30 Galley Essentials That Make Liveaboard Life Easier
/Living onboard a small boat means sacrificing some of the creature comforts you enjoy on land, and this is especially true when downsizing from a large kitchen to a small boat galley. However, these essential galley items will make sailboat liveaboard life much easier and more delicious.
By Michelle Segrest—How to Get Your Sea Legs
When living full time on a boat and experiencing the nomad lifestyle, you will most likely spend more time in the galley and less time in restaurants. And with limited space and sometime limited energy sources, it’s a good idea to learn some of these essential galley liveaboard hacks. These are my favorite galley items that will help make your onboard cooking experiences easier and more delicious!
Favorite Galley Cooking Equipment for Your Sailboat
These stainless steel nesting pots are perfect for the boat galley. They nest perfectly to save space and the cooking surfaces are made of the world's best ceramic non-stick which is Earth friendly, non-toxic, PFOA, and PTFE free and absolutely will not stain, peel, blister, or flake, and nothing sticks to it. Nothing! They are heavy weight, but compact, which makes them the perfect choice for boats, RVs, and tiny homes.
Chop large pieces of fruit, vegetables, garlic, onion, herbs, and even nuts by hand with this manual food chopper. No boat power required to easily make guacamole, pesto, hummus, or salsa. Whip up your favorite sauce, side dishes, or condiments in a flash with this handy non-electric chopper. It’s a great space saver and time saver with little to no prep needed. Throw in chunks of vegetables or whole ingredients, place the lid on, pull the cord and watch this hand-powered chopper’s blades do the hard work for you.
Even with the hand-powered food chopper on board, every good galley cook still needs a proper set of sharp cooking knives. For safety, choose knives that have non-slip handles. This 6-piece Fibrox Pro Chef's Set contains a chef’s, bread, utility, and paring knife. Each is crafted with high carbon stainless steel, conical ground, and ice tempered to ensure long-lasting sharpness. Each knife features an ergonomic Fibrox Pro handle that's textured for a non-slip grip—even when wet. These exceptional knives are weighted and balanced for easy handling.
If you don’t have a lot of spare power, but love to cook soups, smoothies, and cocktails on board, this battery-operated hand blender is an essential galley tool! It blends 25 bowls of soup on a full charge. The rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery delivers optimal runtime and performance. Battery Indicator Light signals when it is time to charge the battery. Charge from empty to full in 2 hours or less.
5. Non-Electric Thermal Cooker
This energy-saving magic cooker is designed to provide ease and convenience. Only 10 minutes of energy use for perfect stews. Perfect took for cooking while traveling. It will not overcook your food. Perfect cooking-retains the full flavors and nutrients of the food. You can leave it cooking while you go onshore to explore and the food will still be kept warm for when you are back.
This is my favorite way to cook—using only the energy of the sun. Cook delicious meals and even homemade BREAD onboard! This is the first portable, solar + electric oven to work off-grid. This versatile cooker is five times more efficient than a traditional electric oven. This solar oven integrates a 150 Watt heating element (equivalent power draw of an incandescent lightbulb) below the stainless steel cook tray, allowing for cooking anytime, combining reliability and portability that has never been possible with solar or electric ovens.
For safety and convenience, this silicone splatter screen is a must-have for sailboat liveaboards. It’s hard enough to cook while underway, so this simple tool contains hot and greasy splatters, keeping the galley safer and cleaner. It’s also easy to store.
If you want to maximize your cooking space, place this stovetop griddle pan directly over your burners to make pancakes, burgers, grilled cheese and other delicious food onboard. This family-size griddle is made of heavy gauge aluminum for excellent heat conduction, with nonstick coating on interior for quick cleanup.
The upgraded non-slip design has the small bumps on the back that make these cutting mats non-slip on most counter tops. For wet or very slippery surfaces, simply place a wet paper towel underneath to get amazing stability. It solves the potential risk of the unstable cooking board.
