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The Mini Kitchen: Cooking in a Model Y Without Getting Out
A drawer in the boot that pulls out into a cooking surface. Bamboo tables flip up out of the drawer, so you get a bench at the right height instead of crouching over a stove on the ground or balancing it on the tailgate.
- Built into the PRO platform for the Tesla Model Y.
- The drawer stops in both the open and the closed position — it doesn't roll on a slope.
- The under-bed storage stays reachable with the kitchen drawer fully out.
- It folds away with the rest of the platform. Nothing is bolted to the car.
The problem it solves
Cooking is where most car camping setups fall apart. The bed works, the storage works, and then dinner happens on the ground.
What people actually end up doing:
- Stove on the tailgate lip, which is narrow, sloped and 40 cm from a painted surface.
- Stove on the ground, so you're crouching — and it's in the dirt, and the wind gets it.
- A separate folding table, which is another thing to carry, unpack, wipe down and pack again.
The Mini Kitchen removes the choice. The bench comes out of the same drawer as the cookware, at standing-lean height, on a surface that's already level because the platform is.
What's in it
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Flip-up bamboo tables | Fold up out of the drawer to make a prep bench. Chopping, sandwiches, the coffee kit. Fold flat back into the drawer when you're done. |
| Coffee table / sink holder | A second surface that takes a portable sink for washing up, or just holds a mug and a stove while the other side is in use. |
| The drawer itself | Utensils, pans, a small gas stove, the food you're actually cooking tonight. One place, one pull. |
| Stops in both positions | Locked closed while you drive. Locked open while you cook. This is the detail that matters when you've parked on a camber and there's a hot pan on the bench. |
Access underneath doesn't stop when the drawer is out
Worth calling out because it's the thing that goes wrong on most builds. On a lot of setups, opening one drawer blocks the other, so getting the sleeping bag out means putting dinner away first. Here the kitchen drawer runs fully out and the under-bed storage is still reachable.
The bench is designed to be used with the tailgate up and you standing at it. Do not run a gas stove inside a closed cabin — gas burners produce carbon monoxide, and a car is a small sealed box.
Rain plan: the tailgate is your roof. That's most of the point of cooking at the back of the car rather than on the ground beside it. Wind is the bigger problem — park so the open tailgate is downwind and the car body shields the burner.
If you don't drive a Model Y
The Mini Kitchen as described here is part of the PRO platform, which is built around the Model Y boot. For other vehicles the module has to be dimensioned to your boot — the width between the arches and the closed depth decide what's possible, and those vary enormously between an estate and a compact SUV.
That's what the custom build is for: we 3D-scan the boot and build to it. If you want to know what a kitchen module would look like in your car specifically, send us the vehicle and we'll tell you — including if the answer is that there isn't room for both a bed and a bench.
If you're still deciding what kind of cooking setup you want at all, before choosing a module: how to choose a kitchen module.
Honest limits
- It's a bench, not a kitchen. One burner, one prep surface, one washing-up bowl. Two-pot meals need planning; three-pot meals need a different holiday.
- It takes drawer volume. Space used by the kitchen is space not used by clothes and bedding. In a Model Y boot that trade is real — decide what you actually cook before you commit.
- Cold storage is separate. The kitchen holds the gear. The fridge and the power station that runs it are their own problem, and in a Model Y they usually live in the sub-trunk.
You've got somewhere to cook. Now: where does the fridge go, and what runs it?
A cooking bench and a cold box are two different problems. The fridge needs to be reachable without dismantling the bed, and it needs power that isn't your car's starter battery — which is where people get caught out in a petrol car.
Next Where to put the fridge and power stationFAQ
Can I cook inside the car with the Mini Kitchen?
No. Use it with the tailgate open, standing at the back of the car. Gas burners produce carbon monoxide and a car cabin is a small sealed space. The tailgate keeps rain off you while you cook, which is the point.
Does the kitchen drawer block the storage underneath?
No. The under-bed storage stays reachable with the kitchen drawer fully extended, so you don't have to pack dinner away to get at the bedding.
Does the drawer move while I'm driving or parked on a slope?
The runners stop in both the closed and the open position. Closed, it stays closed on the road. Open, it stays out while you're cooking on a camber.
Is the Mini Kitchen available for cars other than the Tesla Model Y?
The module described here is part of the PRO platform, which is built for the Model Y boot. For other vehicles a kitchen module has to be dimensioned to that boot, which is a custom build from a 3D scan. Send us the make, model and year and we'll tell you what fits.
Can I still sleep two people with the kitchen fitted?
The kitchen takes drawer volume, not bed length. What it costs you is storage space, so the honest question is what you're prepared to leave at home in exchange for a cooking bench.
Do I have to take it out of the car between trips?
No, and nothing is bolted to the car. The platform folds into the boot so the rear seats stay usable, or comes out entirely and stores in the garage.
See the PRO with the Mini Kitchen
Built for the Tesla Model Y boot: flat bed, storage underneath, kitchen drawer that stops where you put it. Arrives assembled, folds away, no modifications to the car.
Duties and taxes are included in the price — nothing extra on delivery.
See the PRO platform →Different car? Check if your boot fits or ask about a custom build.
Also useful: choosing a kitchen module · where the gear goes · all guides
Important: This article is for general information only. It is not legal, technical, safety or campsite advice, and it is not a recommendation for your specific vehicle, location or conditions. Never operate a gas or fuel-burning appliance inside an enclosed vehicle cabin. Platforms and modules are for parked use only. Specifications can change — check the current product page and instructions before ordering or using any setup. Nothing in this article limits any rights you may have under applicable consumer law.