One of the happiest pleasures of spending time in the great outdoors is eating hearty meals around a fire. The best camping cookware set is packed into a kit so you can cook eggs, burgers, pasta, soup, and more right at your campsite. Whether you're car camping with your family, backpacking with friends, or hiking the PCT alone, we have these tested, reliable, and well-researched cookware sets for you. Masu. Our pick for the best camping cookware overall is the Stanley Adventure Full Kitchen Base Camp Cookset.
The best camping cooking equipment will make your meals in the wild gourmet.
Illustration: Forbes / Photo: Retail store
All good camping cookware sets are relatively compact and lightweight, yet strong and durable, but they have as many differentiating features as similarities. We've broken it down into categories to help you decide which set is best for your needs, based on who's in your party, where you're pitching your tent, your culinary preferences, and more.
Best overall camping cookware: Stanley Adventure Full Kitchen Base Camp Cook Set
Best budget camping cookware: Coleman outdoor cooking 5 piece set
Best compact camping cookware: Sea to Summit Frontier Two Pot Cook Set
Best camping cookware for large groups: Odoland 18-piece camping cookware set
Best camping cookware for backpacking: Snow Peak Titanium Compact Cook Set
Best camping cookware for one person: Toaks titanium pot with pot
Best all-in-one stove and pot camping cookware: Jetboil flash cooking system
Strong Points:
Complete cooking utensil set
We offer multiple products at great prices
Dishwasher safe
Cons:
The included plate is too small
Enjoy meals in style for your party of four with Stanley's comprehensive campsite cookware set. It comes with a large saucepan (3.7 quarts to be exact), a large skillet, a spatula, a serving spoon, and all the plates, bowls, and utensils, and those utensils are spokes. There's also a cutting board to help with prep, a trivet for serving, and a dish drying rack to make campsite cleanup a breeze.
Made from 18/8 stainless steel, this cookware won't rust or corrode even in humid conditions and is completely dishwasher safe once you get home. Pots and pans can be used on the camp stove, over an open flame, on the grill, or even in your home kitchen if you prefer. Once you're all done cooking and cleaning up, you can stack everything up and store it in a large pot.
Amazon
Coleman outdoor cooking 5 piece set
Strong Points:
great price
Kit can be packed small
Trusted legacy brand
Cons:
size of accessories
food sticks to metal
If you're looking for a basic starter camp cookware set without straining your gear budget, this 5-piece kit from heritage brand Coleman is a great choice. It comes with a small pot with a lid, a small pot, a cup, and a bowl/plate that can be used for soup or oatmeal just as quickly as you would for pasta, burgers, or vegetables. Food tends to stick to thin stainless steel, so be sure to use oil or butter while cooking.
Everything in this kit is on the small side, like the cup only holds 8 ounces. It is impossible for her to prepare meals for more than two people using this hardware. However, you can always buy two sets for that price and it will still cost you less than $25.
spirit
Sea to Summit Frontier Two Pot Cook Set
Strong Points:
can be kept small
non-stick ceramic coating
Comes with bowl and utensils
Cons:
Want to cook for four people, but want to keep everything in one pot, including bowls, knives, and sporks, for compact storage? Introducing the Sea to Summit Frontier Two-Pot Cook Set. It comes with a 3 liter and 2 liter pot, perfect for boiling water and cooking meals for coffee, cocoa, tea, etc. It also comes with bowls and cutlery for 4 people. Both pots have lids with heat-resistant grips and removable handles. The pot is made of aluminum but has a non-stick ceramic coating for easy cooking and cleaning.
Everything in the set can be stored in a large pot when not in use, saving space in your tent, bag, or gear shelf. This is an expensive set, but it comes with a lifetime warranty and comes from a proven and trusted outdoor gear brand.
Strong Points:
Also comes with extra large pot
Also includes a 1 liter kettle
large frying pan with long handle
Cons:
Poor quality plates and bowls
If you're a campground chef catering to large groups of family and friends, the Odoland 18-piece camp cookware set is a great asset. It comes with a large, deep frying pan and multiple pots, one of which is quite large at 4.3 liters. The set also includes a kettle that can boil water for a long time. This is important because, let's be honest, a lot of our “cooking” at camp is just pouring hot water into bags of dehydrated food and waiting for it to become fluffy again.
The kit also includes a wooden spatula, plastic serving spoons, and plastic bowls and plates, but the plastic items are all of fairly poor quality and should be replaced with better options.
most popular
spirit
Snow Peak Titanium Compact Cook Set
Strong Points:
Ultra lightweight and compact
Comes with 4 cooking utensils
Lifetime guarantee
Cons:
If you plan on doing some serious cooking while backpacking, your best bet is to invest in a lightweight, compact, and portable cupboard. Whether you're making a pot of vegetable chili or frying pancakes and eggs, this compact cook set from Snow Peak has it all. The smartly designed set comes with two different sized pots with lids that can also be used as pots or skillets. The handles fold flat for easy stacking and packing into the included drawstring mesh bag.
