Hotel Cooking

October 16, 2018 2:00 PM

I'm going to be on another extended work trip soon, and I'd like to try to eat out less and cook in the room. How should I prepare for this?

I'm going to be out of town for a several week stint soon - the last time I did a similar trip, I ate out three times a day and felt pretty gross by the end of it. Restaurants in the area are ok but it's a lot of pub/fried food and it gets to me after a while.

The hotel I'll likely be staying at is one of the suites/"extended stay" places and has a little kitchenette with a fridge, induction cooktop, dishwasher, and a smattering of cheap cooking implements. There are some standard supermarkets in the area, and I may be able to get some decent local fresh fish. I'm a good cook and I like good food, but I've never really done a lot of cooking in a situation like this.

Assume that I want to cook everything from fresh ingredients. If you've done something like this before:
-What kinds of meals have worked well?
-What should I plan on bringing from home? Knives definitely, but anything else? I don't want to haul a whole kitchen with me, and my wife still needs stuff at home while I'm gone.
-How can I shop so that I don't waste a bunch of ingredients? Even the smallest container of vegetable oil I've seen at our local supermarkets will be too big for the amount of cooking I'm thinking of.
-Any other clever tricks or words of warning?

posted by backseatpilot to Food & Drink (18 answers total)

Nothing stopping you from buying a little set of refillable plastic bottles for oil and such and filling them up at home.
posted by praemunire at 2:06 PM on October 16, 2018 [7 favorites]

Some grocery stores offer Blue Apron-competing meal kits now. I wonder if this would be a good use case for one of those?
posted by juliapangolin at 2:14 PM on October 16, 2018 [2 favorites]

Are you driving or flying? Driving would obviously be easier, but even flying, you can bring 3oz travel-size containers with you -- those packs of reusable toiletries bottles can hold cooking oils, vinegars, and sauces. Add in some little Tupperware containers for dry spices and salt, a cheap but serviceable pepper grinder, some of those flexible plastic cutting mats, and one or two good knives should do it. Also some tin foil and parchment paper, if you think you'll need it. Sometimes extended-stay suites surprise you with great supplies, and other times you find that random needful things are missing, so I wouldn't bring too much along. One thing that's often missing: a baking/cookie sheet. These are handy for one-pan meals or for reheating things in the oven, but the front desk may have one even if your kitchenette doesn't, and you can always find one at your location.

If you're not accustomed to cooking for one, maybe peruse a few websites and pull together a list of potential meals. Try planning a few days around one protein, to avoid waste. Resources geared toward dorm-room cooking can also be helpful because they're often one-pot-focused and avoid waste; this list from Tasty might inspire you.

If you're a tea or coffee drinker, make sure you bring along any implements you need, like a french press, and maybe a favourite mug if you have one to make things feel homier.
posted by halation at 2:16 PM on October 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

I’m thinking an induction cooker and crappy pot still makes fine soups, I’d bring a few mason jars and plan on making a few batches to pack as lunches (I like soup for lunch and it’s easy enough to tote/heat/eat at work, will keep for several days, etc.)
posted by SaltySalticid at 2:19 PM on October 16, 2018

Bring a good sharp chefs knife from home. The knives in extended stay places are always dangerously blunt.
posted by monotreme at 2:20 PM on October 16, 2018

I'd buy the bottle of oil, vinegar, soy sauce and so on. Your company should pay for these items as part of the travel expenditure, you shouldn't have to pay a dime. You can probably leave the remnants for your colleagues at the remote office site to take as free items home to minimize waste.

I wouldn't bring much of anything really except the knives (and feel free to skip those if you have carry on only). If you have a hankering for something specific, just buy the implement needed and bring the implement home with you.

