What is The Perfect Equipment Kit for Camp Cooking?
You can turn ordinary chow into camping cuisine with our favorite outdoor kitchen gear.
We've come to celebrate the planet's riches since mankind discovered the transformational effect of an open flame on basic food. Our ecosystems and peoples' diversity have resulted in a rich tapestry of cuisines and flavors, all of which are welcome around a campfire.
True, an active day in the environment can make even the most basic meal taste wonderful, but with the kind of outdoor kitchen equipment available today, gourmet culture is alive and well in the wilderness. Brands have recently been hard at work producing one-of-a-kind devices and appliances for our cookouts. While culinary gadgetry alone will not make you a great chef, great cooks (and great cooks-to-be) all share one trait: they take tremendous pleasure in their instruments.
Although not every modern cooking gadget is as great as the Rolla Roaster, any of the ones listed below would make excellent additions to your camp kitchen.
Eureka - Ignite Plus (2-Burner) Stove
It's striking in this day and age of hyper-innovation when a classic form factor holds up. Because of its smart blend of size and functionality, the 2-burner camp stove is one such beast. Although Eureka did not alter the icon, the brand did improve on its essential components.
The Mediterranean blue hue of Eureka's Ignite Plus stove is the first clue that it is more advanced, but performance enthusiasts will be lured to the twin 10,000-BTU burners. The burner also offers precise flame control, so you may simmer, brown, sauté, or bring to a full-throated, roaring boil as needed.
The side windscreens are large enough to keep the flame from being buffeted. The surface area of the burner is quite generous, allowing you to comfortably insert a 12-inch frypan next to a 12-inch pot. It has push-button ignition for increased convenience. $144.95
Kovea - Mini Camp Stove
Overlanding in a larger vehicle is getting more popular, but tiny-car camping is still very much alive and well. And we've got just the stove for you: the Kovea Mini Camping Stove. It fits into the nooks and crannies of your car and frees up space on your camp table with a 12-by-10-inch footprint.
It's also a classic in modularity. The Mini Stove includes a carrying case as well as a protective case. A ceramic nonstick cooking vessel is housed within the body of the stove. When you remove the squarish pot, its four legs neatly plug into the stove's corners to secure the system. The pot cover (which also fits within the stove's body) serves as a four-compartment dish. You can also use your own pots and pans and place the included grate on the cooktop. $99.95
OXO Outdoor Equipment - Cooking Supplies
OXO is a well-known household brand that is finally making a debut in the big outdoors, which has been a long time coming. In addition, the company has joined 1 percent for the Planet, which means it donates 1% of its annual revenue to environmental initiatives.
Camp chefs may now benefit from OXO's attention to ergonomics as well as functional features—its distinctive substantial handles make its equipment a joy to heft. The following are five of our new favorites.
OXO Outdoor Campsite Equipment - French Press Coffee
This OXO 8-cup press can quickly create a carafe of smooth-tasting coffee while still being environmentally friendly. It's made of 50% recycled materials, including TritanTM Renew, which is manufactured from recycled plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in a landfill.
The shatterproof carafe is made of BPA-free plastic, and the stainless-steel filter has a silicone border to keep coffee and grounds separate. The non-slip surfaces on the top knob and pour handle make for easy handling. $24.95
OXO Outdoor Equipment - Chef's Knife
Because slicing, dicing, and chopping are the most apparent of all chef tasks, the chef's knife is an essential piece of chef's equipment. Anyone who is serious about the trade prefers to use their own knife handle; another knife's handle never feels quite right.
If you haven't decided on an Excalibur yet, the velvety texture on the nonslip handle of the OXO Outdoor 8′′ Chef's Knife, which nestles neatly into your hand, may tempt you. A protective sheath is offered to keep you safe from each other because the stainless-steel blade can be polished to a razor's edge. It's also worth noticing how affordable the price is. $14.95
OXO Outdoor Campsite Equipment - Squeeze Bottle Set
With their Campsite Squeeze Bottle Set, OXO found a way to make a usually utilitarian kitchen item more appealing. This collection of two compact, shatter-resistant squeeze bottles is excellent for taking your favorite culinary essentials with you on your next camping trip.
OXO's innovation is the two replaceable spouts—one thick for condiments like ketchup and one thin for free-flowing liquids like olive oil. Each ergonomically angled spout cap can be opened with one thumb (and snapped shut). $9.95
OXO Scraper
Take a peek at this ingenious OXO scraper. Unlike sponges, which are too soft to remove stubborn food particles, and brushes, which inevitably break and get filthy, this flexible silicone blade effortlessly cleans the surface of cookware and plates.
After that, cleanup is quick and easy. The blade of the Pots + Pans Scraper also works well as a squeegee on washed and rinsed surfaces, reducing drying time. $5.95
OXO Outdoor Equipment - Cast Iron & Grill Pan Brush
Scrubbing down their prized cast-iron cookware while preserving the "seasoning," a precisely maintained (and molecularly bound) covering of oils, is a difficult task for outdoor chefs who bring their prized cast-iron cookware to the campsite.
The key to cleaning cast iron is to avoid using soap (which can degrade the seasoning). To combat dirty frypans and griddles, use this specifically designed OXO brush. The Cast Iron & Grill Pan Brush has a plastic scraper tip to get things started, as well as stiff bristles spread at different angles to dig into nooks and crevices. The bristles are also gentle enough to be utilized on nonstick kitchenware. $9.95
Camp Stasher Bag
It's difficult to store and preserve items or leftovers in a sustainable manner at home, but it feels even more demanding outside. Stasher food-grade silicone bags are both a viable option and a major improvement over soul-sucking plastic bags. They are not only reusable, but also freezer and dishwasher safe, and they are ideal for "sous vide", a specialized cooking technique that involves immersing a bag in temperature-controlled water.
Stasher bags are available in a range of sizes, from snack bags to near gallons. $9.95–$29.95
Final Thoughts
If you enjoy camping and cooking, this list may be of assistance to you. Find your ideal camping cooking kit to prepare the best camping meals and snacks. Camping excursions are meaningless unless you prepare the best-tasting meals you've ever had.