The edges of the cookware are rounded for more even and efficient heating, and the inner nesting pot is sized to accommodate a Snow Peak GigaPower 110g fuel canister (sold separately). Cookware is also made to resist corrosion. Since you're paying a lot of money for this titanium set, it also comes with a lifetime warranty.
Strong Points:
compact and very lightweight
A feeling of size that is easy to use even solo
heats up quickly
Cons:
Expensive for a small set
Too small for large meal preparation
If you're camping solo, you won't need as much cooking equipment to prepare meals or boil water for coffee. A 2-piece set that includes a compact pot and a frying pan that can also be used as a lid. Made entirely of titanium, this kit weighs 5.6 ounces, making it ideal if you want to reduce the weight of your gear as much as possible. Holding just over 1 liter of liquid, this pot is large enough to cook a meal for one person, but small enough to serve as a large mug, allowing you to leave a little more hardware behind.
Admittedly, the price is quite high for a two-piece kit, but the quality is also high. This titanium cookware can be heated on the stove or over an open flame, and you can expect it to not rust or corrode even if it stays wet.
Strong Points:
rapid hot water supply
Pot can also be used as a cup
color changing heat indicator
Cons:
Cannot be used for frying
As mentioned above, and as experienced campers are well aware, most camping cooking comes down to heating water. The faster and easier your system can accomplish that, the better your camping dining experience will be. The great Jetboil flash cooking system uses a stove and pot that are designed to work in unison, with the pot screwing directly into the stove itself. Heat transfer is so efficient that 16 ounces of water can be brought to a full boil from room temperature in just 100 seconds. (Yes, altitude affects that timing.)
This stove has a push-button ignition system and the pot has a color-changing heat indicator, so there's little guessing involved. It also functions as a large cup and comes with a drink-through lid with a strainer. Once you're done cooking, you can store the burner and fuel canister (sold separately of course) inside the pot/cup.
Why trust Forbes' scrutiny?
The Forbes Vetted Gear team is knowledgeable about all things outdoors. We love obsessing over products related to adventure and fitness, from the best hunting knives to the best hiking shoes, and we have a growing library of resources and recommendations.
The author of this article, Stephen John, loves outdoor adventures and likes to prepare the right equipment for all types of outdoor trips.
In addition to his expertise based on his extensive collection of camping cookware, John sought the input and experience of his colleagues in the outdoor gear industry.
He thoroughly researched and researched the top-rated camping cookware available today and cross-referenced product claims with reviews posted by verified customers.
Forbes Vetted's Cam Vigliotta oversees our gear section and has spent years covering all things camping and hiking. He has also edited and written multiple related guides on outdoor essentials such as the best pocket knives and trail cameras.
How to choose the best camping cookware
Most of the camping cookware on this list was selected based on first-hand expertise, including field-testing experience by members of the Forbes judging team. We also pored over dozens of reviews from verified buyers for each set we reviewed.
The main factors that determine whether a particular cookware set passes are:
Compact size. We only considered camping cookware that can be stacked to fit into a relatively small package size and not so heavy that it becomes a burden.
Volume. Pots and pans that are too small won't cut it when it comes to cooking at the campsite, so we chose camp cookware with enough capacity to accommodate groups of varying sizes, from solo campers to parties of four or more.
material. The best camping cookware is probably made of titanium, but it's also the most expensive. So we also looked at aluminum and steel cookware, pointing out which materials are used and why they are suitable for use in certain kits.
Do I need special cooking equipment for camping?
Technically, no. You may also be able to bring pots and pans from your home kitchen and prepare meals at your campsite. But the biggest issue is weight. Heavy pots can fall off your compact camp stove, not to mention adding weight to your pack. Additionally, most camping cookware is designed to be compact and easy to store. Although not technically necessary, good camping cooking equipment will make your camping experience so much more enjoyable that it will be more than worth the expense.
What are the best materials for camping cookware?
Steel, aluminum and titanium are the most common, but cast iron is also included in the mix. Steel is durable and affordable, but it is heavier and takes longer to heat than titanium or aluminum. Aluminum is in the middle in terms of price. It is lighter than steel and heats up faster, but it is more prone to denting and damage. Titanium is lightweight, very strong, heats quickly and evenly, but is expensive. Cast iron is heavy and doesn't get hot easily, but it has excellent heat storage properties. As for which one is best for you, it will depend on your preferences, budget, and the weight of your gear.
How do you clean camp cooking equipment on-site?
If possible, clean your camp cookware without soap, as scents can attract animals and damage plants. I usually scrape the cookware mostly clean with a wooden or silicone spatula, then use a rag and a little water (and elbow grease) to remove any stubborn bits. It is effective to wash your cookware immediately after cooking while it is still warm. The same goes for boiling water in pots and pans that get dirty from heating soups, chili peppers, or sautéing vegetables. (And yes, you can always sip that water to reduce waste and enjoy the extra calories.)