I'd keep it simple - rotisserie chicken based meals, salads, basic stir fry, and so on. Cheese and meat platter, fish tacos. Box meals are another good suggestion. Buy raw vegetables and hummus to eat as snacks. You are winning at travel cookery by buying and eating vegetables, so anything that you do in that direction will be an improvement over pub food.
posted by crazycanuck at 2:21 PM on October 16, 2018 [4 favorites]

For the love of god please do not cook fish in the hotel room. Someone recently did this at the extended stay I was at and it was near impossible to clear the smell because the windows didn’t open
posted by raccoon409 at 2:27 PM on October 16, 2018 [19 favorites]

If there's a bulk food store near where you'll be, you can pick up small quantities of things like oils, vinegars, spices. Some stores with bulk sections may have those as well, and will definitely have things like rice, nuts, flour and other ingredients you don't want much of.

If you're going to do this a lot, maybe start saving the little condiment packages from take-out and fast food places.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 2:35 PM on October 16, 2018

Yeah, reuse some home bottles or get some travel toiletry bottles. Also, go shopping at a dollar store, because a dollar bottle of oil is often sufficient. They also have smaller containers of condiments, cheap spices, etc. Dollar Tree, Everything's .99, and Big Lots are primary for my hotel living shopping. Ross/TJ Maxx/Marshall's also have kitchen equipment for cheap.

Get yourself a decent (again, from dollar store above) nonstick skillet with lid, what they offer in the kitchenettes is awful. Alternately, and I did this the last time I traveled because I was in a Studio 6 with a shitty underpowered stovetop: buy a $20ish electric skillet (walmart, target, etc). I love the thing, use it at home all the time, it's bigger than any of my skillets and a better fryer than my deep fryer. You can't count on anything being there/working, really.

I have a milk crate with:
Cutting board
small santoku knife (which I also eat with)
fork and big spoon
spatula
little tongs
one full-size melamine plate
little dish rack (I got mine $5 at Aldi)
4-5 nesting plastic food containers, deep enough to eat cereal/soup from
a few gallon ziplocs, some quart and sandwich ziplocs
critical seasonings and oils
2 dish towels + 2 washcloths
dollar store Dawn and scrubby
corkscrew/bottle opener
roll of paper towels
one of my sippy cups, which I use for everything all week, but bring a thermal coffee mug if you drink hot coffee or tea.
night light


For groceries, for a workweek I usually get 3ish chicken breasts or equivalent thighs + a package of nice sausages (I actually cook my work lunches as well when I travel, for dietary purposes, so I generally get double this), bag salad, bag of broccoli florets, a steamer bag of another vegetable, an onion, box of eggs, bag of shred cheese, tortillas or rolls, pint of ice cream or some other evening treat. If you eat cereal, that and milk. Pasta if you eat it, I would only bother with parcooked or shelf-stable rice if you want that. I bring or buy cold brew coffee concentrate to heat up or make iced coffee. You can get a couple jar/pouch sauces (simmer sauce, Frontera Grill, curry, etc) and worry less about seasonings. I also check out the deli at my nearest grocery to see if they have good soups or prepared meals or hot bar. And check Grubhub/Eat24/Doordash etc for your hotel area, as you may find a deal on a delivery that makes leftovers or a good component (like a family pack of BBQ and then you can cook your own veg).

I make skillet meals, scrambles, just meat and some veg, big salad. You can make simple soups or stews, grilled sandwiches, pancakes, fritattas.
posted by Lyn Never at 2:40 PM on October 16, 2018 [6 favorites]

Save the fish for one of your restaurant meals. In your room, you can make oatmeal for breakfast (instant works fine and you can punch it up with fresh fruit, nuts, and a touch of cream). Lunches and dinners can be salads or sauteed veggies with chicken (rotisserie chickens from the supermarket will make this easy), soups (start with canned/packaged and then add your own frozen veggies), egg dishes like a loaded omelette or fritatta, and sandwiches/quesadillas. When I'm travelling, I like to eat lighter, veggie-heavy, fiber-heavy meals to counteract the rich restaurant food. I'd lean hard toward convenience foods that are healthy and nutritious, like frozen vegetables and whole grain breads or boxed pasta/rice meals.

