For when Bornstein's best just doesn't cut it...
Traveling while keeping kosher can be a beautiful spiritual experience - until you’re standing in a hotel room at 11:48 PM, trying to cook instant oatmeal with the steam from your shower. But keeping kosher on the road doesn’t have to mean soggy crackers, dry cereal, and trying to convince yourself that lukewarm string cheese is a “meal.” Whether you're flying to Bangkok, backpacking through the Rockies, or trying your luck on a family road trip (pro tip: Don't), these gadgets will help you travel smart, stay fed, and avoid becoming that hangry nebuch trying to convince yourself that the overpriced jar of Mrs Adlers Geilfte Fish in the Pesach section of the Kroger's is completely adequate lunch:
Let’s dive into the must-haves - because cold tuna is for cats not yidden with boichs.
Honestly if this isn't the first thing that came to your mind when reading the title to this article, you better check your family tree. Seriously get your mohel on the phone because there's no way you're Jewish.
No kosher list can be made without the Betty Crocker pizza maker being mentioned. This red UFO of goodness is your kitchen swiss army knife of a unit. Just plug it in and make anything under the sun. Eggs, Pizza, Kugel, Shnitzel, Fries, Shidduchim anything (eat your heart out Lisa Elephant). I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me they catered an entire wedding using Big Red.
Reheat or defrost within minutes and have lunch and supper in no time. No dials knobs or buttons. Plug, heat, enjoy.
Why we love it:
While were on the UFO warmer train, allow me to introduce you to your new best friend. Yes the Betty is the tried and true workhorse but the Dash Mini is like a hungarian bubby in appliance form: small, efficient, and always making sure you’re fed. This is tiny and can fit in any backpack or carry on. It's the perfect size for making one egg (amazing for easy overs if thats your jam), and fits a burger/veggie burger perfectly. They come in all different colors so easy to separate milk/meat/pareve. If you're not taking luggage this is the way to go.
Keeps your schoira colder than a litvak eating sherbert at a mitzva tantz
This cooler is the MVP of road trips and long travel days. It holds ice like a pro and keeps your food fresh without the sad, melted-mess situation. Ideal for traveling with deli meat, dips, yogurt, or human hearts (ok maybe not... that's not your vacation?). It's a Dan from dansdeals favorite.
Why we love it:
Cooler by day, compact by night. Like a superhero but for your kugel.
Doubling on the cooler theme. The CleverMade cooler is a brillina collapsible invetion. It folds flat when you don’t need it, but springs to action when you’re ready to go. It’s sleek, it’s functional, and it fits in your suitcase, unlike that 5th pair of shoes you so deperately needed to travel with on that 3 day trip.
While the Polar cooler is great for packing the entire trip food, This is great for travel when you actually reach your destination. A great day to day option for the car, picnic, or whatever.
Why it's genius:
Bonus: They also make laundry bags that are awesome. Also their customer service is top notch.
The closest you’ll get to a hot plate in your carry-on.
I know. Another thing Dan convinces you to buy, but hear us outon this. Plug it in. Walk away. Come back to hot food. That’s it. No buttons. No beeping. No burning. It’s basically a miracle. This thing is super TSA-friendly and as discrete as can be. You can plug it in on the plane, rest it under your seat and none would be wiser (unless you decide to warm up tuna casserole... um just don't). Great for those “I just want to eat like a normal person” moments at 35,000 feet, in a lobby, or literally anywhere inddors with an outlet. It also barely uses any power and can be plugged into a cigarrette lighter inverter so you can have hot meals inthecar on the go.
Why you need it:
Because hot coffee is a basic human right.
Ok I get it you can't be bothered with food prep. You need instant gratification. Everything now now now (am I sounding like your mashgiach yet). Instant coffeee! Instant oatmeal! Instant USA prime grass fed rib eye! Ok maybe not, but every kid whoever went to camp knows the most coveted item or instant noodle soups. Gefen. Noodle. Soups (If you think tradition soups, you're probably too old, Gefen is what the kids eat). And so I present your own personal hot water source for tea, coffee, oatmeal, Cup-a-Soup, or warming baby bottles. Plug it in, and boom — hot water like Bubbie used to make.
Pro travel tip:
Traveling kosher doesn’t have to be hard — it just takes a little planning, a little gear, and probably one power strip with six adapters. With these 7 accessories, you can turn any hotel room, airplane seat, or camping tent into your own private kosher kitchen.
So go ahead. Pack that pizza maker. Load up the collapsible cooler. Whether you’re backpacking through the Balkans, road-tripping to your cousin's wedding in Cleveland, or just avoiding your in-laws with a "very spiritual" retreat to Costa Rica, here are 7 travel accessories that will keep your food hot, your grape juice cold, and your sanity mostly intact. And wherever you go, just remember: Hashem is everywhere. But reliable hot food? That’s on you.
