Campfire (And Camp Stove) Cookin’

There’s nothing quite like cooking in the great outdoors. Whether you’re deep in the backcountry or glamping at a traditional campsite, fresh air and home-cooked meals are an unbeatable combination. From boiling water for ready-made meals, to grilling steaks and burgers, to cooking up a family-size stew for the whole clan, the only limit to what you can cook is your imagination. But if you’re planning to prove your worth as a backcountry or frontcountry chef, you’re first going to need the right tools. Our 2021 review features three main types of outdoor cookware:

• Camping mess kits

  These include just about everything you need to cook and serve a frontcountry meal. Here you’ll find pots and pans, cups, plates, and cutlery, along with various other accessories like cleaning sponges and even camp sinks. Just add a stove and you’re all set!

• Camping/backpacking cookware sets

  These are typically bundled as two-pot sets or a pot-and-pan set, with a wide range of utility. Sets that are intended more for backingpacking will prioritize weight-saving design and materials (such as titanium) as well as durability, while camp cookware sets focus more on cooking and cleaning performance as well as general ease of use, at the cost of additional weight.

• Cast iron camping cookware

  These include pots, skillets, and Dutch ovens. Although they are highly capable for outdoor cooking due to the fact that they can withstand a great deal of heat and can be placed directly on a campfire, cast-iron cookware is also a very popular type of kitchen cookware.

Cookware Materials

There are several different metals that are used for cookware, both in and out of the kitchen. Here are the four featured in our 2021 review:

• Aluminum

  This is one of the most common and popular materials due to the fact that it distributes heat quite well and is relatively light. Pots and pans may utilize standard, high-temp aluminum or a higher-grade version known as hard-anodized aluminum that is easier to clean, which we’ll explain more about below.

• Stainless steel

  This is highly durable and scratch-resistant, but does not distribute heat as evenly as aluminum or cast iron. You can expect to get hot spots and burnt food with stainless steel pots and pans if not watched over carefully, however you can also scrub as hard as you like without having to be overly concerned about damaging your cookware.

• Titanium

  This is incredibly light and even more durable than stainless steel, so it’s a popular choice amongst ultralight hikers. Unfortunately, it has a similar cooking performance to stainless steel due to poor heat distribution. It’s an excellent metal for boiling water due to its quick heat transfer.

• Cast iron

  Cast iron is supremely durable but also incredibly heavy, so you’ll typically only see it used for camping (but also in the kitchen). It’s strong enough to take on the open flames of a campfire; although it takes a while to heat, it retains this heat for quite some time. Cast iron requires regular maintenance known as seasoning to keep it from rusting and to maintain its nonstick quality, which we’ll discuss more in the next section.

Nonstick Coatings

In order to keep your food from adhering itself to the pan, many cookware items utilize a nonstick coating on the cooking surface. There are four basic options in this department: Teflon, ceramic, hard-anodized aluminum, and cast iron.

• • Teflon coating

    This has been the go-to nonstick coating for decades, and it is incredibly effective at making cleanup a breeze. Unfortunately, Teflon coating can scratch if not handled carefully (avoid metal utensils), and once this coating has been damaged its nonstick qualities will immediately be compromised. It will also begin to deteriorate more over time, and ingesting flakes of Teflon is a potential health concern.

• • Ceramic coating

    Ceramic coating has been on the rise in recent years, as it has an equally effective performance as Teflon, and although it can also scratch and chip away, it is not nearly as damaging to your health. 

• • Hard-anodized aluminum

    Although not technically a nonstick coating, hard-anodizing aluminum makes this metal tougher, slightly easier to clean, and nonreactive to acidic foods, whereas standard aluminum can sometimes give food a metallic taste.

• • Cast iron

    Cast iron is not inherently nonstick but it can develop what’s called a “seasoning” with regular and proper use. To season a pan, you’ll want to coat the inside of the pan with oil (or any nonstick spray) and then heat it in an oven at 350°F for one hour. This seasoning will become more effective over time, which is why vintage pans are often sought out. However, much of today’s cast-iron cookware comes pre-seasoned. Although it is possible to scrape off a pan’s seasoning, it can always be reapplied. When a cast iron pan is left unseasoned or water is left on the surface of the pan, it can rust and will need to be cleaned out using steel wool or a chainmail scrubber, and then re-seasoned.

