Truck driving may be one of the most attractive and well-paid professions for young and middle-aged men. This job is suitable for people who cannot imagine their life without movement, do not like to stick to one place, and can manage a heavy workload. With that in mind, drivers need to acquire healthy eating habits, as this helps to:
- lower stress levels;
- prevent obesity and accompanying diseases;
- spend less on food.
Roadside cafes and shops often aren’t able to offer healthy food, especially not food with an ideal balance of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. That’s why most experienced truck drivers prefer homemade food prepared in advance. However one cannot take supplies of homemade food for a week or more, that is why together with sleepers and a bed sheet he should take a set of special equipment to organize well-fitted, compact road kitchens right in the cabin of a semi-tractor.
When choosing kitchen equipment, it’s important to consider the dimensions of the vehicle, so the cooking appliances need to be:
- compact;
- lightweight;
- have a low energy consumption.
The first choice assistants in cooking healthy nutritious food are always freezer/refrigerators, microwaves, waffle makers, portable stoves, crockpots, electric skillets, blenders, pressure cookers, coffee makers, toasters, portable ovens, and hotpots.
To help you choose the right ones for your needs, in this article, we’ve compiled a brief overview of the best models of cooking equipment for truck drivers. Most can run from a 12V/24V socket, or a 120 V socket, available in almost any truck in the United States. If you don’t have this outlet or if the device doesn’t support a 12V/24V socket, then you can use one of these portable 12V to 120V car & truck power inverters.
Contents:
Top Cooking Appliances for Semi Trucks
Freezer and Refrigerator
A truck freezer is something that keeps your meal cool. Of course, the markets are overloaded with different models of fridges for trucks. It’s difficult to make the best choice, so we’ve done the hard work for you. The best choice is a mini refrigerator. They occupy minimum space, operate under the voltage 12-24, which is available in any car, truck, or trailer, and are extremely reliable.
When choosing one for your truck you have to check whether it can keep a stable temperature and if it can be fixed firmly and tight enough, so that it won’t be flying all over the truck as you are cruising down the highway.
The best mini fridge for truckers — Whynter 62 Quart Dual Zone Portable Fridge.
This powerful but compact stainless steel trucker freezer will not take up a lot of space. However, it will provide you with a capacity of ≈60 L. It works under 12V, perfect for charging purposes. One great advantage is that the fridge has a dual zone so you can organize the space in the fridge to suit your needs. Added bonus: it can be used as a fridge or a freezer.
Source: Amazon
Microwave
It allows you to reheat and even cook your favorite meals, and it is normally quite compact. If your truck has a power inverter, then you have enough power to use a microwave up to 800 Watts. However, it’s important to watch out for the power consumption of the device, so that it doesn't drain your battery quickly.
When choosing a device, we strongly advise you to pay attention not only to the overall capacity and power but to the small but useful features as well. For example, whether you can turn off the sound so that the endless beeping does not disturb your driving experience.
One of the most popular models: Nostalgia Aqua Retro Style 3-in-1 Breakfast Station and 0.9 Cu. Ft Microwave Oven Bundle.
An optimum microwave for truckers that serves all your cooking needs. This small breakfast station covers your entire morning breakfast, allowing you to make coffee, toast, and eggs all at once — very important for a driver on a long journey under constant time pressure. This microwave, with a capacity of 25 L, provides all the cooking power you need to cook and reheat food quickly. An easy-to-use and attractive device with a retro design.
Source: Amazon
Waffle Maker
Although not quite the typical cooking appliance for semi trucks, they are a must-have in every kitchen, even a portable one. Imagine how happy you’ll be cooking tasty, crispy waffles when you are stuck in a parking lot dozens of miles away from the nearest café or home. The best choice is a waffle maker with power in the range of 800-1000 Watts — enough to prepare crispy waffles in 5-6 minutes.
When choosing a device, you have to decide which type of coating it should have, standard ceramic is quite nice-looking and comparatively cheap. However, titanium-infused is much more durable and will keep a shiny look and remain usable for years.
