Having the proper cookware for camping makes the cooking process more manageable and better, resulting in time and fuel savings, proper food cooking, and a tension-free camping experience. Over the years of camping and backpacking trips, we have tried top cookware from Stanley, GSI, Overmont and many more. So, what factors contribute to making the best camping cookware set? Proper heat distribution, ease of use, portability, and features are among the top factors directly impacting cooking performance outdoors.
A cookware set is essential for any camping trip since it will assist you in preparing your food while you’re out in nature. Whether you’re a foodie camper who cooks over an open fire or requires a few saucepans to help you cook food on a wood stove, there’s camping cookware set out there to meet your demands.
We’ve created a list of the top camping cookware sets below and a helpful shopping guide to help you select intelligently based on our field testing and research. Whether you’re looking for a low-cost camping cookware set or a large-capacity choice, you’ll find something on our list that meets your demands.
Best Overall Camping Cookware
1. Stanley Even-Heat Camp Pro
The Stanley Even-Heat Camp Pro Cookset is a high-quality, durable and overall best cook set for camping, especially for cars, groups or with family. This 11-piece set includes most items you need for cooking, such as a stock pot, saucepan, frying pan, cutting board and locking bungee to hold all items together for carrying.
The cooking surface area of the pots and pans is much wider, which not only provides better stability on the stove but also distributes heat evenly. This versatile cooking set won’t disappoint you with its excellent cooking performance from summer to winter camping trips, be it open fire, campfire, or on top of a stove.
Capacity is big enough for large groups, or you can cook plenty on a snowy camping trip and store it for extended camping trips by saving fuel and cooking time. On top of that, the packability of the Stanley Even-Heat camp pro cook set saves you plenty of space as all items fit into the bigger pot.
However, there are some drawbacks too, including its weight, which is unsuitable for backpackers who prefer lightweight and multi-function items. In addition, it comes with a much higher price tag, but if we look at its performance, durability and number of items, we consider it a value for the money. All in all, this all-around cooking set is easy to use, durable and has plenty of items required for camping cooking during an extended stay in the campsite.
Best For Backpacking
2. GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Dualist II
If you are looking for a lightweight cook set option that still can cook easily for two people and is easy to carry, GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Dualist II is the ideal option. Weighing 1.3 pounds, it is much lighter than the Stanley cook set but still provides a great option for a variety of cooking.
This set includes a 1.8 L pot, lid, two insulated mugs, bowls, and folding foons made from hard-anodized aluminum. With a non-stick Teflon coating and heat exchange ring, the pot heats up quickly to boost the cooking performance and reduce fuel consumption. Since it’s made to keep backpackers’ needs in mind, less fuel consumption means you will have to carry less fuel, which will also save you money.
Handle locks well when you stretch it and provide excellent stability to the pot, even if it’s fully loaded and closes quickly. Compared to the Stanley base camp cooking set, it’s not as durable as you expect, but remember you are cutting weight for better portability, so it is worth the price considering its functionality.
This lightweight cook set also comes with a few drawbacks, though. No frying pan is included, so you will have to use the pot to fry eggs. Compared to base camp, it is also a small set with fewer items, meaning you have to rely on fewer items for cooking, which is not suitable for cooking for large groups or families. Overall, Pinnacle Dualist II is the lightest cookware for backpacking that saves fuel and resources with its impressive cooking performance and easy heating.
Best For Group Camping
3. GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Camper
GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Camper is another great camping cook set to serve group camping, and it can cook for four people easily, unlike Pinnacle Dualist II, which is meant for backpacking. Having said that, it comes with almost all the features you need during camping cooking, like pots, fry pans, mugs, bowls, plates, and sinks to make cleaning easier. Along with the main dish, you can prepare a side dish, dessert, or even soup for family and group camping to save time and effort.
All the items fit well in the large pot to make it compact for carrying, but be mindful that it’s not suitable for backpacking, mainly for car or front country camping. Or you have to take them on the mule if you plan to carry them to the base camp due to their heavy weight, but it will be worth the effort, considering you can easily cook a variety of food for large groups. Otherwise, if you carry the smaller sets, you will be limited to simple food as it gets tough to cook a variety of foods in small cooking pots and pans.
On the negative side, Teflon coating may get scratched if not used mindfully or due to some human error, and it will deteriorate more quickly compared to other coatings.
