Few things are more relaxing than sitting around a campfire on a beautiful night. You can make it even better with a campfire cooking kit. Wood-fired flame produces some of the best tasting meals (in our opinion), but you need the proper gear to cook over a fire.
We tested a number of campfire cooking kits from various price points and categorized which ones we feel are worthy of our list. Read on to see what our research and testing confirmed as our picks for the best campfire cooking kits.
| IMAGE | MODEL | FEATURES | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Top PickTop PickOdoland Camping KIt |
| CHECK PRICE |
 | Runner UpRunner UpStanley Basecamp Kit |
| CHECK PRICE |
 | Includes Camp StoveIncludes Camp StoveSolo Stove Campfire Gear Kit |
| CHECK PRICE |
 | Best PortableBest PortableBulin Camping Kit |
| CHECK PRICE |
 | Best BudgetBest BudgetBisgear Camping Kit |
| CHECK PRICE |
What Makes A Great Cooking Kit?
When you’re looking for the best campfire cooking kit, there are a number of things you want to keep in mind. You want a camp cooking set that has enough pots, pans, and cooking utensils to support everyone you’re cooking for. You want it to be long-lasting while not weighing you down, especially if you’re backpacking.
You also want it to be easy to clean because no one wants to spend precious minutes scrubbing camping cookware rather than enjoying the great outdoors. Plus, when you get home you don’t want to encounter mold and leftover bits of food that’s crusted onto your pots and pans.
To help you make the most informed decision, we only looked at camping cooking kits that have been used and proven to work out in real-life situations. The last thing you want is a recommendation that when you put it over the campfire fails spectacularly. You want pots and pans that can withstand the heat of a wood fire and wash easily.
You want true portability while still getting the best craftsmanship. Portability doesn’t mean anything if your pot’s handle fails as you cook food over the fire.
Our number one choice for the best campfire cooking kit is the Odoland 22 Piece Kit. This campfire cooking set packs a lot into an easy-to-carry kit that comes with its own storage bag. It has everything you need for four people to enjoy a nice meal around the campfire with settings for four. The spoons and forks even fold up and have their own small carrying bags.
The Odoland kit wasn’t the only good cooking kit we found. In other kits, we appreciated the quality of the materials or the affordability of it. We even found a kit we loved that had a cooking stove included. We also liked a kit that was the best portable option we could find.
Read on for our picks of the best campfire cooking kits on the market today.
1. Best Overall Campfire Cooking Kit – Odoland 22 Piece Kit Review
The Odoland 22-piece kit was our favorite campfire cooking kit. We love this set because you’ve got just about all the campfire cooking essentials you need to cook and serve a meal for a family of four. It’s not ideal for backpacking because of the weight, but it’s great for a family camping trip. It’s the best combination of the number of pieces in this camping cook kit while still being easy to pack on your camping trip.
If you’re camping with your family, packing can be tough. We’ve all been in a situation where you’ve arrived and are getting set up only to discover you forgot something important. This kit means no more forgotten forks and spoons.
What We Like…
- Includes four settings for eating – It comes with four deep dish plates, four forks, four spoons, and even four cups. You can feed up to four people without having to bring extra plates or utensils.
- Easy to carry – Everything from the dutch oven to the deep dish plates fits together into a storage bag. You don’t have to find different places to stash everything. It can all sit in one bag in your vehicle on the way to and back from camping and stash in your tent easily.
What Makes Us Angry…
- Smaller plates and cups – The only real drawback to this set is that the plates and cups are on the small size. It helps with portability, but just be aware that you’ll likely have to go back for seconds to fill up. Also, the cups are prone to being too hot if you fill them up with hot drinks like coffee or hot cocoa.
When comparing this Odoland campfire cook set to the next one, the Stanley Basecamp, there’s an important distinction to make. This kit’s plates are designed to also function as a bowl. The Stanley set has separate bowls and plates. Just something to keep in mind.
2. Best Campfire Cooking Kit Runner Up – Stanley Basecamp Review
If you’re a serious camper and love cooking over a campfire, the Stanley Basecamp outdoor cooking kit could be a great fit for you. It is more expensive than the Odoland kit which can be an important deciding factor for some. The cookware’s stainless steel construction will hold up to repeated camping trips, too.
It does offer a few things that our top kit didn’t have, including helpful campfire cooking equipment like a spatula, a serving spoon, and the aforementioned separate bowls and plates. However, the plates are even smaller than the Odoland set.
What We Like…
- Cooking utensils included – This kit comes with campfire cooking equipment like a spatula and serving spoon, so you have even fewer things you need to pack.