Another important thing you have to pay attention to is whether your waffle maker is easy to clean. After all, no one wants to spend hours washing a waffle maker in the middle of a truck stop. Removable grates can make this process much easier. Its ceramic surface keeps that perfect look for years.
Consider this nice piece of cooking equipment for truck drivers: BELLA Classic Rotating Non-Stick Belgian Waffle Maker.
Perfect and compact rotating waffle maker with non-stick coating, easy to store and clean. The most interesting advantage of this piece of kit is that it’s quite cheap. So by spending less money, you get a great device that delivers you tasty crispy waffles every time you crave them. No compromise on taste.
It is also super easy to use — you won’t even have to read the manual.Recipe idea: put some toppings inside to mix up the tastes of your waffles and never get bored.
Source: Amazon
Portable Stove
If you drive in below-zero climates or during cold seasons, your truck will need a heating boost. This is a must-have if you want to enjoy the road in a warm well-heated cab.
There are several types of portable stoves for truckers on the market. Most of them operate on butane or propane within the capacity of 10,000 - 30,000 BTU per hour.
Check out this interesting option: Iwatani 35FW Butane Stove, Medium, Metallic.
With a very high output of 15,000 BTU per hour, this device is very easy to use. The special high-efficiency design allows it to only consume a minimum amount of butane while maintaining high output and leaving no residual fuel.
Source: Amazon
Crockpot
This is one of the best modern inventions that everyone needs, especially for people who have no time to waste with a gas or electric cooker. A slow cooker is a multifunction device that can easily replace an oven, a hot plate, a microwave, and an electric skillet. With this small device, the taste and feel of home isn’t far away. The market has a wide spectrum of products that can be used as a truck crock pot. But it isn’t very easy to make the right choice. So we’ve gathered some of the best options to help you — Dual Pot Slow Cooker.
This set, complete with two removable crocks, is equipped with glass lids for better cooking viewing. The construction is pretty reliable, easily holding the weight of two small cookers.
It’s a great choice as you are able two cook up to two dishes simultaneously. Plus, it can keep the food warm for a couple of hours if you rotate the button to “warm.” This is very handy on the road — you can cook once but eat twice.
Cool-touch handles and knobs protect your hands and allow you to safely transport your slow cooker. The process of cooking can easily be controlled via adjustable settings. It is also very easy to clean, so no time is wasted washing pots and pans for hours on end.
Source: Amazon
Electric Lunch Box
Do you need a warm lunch box for your regular commutes? Look no further than the Buddew Electric Lunch Box 80W Food Heater. It supports both 110V for home or workplace use in addition to 12V for car and truck use, allowing you to enjoy a hot meal regardless of where you are. This makes it perfect for daily commutes, road trips, and long days at work, with a 1.5L capacity stainless steel container that gives you plenty of space for your favorite meals. The generous compartment allows you to pack in more of your favorite foods, whether you're warming up a hearty beef stew or some flavorsome rice, and everything will heat up perfectly. Between the power options and the space, this should be a dependable solution if you're tired of not having a convenient way to enjoy a hot meal when you're on the go.
Source: Amazon
Electric Skillet
An electric skillet is a great choice for cars, trucks, and other vehicles. It works under a steady temperature, which prevents your food from burning or sticking to the skillet.
Brentwood SK-45 6" Non-Stick Electric Skillet — a decently-sized device with a non-stick coating. It’s easy to clean and store. One slight disadvantage is that, over time, the non-stick coating can be easily damaged. So you need to take additional care when using it.
Source: Amazon
Blender
It’s very hard to imagine life without such devices as blenders, coffee makers, and hot pots. Such items make everything easier and save so much time. If you are a driver, you don’t need to choose a huge device with a high capacity, it’s enough to use a portable one designed for one person.
Discover the advantages of this blender below: Portable Blender. It’s a pretty portable device to make tasty smoothies to diversify your diet with fruits and vegetables. Chargeable, it includes a USB cable in its delivery set. The charge time is 3-5 hours so it’s reasonably quick. It can produce 15-20 cups of juice when fully charged, giving you fresh smoothies whenever you want them.
