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Imagine cooking over a campfire while gazing up at the stars. You sit in the mountains in the middle of Colorado, and you hear an owl in the distance. The fire keeps you warm, and the soup you’re making begins to smell so good your mouth waters. Are you there? It’s lovely. Oh no, wait! Your old, cheap campfire cooking kit pot begins to burn your soup. The smell distracts you from the ambiance all around, and the moment ends.
Having the proper campfire cooking kit can be a game-changer. We’re here to help! Check out these campfire cooking kits that you’ll actually use. They’ll keep your soup just right so that you can enjoy the great outdoors and unique meals cooked over an open flame.
Why Should You Own a Campfire Cooking Kit?
You can keep a campfire cooking kit with your camping gear. Portable equipment gives you flexibility and less to worry about when packing rather than bringing your home kitchen every time you leave for a trip.
The right set will also contain everything you need for campfire or stovetop cooking. If you travel in an RV, you can store it in your kitchen without having to pack it every time you leave.
Cooking at your campsite also saves you money rather than going out to eat. You may want to stop at a restaurant you passed on your way to the campground, but cooking over a campfire is fun and tasty.
We also think it can add plenty of memories and spice (pun intended) to your camping adventures.
Key Decision-making Factors:
These are the factors that we considered when choosing the best campfire cooking kit.
Material
The material that a cooking kit is made of is a key determining factor in the best kit. The material of cookware will influence its ability to cook food, ability to clean, weight, and more.
Campfire cookware is commonly made of cast iron, stainless steel, or aluminum. They each have their pros and cons depending on your needs.
Weight
The weight of the campfire cooking kit makes a difference depending on your camping style. If you are backpacking, a few pounds can make a big difference. Where if all you need to do is take the cookware out of your RV to the campfire, not so much.
Cleaning
How easy the campfire cooking kit is to clean makes it one of our top determining factors. There is nothing worse than spending 20 minutes scrubbing stubborn burnt-on food at a camping water faucet.
Durability
Campfire cooking kits take a beating. Whether it’s being knocked around in the back of a car or sitting on a red hot campfire, they need to stand up to the abuse. No one wants to buy a new expensive cooking kit every year.
Best Campfire Cooking Kit: Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron 5 Piece Set
- Includes 10.5" griddle, 8" skillet, 10.25" skillet, 10.25" Dutch oven (5 quart capacity), and 10.25" lid from Lodge...
- Cast iron cookware provides excellent heat distribution and retention for consistent, even cooking.
About the Lodge Cast Iron Set: Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron 5 Piece Set is made of cast iron which is the perfect material for campfire cooking. This set is perfect for every camper that doesn’t need to hike this into their campsite.
We love it because it heats up evenly and continues to retain heat while off the fire. It is designed to be extremely durable if taken care of correctly and can last decades. Cast iron is virtually non-stick if seasoned like this set is from the factory so clean up is a breeze. The biggest disadvantage to cast iron is the weight.
This kit comes as a 5-piece set including a 10.5-inch griddle, 8-inch skillet, 10-inch skillet, and 5-quart dutch oven with lid. Everything you need for cooking a delicious meal.
Lodge is a family-owned business that has been making cast iron cookware for over 120 years in the U.S.A. and this set is no different.
We recommend purchasing the care kit along with the 5-piece set to ensure you can keep using this cookware for the next few decades.
Pro Tip: If you get this kit, you have to try 15 of the Best Cast Iron Camping Recipes!
The Best Runner-up Campfire Cooking Kits in 2022
We’ve compiled the best runner-up campfire cooking kits below! Each has its unique benefits like being compact and easy to transport.
You’ll find some campfire cooking kits made from cast iron to stainless steel and many other great features. There’s something on the list for every type of camper and cook.
Best Runner-up and Best For Families: Stanley Base Camp Cookset For 4
- 21 NESTED COMPONENTS: (1) 3 5L pot, vented lid, (1) 7" 3-ply frying pan, (1) cutting board, (1) spatula, (1) serving...
