When vacationing, there are quite a few people who look forward to not having to cook as much. Then, there are those who look at cooking as a vacation and let’s be honest. Eating out can get old fast.  Even if it’s your favorite restaurant. Renting a vacation home with a great kitchen can be a welcome adage to the perfect vacation if you take advantage of the opportunity. Below are three ways you can do just that.

Take Your Favorite Tools

If you have ever been stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire, then you know how important it is to have the right tools for the job. For instance, if you are caught without a jack, changing that flat might prove very difficult.

The same is true when you are cooking. In order to make spaghetti, you need a bigger pot for the noodles and a non-stick skillet for browning the meat and sauteeing the onions. Call ahead and see what your rental has to offer as far as pots, pans, and utensils.

They may have everything you need, but you may need to bring a few things to fill in the gaps. Even if they have all the tools, the most dedicated cooks have their favorite tools. We suggest you pack them. It’s your vacation after all. You deserve to have everything you need to relax and enjoy yourself.

Check Out the Locale Online

If you are like most accomplished cooks, you have a certain quality of food that you would prefer to cook with and feed yourself and your family. With the invention of the internet, we have been afforded the privilege of being able to look ahead to where we are going and check out the lay of the land before we ever get there.

Take this opportunity to check out the local fresh food markets, if any. If they don’t have one in town, check out the surrounding cities. You can also scope the local restaurants. There will be the occasion where you would like to be served. Finding eateries with quality food nearby will not only add to your menu for your trip but give you a break from cooking every now and then. You can have too much of a good thing.

Ask About The Pantry

Most every vacation rental will have some food already stocked in the pantry. Call ahead and ask the hostess what they offer in each pantry. Question the expiration dates. If nothing else, this will alert the staff to the need for any food that needs to be replaced or thrown out.

Knowing what is already present in the pantry will help you save money when shopping for food for the trip. This way you won’t purchase duplicates of anything you don’t need to and you can get extra of things you need more of.

Planning to take advantage of a vacation rental kitchen? Refer to these tips in order to make sure you make the best of it.