Kitchen appliances that are designed to be portable and compact are a major boon in our modern millennial lives! We often find ourselves jet-setting and traveling from one location to another. And, it’s not always easy to consume food that suits your tastebuds, tummy, and mood! Especially if you’re out camping in the great outdoors, or in a foreign county. Hence, we’ve curated a collection of portable and functional kitchen appliances that will help you prepare delicious meals even when you’re in unfamiliar surroundings! From a DHL-inspired briefcase-sized portable camping stove to a portable electric pot to cook the perfect soup while camping – we’ve collected a whole range of super cool and helpful portable cooking appliances that will deliver great food to you without fail.
1. Choi’s electric pot
This portable electric pot is conceptualized for cooking soups and stews while camping.
Why is it noteworthy?
Characterized by its triangular shape, Choi’s electric pot takes on the same form as tripods and table lamps that have similar silhouettes. While its shape is familiar, its operation slightly differs to be suitable for cooking stews and soups. Camping accessories and cookware keep a compact build to assume ultimate portability and Choi’s electric pot is no different. Through a telescopic layering system, the different modules of Choi’s electric pot can fit into one another and be carried by a raised, removable handlebar.
What we like
- A timer and temperature control interface allows users to adjust the cooking conditions of each stew and soup according to its recipe
- An additional light attachment is also integrated into the build of Choi’s electric pot, allowing for late-night cooking to soothe those munchies
What we dislike
- No complaints!
2. The ECLIPSE
Meet the ECLIPSE, a portable tea brewing station that isn’t as limiting or as archaic as the teabag. It combines a travel thermos and a french-press-style brewing system in one easy-to-use, easy-to-carry design, and lets you brew two cups (or one large mug) of the tea of your choice.
Why is it noteworthy?
In all fairness, I’m not surprised that a device like the ECLIPSE hasn’t become ubiquitous all this while. Tea is the second-most consumed beverage in the world, and as far as tea cultures go, its brewing methods are still deeply rooted in tradition. What ECLIPSE does is simply modernize it, by providing the same steps you’d expect in regular tea brewing. The multi-part travel press comes with a measuring cup, a brewing teapot, a plunger (that acts as a strainer), and a drinking vessel.
What we like
- Portable and easy-to-carry design
- The inner layer of the ECLIPSE is lined with a ceramic coating to honor the traditional practice of brewing in ceramic teapots
What we dislike
- No complaints!
3. NUO portable pizza oven
To let you discover restaurant-quality wood-fired pizza right at home or in the garden; Noox Design offers NUO portable pizza oven that’ll transform the way you have been baking pizzas at home.
Why is it noteworthy?
An essential appliance for a compact kitchen, NUO is designed for the world beyond large, electric ovens. This one is actually a hybrid oven that lets the baker choose between gas or wood flame. The oven works conveniently without electricity and sits comfortably on a flat surface courtesy of its metal legs. On a simple push of the knob – placed on the side of the oven – the NUO can ignite automatically and then allows one to toggle between the choice of flame and its intensity.
What we like
- The oven can reach temperatures of up to 500-degree Celsius within
- It can let aficionados prepare pastas, meat, fish, veggies, and more with the flavor of firewood if that’s your taste
What we dislike
- Weighs slightly heavy owing to its thick walls and stone floor
4. The All-in-One Coffee Grinder
The All-in-One Coffee Grinder is a handheld, portable coffee grinder with integrated brew methods for coffee on the go.
Why is it noteworthy?
Coffee makers tend to be multifunctional by design, merging brew and drip mechanisms into one machine, but integrated grinders are always missing. Noticing a gap in the market, Locus Hsu conceptualized their All-in-One Coffee Grinder, a portable, electric coffee grinder that also incorporates brew methods.
What we like
- Hsu’s All-in-One Coffee Grinder is about the same size as a conventional, reusable water bottle
- The bottommost compartment is the All-in-One Coffee Grinder’s capacity cup that works like a reusable travel mug
What we dislike
- No complaints!
5. The AirHood
Styled almost like a Dyson Bladeless Fan, the AirHood is a portable hood that sits on your countertop, sucking in the fumes from your stove, induction cooker, or even your grill. Available in both wireless and wired formats, the AirHood works partly like a chimney, and partly like an air purifier.
Why is it noteworthy?
A switch on the top lets you choose between three fan speeds, depending on what you’re cooking, and the AirHood even comes with an optional Base Boost – a platform that elevates your hood by a comfortable two inches. Once switched on, the AirHood pulls fumes into its inlet, where the air first passes through an oil filter that traps the grease, and then an activated carbon filter that purifies the air of any toxins. Clean air then makes its way out of the outlet at the back of the device, keeping your kitchen air clean and eliminating the risk of accidentally triggering your smoke alarm.