- TOUGH AND DURABLE: Manufactured using 18/8 stainless steel this cooking set is strong, scratch proof and rustproof No...
About the Stanley Base Camp Cookset 4: Stanley’s Base Camp Cookset For 4 consists of everything you need for family fireside cooking.
It comes with a stainless steel 3.7-quart pot with a vented lid and a 3-ply 7.25-inch frying pan. And it includes four 6-inch plates, four 22 fl oz bowls, a cutting board, an extendable spatula, a serving spoon, sporks, and a drying rack. All of which have BPA-free plastic and are dishwasher safe.
The frying pan handle folds out and in, and the entire cook set can fit into the pot with a bungee to secure it.
Why You’ll Actually Use It: The campfire cooking kit is compact and easy to clean and transport. This set is perfect for those who don’t want to move around heavy cast iron but want the durability of cookware that will last. It is large enough to cook for a family but small enough to still be easy to manage.
Stanley has been around for over 100 years creating cookware and this set shows off that expertise. It also has a limited lifetime warranty!
Best For Budget Stainless Steel: Snow Peak Al Dente Cookset
- 4 lbs 6.4 oz (3.17 kg)
- Two pots, two lids and one strainer
About the Snow Peak Al Dente Cookset: The Snow Peak Al Dente Cookset is stainless steel. The pots have rounded corners, which allow the heat to disperse evenly and efficiently.
The set includes a 6.5-quart pot, a 4.25-quart pot, and a stainless steel mesh strainer. They stack inside each other for portability. Plus, the pots have handles so that you can hang them over the fire.
Why You’ll Actually Use It: You can easily store and transport this lightweight cooking kit.
Also, you can easily clean stainless steel after cooking over the campfire or stove. The pots work great for large and small meals.
Best For Those That Burn Their Food: Stanley Even-Heat Camp Pro Cookset
- CAMP LIKE A PRO: Everything you need to whip up a hearty meal This 11-piece camping cookware set includes a 4 75qt stock...
- EVEN-HEAT DESIGN: We’ve crafted the cooking pots and pans with a unique, multi-layer bottom The result? Even heating...
About the Stanley Even-Heat Camp Pro Cookset: Stanley’s Even-Heat Camp Pro stainless steel cook set has a 4.75-quart pot, 1.8-quart saucepan, vented lids, 8.5-inch frying pan, collapsible cutting board, spatula, spoon, and trivets.
It also includes a bungee for locking the set inside the large pot, and the pot handles lock. You can wash all of the components in the dishwasher safely.
Why You’ll Actually Use It: The Even-Heat Camp Pro Cookset compacts and provides all your needed camping kitchen tools.
You can easily clean the stainless steel by hand or in the dishwasher, and it comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
This set has an extra thick bottom to help control and evenly spread the heat while cooking. This is great for those who routinely burn their food while cooking with stainless steel.
Pro Tip: If you’re having a hard time starting your campfire to cook over, check out these Campfire Starter Kits That Actually Work!
Best For Budget Cast Iron: Bruntmor Heavy Duty Cast Iron Cook Set
- 4 Piece Pre-Seasoned Kitchen Cookware Sets: The 4-pc collection is a great starter for all the essential cast iron...
- Multi-Function Set: The cooking utensils are suitable as a soup pot, pie ,vegetable pot, pasta pot; Unparalleled heat...
About the Bruntmor Cast Iron Cook Set: The Bruntmor Heavy Duty Campfire Cooking Kit is cast iron. It comes with a 12-inch skillet, 4.5-quart dutch oven pot, 2.5-quart saucepot, 20 by 9-inch heavy-duty reversible griddle, and an 8.6-inch trivet and dutch oven lid lifter.
The surfaces come pre-seasoned and non-stick.
Why You’ll Actually Use It: This robust cooking set has everything you need. You can use it over a campfire or in an oven.
Plus, it has a wooden carrying box making it easy to transport around your campsite and elsewhere.
This set is made in China and doesn’t seem to have the same quality as Lodge but is great for someone looking to save some money on a cast iron cookware set.