How We Judged

The 12 cookware items in our 2021 review have been rated by four primary metrics to help you determine if it’s the right set for you. Certain strengths in one category may have an inverse correlation with another, i.e. a cook set constructed with more durable materials like stainless steel will not cook as evenly or clean as easily as a hard-anodized aluminum set, with MSR’s Alpine 2-Pot Set and Ceramic 2-Pot Set being a prime example of this.

Cooking & Cleaning

For this category we are evaluating how evenly the products cook and how efficiently they boil water (where applicable), and how easily they can be cleaned. Higher-grade metals like hard-anodized aluminum will distribute heat better than titanium or stainless steel, but the thickness of the metal also plays a role. Some pots like the Primus PrimeTech 2.3L Pot Set utilize a heat-exchanging ring on the underside of the pot to speed up heat transfer and improve fuel efficiency.

Cooking and cleaning are somewhat linked, as both are heavily dependent upon the materials used. Multiple factors can impact the ease of cleaning; a pot that cooks better will also be easier to clean due to the fact that it’s less likely to burn food to the bottom. We also consider factors like the roundness of the corners and the implementation of nonstick coatings like Teflon or ceramic.

Weight & Packability

These two factors combine to help determine the “transportability” of these items, which establishes our “Best Use” spec. Essentially, are these items best suited for camping, backpacking, or would they work similarly well for both? As an example, our three Lodge products (Cast Iron Skillet, Combo Cooker and Deep Camp Dutch Oven) are clearly best for camping; their weights range from just under 8 lbs to a hefty 19 lbs for the 8 qt. Dutch Oven. Packed size is equally important; not only do we consider how large the set is when packed together, but also how “nestable” it is, i.e. whether they can act as containers for their own pieces as well as third-party gear like stoves, fuel canisters, cleaning products, sporks, etc. For collapsibility, few kits compete with the Sea to Summit X Set 32, however the TOAKS Titanium 1600ml Pot with Pan is much more nestable, as it can easily fit a stove and canister inside, which cannot be said for the X Set 32.

Durability

This is yet another category where materials come into play, however build quality is certainly considered as well. Here we examine how susceptible these cook sets are to scratches and dents both during cooking and while being transported. Some sets may not be appropriate for metal utensils, especially if they utilize a nonstick coating, while others are built to take a beating. We also make note of whether these are only suitable for camp or backpacking stoves, or whether they are tough enough to be set directly in the fire.

Features

These are the various accessories that positively augment the overall utility and versatility of your cook set. How well do the handles or pot grabbers work, and do they allow for using multiple pots at once? Are there built-in measurements on the pots, and do the pot lids have a built-in strainer for pasta? We’ll also consider the design of the plates, bowls, and cutlery. Finally, for some of these sets we’ll make recommendations for optional add-ons such as skillet handle covers, hanging cook stands, or cleaning products that will elongate the life of your cook sets.

Backcountry Stoves

No set of cookware is complete without a stove, so be sure to check out our YouTube channel to find out more about some of our favorite backcountry stoves like the Primus Essential Trail Stove, MSR PocketRocket 2, and the Jetboil MightMo. You can read about all of these and more in our 2021 Backcountry Canister Stove Review.

Best of the Rest

Lodge Cast Iron Combo Cooker

TOAKS Titanium 1600ml Pot with Pan

MSR Alpine 2-Pot Set

MSR Quick 2 System Cook Set

Sea to Summit X Set 32

Primus PrimeTech 2.3L Pot Set

Best Backpacking Cookware Set

Primus’ award-winning PrimeTech 2.3L Pot Set is a mainstay amongst backpackers due to its rugged, straightforward design and fast boil time, but is more than capable of serving as a frontcountry kitchen. This $79.95 set includes two 2.3L anodized aluminum pots, one lid, and locking pot tongs, all in an insulated storage bag. Although there are lighter and less expensive backpacking pot sets, few can compete with the PrimeTech’s impressive cooking ability as well as its balance of durability and packability. Its unique features—namely, the heat exchanger on one of the pots—make it incredibly versatile. Its enviable cooking performance and reasonable weight earned the Primus our award for Best Backpacking Cookware Set.