- Stackable design for easy storage – Everything stacks neatly together inside the pot and it comes with a bungee cord to help keep the lid on tight in storage.
What Makes Us Angry…
- Tiny plates – If you thought the Odoland plates were on the small side, these Stanley plates are a full inch smaller in diameter. Don’t expect to be able to carry a heaping serving of food.
3. Best Campfire Stove and Cooking Kit Combo – Solo Stove Campfire Gear Kit Review
What if you don’t want to fight with getting the campfire set up just right for your pots and frying pan to not tumble over? What if you want more control over the fire? Solo Stove, makers of a number of outdoor gear including fire pits and pizza ovens, answered those concerns with their Campfire Gear Kit. Check out our full review of the Bonfire 2.0 with cast iron cooktop.
This set is focused exclusively on the campfire cookware and doesn’t concern itself with the utensils. The kit comes with a camp stove built in a similar vein to their fire pits as well as two pots and a tripod to suspend the cooking pots over the camp stove.
This makes the Campfire Kit different from the other campfire cooking kits we’ve looked at. However, it fills an important niche for some campers, making both building the fire and cooking over the fire simpler. From the stove to the pots and the tripod, everything is made from stainless steel which means it will hold up to repeated camping trips.
What We Like…
- Two different sized cooking pots – Solo Stove included a three-liter pot and a one-and-a-half liter pot in the kit. This gives you flexibility for heating up water for coffee in one pot or boiling pasta in the bigger pot.
- Cook stand for hanging the camping pot – The campfire tripod stand gives you the ability to cook at the right height over the flame without rigging something up that might fall into the fire on your next camping trip.
What Makes Us Angry…
- If you’re looking for an all-in-one kit, you aren’t going to be interested in this kit. It does not include any extra cooking tools or utensils for serving.
4. Best Portable Campfire Cooking Kit – Bulin Kit Review
The Bulin Kit is our favorite portable kit because it uses anodized aluminum for the cooking vessels while the bowls, plates, and two utensils are all BPA-free plastic. This makes it one of the lightest kits we looked at, perfect for camping adventures that you don’t want to pack heavy for. It also nests inside the biggest parts of the kit which means it doesn’t take up much space either.
If you’re looking for a full camping cooking kit that is easy to pack into a backpack, the Bulin kit is for you. It weighs just under three pounds which won’t weigh down a small family.
What We Like…
- Versatile kit – It has a frying pan, a pot, and a kettle. Whatever you want to cook or heat up, this kit can do it. It also has four bowls and two plates so you don’t have to pack extra place settings. Just make sure you bring all the utensils you need.
- Portability – All the pieces of the kit nest together to make one small item. It also comes with a storage bag for easy carrying.
What Makes Us Angry…
- Odd numbers of items – This camping cookware set has four bowls but only two plates. It also comes with a soup ladle and a rice spoon, but no other utensils.
5. Best Budget Campfire Cooking Kit – Bisgear Portable Kit Review
Camping can appeal to a wide range of people, each with their own camping style. You can go out and buy the most expensive tents and tools or camp on a budget. For those who are budget-conscious, the Bisgear Portable Kit is our pick for the best budget outdoor cooking set. It is designed for one person, but it has everything one backpack camper could want.
You get two aluminum pots, a tripod stand, a 16oz stainless steel cup with a silicone sleeve and a lid, and a full cutlery set (spoon, fork, knife AND spork!). It even comes with a mini stove to be used with a gas tank (not included, of course.) The smaller pot can be used as a pot or a pan. The cutlery set has its own handy bag and then everything fits inside a larger mesh storage bag.
What We Like…
- Everything in one budget and small set – You have everything a single person could need for cooking over a campfire (or over the mini stove if you want.)
- Spork – While some may find this amusing (myself included,) the fact that this set has a spork on top of the rest of the cutlery is great.
What Makes Us Angry…
- Really only designed for one person – If you’re looking for a budget kit for a family, you’d need to buy multiple sets which is inefficient. You don’t need four mini-stoves. For one person, this is a great budget campfire cooking kit.
Campfire Cooking Kits Explained:
Materials and Construction
When you are evaluating what campfire cooking equipment kit you want, one of the first items to discuss is materials. You have three main options for material: cast iron, stainless steel, and anodized aluminum. One of the best materials for cookware is cast iron.
Cast iron
Cast iron holds up to high heat, it heats evenly, it’s durable, and even if your cast iron set rusts, you can clean it up to make it look brand new.
