6 Best Compact Cooking Stations For Motorhome Awnings Nomads Swear By

There’s nothing quite like the sizzle of onions and peppers on a griddle, with a cool breeze rolling through your campsite. But trying to prep a meal on a wobbly picnic table or your RV’s tiny dinette is a recipe for frustration. A dedicated outdoor cooking station transforms that experience, turning your awning space into a fully functional second kitchen.

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Why Cook Under Your Motorhome Awning?

Cooking inside your motorhome on a hot day is a surefire way to turn your living space into a sauna. The AC will fight a losing battle against the heat from your stovetop or oven. Moving the whole operation outside under the awning keeps your rig cool and comfortable, a small change with a massive impact on your quality of life.

It’s also about managing smells and messes. Frying bacon or searing fish can leave lingering odors inside for days, but outside, the breeze whisks them away. Splatters and spills are also far less of a headache to clean up on a ground mat than on your interior flooring or upholstery. This simple shift preserves the sanctuary of your indoor space.

Beyond the practical, cooking outdoors connects you to your surroundings. It expands your living area, creating a dedicated zone for preparing and enjoying food while you soak in the view. It’s less about just making a meal and more about embracing the indoor-outdoor lifestyle that motorhome travel promises.

GCI Outdoor Master Cook Station: All-In-One

If you want a single piece of gear that does nearly everything, the GCI Master Cook Station is it. This isn’t just a table; it’s a comprehensive kitchen system designed to fold down into a surprisingly slim package. It’s for the RVer who wants organization and function without hauling five different pieces of equipment.

The design features a heat-resistant aluminum countertop for your primary stove, multiple fold-out side tables for prep, and a soft-shell "sink" with a drain. It even includes telescoping hooks for lanterns and paper towels, plus storage racks below. This station is the closest you can get to a built-in outdoor kitchen in a portable format.

The main tradeoff is its complexity. With more moving parts comes a slightly longer setup and teardown time compared to a simple folding table. But for those who cook elaborate meals or stay in one spot for more than a few days, the organizational benefits are well worth the extra two minutes of effort. It turns a chaotic cooking setup into a streamlined, efficient workspace.

Blackstone Griddle Stand: For Serious Chefs

Many nomads live and die by their Blackstone griddle, but placing it on a standard camp table can be unstable and unsafe. The Blackstone Griddle Stand is purpose-built to solve this problem. It’s not a general-purpose kitchen; it’s a dedicated, rock-solid platform specifically for 17” or 22” Blackstone griddles.

This stand provides the perfect cooking height and unmatched stability, so you’re not worried about a multi-hundred-degree griddle tipping over on uneven ground. It features a sturdy steel frame, adjustable legs for leveling, and convenient side tables for your spatulas, oil, and ingredients. It’s an accessory that elevates the griddle from a simple appliance to the centerpiece of your outdoor kitchen.

Don’t buy this thinking it’s a do-it-all station. Its primary surface is designed to hold the griddle, leaving only the side tables for prep. This is a specialized tool for a specific job. If your outdoor cooking revolves around your Blackstone, this stand is a non-negotiable upgrade for safety and convenience.

Camco Deluxe Folding Table: Ultra-Light Pick

Sometimes, less is more. The Camco Deluxe Folding Table is the embodiment of that philosophy. It’s a simple, no-frills aluminum and steel table that provides a large, stable surface for cooking and prep, then folds down flat for easy storage.

Its biggest advantage is its simplicity and weight. There are no complex parts to break or lose, and its lightweight construction makes it easy to handle and store in a packed pass-through bay. It’s a blank slate—you can put a camp stove on one end, a cutting board on the other, and still have room to spare.

The lack of features is also its biggest drawback. You won’t find built-in sinks, storage racks, or lantern hooks here. This table is for the minimalist nomad who values low weight and a small packed size above all else, or for someone who already has a separate system for organizing their cooking gear.

Camp Chef Sherpa Table: Ultimate Organizer

The Camp Chef Sherpa Table is less of a table and more of a mobile pantry with a tabletop. Its genius lies in the four removable, zippered storage compartments that fit perfectly within its frame. This design tackles one of the biggest challenges of outdoor cooking: keeping your gear organized and protected.

