Best Cooking Equipment for Truck Drivers
While a 500-mile truck run isn’t the usual inspiration for “the joy of cooking,” being a chef on the road doesn’t have to be complicated. From farm-fresh raw ingredients to nutritious canned soups and frozen meals, taking charge of your menu can be as simple or sophisticated as you like.
- Truck Driver Cooking Supplies Have Arrived
- Trucker Cooking Appliances — Food Storage and Cooking
- Food Prep and Handling — Small Cook Truck Equipment and Tools
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Truck Driver Cooking Equipment — Time-saving, Mess-saving Conveniences
- Why Logity Dispatch Cares About Cooking Appliances for Truckers
When outfitting your truck for the long haul, researching and purchasing the right truck driver cooking equipment is worth the effort. Your ability to prep, cook, and reheat meals on the road pays for itself. It also means making stops where and when they work best for you.
Truck Driver Cooking Supplies Have Arrived
In recent years, cooking appliances for truckers have become smaller, simpler, and safer. It’s easier than ever to suit up a convenient “cuisine de camion.” Compact, road-friendly cooking equipment for truck drivers can be found in camping stores, restaurant supply outlets, and just about any housewares store.
The best cooking equipment for truck drivers should check off two important boxes: portability and simplicity. Below are some basic cooking supplies you’ll need and things to keep in mind when shopping for them. Bon appétit!!
Trucker Cooking Appliances — Food Storage and Cooking
Mini-Fridges. For about $200, you can find a mini-fridge that’s self-defrosting and equipped with beverage racks. Fruit, yogurt, icy treats, salads, cold cuts, frozen dinners, and more can be stored at the right temperature and right nearby. Mini-fridges that don’t self-defrost are considerably less expensive. And for a smaller solution, there are portable iceboxes that can stock enough cold goods for a long day and night on the road.
Microwaves, Toaster Ovens, and Other Hot Stuff. Whether or not you surmise yourself a gourmet road warrior, you’ll probably want at least one truck driver cooking accessory that can heat food.
- Microwave. For less than $50, there are countless 0.7 cu ft microwaves to choose from. For about $200, you can get one even smaller. If you’re only going to have one implement for heating food, a microwave is a great, multi-purpose choice — handy for making a quick cup of instant, too.
- Crock pot. If you relish cooking from scratch, you can prep ingredients and load a crock pot in advance or during a driving break. Plug it in and smell home cooking while you haul. When it’s ready, find a safe, relaxing place to pull over and savor those flavors.
- Toaster ovens are another great alternative. For about $100, you can purchase one with a stove burner on top. Though hot pots and hot plates are handy, if you’re limited in space, multi-functional truck driver cooking equipment like this can fill the bill.
- Disposable Barbecues. If weather permits, grab hot dogs from your mini-fridge (along with your favorite condiments). Wrap a hunk of frozen (or fresh) corn. Grill and enjoy. For under $20, you can find disposable barbecues preloaded with organic, biodegradable charcoal.
- For Beverage Connoisseurs, consider a personal pod-style coffee brewer. They’ve come down in price to under $100. For custom-crafted smoothies, there are affordable personal blenders that can actually crush ice.
Food Prep and Handling — Small Cook Truck Equipment and Tools
When it comes to stocking small trucker cooking appliances and utensils, less is more — less fuss, less maintenance, and less storage space required. Below are a few tools that can multi-task and some simple maintenance tips that make cooking on the road more functional.
Spatula. The right spatula doesn’t just flip food. It serves as a chopper, turner, masher, scraper, and occasional slicing knife. Look for the following features when choosing a spatula:
- sturdy wood handle;
- strong, stainless-steel blade (thin to medium thickness);
- tapered (to almost flat), serrated edge;
- rigidity (blade shouldn’t bend easily);
- slightly angled.
Knives. There are really only two knives you need for your portable kitchen — a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife. That sounds like 3 knives, but actually, a good quality “tomato knife” can become your paring and serrated knives in one. A good tomato knife can handle all kinds of small food prep tasks and also doubles (or triples) as an effective steak knife. For storage, a chef’s utensil bag can hold knives along with your other cooking tools — safely and ‘stow’ably.
Truck Driver Cooking Equipment — Time-saving, Mess-saving Conveniences
If you love to cook but hate to clean, it’s worth taking time to explore the wonderful world of biodegradable, non-toxic paper baking and cookware. It is oven- and microwave-safe and can be discarded guilt-free. If you prefer traditional steel or aluminum pots and pans, cooking liners can make cleaning up easy.
Unbleached paper towels are perfect for wrapping plates in the microwave. They improve cooking results and keep microwaves beautiful. Biodegradable plates, bowls, and utensils are non-polluting. A company called If You Care is worth exploring for items in this section.
Spatulas and stirring spoons can be wrapped with food-safe aluminum foil (twist excess up around handle for better coverage and to prevent slippage). It’s also handy to have a box of disposable food-safe gloves around.
Why Logity Dispatch Cares About Cooking Appliances for Truckers
At Logity Dispatch, our mission is to look out for truck drivers’ best interests. Trucks are the wheels that drive the American industry. Truck drivers maintain a vital place in keeping it rolling and hold an awesome responsibility when they take to the road. We know how important it is for drivers to be able to perform their work in the healthiest, safest ways possible.