I'd also consider evaluating the rental you are staying in each time. They're stocked differently. Then, ask the hotel where you're staying to provide anything you need that isn't there. They have back-ups and additional items available. Then, for things you absolutely can't get from the hotel, buy from the market. There are often cheap kitchen items and things like disposable pans you can buy and it's way less hassle than travelling with a portable kitchen. I'd rather buy oil and other liquids than risk them spilling in my luggage. The only thing I would bring is an assortment of spices and seasonings.
posted by quince at 2:49 PM on October 16, 2018 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: I'll be flying in and checking a bag, so I can bring some things but due to other circumstances I don't want to pack too heavily. I've also stayed in this same hotel before, so I've seen what's in the kitchenette and it mostly boils down to the induction top, a skillet, plates/bowls/utensils, and a few cooking implements like a spatula and a potato masher. There's no oven.

I actually enjoy cooking and spend quite a lot of time at home in the kitchen, so this isn't merely to avoid eating out every day. Prepping food and watching Netflix is pretty relaxing for me.
posted by backseatpilot at 3:14 PM on October 16, 2018

I'm imagining that the skillet would be a super light-weight thing only suitable for scrambling eggs, so I'd want a better frying pan. This Calphalon pan is great and might be worth ordering to have delivered to the hotel so you don't have to pack it. A good skillet will allow you to cook all kinds of meat/egg/veggies. A small pot for rice/grains could be good too.

Think about what things you can buy that come prepared that you serve with something you cook, since your cooking vessels will be limited. Like take canned beans and frozen cooked rice (Trader Joe's sells these, or you can do those Uncle Ben's packets, which can be decent though pretty salty) and cook up some chicken breasts+onions and peppers in a pan, and you've got a good burrito bowl. Or boil some pasta, throw veggies in at the end, and then add jarred sauce and some grated parmesan at the end.

Ideas for things you can buy at the store to supplement the things you cook:
- Frozen "steamer bag" veggies
- Some supermarkets sell small potatoes in microwave-ready containers with seasoning packets. They're actually pretty good
- Precooked rice and other grains
- Canned beans
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Instant oatmeal
- Precooked chicken sausages
- Bagged salad

As for buying things in smaller portions: for things like cooking oil, try a co op if you have access - or just accept that you won't use all of it and that's ok.
posted by lunasol at 3:55 PM on October 16, 2018 [2 favorites]

When I stay in such places there are two really annoying things I find time and time again. One is the lack of herbs/spices/sauces - normally you’re reluctant to buy these locally because you won’t use them up and don’t want to take the almost full containers back home. The second thing is the lack of storage containers for leftovers. So pick a careful selection of spices and condiments - you’ll enjoy your cooked meals much more. And bring some storage containers. If you have a tool you use a lot bring that as well. When driving I have been known to bring my nutribullet and my coffee grinder. Also, favourite coffee, if not readily available.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:10 PM on October 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

A day-of-the-week pill organizer may be a good way to transport tiny amount of spices from home.
posted by batter_my_heart at 4:13 PM on October 16, 2018 [5 favorites]

I used to travel for work for weeks and weeks at a time and like you I felt grossed out by eating out all the time. My solution was a single size crockpot - it fit into my luggage and wasn't that heavy. You can make so much with very little effort. I could make something and easily get two meals out of it. If I bought a piece of meat I would get at least two meals and leftovers from it. I would also bring pre-made soup or chili bean starters like a ziplock bag with the lentils and spices/herbs already mixed in or a bag with beans and spices - Then I'd toss in the crockpot and have soup or chili or whatever. That way I didn't have to have or bring a lot of spices. I did bring a few of my own spice mixes in ziplog bags. I could buy a small piece of meat and fresh veggies at my destination. I brought my own coffee and used and AeroPress because it's small, quick and light weight. I would always buy bagged veggies for easy microwave cooking, eggs, bread and good cheese and tortillas.