Unfortunately for an outdoor cooking kit, cast iron is also extremely heavy. If you’re trying to pack light or backpack camping, cast iron is going to be too heavy for most of your cookware. You may also want to pre-season your cast iron cookware to make sure you’re cooking up the most delicious meal possible.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel is a good option for campfire cooking because it’s durable and lighter than cast iron. However, you need to make sure you bring oil or cooking spray because food will stick to stainless steel otherwise. That means the potential for messing up dinner and making a big mess that is hard to clean.
If you take good care of your stainless steel cookware, it will last a while, especially if you have good quality stainless steel.
Aluminum
You can find a number of campfire cooking kits made with aluminum cookware and for good reason. It’s light and fairly cheap. However, it’s not as sturdy as stainless steel and certainly not as sturdy as cast iron. There are also concerns about cooking with acidic foods and liquids causing aluminum and other metals to leach out of the cooking equipment.
If you’re getting an aluminum-based campfire cooking kit, look for anodized aluminum as the material. It’s harder, smoother, and more durable than standard aluminum.
Portability
Portability goes hand-in-hand with the discussion of the materials. The materials of the kit aren’t the only determining factor of portability, but it’s a big part. Cast iron would arguably be the ideal campfire cooking kit material except for the fact everything would weigh a metaphorical ton. You’ll need to figure out just how portable you need your camping equipment to be when choosing between stainless steel, cast iron, and aluminum.
Consider how you camp
Just how portable does your outdoor cooking gear need to be? That depends on what you want to use it for. If you’ve got an RV or like car camping and want to cook over a campfire right outside it, portability is more space-based and not as much about weight. You just need to be able to stow it away in your RV’s cupboard.
If you’re camping as part of a family where your vehicle will be close at hand, you have more flexibility in size and materials than someone who is backpacking. (Cast iron is a great choice for you because of its cooking quality.) If you’re backpacking, you need a kit that is as light as possible and takes up as little room as possible. That’s why we recommended the Bulin kit. Its aluminum structure is light and it condenses nicely.
Utensils
This is more of a preference than a necessity, but it can make your life easier when it comes to packing. A campfire cooking set that has utensils included means that you don’t have to pack additional forks and spoons for eating. If you’re anything like me, when you’re packing for camping, there’s always something that gets forgotten.
If the kit has the spoons and forks included, at least you don’t have to worry about running to the nearest store (that’s probably at least half an hour away if you’re lucky) to get cheap plastic utensils.
Buying Guide: What To Look For When Buying A Quality Campfire Cooking Kit
When we evaluated the campfire cooking kits, we wanted to give you the best range of options we could. You know your specific needs when it comes to cooking over a campfire.
For those of you who aren’t concerned about how much weight you’re carrying, look into bringing cast iron cookware. Cast iron will withstand the heat of the fire better than almost any other material, deliver great food, and is easier to clean when well taken care of than any of the other materials.
If you’re a backpacking camper, you want light and compact. You should be looking into kits made from anodized aluminum for the best combination of durability and weight. The kits should also stack for maximum efficiency. Stainless steel can be a good compromise for those who have moderate weight limitations.
When choosing the best campfire cooking kit for your needs, you need to establish your priorities first. When you know how important size and weight is, then you can narrow your search for what’s best for you.
Other Cooking Items To Take On Your Camping Trip
- Cleaning Equipment
You don’t want to go on a camping trip and cook only to unpack later and find food residue or mold over everything. You don’t need to go overboard with cleaning equipment, but if you want to take care of your campfire cooking kit properly, make sure you bring the materials you need.
If you’ve got a stainless steel or aluminum cooking kit, a small thing of dish soap and a scrub pad can do the trick. If you’ve got cast iron cookware, keep the soap away. Make sure you’re properly seasoning your cast iron before cooking and reapplying a thin coat of oil while the cookware is still warm from cooking. Paper towels are your best friend for oiling!
- Instant Read Thermometer
Cooking over a campfire can add so much to the camping experience. Overcooking (or heaven forbid, undercooking) your food can ruin it. A reliable instant-read thermometer can keep you out of trouble. We recommend the ChefsTemp Finaltouch X10 or the Thermapen ONE. They are small in size, which make them easy camping gear to pack.
Just make sure you use something reliable so you or a loved one doesn’t need a trip to the hospital with food poisoning.
- Charcoal
When most people think about campfires, they think about crackling wood. So why would we talk about bringing charcoal? Charcoal can help create a good bed of embers for wood logs to burn on. Charcoal can also help start a stubborn fire, especially if you can only find green wood or the wood got wet.
