Our List of Favorite RV 12V Appliances for Your Traveling Kitchen

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In one of the Facebook groups I’m in, someone asked for recommendations for RV 12-volt appliances. He was looking for a 12-volt coffee machine that uses pods, like the Keurig K cups, so that he could brew a consistent cup of coffee every day.

The poor guy got A LOT of answers…but pretty much none of them answered his actual question.

For Coffee Lovers: 6 Ways to Make Coffee in an RV (Even When Boondocking!)

So, I went on a quest to answer these myself.

And now I know why there was so much difficulty in answering his question! There are a lot of gimmicky gadgets that run on 12v, but not many good quality 12-volt appliances for your small RV kitchen.

Of course, if you’re in an RV with 12v batteries, you can always hook up an inverter to run your normal small kitchen appliances on 110 or 240v power. For many of these appliances, this will be your only option!

I wanted to look specifically at what is available in the 12v range. Since it is so limited, I’ve decided to include manual (no power at all) or battery (AA or lithium) powered options as well.

Of course, when you’re in an RV, you don’t want to overstuff your limited kitchen storage with gadgets just for the sake of it. But here are some kitchen appliances you might want to consider.

7 RV 12 volt appliances

1. 12 volt Coffee Maker RV

I’m sorry to say there isn’t one… except this one with mediocre ratings:

12V Espresso Machine Car Espresso Coffee Machine, Make Espresso in Car 12V Car Coffee Maker with 2 cups
  • 12V Espresso Machine--- Professionally desiged espresso machine for drinking espresso in the car, 110w,the power is from the cigarette lighter socket. You can enjoy fresh espresso in the car on the way of trip or during camping.

However, there are a couple of other options. You just need to heat up the water and use these manual or battery-powered espresso makers.

I’ll start with the most popular and highest rated espresso coffee maker, the Aeropress. This is getting rave reviews on Amazon and it seems to appeal to A LOT of true coffee snobs connoisseurs.

CISNO NCC-N01 Automated Portable Espresso Machine, Boil Water, 15 Bars Pressure, Automatically Pump, Compatible With Nespresso Capsules, BPA Free, Good For Traveler, Black
  • A standard single Espresso shot – 50 ml water tank capacity and it can yield about 45 ml of espresso (about 1. 35 Liquid ounce).

Or there is the somewhat more fiddly type where you add the hot water and then manually pump the water through the coffee:

WACACO Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker Bundled with Protective Case, Mini Travel Coffee Machine, Perfect for Camping, Travel and Office( Black)
  • [BE YOUR OWN BARISTA] Achieving the perfect espresso shot is far from easy. The Nanopresso works best with finely ground coffee that is tamped hard. Thanks to its innovative construction and easy operation, Nanopresso will help you brew perfect cups with a nice and dense crema layer every time.

Or you can get a similar battery powered one, but no pumping, just press the button and the coffee comes through.

CISNO NCC-N01 Automated Portable Espresso Machine, Boil Water, 15 Bars Pressure, Automatically Pump, Compatible With Nespresso Capsules, BPA Free, Good For Traveler, Black
  • A standard single Espresso shot – 50 ml water tank capacity and it can yield about 45 ml of espresso (about 1. 35 Liquid ounce).

I’m suddenly realizing that I am a coffee snob because this next option is 12 volt but my first thought was “ew absolutely not.”

avigator Portable Coffee Maker, 12V Car Coffee Maker, Travel Coffee Machine Fits Car Cigarette Lighter Plug, Auto Shut Off, Ground Coffee Maker for Driving Camping&RV(Silver Black)
  • 【12V COFFEE MAKER】Power your car coffee maker by connecting to your vehicle's cigarette lighter socket. This innovative power supply ensures you can brew your favorite drip coffee in 15mins while on the move, instead of being confined to a fixed power supply indoors.

It has pretty good reviews, though!

2. 12 volt Blender

The options here are limited to mini blenders (to mix up drinks like a nutri-bullet) or a hand-powered blender!

Waring TG15 Tailgater Blender
  • Plugs into a vehicle's cigarette lighter for pre-game and other outdoor parties

You will also find plenty of these types of mini-blenders; powered by a lithium battery that you can recharge with USB. If you don’t fancy the one below, I would search Amazon for ‘car mini blender’ to get the widest selection.

Portable Blender USB Rechargeable, Hotsch Personal Size Blender for Shakes and Smoothies, Strong Cutting Power with Six Blades, 13.5Oz Juicer Cup for Sports, Travel
  • Powerful and Efficient: Equipped with 6 stainless steel blades and operating at approximately 24,000 rotations per minute, Hotsch personal blender effortlessly blends ice, frozen fruits, and leafy greens, preserving more vitamins and nutrients in drinks.

And if you’re up for the physical challenge, you can go hand-powered all the way!

Multi-Functional Manual Food Processor,8 Cup Hand-powered Crank Chopper,Mincer Blender with Clear Container,for Vegetables Meat Fruits Nuts Herbs Onions (Without Base)
  • The rotate blades are made from 420 stainless steel, Just rotate the handle then everything will be done in seconds.comfort soft grip lid, anti-skid base and a large handle for easy leverage,The large capacity of 1.5L can meet the needs of your family

Similarly, a stick blender may do the trick.

