Just because you’re out in nature without a full kitchen doesn’t mean you are stuck with eating trail mix and PB&J’s. There are some amazing products available that can help upgrade your camping kitchen. So while you’re in the great outdoors “roughin’ it”, you can still be enjoying delicious meals.
Emily and I have tried all kinds of camping kitchen setups. We know what works well together, and what things are a pain to use. We’ve sifted through all the duds and gimmicks to narrow down the best products available. Let us help you to avoid common mistakes.
Here are our picks for camping kitchen essentials.
This post may contain affiliate links. Disclosure policy.
Camp Stoves
To prepare hot and delicious meals, you need some kind of stove.
What to Consider For Purchasing A Camp Stove?
Dual-Burner versus Single-Burner
Dual burners provide the most options and flexibility for cooking multiple things at once. Dual-burners usually have built-in wind protection. Do you only ever cook single-pot meals? Then save the space and money and just get a single burner stove.
Propane versus Butane
Propane is generally cheaper and easier to find than butane. The standard green camping propane bottles are bigger than butane, which are about the size of an average spray can. Butane can stop working at temperatures below freezing. Also, fuel canisters are almost always sold separately, so don’t forget to pick some up.
We’ve narrowed it down to just the best and most reliable stoves available.
Dual-Burner Stoves
Dual burner stoves are the go-to for backcountry master chefs. The two burners allow you to prepare two things at once, and at different temperatures. They have wind-protection and a large stable cook surface.
Top of the Line
Our favorite campstove is the Camp Chef Teton 2-burner. We use this stove every day in our campervan and it is a beast. It earns the hefty pricetag by having the best temperature control on the market. Cooking foods at medium or low heat is much easier. Which helps to save more propane over the long run.
Check Price on REI.com | Amazon.com
Pros of Camp Chef Tetoon 2-Burner
Best simmer available
Well-spaced burners
Efficient use of propane
Cons of Camp Chef Tetoon 2-Burner
Expensive
Bad for small spaces
Best Value Camp Stove
The Coleman 2-Burner Campstove is almost synonymous with camping itself. Their campstove has been a staple of the camping kitchen for decades. It’s quite a bit smaller than the Camp Chef Everest. However, that does translate to less cooking area.
Check Price on Amazon.com | REI.com
Pros of the Coleman 2-Burner Camp Stove
Smaller footprint
Low price
Cons of the Coleman 2-Burner Camp Stove
Burners are close together
Bad simmer control
Burns propane faster
Single-Burner Stoves
Single burner campstoves are much more compact than dual-burners. The two most popular types are propane and butane. Butane stoves are especially compact because the tank is slimmer and fits right into the stove’s housing. For that reason, I recommend choosing a butane single burner stove. For solo campers or couples looking to make one-pot meals, a single burner is a great choice.
Most Compact
Nothing really beats the value and reliability of a tried and true Coleman Single Burner Butane Stove. The butane canister fits right inside the housing for an incredibly sleek stove. And the fuel canister just drops into the slot to connect, rather than the normal threaded “screw-on” canisters.
Check Price on REI.com | Amazon.com
Pros of the Coleman Single Burner Butane Stove
Smallest footprint
”No screw” canister assembly
Cons of the Coleman Single Burner Butane Stove
Butane costs more
Bad simmer control
No wind protection
Best Propane Single-Burner
If you’re partial to propane, then this Coleman Single Burner Propane Stove is great. The external tank, however, does increase the footprint substantially (when compared to butane counterpart).
Check Price on Amazon.com
Pros of the Coleman Single Burner Propane Stove
Propane is cheaper
Cons of the Coleman Single Burner Propane Stove
Fuel tank is external
Bad simmer control
No wind protection
Propane and Butane Compatible
If you want the flexibility of a stove that can handle both propane and butane, then the Camplux Duel Fuel is the best choice.
