If you like to cook sometimes life in an RV can be a challenge. Having all the best pots and pans available means having to tote those pans around and the space allotted in some RVs might not be sufficient for a whole kitchen worth of stainless steel. However I found a great solution that I have been thrilled with - a set of Magma nesting pans. 

Someone on some RV forum on Facebook originally referred me to these and I was truly skeptical. I own a set of professional-grade stainless steel pans at home which cost well over $4,000 so to think that something under $200 would be even usable made me think they were kidding. Or just not used to good cookware. 

Still, when I bought my travel trailer I needed some solution so I jumped on Amazon and ordered a set of the pans. I also added a strainer and the sauté/omelet pan to the order. 

The advantage of these pans is that they all nest into one tight package with the included bungee cord holding everything together. The set included two removable handles which rest inside the pans as well. 

My first surprise was the build quality of these. Sure, I’ve seen lots of claims by people but these are really well made. The handles have a high-quality feel to them and come on and off very easily with a nice mechanical click. Like my expensive pans at home these have a triple clad bottom where multiple metals are clad together to create a more even heat distribution. 

The sizes of the pans make them ideal for the typical RV stove. You can put three pans on the stove at once since there are no handles on the pans which works out well. I’ve boiled pasta using the strainer, made pasta sauce and meatballs all at the same time. Then, when you’re done all the pans just go back together and take up one drawer. Nice. 

I like stainless steel without non stick for most things. The trick to cooking in this is to get the pans nice and hot before you put anything in them. Then put in your meat, or whatever, and let it cook. When it’s done there is residue on the bottom of the pan but a little wine or beer in the pan makes a great starter for a sauce which also deglazes the pan and makes them a breeze to clean up. 

Another nice thing about these pans is that they can go in the oven or on the stove top and I’ve even used them on the outside grill in my RV. They’re very flexible. 

In fact, if I didn’t have the expensive pans I have in my house I’d even consider using these in my kitchen at home. The quality is there and I like the fact that it would take up far less space in the kitchen than what I have now. However the pans I have now are the same brand as what my mom bought in the 1960s when we first came to this country and which my dad still cooks on, so I’m not likely to need to replace my pans at home any time soon. 

And the set of Magma pans have taken over 8,000 miles of being on the road and preparing meals of all sorts without showing any signs of wear or even use. They’ve cleaned up beautifully and retained their mirror finish on the outside. 

I can recommend the Magma cookware, which was designed for boats and RVs, wholeheartedly.