Sale
OVENTE Electric Immersion Hand Blender 300 Watt 2 Mixing Speed with Stainless Steel Blades, Powerful Portable Easy Control Grip Stick Mixer Perfect for Smoothies, Puree Baby Food & Soup, Black HS560B
  • POWERFUL – Equipped with a high-speed 300-Watt motor, it quickly and seamlessly blends ingredients together to make delicious and healthy smoothies, pureed soups, marinades, sauces, juices, and much more.

3. 12v Kettle

There are plenty of 12 volt kettles out there. Here are a couple of nice looking ones:

Car Electric Kettle: 12V/24V Portable Water Boiler Heated Travel Mug,Multiple Temperature Adjustable Coffee Tea Truck Cup with 304 Stainless Steel Dry Burn Protection & Handy Cup Bag
  • Portable And Multiple Temperature Options- LINGYOKY car kettle is small and lightweight, with the functions of boiling water and keeping warm. The 12V/24V mini electric kettle keeping warm function can set the temperature range within 86-203℉ by "Temp+" or "Temp-". Meets your needs for coffee, tea, milk and more. Truck heated travel mug is designed for in-car use, so you can greatly enhance your sense of happiness in the car.

Sale
WTJMOV 12V Car Electric Kettle, Travel Portable Electric Tea Coffee Kettle Fast Water Boiler & Heater Automatic Shut-Off (White)
  • 【Portable and Multi Function】- It not only be used as a Car Electric Kettle, but also a vacuum cup. It will not leak water when put in your bag, it is more convenient to carry, perfect for travel or business trip. You can enjoy hot water, tea and coffee anytime in your car, or prepare milk for baby.

Travel Electric Kettle Portable Small Mini Tea Coffee Kettle Water Boiler, Water Heater with 4 Temperature Control,304 Stainless Steel with Auto Shut-Off & Boil Dry Protection, BPA-Free (White)
  • Portable Kettle for Travel - QRAGJBM mini kettle has a capacity of 450ml/15.2oz, and is only 9 inches and weight 1.1 pounds. Electric travel kettle's compact size and hidden handle are designed for those who like to travel and work for business or be in the office. The tightness of travel water boiler also makes it safe to put liquids in your bag or suitcase without leaking. Small tea kettle is lightweight and save space, ideal for your travel or business trips.

4. Sandwich press or grill (12v)

Koolatron 401-596 White 12 volt Auto Grill
  • Full featured grill and creates delicious meals

Or… this could be the time to collect some firewood, polish off your fire-lighting skills and crank out the cast iron sandwich press or panini press.

Rome's Panini Press Cooker, Cast Iron with Steel and Wood Handles
  • From the foremost designer of pie irons comes a specialty sandwich press designed to make delicious grilled Italian Panini sandwiches

May as well toast some marshmallows while you’re at it!

5. 12 volt Frying Pan

6. 12v Slow cooker

RoadPro-RPSL-350 Quart Slow Cooker, Auto Travel, 12V, White, 1.5 Quart
  • Plugs directly into 12-Volt power port to provide hot meals while camping or traveling

7. 12 volt Rice Cooker

Multi-Function (Cooking, Heating, Keeping warm) Mini Travel Rice Cooker 12V For Car and Truck(12v white)
  • CAPACITY: 1L mini rice cooker using for 1-2 people. Non-stick Inner Pot (One-piece design).

Is there a 12 volt microwave?

Surprisingly, I have been able to find a 12 volt microwave. It’s by WaveBox and, while the first reviews it got were pretty bad, the next ones were still bad. It’s no longer in stock and likely no longer made.

WaveBox Original Portable AC/DC Microwave, Cobalt
  • Rugged portable microwave with integrated coolbag cooks and cools on the go

RV 12 Volt Appliances

I have to say, I’m really surprised at the lack of 12 volt appliances on the market. I’m sure it has everything to do with power output (or lack of), but I’m still surprised.

And as I said at the beginning, an inverter solves most of your converting-AC-to-DC-problems anyway.

Do you have any RV 12V appliances that you’d recommend? Share in the comments!

For a better selection of appliances for your RV, check out: Best Small Kitchen Appliances for the RV

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2 Comments

  1. For a chopper/mini food processor you can use Crank Chop. It pulls with a string like a mini lawn mower. We have a crank chop and it does a great job. will cut up onions, peppers, makes fresh salsa – it just depends on how many times you pull – 1, 2 or 3 how fine the chop is. Ii think there are a few different name brands. also good for coffee is a personal drip – some are made by Melitta. We just got a collapsible silicon one that stores flat. It’s cone shaped and you put a paper filter in it and pour hot water through it; cna make a small pot or do over a Thermos (vacuum bottle) for a larger amount. We are in the process of outfitting our RV for boondocking (free camping) and we are trying to find any appliance that does not require electricity at all. We also use a butane stove, Compact and the cnas that fit in are about the size of a can of hairspray or whipped cream. We have used butane stoves for over 30 years, on the boat, in the trailer, camping and at large gatherings to keep food warm or at a fish fry (we had 3 going on picnic tables) to do appetizers for about 60 people.

    1. Oh wow, thanks for all that helpful information Lora! 🙂
      So those crank chops work huh. I had seen some other manual blenders (the ones with the winding handle) and people complained about them but this obviously has a better mechanism and has heaps of good reviews. -Here it is on Amazon if anyone else wants to see what we’re talking about: https://amzn.to/2ISYCyD
      We’ve used the butane stoves here too, but we seem to go through the cans at a furious rate. So we now use a gas stove connected to an LPG (propane) bottle.
      After doing the research for this post, I’m fully in agreement with you. No-electricity-needed-at-all is the best way to go!

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