Best For Suspending Pots Over The Fire: GSI Glacier Stainless Troop Cookset
- INCLUDES: Steel constructed rust proof 8. 5-liter pot, 5-liter pot, 2 lids, and a 10-inch fry pan with a folding handle....
- EASY TO CLEAN: All these items are dishwasher safe, making cleaning up easy and hassle free.
About the GSI Glacier Stainless Troop Cookset: The GSI Glacier Stainless Troop Cookset has heavy-duty, rust-proof stainless steel. It includes an 8.5-liter pot, 5-liter pot, two lids, and a 10-inch frying pan.
The entire cook set fits into a compact stuff sack for easy transportation.
Why You’ll Actually Use It: If you want to hang your food over the campfire, this kit is perfect for you. The campfire cooking kit has double bail handles that lock in place. This allows for quickly moving full pots or suspending them over the campfire.
This sturdy construction adds a layer of safety when cooking over an open flame. The set also has a lifetime warranty.
Good for Solo Backpackers: Bisgear 18/8 Cookset for 2
- BUILT TO LAST! : Highest Quality Anodized Aluminum Camping Cookset & Stainless Steel Cup Plates Utensil (instead of...
- SAVE MONEY/COMPACT: The camping cookware set includes 1x pot, 6.8x3.6”, 1x frying pan, 7.1*1.7”, 1x 0.8L kettle , 2...
About the Bisgear 18/8 Cookset for 2: The Bisgear Cookset for 2 is a 15-piece stainless steel set. It includes one pot, one frying pan, one kettle, two plates, three bowls, one soup spoon, one bamboo spoon, one cleaning sponge, two sporks, one rice ladle, and one dishcloth.
Additionally, this campfire cooking kit is extremely compact and comes with a storage bag and buckle. It is made with anodized aluminum, making cleaning up a breeze.
Why You’ll Actually Use It: The pieces nest together, making this the perfect kit for backcountry campers, boy scouts, backpackers, or anyone else with limited space.
This kit includes everything one or two people need for campfire cooking, making it a total package. You won’t need to buy much else to cook a full meal with this option!
Good For Group Backpackers: MSR Flex 4 Group Camping Cook Set
- Full-featured cook set for groups of four or more for camping, backpacking, tailgating or road trips
- Large 5.3 Liter, dual-handle, hard-anodized aluminum pot with a strainer lid for cooking big meals and boiling water
About the MSR Flex 4 Group Camping Cook Set: The MSR Flex 4 Group Camping Cook Set is a must-have on group backpacking and camping trips. It comes with two strainer lids, four deep-dish plates, four 10-ounce insulated mugs, a 3.2-liter pot with a folding handle, and a 5.3-liter pot.
All of the items included in the kit nest perfectly together for easy storage. When fully compact, the kit measures 12 inches by 6.25 inches and only weighs 3.5 pounds.
This makes it perfect for group backpacking because it can be used for up to 4 people and only one person will need to carry it. This saves room in other packs for other items.
Why You’ll Actually Use It: The deep-dish plates can be used as a plate or bowl. The strainer lids are a great bonus as you don’t need to bring along a colander.
Additionally, the aluminum pots are nonstick and easy to clean. This kit even has room for an MSR flex skillet, which is sold separately.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to pick up one of The Best Campfire Grill Grates for Outdoor Cooking to use your campfire cooking kit with!
Quality Campfire Cooking Kits
Cooking over a campfire can be one of the best parts of camping. If you cook over the fire for each meal, we recommend the cast iron set from Bruntmor. It has everything you need from breakfast to dinner. Plus, the heavy-duty pots keep the flavor.
If you want to do some backcountry camping or long hikes, the Base Camp Cookset from Stanley will likely fit your needs. It has plates, bowls, and utensils included in the compact set for your convenience.
Whichever campfire cooking kit you choose, we think you’ll get a lot of use out of it. We recommend including a quality campfire cooking kit for your next camping trip.
And don’t forget to check out our best campfire recipes to mix up the dinner menu too!
Last update on 2024-10-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
