Best Camping Cookware and Utensils

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Camping cookware is essential for any backpacker or outdoors person who cooks for themselves outdoors. The amount of cookware people need or take with them varies from person to person.

Some people can get by with just a cup and spoon and are perfectly happy making soups and drinks. While others like to have a mobile kitchen set up and like to prepare food just as they would at home.

Wherever you fall between these two extremes, having the right cookware items will make outdoors cooking a lot easier and more enjoyable. From compact stoves with cups to camping tables, with the right cookware items there is no limit to what you can cook while camping.

In this article, I will cover the different items of cookware available. The pros and cons with the different materials available, and what I recommend you always include in your backpack.

How Much Camping Cookware Do You Need?

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, it’s up to you how many items of cookware you take with you. Obviously, the main restriction is the weight of the equipment, and backpack space if you’re the one carrying all the equipment.

One of the first choices is you need to make is between buying a cookset, or picking up individual items. These two options differ in the following ways:

Cooksets – These are cleverly designed and include pots, pans, and sometimes utensils that fit inside each other to save space when in transit. They are good if you have groups of people to cater and want a simple way to remember everything you need.

The downside is that the cookset might not include certain items you need. Plus, if you damage or lose items you have an incomplete set. It can start to becoming a bit clunky putting together everything you need.

Individual Items – By buying individual items you can take exactly what you need and travel as light, or as heavy as you want to. You may end up using more space in your backpack than a cookset however as the items will not fit together nice and tight.

The main upsides are that you will have everything you need. It’s a better option if you’re a bit more serious about your cooking and know what need. Most people end up building up more kit as time goes on and end up going down this route.

Types of Cookware Materials to Choose From

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When looking at cookware and utensils it’s important to take a good look at the quality and what the items are made from. As crazy as it sounds, some cookware isn’t designed to last. It’ll cost less and is designed to be used a few times.

While some items are designed to last a lifetime and the price will reflect this. The general rule of thumb is to buy what your budget allows for. The last thing you want is a can opener to break when you’re trying to open the only can of food you have with you!

Here are some of the pros and cons to the most popular types of materials used to make cookware and utensils:

Stainless Steel

A tough, scratch-resistant metal that will last a long time and not rust. Most of your kitchen utensils at home will be made of stainless-steel. It’s heavier than aluminum and doesn’t conduct heat very well if you’re using stainless steel pots and pans however.

Aluminum

The best thing about aluminum is that it’s lightweight. Making it an obvious choice for backpackers who want to keep weight to a minimum. Being lighter, it’s also softer however. Aluminum cookware will damage easily and not last as long as steel so it’s not the best choice if you’re always camping.

Hard-anodized Aluminum

The solution to the problem of aluminum being easily damaged is to buy hard-anodized aluminum. It costs a little more but is a lot tougher, will last longer and responds quickly to heat.. A good choice for items that perform functions, like a can opener or vegetable peeler.

Cast Iron

You can’t go wrong with good old cast iron. It’s very tough, conducts heat well, and most people use cast iron skillets, pots, and pans while camping because of this. It’s a heavy metal however and can be a bit of a chore to clean, but someone has to do the washing up.

Titanium

Titanium is the lightest of all the metals and is a popular choice for backpackers and small parties. It’s strong and durable too, but pretty expensive as a result. It’s not the best at conducting heat but won’t let you down.

Plastic

Plastic utensils are good idea if you’re camping with kids or want to travel light and throw away some stuff before leaving. Plastic containers are also great for separating and storing foods. Obviously, you need to keep all plastic cookware away from heat sources if you don’t want it to melt.

Things to Consider When Choosing Cookware

This is where the trade-off between weight, quality, size, and price comes into consideration. If you’re going to be using your cookware often it’s worth investing more, but it’s up to your own personal choice.

Weight

Weight is always one of the main considerations when buying cookware for camping. If you’re backpacking, or the person responsible for carrying the cookware you’re going to want it to be as light as possible.

Pot Sizes

This is something you need to get right. If your pots are too small you’re going to go hungry. Likewise, if they are too big you’re carrying unnecessary weight and taking up space in your backpack, car, etc. Always try and have lids for your pots too. Lids help cook the food quicker, reduce spitting and helps in bad weather conditions.

Number of Pots

If you’re cooking for a group, or cooking different foods at the same time then it’s probably better to look into cooksets as mentioned above. These are sets of pots that all fit into each other to save space. You can also pick up separate pots and pans if you have the space to carry them.

Ease of Handling and Use

Think about how you’re going to handle the pots and pans when they are hot. Do they have handles or grips that you like the feel of? Some pots come with measurement markers on either the inside or outside, this is a handy little feature to consider. It will save you bringing an additional measuring jug.

Non-stick pans are always a good choice too. A lot of outdoors cooking involves uneven heat sources to it’s easy to burn food or cook unevenly, even for the best chefs! With a non-stick pan you have less excuses however.

What Are the Essential Basic Cookware Camping Items?

If you want to take the bare minimum cookware with you I recommend the following:

  • Small and large pots with lids – Lids help food to cook quicker, water to boil faster, and they reduce splatter so it’s a smart choice.
  • Cast iron camping skillet – One of the most versatile campware items.
  • A large spoon to serve up food.
  • A cup per person – Don’t forget cups if you want hot drinks.
  • A knife for chopping and peeling – Any outdoors person comes prepared with a knife!
  • A spoon or fork for eating – Or a spork, a utensil that does the job of a spoon and a fork.

Just How Good Is a Cast Iron Skillet for Camping?

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It’s hard to beat a cast iron skillet. They are one of the most popular and versatile items of camping equipment and probably the best item to get started with if you’re building up your cookware kit.

Skillets are similar to frying pans but have longer handles and higher sides. You can fry food in them, makes stews and soups, cook meats, omelets, almost anything you can think of.

They are usually made from iron, so don’t worry about dropping them they are pretty much indestructible. One big advantage over stainless steel is that you can use skillets on an open fire. They will not melt or distort at any heat from a fire.

In Summary

I think I have covered everything you need to know about what camping cookware you need. As well as your options, types of cookware, the materials used, and more. Everyone always wants to know what are the best camping utensils, and the best camp cookware, but as you can see it comes down to personal preference and practicality a lot of the time.

Use what you feel comfortable with and gets the job done with the least amount of space and weight in your backpack. Have some fun while cooking too, if you want some ideas check out my posts on hobo meals, or foil pack cooking.

Some additional resources

Best Camping Tables Reviewed

Best Camping Stoves Reviewed.

Best Backpacking Stoves Reviewed.

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