I know this seems simple and silly, but this was the one kitchen item that I use the most. You don’t need a separate coffee pot or soup pot. Just boil your water in the teapot on the butane/propane stove for tea, coffee, soup, hot water for dish washing or bathing, or anytime you need hot water. Be sure and get one with an anti-slip, anti-heat handle and the heavier the better so it will stay put when the boat is heeling. And of course, no energy required. You should be able to find plenty of great instant coffees on your travels.
Must-Have Baking Items for the Boat Galley
Most boat ovens have hot spots due to their small size. A high-quality baking stone will do wonders to even them out. The Pizzacraft Thermabond pizza stone is perfect for baking amazing pizza, fragrant homemade bread, and other baked goods right in your galley oven or on your grill! Be sure to measure your oven and choose a baking stone that will fit in your smaller-than-normal sized onboard oven.
Easily remove food after baking without the need of oil or cooking sprays. These baking mats also eliminate the use of parchment paper, making this an environmentally friendly product. The silicone’s anti-slip design is strongly adhesive to countertop and other surfaces.
SiliPot cooking utensils are free of environmental hormones and heat-resistant up to temperature of 250°C(482), versatile in frying oils or hot water.
It’s a no-brainer that every good galley cook needs a proper set of mixing bowls. These that are made of stainless steel construction won't change the flavor of foods. The deep sides help to reduce splatter when mixing, making it perfect for a kitchen that is always moving.
If you love to bake but have limited space onboard, this three-tiered cooling rack will solve that problem. It expands to three racks that stack on top of each other so you can cool batches of cookies, layer cakes or countless finger foods all at once. Plus, it collapses right back down for easy storage.
These flexible, durable, non-slip, non-stick, food-grade silicone pot holders are heat resistant to 350° F. They can be used as a trivet, hot pot holders, drying mat, jar opener, spoon rest, or coaster. The non-stick, food-grade silicone has no peculiar smell and has the function of heat insulation efficiency. Easy and simple to wash and store.
Essential Items to Keep Your Galley Clean
Another sailor recommended these to me, and I will forever be grateful. In fact, these are fantastic even if you don’t live on a boat. Lunatec’s dishcloths stay odor-free and have less bacteria than sponges or cotton dishcloths. Plus, food debris easily rinses free, which means you don't need to wash them in a machine. Most importantly, they scrub with purpose to clean dishes, pots, pans, showers and more. Sponges and cotton dish rags get smelly because they don't dry. That allows bacteria to grow. Bacteria are what cause the odors. These dishcloths dry in about 15 minutes preventing the growth of bacteria. They are healthier for you, your family, and your kitchen or galley.
You'll love these bleach free, washable, reusable paper towels—an eco friendly, zero waste alternative to a regular paper towel that can last for years! Unlike other paper towels the Mioeco biodegradable paper towels absorb spillages and mess far easier. And the best bit? You can simply wash them out and use them again and again!
Must-Have Beverage Items for Boat Liveaboards
The French press coffee maker is the simplest of all brewing systems, where coarsely ground beans meet hot water right off the boil. The right temperature (195–205 °F/ 92-96°C) brings the optimal extraction power for the essential oils in the beans to develop their full flavor profile in just four minutes. An easy press on the plunger locks the grinds at the bottom and stops the brewing process.
When you’re sloshing around on the open seas, splashing by the pool, or celebrating on a party bus with your favorite wine, there’s no question—you’re gonna spill it! But with a Strata Cups Portable Wine Glass, wine is safe from spillage and you also won’t have to worry about having broken glass onboard!
The Rambler 30 oz. is the tumbler that gets you through the day. Your morning brew stays hot, and your iced coffee will stay cold. These Ramblers come standard with the YETI MagSlider Lid, the only drink lid that uses the power of magnets to keep your water, beer, or favorite drink on lock.
