| What do you cook in your Westy, if at all? |
| I cook full meals, or at least maximize the galley when I travel. |
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69% |
[ 39 ] |
| I cook light things, like hot sandwhiches or hot cereals |
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16% |
[ 9 ] |
| I don't really cook much at all, maybe coffee or tea. |
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8% |
[ 5 ] |
| I rarely, if at all, use the galley for much of anything. |
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5% |
[ 3 ] |
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| Total Votes : 56 |
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Wasted youth
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012
Posts: 5134
Location: California's Hot and Smoggy Central Valley
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 Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:34 pm Post subject: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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I frequently read people's posts about not cooking in their Westy; that they don't want the smell.
I don't get it. I've cooked many meals in mine since I got it, for a family of four most of the time. In fact, over last Thanksgiving week, we cooked all our meals except for Thanksgiving supper and one pizza meal at Ventura, Calif. on the way back home. That was a five day road trip. And I'm not talking about freeze-dried foods, either. We cooked ! Sauces, side dishes, burgers, bacon and eggs, etc! Hell, I wish it had a small oven, too.
Our Westy does not smell like grease, coffee, pizza or whatever. For that matter, niether does our dining room, kitchen or living room in our home. Of course, I clean as I go, at home and in the Westy. But I am not militant about it, just basic food and kitchen sanitation.
 How about you? |
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jimf909 
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7476
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:48 pm Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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| Wasted youth wrote: |
I frequently read people's posts about not cooking in their Westy; that they don't want the smell.
How about you? |
20 years cooking in Westys and I've read that comment many times and it makes absolutely no sense to me. It's a hyper-ventilated tent, a bit of cooking will blow out the windows in no time. I guess the people who say that never cook in the kitchen in their homes cause it supposedly makes the house stink.
The Westy is a wonderful cooking environment while on the road.
_________________
- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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Steve M.
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6833
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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| Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:51 pm Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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| Don't you guys get hot oil splatter on the back of the drivers seat? |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32632
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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landkholdings
Samba Member
Joined: March 11, 2008
Posts: 250
Location: N. GA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 5:10 am Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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Of course I do. There's a kitchen in it!
I've never had any odor issues after cooking. Or maybe I just didn't notice because I was full and happy?
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22670
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 5:12 am Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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I'll boil water in my MV to make pasta, coffee, eggs.
The way most men clean, I wouldn't take their opinions on cleanliness and odours to heart.
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cbcnm
Samba Member
Joined: November 19, 2010
Posts: 94
Location: Portland ore
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 5:48 am Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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I cook all the time - it's one of the beautiful things about a Westy. I even have a small stove top oven that fits perfectly over the burner so that I can bake. Have tried several kinds and currently am using a Foxhill. You can also use a vintage stove top "Ovenette" - try your local antique store or eBay. I looked into the "Optima" stove top baker ( used by our marine pals) and decided to stick with the Foxhill.
The downside to the Foxhill is storage. Wish it folded flat but I can live with it. A Coleman oven does not fit well on the burners.
Of course there is always the whole Dutch Oven world, but that is a cult in and of itself and is a little high maintenance for me .
Chris
85 Subaru Westy
PNW |
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Wasted youth
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012
Posts: 5134
Location: California's Hot and Smoggy Central Valley
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 6:45 am Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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| cbcnm wrote: |
...You can also use a vintage stove top "Ovenette" - try your local antique store or eBay. I looked into the "Optima" stove top baker ( used by our marine pals) and decided to stick with the Foxhill.
The downside to the Foxhill is storage. Wish it folded flat but I can live with it. A Coleman oven does not fit well on the burners.
Of course there is always the whole Dutch Oven world, but that is a cult in and of itself and is a little high maintenance for me .
Chris
85 Subaru Westy
PNW |
Thanks for the tip. I only have the Coleman, and yeah, its not a good fit. |
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Wasted youth
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012
Posts: 5134
Location: California's Hot and Smoggy Central Valley
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 6:52 am Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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| Steve M. wrote: |
| Don't you guys get hot oil splatter on the back of the drivers seat? |
Well... the driver's seat is pretty far from those little burners. When I fry bacon or hamburger, I use an old pie pan to cover that, allowing steam to escape, but keeping grease spatter trapped in the pan. I clean the cooled pan by first ridding the grease with paper towel wipe-down. That trash goes away immediately after the meal.
Not suggesting anyone try to deep fry onion rings, of course!  
 I think you probably first have to enjoy cooking, as it is certainly not as easy to cook in there as it is at home.
| djkeev wrote: |
This has been discussed before...... But I cannot locate the link.
