What were your temporary kitchen meal hacks during extension?!

[Renovationation91]

It's just hit me that the builders arrive in three weeks 😱

As in the title, what genius hacks, supermarket products, methods of cooking did you use in your makeshift kitchen?

I'll have microwave, small air fryer, slow cooker, single plug in hob, small fridge and freezer plus a one and four year old to feed....(And pregnant due in Sept because I just love doing everything at once 🫣)

I'm thinking of stocking the freezer with things that can be added to carbs easily (Bolognese, chili, soup, sausages, pasta sauce etc)

Any tips greatly appreciated, we can stay with family during the worst of it i.e. when the boiler is out of action but need to make do at home for as much as possible.

Please give me your tips and tell me it will be worth it in the end!!

A slow cooker was useful for us. If you get to the point where you're eating a £1.50 Asda microwave meal (seasoned with your salty tears) out of a half melted microwaved black tub with a dirty plastic camping fork, you've probably hit your lowest point during the building works, and I promise you it gets better.

hobs not jobs

We got through 2 weeks during a kitchen renovation using a steamer, George Foreman grill, slow cooker and takeaway pizza! Also recommend the disposable cutlery/plates

We had months of a temporary kitchen and for some of the time were in the dining room with just an air fryer, microwave, plug in 2 ring hob and toaster. Fajitas were a regular option as were things like chicken in a sauce with microwave rice. Jacket potatoes in the air fryer. Mac and cheese. Pancakes. Always had microwave meals in the freezer for desperate times and Iceland was good for this. Did bagel pizzas in the air fryer a lot. It made sense to keep it simple most of the time. Bought the electric hob from amazon and it was actually really good once it had heated up. The air fryer was so useful too and we depended on that a lot.

You are right some of them are useless!

But this one’s just as good as my fancy range induction..

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/tillreda-portable-induction-hob-1-zone-white-70493503/

If you buy a rack then that’s good too. We used to hang ours like in the pic.

It is worth making a temp kitchen setup as good as you can. Going to make life much easier!

We set up a kitchen in the dining room. Paper plates, bottled water, fridge freezer, microwave, toaster, sandwich toaster maker, coffee machine (!)
we asked friends and family to have us over promising them return fixtures in our lovely new kitchen when it was done!

We went swimming a lot (showers and cheap canteen meals).
Everyone went on school dinners and had hot lunches.
When the weather perked up we bbq’ed. Lots.
rotisserie chickens / microwave meals are your friend as are Toby type carveries - who deliver. You got this!

Toast and beans.
airfryer chicken and chips
disposable plates

We lived like this for four months and it was hell.

The worst part (aside from the dark freezing nights after work) was the total lack of running water downstairs. And ALL THE DUST, ALL THE TIME.

I feel I may have mild PTSD from frozen airfryer food. Our Amazon hob was total crap also.

There should be a survivors club.

Another vote for disposable plates and cutlery but be very careful if you have bowls of cereal with milk (don't ask!)

Bottled water, no kitchen = no drinking water (I'm not drinking out of the bathroom tap).

And not sure if your dc are at nursery but we made our two have hot lunches at school and we ate in our work canteen so that dinner did not have to be amazing.

A lot of bbq in the garden, that was always a good option. We ate a lot of meat and not much veg!

And to be honest, we went to the Hungry Horse more than intended, their kids meals are not expensive and everyone got sick of the fact we were living in one room (and sleeping in a tent) really quickly.

I had an induction I used for a whole year when I had no hob and it was really pretty good honestly. Certainly not bad enough to deter me from using it. I had a solid electric one I borrowed off a friend before that and it was quite hard work.

We bought a lot of packet pasta type meals but the kids went off them really quickly <sigh> dd2 even now won't contemplate anything that has come dehydrated in a packet!

Our plug in induction hob (just a normal plug) was fine for us from Curry's. Sold it on afterwards.

We bbq-ed a lot. We also had a sink - if you can get them to plumb you in a termporary sink that really helps.

Thanks everyone for your help and advice.

We have been living with an extremely rudimentary kitchen for 18 months anyway so hopefully this won't be too much of a shock to the system than if I was losing a fully equipped kitchen!

Eyes on the prize

The next challenge is what will arrive first...finished extension or baby #3?!

During the summer, substantial salads/antipasti with nice bread. We love tomato, basil and mozzarella once the sun is out. No cooking and little washing up! Panzanella also a favourite, and Greek salad in pitta pockets.

The River Cafe Cook Book Easy and River Cafe Two Easy each have an early chapter or more with some great suggestions along these lines, might be worth seeing if your library has a copy.

Oh, also agree about the barbecue! A portable one can be helpful, as you're not feeding a crowd - quicker to get going.