Check Price on Amazon.com
Pros of the Camplux Dual Fuel
Duel-Fuel capability
Cons of the Camplux Dual Fuel
Bad simmer control
No wind protection
Backpacking Stoves
Or for campers who want the absolute smallest stove, check out these backpacking stoves. They can be a great option for someone who doesn’t want to buy two separate stoves for camping and backpacking.
But keep in mind that these stoves are mostly designed for boiling water. They are great for coffee, tea, or just-add-water meals. But they have very small burners and very little temperature control. So cooking large meals on medium/low heat is not very feasible.
MSR PocketRocket 2
The MSR Pocket Rocket 2 is just about the smallest and lightest backpacking stove available. It is extremely popular among the ultralight backpacking community. It packs down small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. But the compromise is durability and price.
Check Price on REI.com | Amazon.com
Jetboil
The other most popular backpacking stove is the Jetboil Flash Cooking System. It comes with its own pot and insulated sleeve. It boils water faster than anything else. But if you want to use other pots and pans with it, you need an extra attachment.
Check Price on REI.com | Amazon.com
Campfire Cooking
What about cooking right over the campfire? It does require a little bit more effort, but cooking over the campfire adds flavor that you simply cannot get with a gas stove.
The key to cooking over a campfire is to get a solid foundation of coals and embers before you start cooking. You want to cook over the heat of the coals, rather than big open flames. This usually requires the fire to be burning for at least 30 minutes before you begin cooking. And don’t forget to bring enough firewood for cooking dinner and for your after-dinner campfire.
Texsport Heavy-Duty Campfire Grill
This Texsport Heavy-Duty Campfire Grill makes cooking over a campfire super easy. There are tons of similar products on the market that skimp on toughness. Don’t mess around with knock-offs, this one is sturdy enough to handle the weight of cast-iron skillets and more. The large diamond-patterned grate doesn’t stick. And the legs fold up so it stores away really nicely.
A few tips for using this style of grill….
Test out where you are going to put the grill before you start the fire. It’s a lot easier to move rocks around and find a stable setup when there aren’t flames in your face.
Place a couple small rocks around the edges of the grill to prevent food from rolling off.
Keep the box for transporting the grill so that soot and ash don’t get on other stuff.
To remove the grill from the fire, get two long sticks and a friend. Slide the sticks under each side of the grill and lift the grill off like a stretcher.
Tin Foil “Oven”
This classic camping hack is adored for its simplicity and lack of dishes. Simply wrap your food in HEAVY-DUTY tin foil and place it in the campfire to cook. It does require a little bit of fine tuning to make sure that your food cooks without burning.
I don’t recommend this technique for cooking meats because its hard to monitor the temperature closely. But it’s an awesome technique for cooking vegetables, baked potatoes, reheating leftovers, and more.
And definitely keep a good pair of metal tongs around for handling your hot tin foil nuggets.
Coolers
There are a zillion different cooler brands out there, and comparing prices, warranties, ice-retention, and bonus features is enough to make your head spin. In the interest of brevity, here are our top two picks.
YETI Tundra
Yeti coolers are the top-of-the-line brand-name cooler. They consistently prove to be worth the price. The excellent 3″ insulation keeps ice cold for many days. And they are packed with all kinds of intelligent features.
A dry-goods rack to keep foods elevated out of the water, tie-down holes that allow the cooler to be secured without preventing the lid from opening, padlock holes to make the cooler bear-resistant, drain hole, heavy-duty hinges, and more!
Tundra 35: Check Price REI.com | Yeti.com | Amazon.com
Tundra 45: Check Price REI.com | Yeti.com | Amazon.com
Tundra 65: Check Price REI.com | Yeti.com | Amazon.com
Tundra Wheeled: Check Price REI.com | Yeti.com | Amazon.com
Pros of the Yeti Tundra
Heavy Duty Construction
Long Ice Retention
Bear-Resistant (with padlocks)
Dry Goods Rack
Cons of the Yeti Tundra
Expensive
No Wheels
Heavy, even when empty
Size-to-Storage Ratio
Coleman Xtreme 50 Qt
This is the best value cooler for the weekend warrior. It’s extremely affordable, while still providing decent ice-retention and helpful features.
