Holiday rental homes can be a lottery for anyone actually planning to cook. Having recently spent four months in rentals around Europe and the UK, I am a battle-weary veteran of “self-contained” accommodation with advertised features including a coffee-maker that was just a small stainless steel milk jug, and a kitchenette that comprised a bench and an air fryer.

At such times, it pays to have a truckload of resourcefulness and a small but effective travelling toolkit. The following lists are tailored to suit flying and driving holidays, though feel free to mix, match and substitute with your own essentials.

Flying holidays

Carry-on luggage only

Pack a pull-through sharpener in your carry-on luggage, and you’ll have sharp knives in your holiday kitchen. Photograph: miniseries/Getty Images

Holiday rentals are notoriously lacking in sharp knives, but packing your own in carry-on luggage is out. Fear not. Blades that actually cut and slice rather than bruise and dent are within your grasp – if you pack a small pull-through knife sharpener. Other essentials for cooking away from home include:

An immersion heater – a lightweight, handheld device to heat up water in a mug. A lifesaver in hotel rooms without coffee and tea-making facilities. Remember your universal adaptor too.

A plastic champagne sealer – one that’s lightweight and effective. You’re in holiday mode – so make those bubbles last!

Checked luggage

Portable coffee-makers, like an Aeropress, can also be used to make tea. Photograph: Aleksandr Mostovoi/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Your favourite knife: air travel precludes all but the lightest and most compact of cooking gear, but at least checked baggage allows you to pack a decent knife. Even better if it comes with a sheath (as do many ceramic knives) as this lessens the likelihood of a naked blade piercing your clothes.

A portable coffee-maker, like an Aeropress or similar: don’t forget the paper filters and, if customs allow, a small ziplock bag of your favourite coffee. The Aeropress can also be used to make tea. I once used it to make Turkish love tea – a parting gift from a tea vendor on my last night in Istanbul – which had to be consumed prior to going through customs.

A vegetable peeler: an essential in any kitchen, yet very often dull or absent in rentals. A small fruit knife is a good alternative, and I have found them to be especially handy on long train trips.

Driving holidays

The beauty of a driving holiday is the relative capacity of a car boot compared with a suitcase. With the luxury of space, why not cut loose with a few extravagant extras for maximum cooking-away-from-home comfort?

For rental accommodation

A Microplane cheese grater means freshly grated parmesan, not fingertips. Photograph: Pablo Echazarreta/Getty Images

Rotary cheese grater or Microplane: if you like your parmesan freshly grated and without shavings of fingertip and drops of blood, these are a valuable addition to your holiday cooking armoury. The fine-grater section of most holiday home-issue box graters is a badly designed threat to your fingerprints.

Manual pull-through food processor: a rogue entry, you might think, but a versatile one. This little item can chop and puree small-to-medium quantities of vegetables and give you a gentle upper-body workout at the same time. Perfect for making pesto (commercial pesto just doesn’t compare), guacamole, salsa and smoothies.

Salad spinner: anyone who has eaten a gritty salad, or a soggy one, knows the pitfalls of failing to thoroughly wash then spin the living daylights out of your ingredients.

Soda maker: if you like bubbles in your water but hate plastic waste, a soda maker is a valuable way to stay hydrated during your trip. If you have bottles of different sizes, you can keep a one-litre bottle in the fridge and take a half-litre bottle out on adventures.

For hotels

As long as there is a working bar fridge, the occasional self-catered scratch meal can help economise a little during a hotel stay.

Reusable plastic tableware means you can self-cater for breakfast during hotel stays. Photograph: Василий Авраменко/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Set of reusable plastic spoons and bowls: the kind you take on picnics. Hotel breakfasts can be overpriced and underwhelming, and a bowl of your favourite muesli is a perfect alternative. As long as there’s a bar fridge with space for fresh milk and a tub of yoghurt, you’re set.

Chopping board, a small sharp knife, and a bread knife: with these items, you can put together a cheese and fruit board, an antipasto platter or a ploughman’s lunch.

12V portable car refrigerator: for keeping your perishables cold between hotel stops, also very handy for storing sandwiches or wraps to eat on the road. Alternatively, a small cooler with a resealable bag of ice can also suffice – just make sure to test the bag for leaks before you set out.