ZeroWater's 5-stage filtration technology removes 2x the TDS versus leading competitors. The 5-stage filter transforms your tap water into delicious, TDS-free drinking water. Removes suspended solids such as dust and rust that make your water appear cloudy Removes organic contaminants; Mercury, Chlorine, Chloramine. A great alternative to expensive bottled water and also creates less plastic waste and less trash on board.
Essential Storage Options for the Sailboat Galley
These durable food storage containers are ideal for storing flour and other baking staples, while the baking scoops make measuring out ingredients easy. Easy-locking clips and extended skirt seal helps keep baked goods and ingredients fresher for longer; with sculpted hand grips and convenient pourers Modular design stacks with other Sistema Bake IT containers to save space and keep your galley organized.
The Gripstic is a reusable sealing rod that locks air and moisture out to prevent your chips, pretzels, snacks, and cereal from going stale. Simply put, they keep food fresh longer. GRIPSTIC is superior to other chip clips or bag clips because they prevent moisture and bugs from getting in your food, which is a common problem in sailboat galleys.
25. Joseph Joseph Cutlery Organizer and Knife Block
The cutlery tray features angled compartments that layer on top of each other, enabling over 48 pieces of cutlery to be stored in much less space. Items can be placed inside either head or handle first and the design features handy icons for easy identification and non-slip feet. The 2-tier knife organizer provides both safe storage and easy access for a range of kitchen knives. It features two levels for different blade lengths and can hold up to nine knives in a neat, compact space. Non-slip feet on the base stop the unit from sliding around in your drawer.
Luxury Galley Items If You Have Plenty of Power and Space
I’ve never been on a boat that could accommodate the power and space needed for an ice maker, but it’s definitely on my WISH LIST! I would have given anything to have ice onboard, so if you can swing it, definitely splurge on this—especially when cruising in warmer climates.
This solid stainless steel boat grill can mount into any fishing pole holder on your boat or dock. Fits into any 2" Rod Holder. The bbq grill comes with an electric start that simply takes a click of a button to turn on the flames. The front of the grill has a built in thermostat so you can easily maintain the correct temperature. On the bottom of the grill there is an adjustable bracket that allows you to rotate the grill up and down, as well as 360 degrees. With 255 sq inches of cooking surface this portable table top gas grill is built for BBQ-grillers on the go. The long-lasting Stainless steel construction allows you to experience the cooking anywhere, on your sailboat, fishing boat, RV, backyard patio, tailgating, camping, and more.
Essential Books for Your Boat Galley
28. How to Battle Seasickness: 100 Tips to Help You Get Your Sea Legs
You don’t have to be sailing offshore blue waters in a small sailboat to benefit from the knowledge shared in this book. These tips will help you whether you are in a sailboat, motorboat, fishing boat, kayak, canoe, car, airplane, space ship, or cruise ship. There is no cure for seasickness. However, this book will help you find your sea legs and battle your way through it and it’s essential for every boat galley.
No matter what anyone tells you, boat cooking IS different from cooking ashore. The space is smaller, there’s no grocery store 5 minutes away, you have fewer prepared foods and electric appliances, and food storage is much different. This essential boat galley cookbook includes more than 800 recipes made from readily-obtainable ingredients with hand utensils, including numerous choices to suit every taste: not just one cake but 20, 16 ways to prepare fish, 10 regional barbeque sauces, and so on. Step-by-step directions give even “non-cooks” the confidence they can turn out tasty meals without prepared foods.
30. Storing Food Without Refrigeration
With a little planning and foresight, refrigeration is absolutely not necessary. In this book, the author discusses how to store food and make delicious meals without the use of a refrigerator. From milk and cheese to eggs and meat, the book lays out ways any boater, hiker, or camper can have home-cooked meals without artificially freezing or cooling their food.
BONUS: A few more cookbooks you may want to have onboard:
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Living onboard a small boat means sacrificing some of the creature comforts you enjoy on land, and this is especially true when downsizing from a large kitchen to a small boat galley. However, these essential galley items will make sailboat liveaboard life much easier and more delicious.
