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Love to cook and travel? Then you’re likely to encounter a surprise or two when renting an Airbnb or vacation apartment.
While having your own kitchen lets you live like a local and cook healthy meals, Airbnb essentials and standards vary widely.
Be prepared for the unexpected with these tips from pro traveller Gigi Griffis on how to cook in an Airbnb without losing your mind – or a finger.
And get our best recipes for some easy meals to make in an Airbnb!
I’ve just arrived in Minneapolis and checked into my Airbnb. The décor is pleasant. The location’s great. And in the kitchen I find .. .a full liquor cabinet, about 33 mugs, and no water glasses.
Well, I think, this is going to be interesting.
The good news is that I’m no stranger to strange Airbnb kitchens. Two spoons and 35 forks? I’ve seen it. Five wine openers and no oven-safe dish ware? That’s happened more than once.
No measuring cups or mixing bowls when I desperately want to make cookies? Bring. It. On.
You see, I’m a devoted home cook. I also happen to be a full-time traveler. I’ve been on the road for almost seven years now from top-floor apartments in old Italian villas to farmhouses in the Swiss Alps.
Along the way, I’ve cooked risotto in hotel bathrooms (don’t try that at home, kids) and assembled no-cook meals in the back of a hatchback car.
And I’ve cooked thousands of meals in Airbnb kitchens of wildly varying quality around the world.
If you’re also a devoted home cook and about to embark on some serious travel, here are 10 handy tips on how to cook in an Airbnb kitchen.
1. Carry Some Spices
These are your Airbnb essentials. I can almost guarantee that your Airbnb isn’t going to have anything beyond salt and maybe pepper.
Which is why I travel with my own little spice kit. If there are spices you use a lot, take a little with you! They weigh almost nothing and take up little space.
My own spice kit varies based on my current cooking mood and seasonality. Right now, I’ve got cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cumin, and a little grinder full of peppercorns.
2. Pack Your Own Knife
A good knife is one of the top things to bring to an Airbnb. I know other home cooks who travel with a chef’s knife, and I think eventually that’ll be in the cards for me.
For now, to keep weight and space down in my bag, I carry a small knife that I can use in a pinch for just about anything except squash.
It’s great if all the knives at your Airbnb are dangerously dull (which happens a lot) and it’s equally great when you have to lunch on an Italian train and need to cut up some cheese or salami.
Insider tip: Check out these picks for the best family-friendly Airbnbs in Europe.
3. Budget for Occasional Kitchen Purchases
Once you’ve found your perfect Airbnb apartment rental, it’s worth contacting your host in advance to inquire about the supplies in their kitchen.
Is there a frying pan, a coffee maker, blender or a stock pot? What about utensils, pot holders, sheet pans, dinner plates, bowls, mugs and glassware?
If your Airbnb host knows you are planning to cook in the kitchen they might be willing to purchase any gaps in the list of kitchen essentials or move them from another Airbnb unit they operate to yours.
Upon arrival, I might ask my hosts to bring me something that’s missing, but sometimes that’s just too much of a hassle. I might also need a sharp knife or a pie pan immediately.
Rather than waiting this means it’s off to the grocery store to buy aluminum pie tins or the secondhand store where you’ll find pretty much any cookware you need on the cheap.
I’ve purchased knives in Spain, measuring cups in Switzerland, etc. and I’ve always been happy that I did. A few bucks here and there for my kitchen happiness is absolutely worth it to me.
Check out this off-the-grid AirBnB cabin in Vermont to see an example of the memorable but rustic wilderness cooking adventures you might encounter!
4. Have Some Clever Equivalents Up Your Sleeve
First, free yourself from the idea that you need to have exactly one teaspoon of sugar or precisely one cup of sliced carrots for a recipe to work. Taste as you go and you can always add more along the way.
Once you’ve done that, you can find creative ways to get almost-exact measurements even if your Airbnb doesn’t have measuring cups (most don’t).
One cup, for instance, is about the size of a baseball. A 3-oz serving of chicken is the size of a deck of cards. WebMD’s guide is helpful on the visuals to a point.
It’s also useful to know that you can measure ounces with a shot glass. And there are probably a few things in your kitchen with measurements actually on them.
Why not try measuring in a coffee pot or using the markings on a stick of butter?
And for baking, a lot comes down to the feel of the dough. Pasta-dough should feel like an earlobe when it’s ready. Cookie dough should feel sticky but not wet.
Cake batter should be smooth. Pie crust should be a little flakier, barely wet enough to hold together.
5. Use Your Hands as Kitchen Utensils
If your Airbnb has whisks and stirring spoons, count yourself among the lucky few. If you don’t have them, don’t despair. A fork and some gumption will do for whisking in many cases.
