I keep it to smaller stuff. A pepper grinder, a few spices, knife, peeler, and grater. I almost always buy a frying pan and/or cookie sheet, but leave bulky things like that behind. It’s not just the cost of the bag, but lugging it all over that bothers me.

I usually ask the rental owner first if they have the stuff I need. Usually they do. Also if I book thru airbnb, I ask host if they have the stuff I am looking for. Before the booking they usually comply and have it available.

Yeah, we carry some basics. Central to this is a sharp chef’s cleaver, and have thought about a breadknife too. We have brought plastic chopping boards as well if doing a string of hotels to be able to do salads. Also have a couple of those silicon reusable slider top storage bags for storage and packing stuff.

We carry a range of spices in separate zip bags for cooking. Have thought about a stainless frypan haha (so heavy) to avoid all the PFAS that come with using non-stick stuff.

If you are into it, do it!

I like to have full kitchens when I travel but the best way to do it I’ve found is by house sitting instead of renting. Real people live in the homes and so they usually have everything I need.

I’m freaked out by Teflon and plastic so yeah I hear ya. I’ve carried high quality items in the past and supplemented with cheap stuff when I arrive. Typically in my suitcase you’d find a stainless frying pan, a good, sharp chef’s knife, an immersion blender and small food processor attachment, a stainless french press, a small stainless cookie flipper/spatula, a water filter, and a spice kit, plus whatever else I have space for. Most of that stuff packs pretty easily with clothes around it, but obvs you can’t do it in a carry on. Rubber spatulas, stainless pots and pans, a good coffee mug/plate/bowl, etc. are usually easy to pick up at a thrift shop in wealthier countries or the open market in less wealthy ones, so I just bring the things with me that would be expensive or difficult to replace. Almost no airbnb has stainless fry pans, though, and they almost always have plastic utensils, Nespresso/pod coffee makers, and other things I’d just rather avoid.

I bring a good knife, food storage containers (use those to pack things in so they take up minimal room), a French press, and a Yeti mug. I’ve never regretted it, especially since I tend to stay somewhere for a few months.

Think about what’s really essential and what you can easily buy. If you already check a bag try to fit the stuff in there.

I bring a knife, nice chopsticks, thermopen, bag closey clips, a mini silicone spatula, mini wood spatula, and some silicone wine bottle stoppers, a nice corkscrew, and an aeropress. It takes up hardly any space other than the aeropress.

Essentially my entire checked bag is dedicated to “quality of life” items so the kitchen essentials are just a part of that. There’s a yoga mat, a first aid kit, a hammock, sketchbooks and art supplies, sports shoes, etc… it makes the 3-6 month stays really nice.

I just use whatever is in the apartment already, has never really been a problem but I am not a chef.

Here is a tip for both airbnb & booking.com, if the pictures all show nothing but shit from IKEA, don’t rent it because the owners don’t actually live there and chances are they skimped on kitchenware too.

I bought a $7 kit from ikea with ladles spatula tongs spoons that I have been taking with me everywhere. I feel like half of my accommodations only have 1 spatula and 1 knife I have thought about buying a knife as well but idk if that would get me flagged 😭

1 pot

1 pan

1 chefs knife (or big dicing knife

1 spatula

assorted spice bags

^^^ gets the job done for me

I went back and forth on this and there are so many variables and preferences that you really have to decide what is right for you. I will say that a large oven safe sauté pan can replace all other pans in a pinch. You can use it in the oven for cakes, loaves, cookies, casseroles, and on the stovetop for sauces, pasta, omelettes, steak whatever.

An immersion blender (with battery) or a blendtech (if you only do smoothies) is probably more portable and versatile than a blender itself.

You can also get collapsible silicone bakeware, bowls, containers etc that would let you take a lot more.

If you google camping cookware kits they will be focused on providing the most stuff in organized and travel sized things as well.

Good luck!

I buy stuff and then sell them on fb marketplace later on. It surprisingly sells fast and you get around 50-60% of the value back. If you bargain hunt while buying you can technically get 100% value back. I bought and sold a microwave recently at same price I bought for. Idk why but there are people who buy used cooked utensils.

I did take some stuff when i still checked a bag. Chef’s knife + sharpener, a mini cord spun food processor, and a moka pot, to make hostel cooking nicer when i first get to a place. then once i have an apartment that ill be in for 2-4 months i make sure it has/buy a blender, a quality pan.

That said knowing what i know now, the cost and ease of getting everything locally just doesnt make sense to check a bag for the small time/cost savings.

I don’t bake, so a blender, a Pan, a Knife, a sharpener, and a moka pot are $100 total which is the cost of a checked bag.

It would also depend on where i’m staying. Remote less developed area with not a ton of people, probably worth bring stuff. but in my mind the utility of the short term purchase works out.

if I use the stuff multiple times a day for 3 months what’s $100-$200 vs the utility gained.

I travel with a chef’s knife, travel knife sharpener, honing steel, silicone oven mitts, chopsticks, digital kitchen scale, measuring spoons (mostly because I have a cute pig set that is very compact :D), and spices. I keep meaning to add a lightweight wooden cutting board to my “stash”. And maybe some foot storage containers because I keep buying them wherever I go.

My kit includes: a small air fryer that can cook virtually anything and everything, a toaster, a small coffee maker, an insulated coffee tumbler, 8 oz plastic tumbler with lid, one plate, one bowl with lid, one paring knife, one set of flatware, one scrub brush. Lots of plastic bags.