You can designate each bag for a specific purpose—one for dry goods, one for cookware, one for plates and utensils, and one for cleaning supplies. The whole system stays packed and ready to go. When you get to camp, you just unfold the legs, and your kitchen is practically set up. The aluminum top then rolls out to provide a solid prep surface.

The table itself is a bit on the smaller side, so it’s best paired with a separate stand for your primary stove. Think of the Sherpa as your central command center for all kitchen-related items. It’s the perfect solution for anyone tired of digging through bins to find the salt or a clean spatula.

Royal Gourmet Movable Table: Top Durability

For those who use heavier equipment like an Ooni pizza oven, a large grill, or a heavy-duty two-burner stove, stability and durability are paramount. The Royal Gourmet Movable Table is built like a tank, featuring a stainless steel top and a powder-coated steel frame. It feels more like a commercial kitchen prep table than a piece of camp gear.

This table is designed to handle weight and abuse. The stainless steel top is fantastic for food prep, easy to clean, and won’t be damaged by hot pans. It also includes thoughtful features like hooks for tools, a paper towel holder, and a bottom shelf for storing bulky items like a propane tank or a cooler.

The durability comes at a cost: weight and bulk. This is one of the heaviest options on the list and doesn’t pack down as small as the others. It’s not for the weekend warrior or the RVer counting every ounce. But for the full-timer who cooks outside daily and needs an indestructible, permanent-feeling workstation, the Royal Gourmet is unmatched.

Coleman Pack-Away Kitchen: Classic & Reliable

The Coleman Pack-Away Kitchen is an absolute classic for a reason. It hits the sweet spot between features, portability, and price, making it one of the most common sights in campgrounds across the country. It offers a dedicated space for your camp stove, a main prep surface, and some basic organization.

Its design is practical and proven. The wire grate side stand is perfectly sized for a typical two-burner Coleman stove, freeing up the main laminate tabletop for chopping and plating. It also includes a lantern hook for cooking after dark and a small mesh shelf underneath for light storage.

While it doesn’t have the fancy features of the GCI or the raw durability of the Royal Gourmet, it does its job reliably. It folds down into a self-contained carrying case that’s easy to store. For the RVer who wants a dependable, straightforward solution without overthinking it, the Coleman is a can’t-go-wrong choice.

Key Features for Your Awning Cooking Station

Before you buy, think about how you actually cook on the road. Your ideal station depends entirely on your personal style. Here are the core features to consider:

• Stability and Leveling: You will never park on perfectly level ground. Look for stations with independently adjustable legs. A wobbly table is annoying at best and dangerous at worst when you’re dealing with boiling water or hot oil. A solid frame made of steel or thick-gauge aluminum is a must.

• Material and Weather Resistance: Your station will live outside. A powder-coated steel frame resists rust, and an aluminum or stainless steel top is best for handling heat and making cleanup easy. Fabric components, like those on the Camp Chef Sherpa, should be durable and quick-drying. Avoid untreated wood or particle board, which will warp and degrade in the humidity and rain.

• Packed Size and Weight: Storage space is the ultimate currency in a motorhome. Before you fall in love with a large, feature-rich station, measure your storage bay. A station is useless if it doesn’t fit. Consider how its packed shape will tessellate with your other gear. A long, thin station might fit better than a bulky square one.

• Surface Area and Layout: Be realistic about how much space you need. Do you need a large prep area, or just a spot for your stove and a small cutting board? Some stations, like the GCI, offer multiple tiered surfaces, which can be great for organization. Others, like the Camco, offer one large, uninterrupted plane. There’s no right answer, but it’s a critical question to ask yourself.

Ultimately, the best cooking station is the one that removes friction from your daily routine. It should make you want to cook outside, turning a chore into a highlight of your day on the road. Choose the one that best fits your cooking style, your storage space, and your budget, and you’ll unlock a whole new level of enjoyment in your motorhome adventures.