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GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Camper

Best Camp Cookware Set

The GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Camper cook set includes the same components as GSI’s slightly cheaper Bugaboo Camper but features upgraded materials to improve its cooking performance and durability, while also slightly reducing the weight. This 20-piece mess kit has nearly all essentials for a camp cookout: it includes a 3L and 2L pot; two lids; a 9” frypan; four 7.5″ plates; four 14 fl. oz. bowls; four 14 fl. oz. mugs with sip-it lids; and a folding pot gripper, which all fit together in a storage sack that doubles as a camp sink. Although its price tag of $149.95 makes it less budget-friendly than the Bugaboo, we felt that the upgrades to its cooking performance more than justified the higher price, making this the ideal cook set for a weekend of family car camping and the winner of our Best Camp Cookware Set award. If treated with proper care, it should prove a viable addition to your camping arsenal and the envy of your neighboring campsite.

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MSR Ceramic 2-Pot Set

Best Solo Setup

As a piece of backpacking cooking gear, the MSR Ceramic 2-Pot Set is an impressive balance of cooking performance and durability while managing to be lightweight and packable. The components of the Ceramic 2-pot set include a 2.5L pot, 1.5L pot, a brushed aluminum strainer lid, and a Talon™ pot handle. The hard-anodized aluminum material combined with the ceramic coating makes it a breeze to prepare camp meals and clean up. While it’s best suited for backpacking, its cooking ability makes it quite sufficient for car camping, and its impressive balance of weight and performance earned it the title of Best Solo Setup.

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Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

Best Camp Skillet

Price: $27.95

Weight: 7.89 lbs (3.58 kg)

Components: 12″ skillet

Materials: Cast iron

Cooking Surface: Cast iron

Packed Size: 18″ x 12.3″ x 2.25″

Boil Time: N/A

Best Use: Camping

What We Like: Comes pre-seasoned, Highly capable at cooking, Can cook on campfire

What We Don’t: Heavy, No lid, Requires proper maintenance

There are few cookware items that can compete with the price-to-performance ratio of the Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet. It cooks food as well as any high-end skillet at a fraction of the price, and it transitions from the kitchen to the campsite with incredible ease. Retailing for $27.95 and weighing just under 8 lbs, the Lodge Cast Iron Skillet is as economical as it is heavy. It’s a valuable addition to any campsite and can easily be a lifetime purchase if treated with an appropriate level of care. It’s no wonder we named this our Best Camp Skillet—there were simply no other contenders.

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Lodge Deep Camp Dutch Oven

Best Dutch Oven

Price: $79.90

Weight: 19.35 lbs (8.77 kg)

Components: 8 qt. pot w/bail handle; flanged lid; Camp Dutch Oven Cooking 101 cookbook

Materials: Cast iron, Stainless steel handle

Cooking Surface: Cast iron

Packed Size: 13.93″ x 13.93″ x 8.37″

Boil Time: N/A

Best Use: Camping

What We Like: Durable, Large, Can be placed on open campfire, Converts to a griddle

What We Don’t: Heavy, Lack of style choices, Only viable for camping

If you’re looking to take your camp kitchen to the next level without breaking the bank, the Lodge Deep Camp Dutch Oven is a step in the right direction. This versatile cast-iron cooking tool is durable, proficient at cooking, and will last you a lifetime with the proper care. It’s capable of cooking stews and soups, braising meat, deep-frying chicken, or even baking bread. Retailing for $79.90, the Lodge Deep Camp Dutch Oven includes an 8 qt. pot with a bail handle, along with a flanged lid that can be used to hold coals or inverted to function as a griddle. This durable and highly capable piece of camp cookware earned our award for Best Dutch Oven.