A regular spoon should do okay for things like cake or sauces. And for homemade pasta (for this delicious Sicilian pasta recipe), cookies, or breads, there’s nothing better than some very thoroughly cleaned hands.
Honestly, now that I’ve become a literal hand-mixer, I kind of prefer it. I’ve gotten to know the textures of what I make and they’ve given me the confidence to continue attempting more precise types of cooking and baking (like cookies) without measuring cups or scales.
6. Check Your Kitchen Supplies Before You Shop
I used to buy whole chickens before I realized I had no oven-safe pans in my Airbnb. It’s much better to know the score and decide up front whether you’ll be taking a trip to the thrift store for some Pyrex.
Or if you want to buy chicken parts and cook them up on the stovetop.
7. View Your Airbnb as a Challenge—and Get Creative.
This is your MasterChef debut. Can you make chocolate truffles in a coffee maker? Can you make cake without a cake pan? Is there anything else in your Airbnb kitchen that can stand in for a spatula?
This is your chance to get creative—come success or failure.
Because the truth is that you can grate potatoes instead of mashing them and come up with a similar consistency.
And sauteeing in a smaller pan often just means doing a couple portions separately.
8. Have an Edible Backup Plan
Nobody gets it right all the time. In fact, the time you most want to get it right is probably the time when disaster will strike.
And that’s fine. I always have a restaurant recommendation or nearby takeout option at the ready. Even with every kitchen gadget you can imagine, sometimes things just go wrong.
Personally, the first meal I ever cooked for my now-long-term-partner was one of the worst things I’ve put in a plate in a decade. The man still lives with me three years later.
9. Let the Kitchen Lead the Way
The easiest thing to do is simply not to fight your kitchen. Our Airbnb in Georgia (the country) this winter had an enormous soup pot and no smaller pots.
So what did I make on our first foray into the kitchen? A giant pot of soup with fresh ingredients from the local market.
10. Choose the Right Meals to Cook at an Airbnb
Okay, so now that we’ve prepped with all of our Airbnb essentials, what exactly should we cook up in our Airbnb kitchen?
You’ve already heard me say that the easiest thing is to let the kitchen be your guide, but here are a few things I come back to again and again no matter what the kitchen looks like.
10+ Easy Meals to Make in an Airbnb
Whether you're taking a European city break or relaxing at a lakeside cottage, this collection of easy main dish recipes ensures stress-free meal planning and prep.
Most of these recipes can be cooked in 30 minutes ( or less!) and are one-pot meals with easy to source ingredients. Bring the joy of a home-cooked meal to your getaway with less time in the kitchen!
Marry Me Chicken Recipe
This ultra easy Tuscan chicken recipe combines juicy chicken breasts with sundried tomato cream sauce. It takes just 5 minutes to make and 30 minutes to cook so it's one of our fave meals to make on vacation.
Creamy Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Eggplant
Creamy pasta made with sun-dried tomatoes, cheese and eggplant is the ultimate comfort meal! Inspired by pasta alla Norma, the classic Sicilian dish, it's perfect for every day or entertaining. It also features easy-to-find ingredients so you can make it in under 30 minutes!
Cajun Sausage and Rice
Don't have an oven in your Airbnb? No problem! This fast and easy recipe featuring rice and sausage is made on the stovetop. You can change it up and add seafood and more veggies depending on what's available at the market.
Easy Spanish Chicken Stew with Chorizo
This Spanish stew is packed with flavor and takes just 45 minutes to make from start to finish! No dishwasher, no problem with this one-pot meal.
Ground Beef Burrito Skillet
This skillet recipe is another solution for mealtime if you have no oven at your Airbnb or vacation rental. It features instant rice, beans, Tex-Mex spices and loads of flavor in one filling meal.
Quick and Easy Tuna Pasta
Pasta is always a go-to when planning meals to cook on vacation or an Airbnb kitchen. This easy Tuna Pasta recipe scores extra points because it features mostly pantry ingredients and is ready in just 15 minutes.
Baked Salmon Patties
Let's face it no-one wants to spend their vacation slaving over a frying pan. These salmon pattties are baked which not only makes them easy to make but they have less saturated fat.
Quick and Easy Canned Salmon Impossible Pie
Tinned salmon is the main ingredient of this easy baked meal. Just add eggs, some cheese and veggies and you'll have a salmon pie that creates its own crust. We like to pack some Bisquick to make this meal easy to put together but you can substitute your own biscuit mix( recipe provided).
Easy Bruschetta Salmon
Salmon cooks up so quickly it's an ideal food for Airbnb meals. This recipe take bakes salmon and kicks it up a notch with the addition of a fresh, bright bruschetta.