The wheels and telescoping handle allow one person to move it around easily.
The 4 cup-holders are a nice touch that make this cooler the perfect side table to put in between you and a friend.
The lid is sturdy enough to be used as seat.
And there is a drain so you don’t need to empty the cooler to release water.
Check Price on REI.com | Amazon.com | Home Depot
Pros of the Coleman Xtreme 50 Qt
Affordable
Wheels
Lightweight
Cup Holders
Cons of the Coleman Xtreme 50 Qt
Mediocre ice-retention
Cheap materials
Tables
To get your kitchen up off the ground, it’s nice to have a folding table. There’s lots of folding tables that pack up very small for transportation. The ideal table will be big enough for your stove while leaving extra room for food prep and serving.
Small
This small style of folding table is probably the minimum size you can get away with. It’s too small for most dual-burner stoves but big enough to hold a single-burner stove or backpacking stove, though it probably wont have room for much else. It’s an absolute breeze to set up.
Check Price on REI.com | Amazon.com
Medium
Coleman Roll Top Camping Table
Or if you want a little more surface area, roll-top tables can provide a little bit more space, and usually fold up smaller. This one can fit every stove listed above, except for the Camp Chef Everest.
The 4 vertical legs are more stable that the “X” shaped legs of the GCI table above. But it is a little harder to set up.
Check Price on Amazon.com
Large
Mountain Summit Gear Heavy-Duty Roll-Top Table
This large roll-top table has amazing reviews for being one of the most sturdy camp tables around. And it’s even big enough for 4 people to eat at or play cards.
Check Price on REI.com
If storage size is not an issue and you want the most affordable large table, this classic folding table can get the job done.
Check Price on Amazon.com
Pots & Pans
Most campers either swear by non-stick pans or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. We personally use both depending on what we’re cooking. Here’s our take.
Lodge Cast-Iron Skillet
The cast-iron skillet is a timeless kitchen essential. When cared for properly, they will last a lifetime. The Lodge Cast-Iron Skillet makes it easy because they come pre-seasoned and ready to go. Cast-iron skillets can do it all. A little butter or oil can make the surface non-stick. But they’re also rugged enough to cook right over a campfire.
Add in a lid, and you’ve got yourself a camp oven.
Check Price on REI.com | Amazon.com
But cast-iron skillets do require special care. But don’t worry it’s not rocket science. And the handle gets really hot during use, so be sure to keep an oven mitt or silicone cover handy.
Pros of a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
Basically Indestructible
Even heat distribution
Can cook over campfire
Great for searing meats
Cons of a Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
Heavy
Needs oil/butter to be non-stick
Doesn’t cool quickly
Needs special care
Caraway Non-Stick Frying Pot & Pan
Our personal favorite non-stick pots and pans are made by Caraway. They come with ceramic non-stick coating that is not harmful to consume. They are designed to evenly distribute heat so you get a thorough and even cook for your entire meal.
It’s important to note that these pans are not recommended for use on high heat and require the use of silicone or wooden utensils.
However, they are not advisable to use on high heat, and require silicone or wooden utensils.
Check Price For Caraway Non-Stick Pan on Amazon.com
Check Price For Caraway Non-Stick Pot on Amazon.com
Pros of a Caraway Non-stick Pots & Pans
Non-stick without lubricant
Easy clean up
Cons of a Caraway Non-stick Pots & Pans
Expensive
Not good for high-heat
Requires wood/silicone utensils
Water
Having a convenient water source at your campsite is an essential part of any camping kitchen. I recommend getting a water jug with a spigot. The spigot is a critical feature that makes it convenient for washing hands/dishes, and filling up water bottles.
