The kitchen was by far the hardest space of the RV for me to organize and is still the space that needs to be reorganized the most. Our first RV, Rockwood by Forest River, had very little cabinet space and had even less after we remodeled.  I had to get very creative when it came to my kitchen organization. Here are 7 tips that helped me minimize the stuff I had and maximize my kitchen storage.

7 Tips For Organizing an RV Kitchen

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1. Keep one set of utensils and dishes for each person in your family

Utensils and dishes are necessities, especially if you are RV living full-time. If you will be traveling often, you may want to consider plastic or bamboo dishes. Everything in your RV will get knocked around on travel days and plastic will give you the most life out of your dishes. Plastic and bamboo also hold up better outside, which will most likely be an extension of your indoor space.

2. Utilize floor to ceiling space whenever possible

Storage is limited in an RV, especially in the kitchen. One of the best ways to maximize storage is to utilize wall space and use containers that can fit above cabinets or below furniture. Hanging baskets or bags are a great way to store produce, instead of setting it out on the counter. Maria Fuller (@r.maria.fuller) saves space by doing this and it is BEAUTIFUL. Check it out HERE. You can use a magnetic strip to secure cutlery to make room in your drawers for other things. Use cute baskets to set on open shelves or on the counter as extra storage.

3. Get rid of bulky appliances or find underneath storage

There are so many kitchen appliances now days that make cooking quick and easy, but they also take up a lot of space. When you’re deciding what to keep in your RV, think about things that you use the most, what serves multiple purposes, and what you can live without. Make a list of the things you use every day and where you will store them and go from there. It’s also important to think about how much power your larger appliances need to run and if it can run with other things going at the same time. This sounds crazy, I know! But it’s very easy to trip breakers in an RV, especially when you have multiple things running at a time. My crockpot was one of those appliances for me. My 30amp RV wasn’t powerful enough to run it all day (4-8hour cook times), plus the AC, and whatever else I plugged in throughout the day (cell phone, hair dryer, computer, etc.). I ditched the crockpot and kept my instant pot. It was smaller, easier to store, and could be used for a lot of different things. If there is something that you really want to keep but can’t find space in your kitchen, make room in your underneath storage.

4. Use storage containers, racks, and tension rods to maximize cabinet space

RV cabinets are the most awkward sizes. Some are tall and narrow, others are short and deep. Stackable containers are a great way to store odd-shaped things and can maximize those deep or tall cabinets. Another great way to maximize space is to use racks that can create tiers to store things like cans, spices, snacks, drink packets, condiments, etc. Tension rods and hooks are a great way to store mugs, bags, dish clothes, measuring cups, and utensils.

5. Use airtight containers to store dry ingredients

Boxes and bags take up a lot of space and can be awkward to organize. You can eliminate these by storing dry ingredients in airtight containers. They are easier to stack, move around, and can take up less space. They are also great for indoor/outdoor use if you do a lot of cooking or food prep outdoors. As an added bonus, airtight containers help to prevent bugs and mice from getting into your food and invading your RV.

6. Keep the necessities, limit quantities, make sure things have multiple purposes

Things like water bottles, coffee mugs, to-go cups, and food storage containers somehow have a way of multiplying really fast. Keep your favorites and donate the rest. Think about your lifestyle and what you need or don’t need anymore. For me, quitting a 9 to 5 meant I no longer needed all of the to-go cups, lunch boxes, freezer backs, and storage containers. I donated them to make room for the things I did need. Do you need all of the baking or special cooking tools? Do you need the homemade popsicle making kit? What is necessary for your everyday life?

7. Do weekly meal prep with recipes that use similar ingredients

Meal prepping can help you cut back on how much stuff you have to find a place for at one time. I wrote a whole blog post about how we meal prep to maximize our food storage in the RV.

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These tips have really helped us maximize our RV kitchen space. Whether you have no kitchen storage or a ton of cabinet space, these tips will help you organize your kitchen. Below you can shop some of our favorite kitchen storage and space savers. You can also follow us on liketoknow.it to shop pictures of our RV and additional product links.