It takes just 30 minutes from start to finish and leftovers are a bonus as lunch for the next day.
Pasta e Fagioli aka Pasta and Beans
Vacation meal time doesn't get an easier than 3 ingredients, one pot and 15 minutes!
Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you, this classic Italian recipe for pasta and beans is famous for a reason. It's packed with flavor, filling and budget-friendly!
Meatball Soup
Soup is one of the easiest meals to cook in an Airbnb and this popular Guatemalan food is popular throughout Latin America. It calls for ground beef, rice and a few simple ingredients and is ready in a flash.
Now, to you, fellow foodies. Any tricks up your sleeves for Airbnb cooking? I’d love to hear them.
BIO of Gigi Griffis
Gigi Griffis is a world-traveling entrepreneur and writer with a special love for all things European food. She’s a pain in the butt to travel with because she’ll make you go to every farmers market twice, but she’s also pretty good at finding the best food a place has to offer.
You can find her at Gigi Griffis .
Insider Tips
In Puerto Escondido, Aruba and Playa del Carmen, Mexico many guests return to rent the same Airbnb or vacation rental for the winter season, year after year.
Those who love to cook often ask their Airbnb host to store their favourite cooking essentials in a plastic box within the bodega or storage unit of the vacation rental home so their kitchen equipment is waiting for them on their return the following year.
Saving Money on Your Airbnb
One of the reasons people love Airbnb is that the cost of a guest room or fully-serviced apartment is often much lower than the cost for a hotel room. That’s not always the case so it’s worth doing your research in advance.
If you’ve never tried Airbnb, get a coupon to save $45 off your first Airbnb rental. If you’re already an Airbnb fan, there’s even a travel hack so you can get the coupon too!
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The 10 Best Breakfasts in Puerto Escondido (in 2024)
Tamy
Great tips – thanks for these! I have been doing more long-term AirBnB travel the last couple of years and everything you say is so true… you just never know what you will find. Your recipes are inspiring – I have usually resorted to simpler but definitely less satisfying fare, so I am now eager to try something new. For carrying spices without taking up much room, I have found mini ziploc-type bags in the local game store (gamers use them for dice and game pieces). Perfect for a couple of spoonfuls. After a few terrible knife experiences I now pack a mini chef’s knife in its own case with a little sharpener inside (picked up at Homesense for $6!). So my knife is protected in my suitcase, stays sharp, and I can often sharpen the dull knives I find there. I also agree that there is no point in being frustrated, so always assume one will be spending a few bucks on some pieces of missing equipment. With that mindset I find myself more zen, and it is still cheaper than a restaurant meal!
Michele Peterson
Great tip on the mini ziploc bags! I’m going to go pick some of those up!
Michele Peterson
Yes, it’s so handy to be able to eat breakfast at home in the morning. No rushing out
Debbra Dunning Brouillette
I’ve never done a long stay in an AirBnB but if I were going to be in one place for a week or more I may try it. I have to say though that I would probably just do breakfast and some lunches in and go out for dinners since I love trying new restaurants and I can cook at home!
Judy Freedman
I’ve stayed in different Airbnbs and love cooking when I’m staying locally. That’s the beauty of living like a local. My favorite time was when I was in Lyon last year with my BFF L. She is an incredible cook and we bought all our food at the Sunday Market and then made dinner. I’ve found that most of the time the Airbnb apartments in cities are well equipped.
Michele Peterson
I’ll bet you enjoyed some great meals from the market in Lyon. You’ve been so lucky with your rentals!
Sue Reddel
Such a great idea to compile these cooking tips. If you are prepared and flexible you can definitely take advantage of an Airbnb kitchen.
Irene S. Levine
What a great post! Cooking in anyone else’s kitchen, even a friend, can always be a challenge. In our last Airbnb, there were no potholders! I admire Gigi’s flexibility in more complex cooking at Airbnbs.
Michele Peterson
So, true! It always surprises me when there are no potholders – trying to grab a pot with a thin dishcloth isn’t the easiest cooking technique.
Doreen Pendgracs
I love cooking, and so cooking in an exotic place with fresh local ingredients is right up my alley. Thx for the great tips!
Michele Peterson
Glad you enjoyed it Doreen!
Anne Woodyard (@MusicandMarkets)
How many times have we been frustrated by the minimal and poor-quality amenities in a rental kitchen?!? We have spent plenty of time in both of our own south of France rentals and have equipped our kitchens so that we and others can happily prepare meals, from simple to gourmet….that’s the difference between a vacation rental and a second home – but it’s often difficult to tell which you’re booking on the many rental sites!
Michele Peterson
That’s the best way to test a kitchen – use it yourself!