When it comes to caravan kitchens, everyone seems to have an opinion. Should it be inside, outside, or do you really need both?
I asked my email subscribers this exact question — and the results might surprise you.
Want to watch, rather than read? Here’s the video:
The kitchen is one of the most important parts of any caravan. It takes up a chunk of space, you’ll use it every day, and it can totally change how comfortable your trip feels. So getting the kitchen layout right really matters.
From my little survey, 58 people replied. 15 of you prefer the kitchen inside, 22 of you said outside, and 21 said you actually want both. So, interestingly, the biggest group said an outdoor kitchen is best — but almost the same amount of people wanted the flexibility of having both.
Let’s start with inside kitchens.
Inside Kitchen – Positives
- You can cook in any weather — rain, wind, or mozzies won’t stop you.
- It feels like a proper home kitchen, with everything in easy reach.
- And honestly, sometimes it’s just nice to make a cup of tea without stepping outside.
Inside Kitchen – Downsides
- Cooking smells and steam inside your van can be annoying.
- You’re giving up precious living space for that stove and sink.
- And cooking things like bacon or fish indoors? Yeah… not always the best idea.
Outside Kitchen – Pros
Why people love them:
- All the mess, smoke and smells stay outside.
- It’s more social — you can cook while chatting with family or neighbours.
- And it frees up a lot of room inside the caravan.
Outside Kitchen – Cons
But the cons are pretty obvious too:
- If it’s bucketing down or blowing a gale, you’re stuck.
- At night, you’ve got bugs swarming around your lights.
- And sometimes they feel less convenient — more like setting up camp every time you want to cook.
Both Internal & External Kitchen
And then there’s the ‘best of both worlds’ option: having an indoor and outdoor kitchen.
That gives you maximum flexibility — you cook inside if the weather’s rubbish, outside if it’s sunny.
But of course, you’re paying for the privilege. It costs more, takes more space, and sometimes you sacrifice storage or other features to fit in two kitchens.
For me personally, I think having both is ideal, but if I had to choose one, I’d pick inside kitchen simply because I want to be protected (from both the elements and insects).
But honestly, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It comes down to how and where you like to travel.
So now I want to hear from you — if you were designing your perfect caravan, would you want the kitchen inside, outside, or both? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, because I think this is one of those debates that everyone has a strong opinion on.