When you’re choosing the ‘van that’s right for you, there are a variety of decisions to make and requirements you will have that will set you on the path to finding the right motorhome for you. One question you could find yourself pondering is whether it’s worth having an oven in a motorhome.
After all, they’re a staple in a domestic kitchen. However, the rise of gadgets such as the best air fryer for a motorhome and the convenience of the best campervan microwave could leave you thinking an oven is a kitchen appliance you could do without in your leisure vehicle. There’s no getting away from the fact that they can divide opinion, too.
Fundamentally, whether you choose a motorhome with an oven or specifically look for a leisure vehicle without one is a decision that will come down to personal preference and the way you want to cook when you’re on tour. If you’re unsure – or simply want to see what we think – we asked Sarah, the editor of Practical Motorhome, Reviews editor, Peter Baber, and Content editor, Peter Byrne, “how important is it to have an oven in your motorhome?”. This is what they said.
For Sarah, the editor of Practical Motorhome, an oven was something she actively wanted to avoid in her ‘van. She said: “When I bought my motorhome last year, I purposely chose the one I did because it doesn’t have an oven or a microwave.”
This was mainly done so she would have extra space in her ‘van, as she instead uses an air fryer. Operating such a gadget can be made easier when you’re pitched up with the best portable power station.
So if you know you will not be using an oven to cook and will instead opt for other appliances, it perhaps limits the benefits of having one, especially as it will just take up kitchen space.
Another reason Sarah wanted to avoid an oven becomes apparent when you’re driving a motorhome. Sarah explains: “The other good thing about not having an oven is that you don’t get the rattling when you’re on the road from the racks.”
We then asked Reviews editor Peter Baber. For him, an oven “is not very important at all”.
This is, in part, because of the practicalities of using one, with Peter highlighting that the vast majority of ovens in motorhomes will be gas-only: “Gas-only ovens, at least the ones they have in motorhomes, tend to be very temperamental and probably wouldn’t do your meal justice.”
The way he likes to prepare and cook on tour also factors in. Peter prefers to prepare food to heat up on tour, which is why he likes to have a microwave in a motorhome.
He explains: “I do like having a microwave in my motorhome, because I tend to cook things in advance and take them with me, and then all you’ve got to do is heat them up again.”
Content editor Peter Byrne took a bit of a different approach. He said: “I know they can divide opinion, but I would personally quite like one.”
While Sarah has highlighted that she runs her air fryer off of a portable power station, Peter said: “An oven which can run on gas will save you from having to worry about portable power stations or inverters.” Portable power stations, in particular, can be quite heavy to move around and store, so not taking one with you can free up payload.
Even if you’re pitching up at a full-facility site with hook-up, there’s still a benefit to be had for Peter, with an oven saving you from “the risk of accidentally blowing the fuse if you do use an air fryer or a microwave.”
As we’ve shown here, whether you want an oven or not is down to personal preference, and not something with a right or wrong answer. If you know you’ll use it, it’s likely to be a must-have, but if you know you will not and will instead be cooking with other appliances on tour, you can free up valuable space in your motorhome by opting for a leisure vehicle without one.
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