We recommend the GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Camper if you want a home cooking experience with a quality cookware set that includes various reasonably priced items.
4. Stanley’s Adventure Base Camp Cook Set
If you are looking for value for your money, look out for Stanley’s Adventure Base Camp, which includes all the items from pots, pans, and plates to eating utensils. Best of all, for the reasonable price tag, you get the top quality cooking sets for your extended camping cooking trips. We love the packability as all the items fit in the bigger pot, and there are clear directions on how to pack all the items with proper layering.
If we talk about its water boiling performance, both pot and pan heat up and boil water relatively quickly with even heating, saving precious fuel. The capacity, including the pan, is also pleasing. That can cook for four people easily.
Additionally, it’s pretty easy to use and clean; the lid fits easily on both the pot and pan for reusability, and the pan locking feature adds further stability to make frying easy.
On the negative side, it’s much heavier for backpacking, though it’s not meant for backpacking. You can take a few necessary items instead of the whole set. Plate sizes are smaller for one hearty serving, which can be annoying but not a big concern, considering the overall quality and durability of the base camp cook set.
A drying rack is extremely handy as you don’t need to put your plots on the rocks after cleaning and drying. Overall, Stanley’s Adventure Base Camp is a well-designed cooking set, suitable mainly for frontcountry, car camping, or glamping.
Best Budget Friendly Option
5. Overmont Camping Cookware Set
If you are looking for a budget-friendly option but still have multiple features, then the Overmont Camping Cookware 14-piece set is an excellent choice for beginners and small groups. Packing is straightforward, like the other top cooking sets we reviewed, and the mesh bag helps to keep all the pieces together when packed. You can hang mesh bags in your backpack or on the tree while camping.
It comes with two pots, one grill pan, a camping kettle, plastic bowls and dishes, and eating utensils. This set also includes a separate kettle, which does not even come with the most expensive cooking sets; you can boil water quickly for tea, coffee, and dehydration.
We loved the heat distribution and quick boiling, including pots and kettles. However, the kettle is small and not enough for group camping, as we could not make tea comfortably for two people. This set is heavier for backpacking, and we usually take fewer items and pair them with other light mess kits or kettles for better cooking performance.
The big pot is good to cook for two to three persons and looks reasonably durable, but its overall quality is not very durable. If you are a more experienced camper looking for cook sets for regular camping tours, go with the Stanley or GSI cook sets we reviewed above. However, this set is a good option for beginners and those looking for a more budget-friendly occasional or weekend camping option.
How to Choose The Camping Cookware: Buying Guide
Having the right cookware for camping makes the cooking process more manageable and better, resulting in time and fuel savings, proper food cooking, and a tension-free camping experience.
How do you ensure you take the right cookware on your camping trips? It depends on key performance parameters like cooking performance, balance heat, ease of packing and use, and portability of the cooking set.
We took all these considerations while selecting and testing some of the camping cookware and created the best camping cookware sets list, but in this guide, we will guide you on choosing the right cookware for camping and outdoors.
Types of Material
Material is an important factor that contributes to the overall cooking performance; hence, it is an important consideration to keep in mind while buying the cooking sets. Having the right knowledge about different kinds of material and their efficiency will make you better at decision-making. Let’s understand some of the common and most popular materials that are used in cooking sets.
Silicone: Silicone cooking sets are new, generally flexible, and lighter. However, it still needs to be determined whether they are good for health due to their limited use and less study overall.
Cast Iron: Cast iron cookware is one of the most popular materials, and it is also affordable and easy to use. They conduct heat evenly and have very high heat tolerance, but they’re much heavier to carry and difficult to clean.
Aluminum: Aluminum is a much lighter material that distributes heat evenly and does not cost much. Most backpackers like it because it is lightweight, but they can bend easily, and food sticks to them if not taken care of properly.
Stainless steel: Stainless steel is an excellent option for camp cooking because of its durability, cooking performance, and ease of cleaning. It is also good to use on the open fire at home, camping, and outdoors.
Non-Stick: An easy-to-use material, especially for new cooking people. Food does not stick to it, so it’s easy to clean. But it’s not very durable, and low-quality non-stick coating can pose health issues.
Cooking Performance
Cooking Performance is one of the most critical factors to consider while buying cookware, which directly impacts the overall cooking experience during camping and outdoors.
What does mean by the cooking performance? It means how efficiently cookware prepares the food while ensuring even heating and saving fuel and precious time that should be spent exploring the outdoors.
