What kitchen equipment do you get at Center Parcs? [with pictures]

When packing for Center Parcs, you might want to know what kitchen equipment is included in your lodge, and what you might need to bring yourself.

Every Center Parcs site and every Center Parcs lodge can be slightly different, but here’s what we’ve found on our last few trips – hopefully it will help!

What kitchen equipment comes with your lodge?

The Center Parcs website does have an “official” list of what’s included in your break (although it’s quite short and vague)…

Here’s what’s included in your lodge kitchen, according to the Center Parcs website [Jan 2025]:

Small fridge and freezer
Pots, pans, utensils, cutlery, plates and bowls (excluding hotel rooms)
Three dishwasher tablets, tea towel and washing up liquid sachet
Microwave, 4 ring hob, kettle, toaster, oven (excluding some apartments)
A small selection of tea and coffee
Large cupboards for all your food

But if you’re looking for some more in-depth info (plus pics!), you’re in the right place. Let’s take a more in-depth look at what the kitchens are actually like at Center Parcs (from our experience, anyway!)…

How big are the kitchens at Center Parcs?

Center Parcs kitchens are generally on the small side, usually in a galley shape that’s open to the living/dining area. It’s not really designed for more than 2 people to be in there at a time, and if the cupboard doors or oven are open, you can’t really get round them. But it’s plenty big enough for everything you need for a short break!

What’s the kitchen cupboard space like?

For such a small kitchen, there’s generally enough cupboard space for all the pots, pans and plates, plus a couple of large empty cupboards for your food.

How big is the fridge at Center Parcs?

Most Center Parcs kitchens have an under-counter fridge, with a small freezer compartment inside. While it’s not huge, the fridge should be big enough to hold a fair amount of food (enough for a week’s stay!) with a couple of shelves, space in the door, and a “salad crisper” section in the bottom.

How much freezer space do you get at Center Parcs?

We’ve never been in a lodge with a full, separate freezer – it’s always been a small freezer compartment inside the under-counter fridge.

Although freezer space is limited, you can fit a few things in, like ice cream, ice cubes, or a box of fish fingers with a bag of chips (perfect for the kiddos!). You can also buy frozen food from the shop and cook it on the day – or sometimes we like to bring frozen food in a cooler bag from home and cook it on our first night.

Real more: Our top tips for a stress-free arrival day

Kitchen appliances in Center Parcs lodges

Although these aren’t all included in the official list above, whenever we’ve been to Center Parcs we’ve always/usually had:

Oven (usually gas but not always – I think it depends on the site)
4-ring hob (usually gas or induction)
Kettle
Tassimo Coffee Machine (with a couple of free coffee pods)
Manual cafetiere coffee press
4-slice toaster
Dishwasher
Under-counter fridge (with freezer compartment)
Microwave (usually built into an upper cabinet)

What’s in the kitchen drawers?

Here’s a picture taken on our recent visit to Elveden Forest. We stayed in a standard 3-bed lodge. In the kitchen drawers, we had:

Cutting knives (small, medium and large)
Cutlery (knives, forks, spoons and teaspoons)
Bottle opener
Can opener
Vegetable peeler
Potato masher
Slotted spoon
Spatula
Tongs
Pizza cutter
Grater
BBQ tongs and spatula

What’s in the kitchen cupboards?

Here are some photos from our last trip to Center Parcs. Under the sink we had a bin and washing up bowl, then on the other side we had a cupboard for glasses and mugs, one for pots and pans (including chopping board, colander, jug, glass mixing bowl, saucepans and frying pans), and one for plates and bowls (including small and large plates, cereal bowls and egg cups). Sometimes you’ll find a vase in one of the cupboards (in case you ever need one!)

What’s NOT included?

Center Parcs lodges don’t come with washing machines or laundry facilities – so you’ll have to take your washing back home with you. If you need new bed sheets or bath towels though, the customer services and housekeeping teams are always happy to help.

If you have small kids, it’s worth bringing your own plastic plates, cutlery and bowls etc, as Center Parcs don’t provide those either. Speaking of kids…

Things to watch out for if you have children

The kitchens at Center Parcs are usually open plan, so it can be easy for little ones to wander in and touch cupboards, ovens etc. (We found our kids were usually too busy doing other exciting things, but it’s something to be aware of.)

The outside patio areas are usually open-plan, too, which is great for wandering wildlife, but sometimes there can be open water nearby, so again it’s worth keeping an eye on little ones.