A chef living in a van shares the clever storage hacks she uses to maximize her tiny kitchen
Chef Nat Rodriguez went from working in commercial kitchens to cooking up elaborate meals in a van.Lets Play Ride and Seek
- Chef Nat Rodriguez lives in a converted sprinter van with her wife, Abi, and their two dogs.
- Rodriguez cooks elaborate meals on the road, using storage hacks to maximize her tiny kitchen.
- From foldout tables to pullout pantries, here's how Rodriguez organizes her tight kitchen space.
Chef Nat Rodriguez lives in a van where she makes elaborate meals in her tiny kitchen, she told Insider.
Chef Rodriguez prepares a meal in her van.
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After working in commercial kitchens, Rodriguez said she knew cooking in a space "no bigger than most people's bedroom closets" would be a challenge, but three years into van life, she's come up with some clever storage hacks.
Rodriguez uses the oven to cook inside.
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Rodriguez said she and her wife, Abi, maximize their kitchen even when it's not in use. For example, Rodriguez said she uses the curtain rod above the kitchen sink to dry herbs.
A close-up of herbs on the curtain rod that doubles as a drying rack.
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Above the cabinets, extra shelving stores other items like alcohol and salt-and-pepper shakers.
Rodriguez reaches for goods stored in the shelves above the sink.
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Between the pantry and upper sink cabinets, there's a small nook holding reference books.
A close-up of Rodriguez's book nook.
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Below the stove, a drawer pulls out that stores Rodriguez's pots and pans.
Pots and pans stored under the oven.
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When she's not using the sink, Rodriguez said she puts a cover over it so she can store things inside while driving. And it doubles as an art piece, she added.
Rodriguez's sink cover is an etched piece of wood.
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When she is using the kitchen, Rodriguez maximizes the space with foldout tables for extra room to prep food.
There are two foldout tables in the kitchen.
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To the left of the sink area, a pantry slides out to reveal Rodriguez's spices, vinegar, dry goods, and small appliances.
Rodriguez looks for ingredients in the slide-out pantry.
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On the wall next to it, a magnetic strip vertically stores Rodriguez's knives for easy access while saving drawer space.
Rodriguez's knife collection.
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There's also a drawer designed around the sink with two narrow compartments, leaving no space left unused.
The sink drawer stores small items.
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Rodriguez said some tools make tiny kitchens more livable. Collapsible dishes and a tiny coffee kit take up hardly any storage space.
Rodriguez's tiny living-friendly dishware.
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Their Instant Pot stores food as it cooks it, so a meal is ready by the time they get to camp, Rodriguez said, adding that her other go-to pots and pans have collapsible handles.
Rodriguez's essential cooking tools on the road.
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To maximize the kitchen the most, Rodriguez takes it outside. Visit Let's Play Ride and Seek on Patreon for more van-life cooking tips and tricks.
Rodriguez cooks a meal outside.
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Source: Let's Play Ride and Seek/Patreon
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