it and eventually came out with the C9 after we purchased our setup. It’s the best compact bean to cup automatic machine.
- Hario V60 amzn.to/4f8EWnW Affordable, compact, tasty light roast extractions.
- Aeropress amzn.to/4f9bj5X Best brewer to “clean up” a mediocre coffee.
Stove Top
Our Stove Top is a Kenyon Bridge Induction. It's a proper 4 burner stove, with evenly spaced out burners, works great and doesn't scorch pans. I have zero complaints about it. Best induction cooktop we've ever had.
Induction cooking is all-around better than any electric, gas, or propane stove I have ever tried. Plus it's very energy-efficient, creates less heat, cooks faster, has better temperature control and is way safer than cooking with gas.
Fave Pots & Pans
Induction cooking does require special pans. You’ll need cast iron, magnetic stainless steel or essentially any pan that a magnet will stick to. Copper, aluminum, glass, and non-magnetic stainless steel (including 18/10 and 18/8) cookware won’t work.
- Frying Pans: https://amzn.to/3zW9qam
- Pots: https://amzn.to/4c0uNVp
- Stove Top Pressure Cooker (a must for rice, beans and soups): https://amzn.to/4dhAS0B
Oven
We have a basic compact oven with microwave function from Ikea. So far so good. But my favorite (and the one I would buy today) is the Breville Smart Oven. They have different sizes depending on how much space you have and they work exceptionally well.
Smart Oven: https://amzn.to/3SqJdqK
Most of the time it is just the two of us, so we decided to get a very small toaster oven. Because we like toast and a toaster oven is so multifunctional. We ended up with the Safecourt 6-in-1 Power Oven. Which is almost identical to the Our Place Wonder Oven. It's the smallest toaster oven we could find that had an air fry option and wasn't an eye sore in the galley.
Storage & Accessories
Silwy is not cheap but has some insanely smart, boat and camper friendly and space saving magnetic galley ware. In our van we have A LOT of Silwy (paper towel holder, spice jars, plates, bowls...). On the boat, we use the spice jars and the magnet POWER Bundles for all our counter top gadgets. You can order similar magnets online but theirs are really the best.
If you use our discount code WYNNS, you'll get 10% off your order: https://silwy.de/wynns
Food Storage
I am a big fan of the collapsible silicone food storage containers. They are plastic free, lightweight and space saving: https://amzn.to/4wdgOXk
Fruit and Veggie Keepers
We find fruit and veggies last a lot longer if we clean and store them in vented storage tubs in the fridge. The basket keeps water from sitting, the vents allow for some air flow, keeps mold from creeping in, but still keeps the food plump and hydrated. Plus, it makes for an organized fridge.
These are not the exact tubs we have (can't find them online) but they would work the same.
Yogurt Maker
Homemade yogurt (or kefir) is so incredibly easy to make and the benefits of yummy pro-biotic-infused yogurt are undeniable. It’s incredibly good for your gut, your wallet, and the biggest kicker for us travelers…. availability. Some remote islands don’t have fresh produce, much less yogurt. We store a year’s worth of cultures in a small container in our freezer. We use fresh milk when we can get it. Otherwise, we use box milk (UHT). We make a fresh batch every week. This is why a yogurt maker is a must-have on our boat. There are lots of options out there all similarly priced...all work decent.
- Yogurt Starters: https://amzn.to/3coM6Eo
- Dash Yogurt Maker:https://amzn.to/2PvGnia
- Other Yogurt Makers: https://amzn.to/36pncAZ
Blender
We consume a lot of smoothies but of course, there are lots of uses for a good blender. Making nut milk, frozen margaritas, soups, salsa, bean dips, hummus, guacamole, pesto…I could go on. I have the best affordable option I could find in the Netherlands. But one day, I will upgrade to a Vitamix.
- Vitamix 5200 – https://amzn.to/3SrVFGV
- (affordable luxury without stepping up to a Vitamix) Breville Fresh & Furious – https://amzn.to/2TKOlK1
- Personal Blender (the one I would have purchased if it were available at the time): https://amzn.to/4ddKGJL
Nut Milk Making Supplies
- Strainer: https://amzn.to/4fmIMrC
- Sealed Milk Canister (or salad dressing shaker): https://amzn.to/46lY0Jk
Mini Bluetooth Temperature Humidity Sensors
These little guys are super affordable and have been incredibly helpful! We can monitor the indoor and outdoor temp and humidity anywhere in the boat. Including monitoring the fridge/freezer temps.
Plus, we have watched what happens when we try out different settings on our AC. Which has helped us determine the best setting for dehumidification and power use. We can keep an eye on temps inside our tech spaces. We can see how hot it gets where we store glues and general chemicals.
Another cool feature is how we can have preset ranges for temp and humidity on the app. Then we get alerts if anything is out of our set range.
- Buy Them From Amazon: https://amzn.to/3LknrkP
Thank you!
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