Ideas: Egg Burrito, grilled cheese sando with tomato, scrambled eggs, veggie omelette, hard boiled eggs, quesadilla, etc. Yes, I settled for less spices and simpler food, but it felt so much better than the calorie bombs from restaurant food. In the crockpot I could make Brats in sauerkraut, mac and cheese, lasagna, chili, lentil soup, etc. I would take a chicken breast or two and cook with a small jar of salsa.. after about 8 hours you can shred the chicken and then use it on eggs, or in a burrito or on a salad. with just a few ingredients thrown into the crockpot. I would plan the meals so that I used just about everything and everything was interchangeable.

Since you say you like to cook, perhaps the crockpot method doesn't work so well for you, I would try googling for 1 pan recipes or easy Dorm recipes as they are working with limited items as well.
posted by crayon at 4:16 PM on October 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

Here's a fun video on hotel room cooking that gets pretty in-depth. Some of it assumes you have to bring your own induction top, so you can skip those parts.

For something like that I'd bring a good induction capable pan with me that's big enough for single skillet meals, a chef's knife and pairing knife (and maybe a cutting board), a stirring device or two, and a selection of spices in small containers. I just buy stuff like oil locally and leave it behind. Some of those places will have a collection of orphaned condiments like that (if you do this, it's nice to label it with the date so people know how long it's been open). If not I ask the cleaning crew if they're interested or as someone suggested above, you can see if some of the people you're working with. At worst, a little gets thrown out, which is a little wasteful but you're still saving a lot of money by not eating out and there is an environmental cost of flying stuff that can be bought locally.

I make big batches of chicken breast and then turn it into burritos, sandwiches, meal salads, etc., which is pretty much my pattern at home too. I tend to do a lot of stir fries also when I'm doing single skillet cooking.

You can make risotto in a skillet with this recipe. Lentils and orzo cook fairly well in them.

If you want a deeper pot and don't want to deal with flying with one, you can probably find one at a local thrift store and just donate it back when you leave.

Be aware of the smoke point of your oils if there's a sensitive smoke detector.
posted by Candleman at 4:49 PM on October 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have had to do this for the past year. I've split supplies between things I keep and things I order online to either be delivered to the hotel, or click and collect from a supermarket nearby. I choose the extended-stay place by walkable proximity to decent food/groceries shopping.

Kit I bring with me, in my checked luggage:
-Insulated cooler bag to hold everything
-Wiltshire stay-sharp knife in holster
-Little squirt bottle of dishwashing detergent that I refill from a bigger bottle at home
-Foldable silicone bowl (sometimes the hotel bowls are really shallow...)
-Travel cutlery - both these Joseph Joseph ones and these Human Gear ones (hotel has cutlery obviously but I like to use my own)
-Balsamic glaze
-Salt and peper grinders
-Latex gloves (I hate touching raw meat obviously not everyone has this issue)
-Washing up gloves
-Zip-loc sandwich bags for storing food, carrying snacks ets
-Baby wipes
-Tea towel
-Tea bags or packets of loose tea
-Tea infuser

What I pre-order (usally from the airport for the following day) for arrival:
-Paper kitchen towels (too bulky for luggage)
-Fruit, veg, milk, meats, bread, beans, whatever for a week's cooking; and
-Any thing else I realise I've forgotten.
posted by t0astie at 6:34 PM on October 16, 2018

Bring spices. When we go on vacation every year we charter a boat with some other couples and live on it for a week, and I'm in charge of much of the meal planning. I have access to a grocery there, but I always bring my own spices in small containers, as well as small amounts of some other staples like sugar, flour, kosher salt, etc.

Also, when packing spices, make sure they are in a super air-tight container or quadruple ziplock bagged, or all your clothes will smell like your spice blend. You can use the extra bags (or just bring some) for leftover storage.

And yes, if you can bring a sharp knife, or a knife sharpener, you life will be much better.
posted by thejanna at 6:09 AM on October 17, 2018