Eating without a kitchen

[PorcelainCatStack]

In a few weeks building will commence on our kitchen extension and then a few weeks after that we will be “kitchen-less” until the new one goes in. Because of the logistics of the build it might be a while so please can I ask for any tips for how to get through it?

We will have a kettle and microwave in another room and maybe a small drinks fridge.

Obviously laundry will be laundrette but any ingenious tips or tricks when it comes to eating without an actual kitchen?

It may of course just be the obvious takeaway & eating out (praying for lockdown to end before my kitchen does ha ha).

We treated ourselves to disposable plates sometimes - very un-pc I know. We lived off microwave meals but started to feel ill with lack of fresh veg.

Deli counter hot food! Genius thank you. We have all the supermarkets near us so that would be doable. Covid permitting 🤞

We bought pre cooked chicken from the supermarket. Used the microwave for meals, take away and McDonald’s.
Love microwave jacket potatoes.

I’ve got an instant pot with air fryer which is great for cooking an entire meal in one.

Otherwise I’d stick to takeaways or lots of sandwiches and cereal.

@bonfireheart

Airfryer

This. I have a half-dismantled kitchen, no money to fix it, and a single plug in ring, a slow cooker, and a toaster oven from Robert Dyas. We've made some very good meals but you have to be inventive.

Then a friend gave me an air fryer for christmas. We have roast veg, pies, heats up leftovers beautifully, all sorts of things. I use it way more than the toaster oven. I was so sceptical at first (we live near a chippy - why would we need an air fryer?) but I'm absolutely evangelical about it now. It's magic, a real mini-oven. And it cooks things so quickly, and is so easy to clean!

Yes I’m worried about the washing up @Genderwitched. I don’t want to use the bath unless I have to!

Paper plates are going on the list @waltzingparrot too! It’s veg etc I’m worried about as most of the healthier deli type takeaways close around 3-4 here. Bloody annoying as I’d certainly keep them in business if not!

We had at the beginning of last year when our kitchen was done. Our microwave has a convection setting so managed mainly with that and a slow cooker. I have recently bought an air fryer and it's amazing. If you could borrow a slow cooker and an air fryer I reckon it will be fine. We did lots of easy dinners- was about three weeks- I won't lie it drove me mad but it was doable!

This is fantastic hearing what people used or still use now. Thank you for all the tips. I’m writing a list.

Do you have a barbecue and an umbrella?

This will be us in a couple of months.

7 of us in the house ranging from age 6 to 86!

@Raera

Do you have a barbecue and an umbrella?

Ironically yes but due to where the build is going, not one I’ll have access to for a while 🤷‍♀️

@Raera jeez there is only 3 of us and one works away quite often so you have my sympathies. Hope this thread helps you too.

@Laistebsorry tagged wrong person above. Good luck with yours too.

@Laiste third times a charm 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

I managed with just a microwave and toaster, for a few months!! Managed to cook a spaghetti Bol, chilli in the microwave. Obvs took longer to do but was edible! Sure they were bags of veg that can been steamed.

We're are in the same position and 6 weeks in. Definitely recommend an air fryer, I will definitely keep using this once we have our kitchen. Slow cookers are great, loads of things can be cooked that way. We also have the IKEA induction hob and a camping stove, microwave and sandwich toaster.

Bags of steam veg are now on the list. I knew you lovely lot would think if things I hadn’t.

We had a couple of those cassette gas burners from camping and a single oven which plugged into a normal socket. Pretty much business as usual-set it all up on a couple of tables in the end of the living room. It’s amazing what you adjust to!

The paper plates idea is fantastic. No sink to wash up in ........

no

it's no good

when i try to start thinking of how we'll cope my brain just pushes it all aside and thinks about ANYTHING else instead

You can buy various flavours of ready cooked rice and noodles from the supermarkets, just heat up in the microwave and can stay in a cupboard.
A george forman grill is much more versatile than a sandwich toaster. You can cook any meat or fish, including coated in breadcrumbs, bacon, eggs (if you don't tilt it) burgers, toasted sandwiches or paninis. and anything that you would cook in a frying pan.

Could u keep th cooker if it’s electric and plug it in somewhere else not in the way ? I did this when we had refit couple of months ago and found it was better to cook like that than wasting money on takeaways x

@Laiste I feel your pain. I just can’t imagine it. Hence this thread and a growing list of tips that my brain couldn’t even fathom since it’s too busy worrying about everything else

Oh and air fryers can literally cook anything I love mine x

We've got one of these. It can be used as a sandwich toaster but so much more. We use it to grill vegetables, sausages, burgers. And make toast. It doesn't have ridges so it's easy to clean.

www.johnlewis.com/breville-vst071-duracermic-cafe-style-sandwich-press-stainless-steel/p3079301

Sadly no room for the oven to stay elsewhere either. It’s hard to explain but there’ll be no where unaffected downstairs so very little options. George Foreman added to the list as I never knew you could cook so much on them.

We lived with just a fridge, microwave, toaster and kettle for a few months. Most nights we'd use a microwave steamer and have fish, veg and packet rice.
Fresh soup from the supermarket with some nice bread or rotisserie chicken and salad were favourites too.