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GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Camper

Best Bang for Your Buck

Price: $119.95

Weight: 3.69 lbs (1.67 kg)

Components: 3L pot; 2L pot; 2 lids; 9” frypan; 4 7.5″ plates; 4 14 fl. oz. bowls; 4 14 fl. oz. mugs w/ sip-it lids; folding pot gripper; welded sink/storage sack

Materials: Aluminum, polypropylene, nylon

Cooking Surface: Nonstick Teflon Classic coating

Packed Size: 9.1″ x 9.1″ x 5.8″

Boil Time: 3:55

Best Use: Camping

What We Like: Tons of components, Budget alternative to Pinnacle Camper, Highly packable

What We Don’t: Scratch-prone Teflon coating, Heavy

If you’re looking for a camping mess kit that can do it all, look no further than the GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Camper, winner of our Best Bang for Your Buck award. This 20-piece set is jam-packed with a wide range of essentials: it includes a 3L and 2L pot; two lids; a 9” frypan; four 7.5″ plates; four 14 fl. oz. bowls; four 14 fl. oz. mugs with sip-it lids; and a folding pot gripper, which all fit together in a storage sack that doubles as a camp sink. Although there are less expensive camp cookware sets on the market, few can match the performance you’ll get from the $119.95 GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Camper. We were impressed with its cooking ability and packability, and while it’s not light enough to function well as a backpacking set, it’s well suited for car camping. If price isn’t an important factor and you’re interested in upgrading your set, the GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Camper utilizes upgraded aluminum and Teflon, along with a slightly lower weight, for an additional $30.

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MalloMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit

Best Budget Camp Cookware Set

Price: $26.95

Weight: 1.5 lbs (680 g)

Components: 1L pot; 8″ pan; universal lid; two bowls; folding stainless steel spork; soup spoon; wooden spatula; cleaning sponge; nylon travel bag

Materials: Hard-anodized aluminum, stainless steel

Cooking Surface: Hard-anodized aluminum

Packed Size: 8.1″ x 8.1″ x 4.5″

Boil Time: 3:45

Best Use: Camping, Backpacking

What We Like: Low price, Lightweight, Easy to clean

What We Don’t: Pot, pan, and bowl are small, Would replace spoon with second spork

The MalloMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit perfectly illustrates that you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to enjoy some backcountry cooking. Lightweight, durable, and capable at cooking, this set has one of the highest price-to-performance ratios of any in our 2021 review, and it even includes some impressive features you won’t find on high-end sets. Although there were a couple of things we would change about this cook set to make it slightly more versatile, we were still very impressed with its lightweight and well-constructed design that performed well for both camping and backpacking. Its amazing price-to-performance ratio made this $26.95 set an easy selection for Best Budget Camp Cookware Set.

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Best of the Rest

Lodge Cast Iron Combo Cooker

Price: $44.99

Weight: 12.85 lbs (5.83 kg)

Components: 3.2 qt. pot; 10″ lid/skillet

Materials: Cast iron

Cooking Surface: Cast iron

Packed Size: 16.5″ x 10.38″ x 4.56″

Boil Time: N/A

Best Use: Camping

What We Like: Versatile lid converts to pan, Durable construction, Can function as a Dutch oven

What We Don’t: Heavy, Requires specific care

The Lodge Cast Iron Combo Cooker is an extraordinary and affordable piece of camp cookware that seamlessly blends everything we love about the Lodge Cast Iron Skillet and the Lodge Deep Camp Dutch Oven. Whether you’re baking, frying, grilling, or sautéing, you’ll be in good hands with this cast-iron marvel. Plus, there’s no need to store it away when your camping is done—just transfer it back to your kitchen, where it will be equally comfortable. It’s a 3.2qt (3L) pot, a deep skillet, a 10” griddle, and a Dutch oven all in one, and for the low price of $44.99, making it a valuable addition to the arsenal of any camp chef.

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TOAKS Titanium 1600ml Pot with Pan

Price: $49.95

Weight: 8.2 oz (232 g)

Components: 1.6L pot, 0.5L frying pan, mesh storage sack

Materials: Titanium

Cooking Surface: Titanium

Packed Size: 5.75” x 5.75” x 5.38”

Boil Time: 3:25

Best Use: Backpacking

What We Like: Lightweight, Can nest stove and fuel canister

What We Don’t: Pan doesn’t work well as a lid, Minimal cooking performance, Handles can get hot

TOAKS is the go-to name in the backpacking industry when you’re seeking high-quality titanium gear, whether it be cookware, cutlery, or the company’s award-winning wood-burning stove. The TOAKS Titanium 1600ml Pot with Pan perfectly illustrates the ultimate goal at the heart of the TOAKS brand. This $49.95 two-piece set includes a 1.6L pot and a 0.5L pan weighing a combined 8.2 oz (232 g), making it the lightest cookware set in our 2021 review and a mainstay amongst lightweight backpackers. Both the pot and pan’s titanium composition give them a huge durability boost while also saving weight, two metrics that are heavily endeared by the ultralight crowd. However, its “versatile” pan doesn’t make for the world’s greatest pot lid, and titanium was not our favorite cooking material due to its quick heat transfer. All in all, this set is a mixture of pros and cons that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but is more than capable of brewing a cup of tea.

