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).

You need a Ninja Foodi - you can do loads in them, I use mine everyday

Slow cooker, plug in induction hob, halogen oven, gas camping stove.

It makes your head hurt doesn't it.

The thing is we've been living in a building site for 3 years now already and the room which we laughingly call a kitchen is so revolting that i'm actually embarrassed to show it to the bloke who's coming to measure us up this week! It's part breeze block garage with wires dangling effect part tiny minging brown/yellow 70's kitchen.

I've been desperate for this year to come and finally get my new kitchen and now it approaches ... i'm in full panic

Great thread though OP. Reading all these tips :)

Can you move the existing fridge for the duration? Especially if you have a freezer?

If you can, batch cook decent sauces and meals now to freeze and then reheat in microwave when needed. Lasagna already cooked is fine frozen and then micro'd. Other things like spag Bol, curries, chilli, stews etc are all good.

Microwave rice and pasta are ok for a while. Couscous just needs boiling water, and you can do some really fine noodles that way too (and I do petite poi's peas too from frozen just with boiled water and not on hob, spinach put in a colander and a full kettle of boiling water poured slowly over it into sink/wash up bowl also cooks it perfectly).

Some nights, get a rotisserie chicken, coleslaw and crunchy french stick end route home as dinner. Or proper takeaway.

Pack away things you know you can't use and simplify your tools, and crockery, for the period. It makes it easier as there's less clutter to work around and search through, makes space, and is less to clean once builders (and their mess!) is gone. Into boxes and put in wardrobes, under beds, into the attic, piled out of the way in less used rooms etc.

Air fryer saved DH and I when we redid the kitchen over Christmas (Excellent planning, I know). We cooked everything in there and still use it now. Slow cooker is excellent too, I'm usually very careful with refridgerating food but I cooked a stew one night and ate the leftovers the night after without refridgerating it which is handy when all you have is a tiny beer fridge! We lived off a lot of cupboard meals- sandwiches and picnic food for dinners most nights. Keep lots of snacks around in case cooking is a faff/you run out of fridge food.

Relatives managed for a month with a single plug in induction hob! I’ve got an instant pot and love it- works as a slow cooker too. Instant noodles can be cooked with kettle water and jar hot dogs.

Get instapot, you just need an electric socket and can saute, pressure cook healthy meals, very quickly.

@Laiste I take my hat off to you dealing with building work so long. I’m dreading ours but also excited. And don’t even worry about your kitchen, mines so bad the ceilings rotten from a leak we had and I’m ashamed for them to have to see it up close whilst ripping it out tbh. But I’ll be paying them enough for them not to care so it’s ok lol

I did this a few years ago with a toddler. I had a fridge, kettle, toaster and microwave. If I had to repeat it I now have (and wouldn’t be without) a slow cooker and an air fryer.