I will note I’ve yet to find a perfect camping water jug. They all seem to suffer from some issues, like leaks, faulty seals, sun damage, hard to clean, cheap materials, and so on. But the two jugs listed below are most reliable on the market.
Reliance Aqua-Tainer
This 7-gallon Reliance Aqua-Tainer water jug is the best that we have found. The plastic is decently durable, and the spigot allows easy control over the rate of flow.
The cube-shape packs water super efficiently is stable in any position. The spigot can also be turned inside the container to protect it during travel.
My advice is to make sure not to slide the jug across the ground or a table. The plastic is thin enough that this grinding could cause a leak over time.
Check Price on REI.com | Amazon.com
Pros of a Reliance Aqua-Tainer
Hands-free flow
Tight seals for transportation
Hide-away spigot
Efficient use of space
Stable design
Cons of a Reliance Aqua-Tainer
Hard to clean
Single wall plastic
Not Insulated
Igloo 5 Gallon Cooler
This classic Igloo 5-gallon Water Cooler is adored by many campers. It’s insulated so you can load it up with ice and water and be drinking cold water for days. And it’s sturdy enough to be used as an extra seat around camp. The main issues with it are that it takes up a lot of space for only holding 5 gallons of water. And the lid doesn’t screw down water tight, so it’s not great for extensive off-roading. Loading it up with ice can help reduce sloshing.
Check Price on Amazon.com
Pros of an Igloo 5 Gallon Cooler
Tight seals for transportation
Insulated for hot/cold
Can be used as a seat
Cons of an Igloo 5 Gallon Cooler
Inefficient shape for packing
Lid doesn’t screw down
Must hold button to dispense
Other Kitchen Essentials
There’s a few other essential items that most campers bring along to complete their camping kitchen. This includes things like utensils, paper towels, soap, oven mitts, pot holders, spices, etc.
Camping Storage Bin
We recommend keeping all your kitchen stuff in a plastic bin, so that it stays together all in one place. This 17 Gallon HDX Storage Tote has plenty of room for pans, utensils, paper towels, trash bags, and other kitchen items.
But since its a hard-sided tote, you should get the smallest size possible. I recommend sizing the tote based on your pots and pans, since they will likely be the largest thing in the bin.
Check Price on The Home Depot
Biodegradable Soap
Our favorite all-in-one biodegradable camp soap is Dr. Bronners. It’s a highly potent natural soap that’s easy on the environment, and made in the USA.
Emily and I use Dr. Bronner’s as our everyday soap in our campervan.
If you want to convert to using Dr. Bronner’s in your home, then buy one the larger bottles and just use a refillable soap dispenser. The refillable dispenser is a good place to dilute the soap by mixing with water.
Check Price on Amazon.com (all sizes)
Check Prices on REI.com: 2oz | 4oz | 32oz
“Leave No Trace: Even biodegradable soaps and cleansers shouldn’t be used in a natural water source. To wash yourself, your laundry or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap (a little goes a long way). Then pour wastewater into a cat hole 6 to 8 inches deep.”
Cutting Board / Wash Bucket
This 2-in-1 camp bucket and cutting board combines two necessary items into one, saving you precious storage space. And once the bucket is filled for washing dishes, you basically have one less thing to wash since the cutting board is part of the bucket.
Check Price on Amazon.com
UCO 4-Piece Mess Kit
This UCO 4-Piece Mess Kit comes with all the essentials and you won’t lose any of them due to their tether hold. This can also act as a tupperware with their leakproof seal.
Check Price on Amazon.com | REI.com
Tongs
And don’t forget tongs so you can flip those patties on the grill or toss that bacon in the morning!
Check Price on Amazon.com
Multi-spice
Camping food doesn’t have to be bland. Grab a multi-spice so you can be the ultimate chef.
Check Price on Amazon.com
Multi-tool
Last but not least is a Gerber Multi-tool. You can’t let anything in the kitchen stop you with this multi-tool. You can cut those veggies, open that can or open that beer bottle!
Check Price on Amazon.com | REI.com
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