Living in an RV

#1

We live in an RV so need to keep cooking “things” to a minimum. So, with that in mind what is better an Instant Pot or an Air Fryer? There are only the two of us so nothing big is needed.

(Susan) #2

We have two other forum members that I know of that are living in vehicles.

@coffeekittie has a Truck House and @islandlight is currently living in a tent and is currently preparing her car to live in it for September onwards.

Both of them might have some great ideas and helpful hints for you!

('Jackie P') #3

I would say an instant pot. It is very versatile, pressure cooker, slow cooker and more.
IMHO air fryers are for low fat cooking! I gave mine away when I started Keto !

(Full Metal KETO AF) #4

You can save a lot of money with a discontinued Instant Pot model. I got a 6 quart 7 in 1 for $59 recently from Amazon. I love it. The newer ones aren’t any better, they just added a couple of pre sets that you can actually do with manual programming as far as I can tell. There is a new combo IP and air fryer that just came out I believe. Ninja makes one too but it’s got a non stick coating on the pot instead of stainless steel like the IP. I prefer stainless myself for longevity of the device and my life! :cowboy_hat_face:

(PJ) #5

Instant pot!! Especially for keto. I’ve had both. I gave my very nice air fryer to my stepmom who is not low-carb as many of its best dishes are grains, pastas, breads, fried starches, etc.

IP is great. Sautee stuff in it, pressure cook in it, slow cook in it, ‘keep warm’ for eons in it, boil (hard, soft, or even poach!) eggs in it, cook from frozen in it, make stuff you’d normally bake in it (like breakfast muffins now called egg bites, even though technically starbucks makes them in sous vide, lowcarbers have been making those suckers in the oven for eons), make yogurt in it, make cheesecake in it, steam veggies in it, and if you ever need to cook rice or beans or pasta it’d be there for you on that too, though those things aren’t keto I realize.

The only thing that you cannot do well in an instant pot that I’ve found so far, is “broil” – I use my toaster oven for that – and some degree of baking (like for some ‘disks’ I make to use as breadishes, like for little pizzas or sandwiches or whatever). My toaster oven covers that stuff though.

Also you can buy a rubber lid for the inner pot if you just want to use it to store stuff, extra pots, glass lid (if you really enjoy watching slow cook lol), insert pans and so on – but you can also use nothing but what it comes with plain, a little insert (that elevates your stuff a bit off the bottom) and you’re good to go.

I lived in an RV Van-conversion for eight months once. Along with a very big sailboard and sail and custom wetsuit, two kittens with 50’ leash, two guitars, and all the requisite Hendrix and Doors posters inside and grateful dead stickers outside (the van came with those lol). And a big fat purple candle and appropriate incense of course, for meditation. :smiley: I remember praying so fiercely to EVOLVE during that period. Many years later I heard a Lily Tomlin joke that cracked me up, and steal it to paraphrase, that I should have been more specific. :rofl: I was a jr executive at the time. My boss made me park nearly two blocks away so none of the investors would know it was mine. :blush:

Aside from the catbox (…) (I was young, ugh, I doubt I would suffer that now!) and that I had to join a 20/7 gym so I’d have a shower and bathroom (I used one of those old fashioned expandable rubber hard-lid ‘ice bags’ for #1, which worked ok even for a woman), it was actually a lot of fun. I had black outdoor carpet and velcro around the windows, carpet cut to fit, so it was 100% dark outside the van at night, even if I was in there with my camping gear for light, heat, food, etc.

PJ

PS you’re not homeless, you just have a very small home! Some people live in RV’s and even vans and campers on purpose. :cowboy_hat_face:

(Tom Seest) #6

We live in our RV and have for almost 2 years now.

We use our Instant Pot a lot, and we also use a Toaster Oven a lot. We also have a solar oven that we use outside on sunny days, as it keeps the heat out of the RV.

(Katie) #7

I am also full time in an RV. I found that the space and electric cost of adding appliances not worth it…plus 110V burden on the inverter.

I am mostly in the SW desert in the winter months so I have endless sunshine…I cook most every meal in a solar oven. It’s free energy falling from the sky. Every meat dish you can name some comes of that oven moist and tasting incredible. If I must cook faster, I either just the camp stove (outside) or the induction cooktop. But, honestly, where to I have to hurry off to go?

(Katie) #8

Oh…I should add that I live off grid. So I am very cautious with my energy use.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #9

Think out of the box. Raw.

(Karen) #10

Leanne Vogel lives in an RV pretty much full-time now, and manages keto. I think she has had a number of podcasts on it.

(Parker the crazy crone lady) #11

So many here living on the road! I had no idea. @Katiekate I like the desert during the winter also. @tdseest I have a solar oven which rocks!

@homeless, when I move into my RV from the house truck, I’m thinking about getting an instant pot. They take a lot of power tho (I think), so there’s that to consider. I have tons of solar, and a Honda genny, and of course my engine also charges up the battery bank, so I’ll be able to pull it off without hurting my batteries.

A small pressure cooker on the stove top can do so much. As can a solar oven.

#12

The Ninja Foodi is both. Plus a dehydrator, steamer, oven, etc. I was hesitant to buy one last spring, best investment I have made in a long time. Have not used my oven (except for pizza) since then.

(Parker the crazy crone lady) #13

Well that looks super useful!

#14

Buy it at Kohls w/ a 30% coupon code. Great price and exchange policy if needed.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #15

Hey! No need to apologise for the Grateful Dead. :skull: :cowboy_hat_face:

(Tom Seest) #16

We don’t technically live on the road. We bought 6 acres on a mountain top in Tennessee and we live in our RV on the mountain top. No plans for building a house…

(Karen) #17

I think there is a trucker on 2Ketodudes that used his Instapot as a oven or something like that.

(Parker the crazy crone lady) #18

That sounds like heaven. I plan on something like that eventually.

(Parker the crazy crone lady) #19

Interesting! I’m going to check that out. :blush:

(Susan) #20

That is pretty cool, but what do you do for power and internet up there?