What we like
- When not in use, the AirHood serves as kitchen decor, thanks to its minimalist, sculptural appeal
- Its simple surfacing and polished plastic construction allow you to clean your AirHood with just a damp cloth
What we dislike
- No complaints!
6. The Campo
The Campo, inspired by the curves of an Apple Watch and the concept of a portable EV battery, is made in nature-friendly colors. Its helmet-like design, where the visor (the lid in this case) can be rolled up with a handle. Inside you have a magnetically fastened plate, over which you can keep the item you want to cook or heat and set the timer (which is displayed on the handle you can roll back down to start the microwave). The ease of portability is ensured by a locking mechanism on the side of the unit, which locks in place when the handle is rolled up or pushed down flat.
Why is it noteworthy?
Before you plug your microwave into the vehicle’s battery and end up draining it down to the point where your vehicle refuses to start; spare a thought for the Campo microwave oven. This is microwave powered by a rechargeable battery to let you do the heating and cooking without requiring continuous juice up from your car. It would be a good idea to just carry your microwave like a helmet and place it on a flat surface to begin preparing the meal instantly.
What we like
- Portable design
- Powered by a rechargeable battery
What we dislike
- It’s still a concept!
7. Ember
This portable oven capable of letting you bake over a stove flame is that ultimate accessory you were waiting to pack in the boot of your car when heading out to the wilderness.
Why is it noteworthy?
Called the Ember, this conceptual portable oven features a monolithic design and has a sleek and clever build to ensure it can be used on a stove’s flame – without electricity – to create that ideal condition for baking. You can use this space-saving oven on the kitchen counter, or as I said, pack it along on your way out for camping. But as the designer puts it, the oven is more specifically a solution designed to facilitate baking in small kitchens.
What we like
- Ember is able to bake healthier food in small domestic spaces faster compared to conventional ways
- Ember comes with multiple accessories for different types of preparation
What we dislike
- No complaints!
8. The G-cube smart mini-fridge
In my opinion, a genuinely smart refrigerator is one that adds value and presents more use cases than a regular option easily available. This is where the G-cube smart mini-fridge marches in with its impressive portability add-on. The conveniently sized mini-fridge is first up designed to help users manage food more conveniently.
Why is it noteworthy?
It can be wall-mounted in the kitchen to save you precious space in the apartment. Moreover, the G-cube can be clipped out of the wall mount to be stashed into the boot of the car – or added to your RV’s kitchen – when your adventurous life takes you far and away from home.
What we like
- The G-cube when connected to a mobile device over Bluetooth can be used as a portable speaker
- The G-cube mini-fridge on the inside is divided into compartments to store foodstuff according to the convenience of consumption
What we dislike
- No complaints!
9. Oblic Dropper
Oblic Dropper is an immersion coffee brewer that’s designed with an angled silhouette and silicone covering for accurate pouring and coffee on the go.
Why is it noteworthy?
If we can agree on one thing, it’s that there can never be enough coffee designs. From portable grinders to instant brewers, and from robotic coffee makers to smart espresso machines, designers are endlessly inspired by the thrill of a morning brew. Reinterpreting the classic coffee dripper through a portable, compact lens, industrial designer JenFu Yang conceptualized the Oblic Dropper, a handheld pour-over device ideal for bringing coffee with you on the go.
What we like
- Equipped with an integrated stopper, transferring Oblic Dropper from one cup to the next can be a clean, seamless transition without any spillage
What we dislike
- No complaints!
10. Shelf
Developed in the design language of DHL, PDF Haus aimed to give Shelf a simple box silhouette with a freewheeling attitude, taking inspiration from the color scheme, materials and finishes often chosen by DHL for their vehicles and brand aesthetic. The grill even comes with DHL decals and tags that can be adhered to the metallic grill’s front case that turns into its table extension. While most gas stoves come with a separate carrying case, Shelf’s entire grill has been turned into one that can be consolidated and carried away.
Why is it noteworthy?
Shaped and carried like a slim briefcase, two metal clasps open and slide out to reveal the Shelf’s grill and supplementary table space. Just beneath the grill, Shelf includes two retractable shelves that create more space for whoever’s cooking to place their spices, utensils, or tools. Blooming from Shelf’s underside like an awning, the shelves, and the sliding tables nearly double Shelf’s overall area.
What we like
- Unique briefcase form
- An intuitive, recognizable control panel that allows users to adjust temperature and flame settings
- DHL-inspired aesthetics
What we dislike
- The grill is given more weight once propane gas containers are inserted into its underside to activate it
- The briefcase-inspired stove could easily be scratched or damaged in the outdoors