Source: Amazon
Pressure Cooker
The operational principle of crockpots and pressure cookers is the same: it cooks food under pressure. Check out our top find here: Slow Cooker, HOUSNAT 10 in 1 Programmable Cooker.
Multifunctional device with 10 programs that allows you to cook a great variety of dishes. The design delivers control of cooking time with a start delay of up to 24h. Very safe to use and easy to create tasty breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
Source: Amazon
Coffee Maker
Long hours on the road mean that coffee isn’t just a morning pick-me-up, it’s an all-day must-have item. Most coffee-lovers would agree that they can’t live without it. So here’s our top pick — Elite Gourmet EHC111A Personal Single-Serve Compact Coffee Maker.
A programmable portable stainless steel coffee maker for truckers designed for one person. So it will not occupy much space in your truck, but will make a mean cup of joe whenever you fancy a boost.
Source: Amazon
Toaster
Crispy waffles are a delicious part of a perfect breakfast. However, some prefer hot bread or hot sandwiches with sausages or cheese, instead. There’s lots of options for toasters on the market, so every truck driver will be able to find one that suits their needs and enjoy hot croissants, rolls, buns, or hot dogs during their strenuous journey.
Here’s one of the best toaster options that we’ve seen: Nostalgia 2 Slot Hot Dog and Bun Toaster. A great choice for those who prefer hot dogs to classical toast. The device can cook two hotdogs simultaneously. One slight disadvantage is that its body is made of plastic, so it may not be as reliable as stainless steel models.
Source: Amazon
Portable Oven
This little device will serve you a tasty hot meal every time you need it. It’s not very fast though, so if you want to eat at lunchtime you’ll have to start it in the morning. You can use it for frozen and canned food.
Below you can find the best model of the portable oven for truckers that from our point of view will fit on your truck. This device has a 12/24 V option.
Electric Lunch Box, 3 in1 Portable microwave for Car/Truck it’s a 1-in-3 device, meaning it’s handy for all sorts. The delivery set includes an electric lunch box, fork, spoon, and carry bag. It also works faster than the first two devices from this list. Did you know? This electric lunch box can even substitute for a microwave.
Source: Amazon
Hotpot
This device will become an irreplaceable part of your portable kitchen. Choose from these compact devices with the 12-volt option, and the hotpot will provide you with a hot cup of tea each morning.
Check out this device and see if it meets your needs: 12V 750ml Stainless Steel Car Electric Heating Mug Drinking Cup Travel Kettle. Easy-to-use, hotpot made of stainless steel. It can be your best friend during long journeys as it fits most vehicle cup holders.
Source: Amazon
Semi Truck Cooking Accessories
When equipping your portable kitchen, don’t forget about supplies of smaller, but no less important, truck driver cooking accessories: reusable food containers, travel spice racks, containers for salt and sugar, knives, spatulas, serving sets (spoons and forks will do if need be):
- Reusable food containers
- Travel spice rack (you should have pepper, salt, and sugar as a minimum)
- Knives
- Spatula (especially useful with multi cookers, so as not to damage the pan’s coating)
- Spoon
- Fork
Conclusion
An on-the-road kitchen is the perfect solution to help any truck driver eat self-made, delicious food and save time and money… and that’s not to mention the trouble of looking for the closest drive-in or a roadside cafe.
At first sight, it might seem difficult to fit all this equipment into a vehicle. Don’t! Instead, try to focus on key multifunctional models, such as crockpots, and microwaves with breakfast stations, which combine several functions in one and that allow you to save space and organize your truck’s cabin.
Having such equipment will help you to stay healthy no matter where you are.
But what else does a person need to be satisfied? That’s right! An interesting job and a decent salary would come in handy, and we’ve got just the ticket.
HMD Trucking delivers all this and more to all those who join our team. Get:
- new and well-maintained trucks;
- stable workload;
- ample hometime;
- referral bonus and clean inspection pay.
If you liked this article, then we recommend that you read our article about what is a dot physical.