If we talk about the top performers in this list, the Stanley Adventure Base Camp set certainly outperforms others because of its heat-retaining ability and even heat distribution, which increases the overall cooking time.
Quality non-stick cook sets also help cook food better without sticking inside the pan, which makes the cleaning process easier, but you need to be more careful while cooking in non-stick to avoid scrubbing as it can damage the non-stick coating. Therefore, having cookware that provides even heat will not burn the food during cooking as it will allow food to cook evenly from the entire pan.
Moreover, boiling water is expected on the trails that we do, whether for making tea or coffee or for preparing dehydrated meals. So, having a kettle or pan that can quickly boil water while saving fuel affects how much weight you can reduce.
A pot with tight lids also helps to boil water faster than one without lids as they retain the heat and pressure inside the pot. Likewise, small and thinner pots, like the Stanley Adventure cookies, also boil water faster due to their less area and compact design, offering robust conductivity while using less fuel.
Weight and Size
The weight and size of the cooking sets for camping are basically personal preferences and personal requirements that depend on the number of people you are going to cook for and how you are going to carry the cooking set.
In addition, the number of items in the cook set also varies from one cook set to another; depending on your needs, you can choose the most appropriate option. Some sets come in just three items, like the Stanley adventure cook set, but it’s suitable for lone backpackers, not for family or group camping.
Some cook sets come with most of the stuff you need during cooking, like pots, pans, spoons, kettles, and mugs, but for some of them, you need additional items like mugs, knives, spoons, etc. Some people prefer to buy small sets with fewer items and pair them with other mess kits as needed.
Based on needs, you can purchase individual items like mess kits, camping mugs, camping kettles, and camping knives and make your own custom cooking set, but it will cost you more. Portability is another feature to look for; for example, how will you carry the sets? How far into the wilderness do you want to take? Are you going to camp alone far from your car park? In short, all these factors contribute to choosing the appropriate set for your needs.
Packed Size
How much space the cooking set takes in your pack or car is important to consider the packability. Look for cooking sets that can be nestled for compact packability. If you are going backpacking, you must consider your cooking set’s packing size. The best thing is that they nestle with each other. Or you can put your camp stoves, gas canisters, and food items inside the sets to save valuable space.
Having said that, if a set can be nestled, you can even opt for cooking sets with more features as it will be easier to carry, but pay attention to the weight. For example, for the Stanley cook set, both mugs can easily fit inside the cook set.
Similarly, our second cook set pack was down to very small after nestling it properly. Storage mesh should be included to put your cooking set inside, and you can even attach it to your backpack. Stanley base camp sets come with more features but still pack up inside each other easily, and locking bungee helps to keep them together.
Car campers generally can afford more space, so carrying a bigger cook set won’t pose many issues. That said, you certainly don’t want to consume all your space and end up crumbling in the car with less space left.
Camping cook sets should, generally, come with a storage bag. These are necessary for keeping all components together from an organizational standpoint. Likewise, they guard the pans and your other belongings from dirt that may have gathered outside the pots while transported. A suitable storage bag will also keep the set from clanging.
Durability
We all want our cooking set to last longer, even with the abuse we do to them while camping. A cheaply made set that compromises the material will not last long and can even pose health risks due to low-grade coating and colors. We suggest spending a little extra not to compromise the quality, and in fact, in addition to camping, you can use your cook set at home.
Furthermore, be careful when you pack and cook, especially non-stick sets, from scratch, as it can ruin the set. Your spoons, knives, and forks can damage the cooking items, so it is better to adequately cover them and pack them or opt for foldable spoons and forks.
If you want to maintain quality, stainless steel and cast iron are great options because of their scratch-resistant materials that extend their durability. Some of the camping cookware’s come with more features, but they include some low-quality plastic utensils that don’t match the overall quality of the cookers. That is why we sometimes even make our custom cook set, depending on the need, on a trip-to-trip basis.
Conclusion
Best camping cookware not only helps you cook a variety of food easily but also saves you fuel and time by properly distributing heat. We highly recommend Stanley Even-Heat Camp and GSI Outdoors Bugaboo if you are looking for family or group camping cookware. For backpacking, go for GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Dualist II, which provides various features and a lightweight and easy-to-pack option.
Have you tried any camping cookware before? Let us know your experience in the comments.
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