Travel Kitchen

[Cristina]

So, I’ve tried my setup in the Spiff Kit (Standard and Deluxe) and the HLT2. I definitely prefer the Spiff Kits because all of the pockets are 3D. The flatter half of the HLT2 just didn’t work for my stuff.

Here are pics of my Travel Kitchen setup in a Standard Spiff Kit.

Everything neatly away:



On the left, two tea tins (one for caffeinated tea, one for herbal), folding multi-utensils, and one and two ounce Nalgene bottles for vinegar and olive oil.

In the middle sitting on the mirror, some random salt and pepper packets and a Sheffield made fruit knife with cover.

On the right, a GSI Outdoor travel spice container, two mini spatulas, a collapsible tea strainer, a travel size of dish soap and a burlap dish scrubbie.




I originally picked up this set of mini olive oils for trips but with all my trips cancelled for the foreseeable, I decided to just use them up before they went bad instead. But here they are anyway. They each hold 25ml, and the one ounce bottle holds about 30ml and the two ounce about 60ml.

[sturbridge]

@Cristina - on the left side - what is that in the middle underneath the tins and above the Nalgene bottles? You mention utensils, but I can't quite make them out.

[Cristina]

@Cristina - on the left side - what is that in the middle underneath the tins and above the Nalgene bottles? You mention utensils, but I can't quite make them out.

It is called Unitensil. It’s a flexible, folding double ended fork/spoon/knife. Because it’s thin and flexible it isn’t able to spear carrot pieces in a salad but it is great for scooping or for softer items. It folds flat width wise and folds lengthwise and snaps shut for use.



The website is a bit weird but I think it works better from inside the US:
UNITENSIL 1

[carrot]

able to spear carrot pieces in a salad

Ouch.

All jokes aside this is great and your travel kitchen setup is really nice. I am still working out what my travel kitchen should be, as it's a major work-in-progress that I expect I'll be refining for awhile.

[G42]

@carrot I'm sure spearing you with a plastic fork is against the Forum guidelines

there are other companies that make various types of flat-fold/snap together polypropylene items...
I don't have these, but have something similar that I leave in one of my emergency kits
https://www.fozzils.com/solo-pack-mist

theoretically you could also make custom sizes if you find thick PP sheets and plastic snaps/rivets at craft or DIY shops

[Cristina]

Yikes, so sorry @carrot !! I’ll test future utensils on radishes instead
@G42 I’ve just ordered a set of those Fozzil dishes, thanks!

[nessagr]

@Cristina , what do you use the spatulas for? I'm especially intrigued because you have two of them...

[Cristina]

@Cristina , what do you use the spatulas for? I'm especially intrigued because you have two of them...

At home, I use mini spatulas nearly every time I prepare food. I use them instead of other utensils. I prefer them for spreading softened butter or jam on toast. I love how easy they are to maneuver in a frying pan. I use the ones with the thinnest edges to flip pancakes or slices of eggplant. I use them to pull every bit of jam or yogurt out of the container. I use them to get every bit of dressing out of the bowl I’ve used to make it. I scrape batter off the sides of mixing bowls when I bake. I sometimes make a brownie or chocolate cake recipe that is mixed in a non-stick saucepan so these are great for mixing and stirring on those easily-scratched surfaces. I prefer spoon shaped ones with a nice thin edge. My favorite one is that but also has an angled point.

Also I don’t like the clinking noise of metal utensils and dishes so the quiet of a spatula is a nice bonus, and my spoons have very heavy handles that will sometimes cause smaller lighter containers to tip over.

I got these in a pack of five (all different) and I love them so very much.

[melhoune]

Hi Cristina and thanks for this thread - super interesting. I really like how you have organized your small kitchen set. I'm like you, super fond of my spatula, i don't understand how people do without
Just a small thing: i used to have also oil in a nalgene bottle, but i was told that it was not safe to store oil in plastic, therefore i use now a small glass bottle. You might consider just reusing the one you got as a sample. Cheers!

[Cristina]

Hi Cristina and thanks for this thread - super interesting. I really like how you have organized your small kitchen set. I'm like you, super fond of my spatula, i don't understand how people do without
Just a small thing: i used to have also oil in a nalgene bottle, but i was told that it was not safe to store oil in plastic, therefore i use now a small glass bottle. You might consider just reusing the one you got as a sample. Cheers!

Thank you for that @melhoune , very helpful!

I am wondering if the person who told you that was referring to BPA leeching into the contents of a plastic bottle? Nalgene went BPA-free a few years ago so I think these should be ok if that was the reason, but it’s always a good idea to be aware of safe food storage!

I wish Nalgene would apply their expertise to non-plastic bottles; it would be great to have a little set of strengthened glass or metal containers. I’m wary of the plastic-lined aluminum ones though.


Right now my little Nalgenes are still empty but I will make sure to empty and clean them instead of letting the oil sit. Thanks again!

[G42]

@melhoune @Cristina

I'm in the food industry...you can dig around online to find this all out but it may take you a while to get all the info....so, maybe more than you want to know...

Generally speaking, the olive oil will be fine in a food grade PET or HDPE container, as long as you use something of Nalgene quality for leak proof. The type of leaching you may have heard about is from the type of plastic called PVC - you wouldn't want to use it for most food of this type regardless.

If you're concerned about BPA, choose a container that is free of intended BPA - it should be easy to find now in Europe & the US.
For packaged food sold in California there is a law mandating BPA disclosure, so most food companies that sell in the US have eliminated BPA from all their packaging OR they disclose it on the package, so that they aren't making two different versions (ie, CA & non-CA).

