Not that long ago, this would have had one answer - propane lines and a propane stove. However, this is another area where things have changed a lot, and where to me, today's best choice is just starting to gain momentum.
With propane, you have a variety of complications, and some pretty legitimate safety concerns. You don't have to look on marketplace long to see all sorts of code violations involving propane tanks inside living spaces, improper installations, and sketchy propane line routing. Beyond that, you need to find places to refill tanks, the tanks take up valuable space, and there are real risks if anything goes wrong with the installation.
The reality is that batteries and solar have gotten so much cheaper and better that electric cooking has gone from "impossible for off-grid" to "actually pretty practical" for a lot of people.
You can buy a nice portable induction cooktop for about $100 - this is the one I use. In all likelihood, particularly if you don't live in your van full time, but maybe even if you do, you'll be able to cook a meal using 5% or less of a 280Ah battery.
Let's talk about the power usage because I think this scares people away unnecessarily. Yes, an induction cooktop pulls 1000-1500 watts while actively cooking. But here's the thing - you're not cooking for hours.
Let's do some math: if you run a 1200W induction cooktop for 15 minutes, that's 300 watt-hours, or about 25 amp-hours from a 12V battery.
On a 280Ah battery bank, that's less than 10% of your capacity for a full meal. If you're cooking two meals a day, that's still only 20% of your battery - very manageable if you have even a modest solar setup.
Compare this to the hassle of propane - dealing with tanks, refills, installation, safety concerns - and for a lot of people, the electric option just makes more sense now.
This is the traditional approach that most RVs and van builds have used for decades.
Think Coleman camp stove that uses the small green bottles, or a single-burner backpacking stove.
Butane portable stoves are similar to portable propane but use butane canisters. They're compact, inexpensive, and popular. The main downside is butane doesn't work well below 32°F, and the canisters create waste.
Cooking outside only is also an option - some people just use a camp stove, fire, or grill and skip indoor cooking entirely. It's the simplest approach and keeps heat and smells out of the van, but it's weather-dependent and not great for stealth camping.
For most people building a van today, especially if you have even a modest electrical system (300Ah+ battery, 400W+ solar, 2000W inverter), I'd go with a portable induction cooktop. The combination of low cost, zero installation complexity, safety, and efficiency is hard to beat. You can always supplement with a portable camp stove for cooking outside when the weather is nice.
Yes, you need to invest in the electrical system to support it - but here's the thing: you probably need a decent electrical system anyway (use our electrical planner tool to figure out what you need) for lights, fans, phone charging, laptops, etc. Once you have that baseline system, adding induction cooking is almost free (just the ~$100 cooktop).
If you're building a van where you'll be living full-time and cooking multiple elaborate meals every day, then a proper propane setup might make sense - the unlimited fuel is nice to have. But for weekend trips, summer travel, or even extended trips where you're cooking once or twice a day? Induction is probably the way to go.
💡 Pro tip:
You can always start with induction and add propane later if you decide you need it. It's way easier to add a propane system down the road than it is to rip one out if you decide you don't want it.
If you're building a van with a very minimal electrical system (maybe just a single 100Ah battery and a small solar panel), then propane or a portable camp stove makes more sense. But if that's your electrical system, you probably have other constraints too that would suggest a simpler build overall.
One final thought - the conventional wisdom around van cooking is still stuck in the era when batteries cost $800 per 100Ah and solar panels were $2+ per watt. That world doesn't exist anymore. Don't let outdated advice push you toward a more complex, potentially dangerous propane installation when a simple electric solution might work better for your needs.