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MSR Alpine 2-Pot Set

Price: $49.95

Weight: 1.62 lbs (734 g)

Components: 2L pot; 1.5L pot; frypan lid; pot gripper; storage sack

Materials: Stainless steel

Cooking Surface: Stainless steel

Packed Size: 8.2″ x 8.2″ x 4.4″

Boil Time: 3:50

Best Use: Backpacking, Camping

What We Like: Low price, Highly durable, Packable

What We Don’t: Cooks unevenly, Tendency for hot spots, No skillet, Inconvenient pot grabber

MSR has become a go-to name when it comes to camp cookware, with the Alpine 2-Pot Set being a notable inclusion. This $49.95 stainless steel set includes a 2L and a 1.5L pot, along with a frypan lid and pot gripper, all wrapped up in a storage sack. The Alpine set is highly durable with a straightforward design that makes it easy to operate, and it has an attractive price considering it could last you a lifetime with the proper care. However, the Alpine is far from flawless, and there are other cook sets in our review that scored higher marks on cooking ability. The MSR Alpine 2-Pot Set’s primary strengths and weaknesses are determined by its stainless steel construction. While this material does not cook or clean nearly as well as aluminum or cookware sets that use a coating for the cooking surface, it’s incredibly rugged and can take heaps of punishment. This set could be improved upon with a better handle system, but it’s also quite packable, with a reasonable weight when you consider the low cost compared to higher-end sets.

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MSR Quick 2 System Cook Set

Price: $99.95

Weight: 1.76 lbs (798 g)

Components: 2.5L pot w/strainer lid; 1.5L pot; 2 plates; two 10.2 fl. oz. mugs w/sip-it lids; pot lifter

Materials: Hard-anodized aluminum, polypropylene, HDPE

Cooking Surface: Hard-anodized aluminum

Packed Size: 7.7″ x 7.7″ x 5″

Boil Time: 3:55

Best Use: Backpacking, Camping

What We Like: Solid cooking performance, Durable, Nests well

What We Don’t: Slightly heavy for backpacking

If you’re looking for a cookware set that provides a bit more versatility in the cooking department, the MSR Quick 2 System Cook Set, also called just the Quick 2, may be right up your alley. This $99.95 eight-piece set includes a 2.5L and 1.5L pot with a strainer lid and pot lifter, along with two deep-dish plates and two 10.2 fl. oz. mugs with sip-it lids. With this wide range of cooking accessories and decent weight and packability, the Quick 2 can seamlessly transition from camping to backpacking. The Quick 2 is a jack of all trades but a master of none, which can often be the best choice when it comes to camping gear.

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Sea to Summit X Set 32

Price: $129.95

Weight: 1.84 lbs (836 g)

Components: 2.8L X-Pot; 8″ X-Pan; 1.3L X-Kettle; two lids

Materials: Hard-anodized aluminum base, silicone sides

Cooking Surface: Hard-anodized aluminum

Packed Size: 9″ x 9″ x 1.8″

Boil Time: 2:15

Best Use: Backpacking, Camping

What We Like: Highly collapsible, Fast boil time, Includes a skillet

What We Don’t: Expensive, Slightly heavy for backpacking, Potential durability concerns

Sea to Summit has put a new spin on packable cookware with the super collapsible X Set 32. This $129.95 set includes their 2.8L X-Pot, the 1.3L X-Kettle and the 8″ X-Pan, along with translucent lids for the pot and kettle. Both the X-Pot and X-Kettle utilize silicone walls designed for cooking but that can also flatten down to less than 2” in height. Both uniquely designed and versatile, the X Set 32 is more than capable of accompanying you on an overnight backpacking trip or even casual car camping, but its high price tag may drive some campers to seek out more economical alternatives that are also more specifically designed for only one of these two activities. The X Set 32 is an ambitious approach to backcountry cookware, but still has some room for improvement.

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