What extras do you take when self-catering?

jo1972

I have been known to take my slow cooker with me on previous holidays! We have had the luxury of being able to drive there though.

I always take the basics in case we can't get to a regular supermarket and have to pay out top prices at camp shops. Last year a pack of butter was £2.50 :eek: I always take coffee and milk so that I can sit down and rest for half hour before having to go out shopping!

I definately agree with the frying pan, not only does the eggs stick to the pan, also you don't know how clean previous users have been _pale_

This is why I also take my own plates, cutlery and mugs

ETA: Oh and pillows/cases

DianneB

We don't eat out a lot while on holiday, too expensive!! I always take a sharp knife, potato peeler and slow cooker at least. May have to up the anti this year as last year it was my birthday while away and I had to buy a cake, gutted!!

nickyhutch

jo1972 wrote: »

I have been known to take my slow cooker with me on previous holidays! We have had the luxury of being able to drive there though.

I always take the basics in case we can't get to a regular supermarket and have to pay out top prices at camp shops. Last year a pack of butter was £2.50 :eek: I always take coffee and milk so that I can sit down and rest for half hour before having to go out shopping!

I definately agree with the frying pan, not only does the eggs stick to the pan, also you don't know how clean previous users have been _pale_

This is why I also take my own plates, cutlery and mugs

ETA: Oh and pillows/cases

Crikey jo, that's a lot! I don't think we'd have room for that much even if we wanted to take it. Surely once crockery/cutlery is washed, it's ok to use? I will take a mug, though, because the little cups they have just aren't big enough for my caffeine fix.

skintchick

This thread is so useful! I am self-catering for the first time ever this year, with our 11-month-old DD, plus may parents AND the in-laws (yes I am mad!) and I never thought to take my own knife or frying pan but it makes so much sense!

We are going to do an online shop to be delivered to othe place we are staying the night we arrive to save lugging food. I figure I will use up herbs, etc., when we are at home so will just order new to save hassle.

Torry_Quine

I'm absolutely amazed that people feel it necessary to take kitchen equipment with them. We do take some dried ingredients, any fresh food we have left and food for a couple of meals to get us started before shopping. We often get caught out if we want to grocery shop on the Sunday as we can forget the Sunday trading laws down south!

freakyogre

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I'm absolutely amazed that people feel it necessary to take kitchen equipment with them. We do take some dried ingredients, any fresh food we have left and food for a couple of meals to get us started before shopping. We often get caught out if we want to grocery shop on the Sunday as we can forget the Sunday trading laws down south!

Ditto! Some people seem to pack the whole house.

I can't get my head round people who don't like using other peoples crockery/cutlery etc. Even in the most expensive hotel/restaurant, i'm pretty sure you wouldn't be given a brand new/your own plate each night

nickyhutch

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I'm absolutely amazed that people feel it necessary to take kitchen equipment with them. We do take some dried ingredients, any fresh food we have left and food for a couple of meals to get us started before shopping. We often get caught out if we want to grocery shop on the Sunday as we can forget the Sunday trading laws down south!

Why are you amazed? There's nothing worse than the crap most places (esp. caravan parks) have in their cutlery drawers that pass for knives, can openers etc. I don't want to have to go out shopping for corkscrews and veg peelers on holiday - it's easier just to stick them in the car in the first place. Fair enough if you don't cook on your hols, but I (moneysaving) will be doing this year, so am taking some stuff.

nickyhutch

freakyogre wrote: »

Ditto! Some people seem to pack the whole house.

I can't get my head round people who don't like using other peoples crockery/cutlery etc. Even in the most expensive hotel/restaurant, i'm pretty sure you wouldn't be given a brand new/your own plate each night

It isn't that I don't like using other peoples' stuff - it's that it's usually crap when it comes to stuff like chopping knives etc. Mugs are tiny and I want a big one. Bowls are tiny, and I'm a pig, so I take big ones. A knife and a potato peeler are hardly the whole house, are they?

Triker

Well timed thread, we're off later today and we're self catering.:D

I'm taking

tea, coffee, sugar

pastas and noodles dried

Cups/teaspoons

Cans of pop/Vimto cordial

tins of spagetti and beans

Pains au chocolat from aldi

Fruit museli bars from aldi

crisps/nuts/snacks

cans of lager and bitter

bottles of water to stick in the fridge/aldi again, small drinking bottles

3 freezer blocks

a cool bag, so will put said freezer blocks in bag daily and fill with drinks and snacks ~£1.50 from tesco reduced world cup england cool bag, holds 24 cans.

pack wipes

We're only away for 3/4 days so don't need loads.

Thanks to your advice here, now off to get own pillow and a sharp knife.;)...oh and HP sauce.:rotfl:

Will buy fruit, bread, butter, cooked meats and cheese whilst over in France.

Torry_Quine

nickyhutch wrote: »

Why are you amazed? There's nothing worse than the crap most places (esp. caravan parks) have in their cutlery drawers that pass for knives, can openers etc. I don't want to have to go out shopping for corkscrews and veg peelers on holiday - it's easier just to stick them in the car in the first place. Fair enough if you don't cook on your hols, but I (moneysaving) will be doing this year, so am taking some stuff.

We do cook every day as normal at home, go out for a meal only once or twice in a fortnight away. Meals and cooking methods are adapted to suit the available equipment although if something important is missing eg one year we had no bread knife, we go and ask for one. Have been going on self-catering holidays for over 20 years without problems