Dave |
I couldn't either. Tried a few ways... no way could this be a new question! |
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jimf909
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7476
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 7:15 am Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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| Steve M. wrote: |
| Don't you guys get hot oil splatter on the back of the drivers seat? |
I pre-cook bacon at home, wrap it in packages of four slices and put it in the freezer (TF49). Cooking is essentially warming it on the pan with very little splatter. I don't make too many other things with a lot of hot oil or grease that splatter. I sometimes carry a separate Camp Chef two burner stove that is great when camping/cooking with a group or when I need the monster 20,000 btu burners.
_________________
- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17155
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 8:42 am Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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My wife loves her "kitchen".
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32632
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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vegpedlr
Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2014
Posts: 774
Location: TBD
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 9:03 am Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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I love cooking in my Westy. That's why I bought it, it has a kitchen. No problem with odors if windows or the slider are open, though a curry will linger a bit longer than other dishes.
| Steve M. wrote: |
| Don't you guys get hot oil splatter on the back of the drivers seat? |
I never cook or use oil, ever. Nothing splatters, clean up's a breeze because water is all that's needed. |
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Wasted youth
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012
Posts: 5134
Location: California's Hot and Smoggy Central Valley
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 9:36 am Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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| jimf909 wrote: |
| Steve M. wrote: |
| Don't you guys get hot oil splatter on the back of the drivers seat? |
I pre-cook bacon at home, wrap it in packages of four slices and put it in the freezer (TF49). Cooking is essentially warming it on the pan with very little splatter. I don't make too many other things with a lot of hot oil or grease that splatter. . |
I have done this as well, just to shorten the time it takes get a meal ready. Also, BBQ meats rare, then finnish it in the pan. |
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61Scout
Samba Member
Joined: November 06, 2011
Posts: 1297
Location: Shoreline/Yakima WA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 9:43 am Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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I have a Westy, but it didn't come with a kitchen. Though even if it did I for sure wouldn't cook in it. It's easy enough to set up my stove outside and avoid all of the aforementioned issues.
For people who say their vans don't smell, I call rubbish. That's like saying my van doesn't smell like my dog. Of course it does, it's just that I'm completely desensitized to it.
x3 on precooked bacon and things like spaghetti noodles. Not because I'm concerned about splatter cooking outside, but because these things eat tons of fuel.
-Kevin
_________________
1986 Westfalia Weekender Wolfsburg, RJE 2.3
1985 Tin Top, Subie 2.2 + 5MT
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MsTaboo
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Joined: June 02, 2006
Posts: 4098
Location: East Kootenay, British Columbia
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 10:22 am Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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We never cook much in the van, just boil water or reheat. Got a good camp stove and cook outside to save the interior from all that grease.
If it's poring rain that's what the awning is for!
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Currently:
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9618
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 4:32 pm Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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We always cook in the van but rarely cook meats or greasy stuff. There was a time we cooked a lot of garlicky meals, and the van smelled pretty bad. The smell dispersed over a few years of non-use. Using the van again we are in danger of stinking it up again....
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
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rlamb
Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2012
Posts: 211
Location: Sweet Home, OR
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 4:34 pm Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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Bacon and pancakes!
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1984 Westfalia - Ford Cologne 2.8L conversion
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kamzcab86
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Joined: July 26, 2008
Posts: 7925
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 5:53 pm Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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If I wanted to cook every meal outside, I would've bought a Weekender/MV. I bought a full-camper precisely because it has a kitchen and I use it for cooking everything except boiling water and BBQing.
I buy pre-cooked bacon; no grease splatter. I brown ground beef for tacos before leaving; no grease splatter. If I do happen to need to cook something that may splatter, it goes into the skillet that uses a vented silicone cover; no splatter.
| 61Scout wrote: |
| For people who say their vans don't smell, I call rubbish. |
I have super-sensitive sinuses, so I smell anything and everything. What does the inside of my van always smell like? Rubber floor mats and old vinyl.
I, honestly, don't understand folks like yourself who insist that every full-camper smells like food due to lingering cooking odors. You don't know me, the meals I cook, my van, or my cleaning habits (I'm basically the daughter of Mr. Clean; the most common question asked of me: "Do you actually use this thing?" Answer: "Yes, I use the kitchen and the van has even been off-road a bunch; it's simply meticulously maintained"). Furthermore, my van is more ventilated than my freakin' house when cooking, so the very notion that meal odors linger for the life of the van is just absurd.
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~Kamz 
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
 1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
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ServantOfElwood
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Joined: July 25, 2014
Posts: 200
Location: The Wet Side of WA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 6:35 pm Post subject: Re: Do you cook food in your Westfalia? |
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I think I will cook anything that doesn't splat. Fry things outside. I mean that's the beauty of cooking outdoors, right? Minimal cleanup.
Besides, better to taunt adjacent campers by frying bacon outside.
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=602180
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