Microwave motorhome advice
Hi on our Autotrail t625 we have a cupboard above the cooker with a 240 plug with a isolation switch, l assume its for a microwave. Not sure if one was fitted and then removed by the original owner before we bought it. My question is do l have to have a special microwave fitted or will standard one be ok. In my Coachman vip 2014 it was in the cupboard, just plugged in, cant quite remember how it was fixed. Will l need to fix the standard one in some way or order the correct microwave with fitting kit.
Heethers
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Heethers
I assume your motorhome is the base model being a Tribute? The Imala which is the next step up seems to have a microwave which by the looks of it is a Daewoo, see picture below. Generally motorhome and caravans use the more compact models. Don't forget you will need to have some ventilation if its in a confined space. They are usually fixed (unless there is a fitting kit) by screwing up in base of the microwave. I know that sounds a bit drastic but usually the bit that rests on the work surface has a hollow pressing in the metal floor which will accept a self tapping screw but you have to work this out carefully before hand.
David
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A friend randomly asked me the other day if I knew of the smallest microwave on the market as his small camper van doesn't have one. I didn't but does anyone know the answer to this?
On reflection it seemed a relatively sensible request as I don't think I've ever heated anything up in mine above about half a pint in volume.
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We have never bothered with a microwave, don’t even have one at home. But others like them and find them useful. Got to ask, they often seem to be in a rather dangerous place to me, head height. I’ve always thought this rather dangerous for handling scaldingly hot liquids and food? Assume great care is required?😱
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Too true, TDA, the m/wave I used to have in the m'van weighed a lot so it was not a fixed item due to the fixings required. Then as you say a pint / litre of hot soup at that height scared Brian, so it was on a work surface or not used at all. Net result was I gave it away
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When we bought our caravan some of the models had an option to have microwave removed and a door installed. I would have preferred that but not an option with our model. We do use it about 6 times a year but I never use one at home although I do use the combi oven itself at home
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Yes, when the family were at home we had a proper but expensive combination oven, this was very useful but when children left home and later we retired we disgarded with it. It was big and heavy but very versatile and quicker than the gas oven which was a bonus when we were working.
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We make a fair amount of use of ours. To keep food prep to a minimum in the van we tend to use ready made meals and leave the proper cooking for when we are at home and for that purpose a microwave is very useful.
David
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Best bit of kit i have is a halogen oven . At the moment i am cooking a brisket joint in it at home . Roast potatoes come out lovely . My energy bill at home has dropped a lot by not using a huge oven . Use in the caravan all the time ,even for toast
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Our Auto-sleepers is fitted with a Daewoo - cheap and cheerful and it packed up this year. They don’t last too long due to the vibration but are cheap as chips and easy to replace. As David says, simply a single screw up through the supporting shelf into the raised part of the tin base. We don’t use our oven but the microwave is sometimes useful. Didn’t miss it in our 5 week trip this year.
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What I failed to say is that the m/wave has been replaced in the 'van with the famous REMOSKA** !! With a little foresight and a timer or three it does all I need apart from brewing my cuppa - tho' it's possible it could do that if I fully read the handbook { ?? who reads / keeps handbooks I ask myself
}** The modified version of the NEW Remoska -- the one with the clear panel in the upper part. It's nice to watch my dinner cooking
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Alan
Don't tend to find that in Waitrose or M&S ready meals. Some other supermarkets are a bit salt heavy. I have to be careful because I suffer from hypertension so have to watch salt intake, added to which I don't really like salty things!
David
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I use SOME ready meals from "Lidl" if i have to as an emergency standby don't find those salty ,,apart from my homemade Bolognese sauce with home grown I.o.W garlic on pasta.Otherwise i eat out .0
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It’s pays to read the colour coded warnings label on every product. If the salt don’t get you, the saturated fat will! All the supermarkets hide behind this, it allows them to push some of the onus onto diners by declaring that their ready meals are only intended for occasional consumption, as part of a “balanced diet”. Yet M&S have specifically developed a range to appeal to the elderly who either cannot, or don’t want to cook. They sell a single pie, chicken and leek (sounds healthy enough, lean meat, bit of veg... ) that has 150% of recommended daily saturated fat! Scary...... Mind, pies aren’t healthy anyway of course, definitely in the once in a blue moon category.
I actually love cooking when away. We did try a microwave in our no oven caravan, but all it got used for was jacket potatoes, so it wasn’t worth the hassle and weight. Found a small steamer more use, outside van, salmon in one tier, tatties in another, veg at the top. Worked a treat. I know lots of one pan recipes as well.
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I am a strange cove (as some are aware
) I have done nearly all the main cooking at home for around 40 years and although I use seasoning etc I never use salt when cooking other than to draw moisture from aubergine and always use unsalted butter so if I eat plain unsalted crisps to me they taste slightly salted..0 -
When we are at home, the vast majority of any year, we eat in the main home cooked meals with lots of vegetables. However when we are in the van we try and keep things simple and some ready meals fit that purpose. We always interrogate the contents! The beauty of them is that they can be cooked or reheated in a microwave which is after all what this thread is about. You may even wish to bring your own pre-cooked meals from home which are equally suitable for being reheated in the microwave.
David
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If the physical size of the microwave is the problem ? We manage with one called a Daewoo QT3, very compact (I think it might be the smallest on the market ?) But with a standard size plate.....dont ask me how ? But it fits in a cupboard with the cupboard door shut.
In our V Line 600.
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Thanks all, after reading all the posts wife and l sat down had a good chin wag on how many times we used the microwave in the vans we had, came to the conclusion the space was better utilised for other items.
We tend to cook all our meals no ready stuff, slow cooker, Cadac and the oven, hob and grill, what more do you need
Heethers
Ps and those evening meals out, not to many though
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Yes, we have one, Tardis of a Microwave called: Daewoo QT or a QT3
standard size inside plate, smaller on outside. Available on Amazon at £52 or £54. 600 watt takes slightly longer to cook but bargain.
Fits into our under the sink cupboard. In our PVC. Oops this is a double post sorry.
Tried a Remolska pain int bum.
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I use the microwave for various things. The ones in the previous caravan and MH were great never had an issue with them.
The one we have in the new caravan has an inbuilt cut off that is very annoying. It appears to be fine for things like microwave rice, jacket potatoes and reheating, however if I try to do a poppadom in it it shuts off after 1 minute and won't restart for 10 mins
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Sounds like it is overheating, probably through lack of air circulation. Trouble with factory fitted ones, you are relying on the designers/fitters doing their job correctly and reading the ovens instructions.
I prefer standard (albeit small) generally available oven.Much cheaper too.See my previous posts.
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