Edible food oils need protection from oxygen and light. They won't make the food unsafe but they will change the flavor (oxidation rancidity).
Oil is commercially packaged today in darkly coloured PET by several companies. PET has high clarity (basically, it looks nicer). There are metal cans with thin plastic based interior coatings that are also fine. Glass is fine. Buy only what you can use within a year or so for best taste.

If you're buying a container to put food into, be sure it's labeled/sold as food grade and note whether it can be heated/frozen or not. For the oil, pick PET, HDPE, lined metal sold for oil, or glass.
Glass is basically chemically inert and is an excellent oxygen barrier...but it's not a light barrier, is heavy, and fragile.
Lined metal is very good oxygen barrier, excellent light barrier, less heavy, less fragile.
The plastics are ok to good oxygen barriers & light barriers depending on type and colour, lightweight, and less fragile.
Pick the one that works for whatever you're doing. For a travel kitchen, I'd pour in fresh oil for each trip, if you're not traveling/using constantly.
Keep oil in a cool/room temp dark place and tightly sealed to preserve quality.


ETA: if you want to read about Nalgene's history and why they have leakproof bottles. I toured that Rochester factory a very long time ago....

https://www.insider.com/sc/nalgene-a...history-2019-6

Making glass vs metal vs plastic containers is very different in terms of equipment & expertise so usually you'd only see one company doing more than one because they bought a separate company at some point.

[Cristina]

@melhoune @Cristina

I'm in the food industry...you can dig around online to find this all out but it may take you a while to get all the info....so, maybe more than you want to know...

Generally speaking, the olive oil will be fine in a food grade PET or HDPE container, as long as you use something of Nalgene quality for leak proof. The type of leaching you may have heard about is from the type of plastic called PVC - you wouldn't want to use it for most food of this type regardless.

If you're concerned about BPA, choose a container that is free of intended BPA - it should be easy to find now in Europe & the US.
For packaged food sold in California there is a law mandating BPA disclosure, so most food companies that sell in the US have eliminated BPA from all their packaging OR they disclose it on the package, so that they aren't making two different versions (ie, CA & non-CA).

Edible food oils need protection from oxygen and light. They won't make the food unsafe but they will change the flavor (oxidation rancidity).
Oil is commercially packaged today in darkly coloured PET by several companies. PET has high clarity (basically, it looks nicer). There are metal cans with thin plastic based interior coatings that are also fine. Glass is fine. Buy only what you can use within a year or so for best taste.

If you're buying a container to put food into, be sure it's labeled/sold as food grade and note whether it can be heated/frozen or not. For the oil, pick PET, HDPE, lined metal sold for oil, or glass.
Glass is basically chemically inert and is an excellent oxygen barrier...but it's not a light barrier, is heavy, and fragile.
Lined metal is very good oxygen barrier, excellent light barrier, less heavy, less fragile.
The plastics are ok to good oxygen barriers & light barriers depending on type and colour, lightweight, and less fragile.
Pick the one that works for whatever you're doing. For a travel kitchen, I'd pour in fresh oil for each trip, if you're not traveling/using constantly.
Keep oil in a cool/room temp dark place and tightly sealed to preserve quality.


ETA: if you want to read about Nalgene's history and why they have leakproof bottles. I toured that Rochester factory a very long time ago....

https://www.insider.com/sc/nalgene-a...history-2019-6

Making glass vs metal vs plastic containers is very different in terms of equipment & expertise so usually you'd only see one company doing more than one because they bought a separate company at some point.

Wow @G42 thank you!!! Thanks for letting us tap into your IRL expertise

[G42]

Wow @G42 thank you!!! Thanks for letting us tap into your IRL expertise

Hello, my name is G42 and I'll be your Packaging Geek today, how many I help you?

[Cristina]

Hello, my name is G42 and I'll be your Packaging Geek today, how many I help you?

Well since you offered...

Those Fozzil folding bowls arrived today and I put them to use collecting the blackberries we picked. I love them! Do you think that material would be sturdy enough to be used as a makeshift cutting board?

ETA: I know this isn’t packaging related but I know you have those bowls so I’m just asking anyway

[G42]

Well since you offered...

Those Fozzil folding bowls arrived today and I put them to use collecting the blackberries we picked. I love them! Do you think that material would be sturdy enough to be used as a makeshift cutting board?

ETA: I know this isn’t packaging related but I know you have those bowls so I’m just asking anyway

It's semi related, because it's similar materials....those bowls are food grade polypropylene, a common packaging plastic.
From their FAQ: "Of course, the material can be damaged by cutting, or exposing it to an open flame, but under normal use it is flexible and virtually unbreakable."

So you physically can cut on them, many cutting boards are polyprop, but I would avoid it because as they say, it will damage them over time. The bowls aren't super expensive, but you will inevitably start micro slicing the plastic. Over time that will weaken them and they'll start to fail sooner than otherwise. I'd want to maximize their lifespan before disposing/recycling. The other big deal is that microbes hide in nooks and crannies, so the more cut up and the deeper the slices over time, the harder it is to clean. When you return from a trip and have used them, I would run them through the dishwasher, if you have one, though hand washing done correctly is perfectly fine.

Ideally, you replace your plastic cutting boards relatively frequently, depending on how sliced up they get.
You can also buy a high quality solid wood board and then sand it down occasionally.

US Amazon, but a set like this would make a lot of mini boards
https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Plas.../dp/B01HN7ZGUQ

So for a mini traveling kitchen, where size & weight are concerns, I would go for an inexpensive single (or set) of the flexible cutting boards cut up into multiple miniboards. Just replace one mini board with a new one after they get worn down.
Finding a small 'bartender' size solid wood board would also be an option, but heavier, thicker, and you may not find one the right size. But theoretically you could sand it down to extend it's life and/or compost it, burn it in your next campfire, etc (as long as it's real wood).
A small tempered glass cutting board would work too, but I've never seen a tiny one....