Top 10 Kitchen Tools You Must Bring to a Vacation Rental!

There are just some kitchen tools I cannot live without… even on vacation!  These kitchen tools are lightweight, easy to pack, and will have you whipping up gourmet meals seaside!

We love to travel!  My boyfriend travels for a living and I work from home, so maybe he doesn’t love it as much as I do. But we’ve discovered in the last couple of years that we both thoroughly enjoy a vacation rental through AirBnb. We always get a cool place in a great location, and the prices are typically better than a hotel.  We get all the comforts of home, which he enjoys, but it’s not our home, which I enjoy. Since we also love to cook and hit up little local farm stands, it’s nice to have a kitchen and we can save a little on eating out and spend a little bit more on a rental with a view … or a hot tub.  But usually I lack the kitchen tools that I need when we stay at these awesome places.

As we continue to go on these little AirBnB getaways, I realized there are kitchen tools I can’t leave behind. Even though most of the rentals we’ve stayed at have had fully stocked kitchens… the quality of what they have would only inspire dorm room cooking. Cheap ineffective utensils, old pans that have seen better days, and knives that you couldn’t hurt yourself with if you tried.

On our last trip to the beautiful Georgia mountains, I finally got it right! I brought the perfect combination of kitchen tools to make all of our meals amazing. We ate in almost every meal… I mean look at this view!! Would you eat out when you can eat in and look at this?

Here are my Top 10 Kitchen Tools You Must Bring to an Airbnb!

1. Prepworks Dome Lid Citrus Juicer

This little juicer is amazing!  It’s probably my favorite of all my kitchen tools!  It’s lightweight, small, and has measuring tools on it.  That way it can double as a measuring cup, if I ever chose to measure something.  I typically like No Need to Measure recipes… don’t you?  But I use lemon juice to make a quick dressing, toss with some fruit, or just brighten up a dish.  

 

2. Microplane Zester/Grater

Since I already have the juicer… I might as well use all the lemon.  I love zest in quick desserts or to add a little pizzazz to a dish or marinade.  It also doubles as my garlic grater!

 

 

3. Kyocera Ceramic 5-1/2-inch Santoku Knife, Black Handle, White Blade

I just can’t stand using a dull knife!  I have an incredible set of knives that my Boyfriend gave me for Christmas a while back, but I find them a little too hefty to travel with.  I’ve held on to this incredible knife as a back up, and I’m glad I did.  It’s light weight, not too big and not too small, dishwasher safe, and I can debone a chicken as easily as slicing a tomato.  It is definitely one of the best kitchen tools not to be left at home.

4. Tramontina Nonstick Restaurant Fry Pan, 10″

The pans I see at these rentals are just the lowest form of cookware.  This is the best non-stick pan I have ever purchased and it was also the cheapest!  But it’s a work horse, dish washer safe, plus I can toss it in the oven.  I love the silicon grip, it makes looking for a pot holder less of a chore.  I can cook a pork chop for dinner and a frittata for brunch!

 

5. Cuisinart Mini Prep Food Processor

This may seem like an odd bring-along considering the other kitchen tools I’m packing, but I can’t tell you how often I wish I had it with me.  It’s so convenient to make some quick salsa, chop some onions or garlic, make a quick compound butter, or whirl up some strawberries to top some pancakes.  It’s tiny and lightweight, but it does a great job.  We actually have two in our house and I have been know to use them simultaneously.

6. Jogoo Kitchen Tongs with Silicone Tips

These are just the best kitchen tongs ever!  I use them for almost everything – on the grill, from the oven, on the stove top, toss a salad, mix pasta with sauce… the list goes on.  I have several of them now, and I always bring at least one with me that is long enough for a grill.  The best!!!

7. OXO Good Grips Silicone Spatulas

I feel like these just go without saying as kitchen tools go… but after seeing the old wooden spoons and dollar store spatulas, at our AirBnB rentals, I have to bring at least one of these with me.  They stir, flip, and sautee!  I have so many of these, I practically carry one in my purse.

 

 

8. Wilton Recipe 9×13 Cake Pan with Cover

I don’t bake cakes really, but I do bake a lot of other foods.  This is also great for marinating meat and then roasting it.  The lid is a great asset to store food in, plus I toss all my utensils in it for storage and I can just drop it in my tote bag.  And, if you do feel inclined to bake a cake… you certainly can!

9. Flexible Plastic Cutting & Chopping Board Mats

I feel you can never have enough cutting boards, and at these rentals I can usually only find one and it’s usually the size of a cheese platter.  Prepping a meal, I usually use at least two with make these a huge kitchen essential when we’re traveling.  These slim little cutting boards are great for prepping your meat and salad, and that way you’re not running back and forth to clean it constantly.  Plus they weigh nothing, so it makes for easy packing, as kitchen tools can add up.  But I have learned to manage all of this in one little bag.

10. Salt & Pepper Grinder – 2 in 1

I’m sorry, call me snob, but I just can’t stand cooking with table salt and pepper.  I need the real deal.  I need my special sea salt and pepper melange freshly ground.  This little treasure does double duty and that’s why it’s perfect for traveling!

 

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