Charcoal is a great option for those who camp with their RVs and have the ability to bring bulkier gear like a dutch oven, a cast iron Lodge campfire or fire rings, and other cast iron cookware. When your focus is quality open-flame cooking and not portability, charcoal should absolutely make your packing list.
You can also just start a regular charcoal fire and cook over it, too. Just make sure you bring a fire starter or even a charcoal chimney.
- Campfire Grill Grate
We love the idea and the smell of cooking over a live campfire. However, you might sometimes struggle with getting the pot or pan to sit properly over the fire. No one wants their food or liquids to slosh right into the hot flames, right?
One option at your disposal is a campfire grill or campfire grates. If you want something to help establish a proper cooking surface for your pots, check out our roundup of the best campfire grills and grates.
- Tin Foil
Tin (or aluminum) foil is an essential tool in any griller’s arsenal whether at home or on the go. Thankfully a roll of foil doesn’t take up much room or weigh a lot. It can help keep leftovers from spoiling or you can even use it to help cook. One of the easiest ways to use it is slicing or cubing potatoes and cooking them in a packet of foil with butter or oil and seasonings. (If you’re wondering about cutting boards, it may be helpful to know you can get a collapsible cutting board that packs easily with your other camping gear.)
- Pot holder or lid lifter
You don’t want to try to get the lid off of your cast iron dutch oven when it’s been on an open flame without some protection for your hand. Even the best campfire cooking kits don’t come with these tools, so it’s best to pack one.
Campfire Cooking Kit FAQs
Q: How do you set up a campfire for cooking on?
A: Select an area clear from any bushes or trees that could catch. Build a fire with tinder under smaller sticks, then as they catch add more wood. Once the fire is caught and steadily burning, let the wood burn down to hot coals. You want to cook over coals, not huge flames. The temperature will be more consistent and you’re less likely to burn yourself (and keep your eyebrows.) A campfire cooking grate or fire rings can be helpful, too.
Q: Can I cook with a frying pan over a campfire?
A: You can but there are some exceptions and you need to be careful. A frying pan with a plastic or wooden handle should never be used over a live fire. The potential for melting or burning is very high around an open fire, much more so than on your stove top. If you’ve got a ceramic-coated frying pan or porcelain-enameled frying pan, they could suffer chipping or fracturing in the high heat of a fire.
Campfires can reach up to 1650 degrees Fahrenheit, while non-stick pans can give off dangerous fumes when they get over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. When you’re trying to make sure you don’t undercook food, you don’t want to also worry about your cookware giving you health problems.
Q: What can I cook in my campfire cooking kit?
A: Whatever you darn well please! Really, though, you’re only limited by what you can bring with you and what can fit in your pots and pans. You can boil water for drinking coffee or hot cocoa. You can make eggs in a pan. You could even make stew or soup in a dutch oven. As long as you’re keeping yourself safe and properly handling the food, go wild! Hey, you can always grab good marshmallow roasting sticks or a skewer to cook hot dogs over the open fire for nostalgia’s sake, too.
Q: Can you use regular pots and pans on a campfire?
A: As with frying pans or any other cooking gear, there are some regular versions you can use but ideally you’d like something that is built to withstand the high heat of a campfire. That means several things: that it won’t break down or melt, it won’t leach chemicals into your food, and it will hold up over many camping trips. Your best bets are cast iron, stainless steel, and aluminum without wood or plastic handles.
Wrapping It Up
There are a lot of great campfire cooking kits out there. Our favorite kit that offers the best combination of portability and utility is the Odoland 22-piece kit. It’s perfectly suited for a family of up to four people without being too unwieldy. You and your family can cook your favorite camping foods, eat them, and even enjoy drinks.
We love that it comes with pots and pans and the place settings, including cutlery and cups, for four while not bogging you down. It’s a lot easier carrying around one bag than trying to wrangle everything separately.
If you’re planning a weekend getaway with the family or a solo backpacking trip, make sure you check out these options to help make mealtime easy!
| IMAGE | MODEL | FEATURES | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top PickTop PickOdoland Camping KIt |
| CHECK PRICE |
| Runner UpRunner UpStanley Basecamp Kit |
| CHECK PRICE |
| Includes Camp StoveIncludes Camp StoveSolo Stove Campfire Gear Kit |
| CHECK PRICE |
| Best PortableBest PortableBulin Camping Kit |
| CHECK PRICE |
| Best BudgetBest BudgetBisgear Camping Kit |
| CHECK PRICE |
