Paris Apartments - What is with the hotplates?

Hi Quinne, We rented a one bedroom apartment. The kitchen was small, but nicely equipted. It had a 4 burner gas stove. No oven, but there was a microwave and a toaster oven. As the owner said to me, unless you're planning to cook a turkey you're fine. I made breakfasts and dinners in the kitchen with no problem. The rental cost for the apartment was $1450 USD per week. We stayed 10 nights, so there may be flexibility regarding the time period. If you would like information regarding this apartment you can PM me.

I suspect that the places you are looking at with hotplates are places that are only used as vacation rentals and that is why the kitchen is not so well-equipped.

I rented a 1 bedroom with a fully-equipped kitchen (4 burner stove, dishwasher, fridge, etc.) through vacationinparis.com. I like to cook and fully expected to use the kitchen, but I did not cook in the kitchen as much as I thought although I did often eat in the apartment. There are many places with very nice prepared foods (e.g. I got roast chicken and potatoes at the Bastille market, quiche at a pastry shop, cheese from the cheese shop, etc.). Even with a tiny kitchenette, you won't need to eat out all the time.

In addition to vacationinparis.com , I would recommend looking at holiday-rentals.co.uk Sort by number of bedrooms. I saw several that would meet your needs and pricing. It is not uncommon to find these small vacation kitchens with only a two-burner cooktop though with some more searching, you should be able to find a 4-burner. You may, however, not get an oven.

Not sure what the issue is:

5 days we will be there

eat breakfast at home

large lunch out

dinner at home with the occassional dinner at a restaurant

Bacon and eggs works in one skillet -- that's breakfast

soup and salad, stew, roast duck and spuds is a one-pot meal -- that's supper and it sounds like you're only going to cook this meal maybe three times

Having lived for months at a time with only a single burner hotplate or backbacker's camp stove and not skinnied away, it seems that you'll be okay. Maybe a look at "Betty Croker's One Pot Meals" (if there is such a thing) would give you a couple of ideas.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

I guess I am so used to cooking on 4 burners (pasta on one, veggies on another, meat/sauce in the final one)but we are pretty creative cooks so I guess we could do meals just on two - I just wanted to ensure I wasn't missing anything in my searches.

My husband and I love to cook and really wanted to go to some of the local markets and buy food for dinner then come back to the apartment to cook it that is part of the experiences we are looking for when we visit - as well as eating out.

I will search some of the other sites you have recommended to see if there are some other apartment choices.

I have been to Paris in 2003 and know of the wonderfully prepared foods they have so that may be an option for us as well.

I guess I will price out both options and see if the savings of a smaller place will really outweigh the cost of eating out.

I'd say save the real cooking for home and enjoy either low cost restaurants or prepared foods that you bring back to the apartment.

By shopping wisely, you don't have to spend a great deal of money yet still enjoy the wonderful cuisine.

And remember, eat like the locals. Breakfast is not bacon and eggs. Breakfast is a freshly baked baguette, fresh, creamy butter and/or preserves, good strong coffee.

If you do want to eat out in a restaurant at least once a day, do it at lunch. Lunch is always less expensive than the evening meal for much of the same great food. Make that your main meal.

Then find some great places with take away food and bring that back to your apartment. Think of it as a "indoor picnic."

Darn, Frank, you spotted it! Do they even sell bacon, as we know it, in France? Or eat eggs for breakfast even?

I've spotted packages of Oscar Mayer Bacon in some Paris grocery stores.

I bought bacon - or what they claimed was bacon - in Paris. It was definitely not what we get here. Much thicker and chewier.

Parisbestlodge.com - great apts

Most Parisian places that are less than half a fortune are very small, tho the one we rented, in the Marais, had a normal, if tiny kitchen. Shopping in the local stores is wonderful fun and cooking your own meals makes you feel as tho you belong in Paris.

As to the bacon-- Bill Bryson wrote about Australian bacon that it was unlike the junk passing as bacon in the US or the UK. More like stuff ripped off the pig as he was running away.

I am a minimalist when it comes to cooking, even at home. I rented apartments in Paris last year and found that the coffee-maker, microwave oven, refrigerator, and one burner were enough for me. I bought eggs, 1/2 dozen at a time, and hard-boiled them. I had yogurt and cheese in the refrig. I bought ground coffee, fruit, and take-away food. For breakfast, I went to the bakery for a croissant, then took it home and made coffee. The cheese or egg plus fruit rounded out the meal. I had lunch on-the-go, a sandwich or quiche. Dinners were Chinese take-away, eaten at the deli or taken home to reheat.

Even buying already-prepared food and taking it home to eat is less expensive than restaurant eating. Rue Cler has several places to buy yummy prepared food. I see lots of French people buying their food there and in the Chinese delis. Yes, their kitchens are small (as far as I know) and they are busy people.

If you really want to cook, it would be difficult but not impossible on one hotplate. Camping experience is helpful.

Thanks for the replies everyone,

I think we have agreed that a small kitchenette is really all that we need and so I have been searching and think I have found one or two potential apts.

We very much prefer to eat like the Parisians rather than bacon & eggs for breakfast (which we rarely do at home anyway) so I think we will find our plan to eat out at lunch and the occasional dinner will work perfectly.

Thanks again!

Quinne, you can have your bacon and eggs, and 4 course meals, but you may have to do a little more searching for that perfect apt.

In May, our 1 bed apt in Paris rented for $600 to $700 E/week, had a two burner stove, was 1 block from the Metro, and a long walk to the Eiffel tower. It was on a quiet side street at the top of the 15th, and near shops, markets, and lots of good restaurants.

When we rent in Europe, we use Homeldays.com and VRBO.com to find apts; and we always find something that will meet our needs....for a good price!

We only did dinner in a couple of nights, always had bfast in the apt, and usually grabbed a sandwich or similar for lunch.

We found many of our lo-cost restaurants using Tom's Guide to Paris; some were right in our neighborhood; some required exploring using the Metro. I don't think we ever paid more than $18/ PP for the fantastic dinners we had. (don't miss Ave Maria; cheap, fun, funky, and fantastic explosions of tastes.)