The Cookware You Need for Your Next Camping Trip

No camping trip is complete without a cookware set to help make your meals while you’re in the great outdoors. Even though the ethos of camping is to make do with what you’ve got, you want to make sure that what you’ve got can get the job done. Whether you’re the kind of camper that’s whipping up a gourmet meal over the campfire or you just need a few pots and pans to help you boil water and maybe fry an egg, there’s a camping cookware set out there that will fit your needs.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Technology Lab, we’ve tested more than 90 sets of camping cookware. While we may not have pitched our tents or set up a campfire to test them, we made 50 eggs, seared 10 steaks, and brought 10 quarts of water to a boil to help us with our ratings. We also evaluated how well the nonstick coating or stainless steel worked (as well as how easy they were to clean), how well the pans were able to brown meat and if these saucepans were able to maintain a simmer. Finally, we checked how easy all cookware items were to use, including whether handles became hot to the touch and how easy it was to reassemble the stacked nesting order.

Here are the best camping cookware sets you can buy in 2021, including top-tested picks, popular brands, and editor favorites:

• Best Overall Nonstick Cookware Set: GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Cookware Set
• Best Value Camping Cookware Set: Stanley Adventure Full Kitchen Base Camp Cook Set
• Most Durable Camping Cookware Set: Stanley Adventure Even-Heat Camp Pro Cook Set
• Best Camping Cookware Set for Camp Stoves: Sea to Summit x set 32 (3 piece)
• Best Camping Cookware Set for Backpacking: Toaks Titanium 750mL Pot and 450 mL cup combo set
• Best Camping Cookware Set for a Solo Day Trip: Soto Navigator Cook set
• Best Camping Cookware for RV/Car Camping: Lodge Blacklock Deep Skillet
• Best Camping Cookware Set for Outdoor Survival: Kelly Kettle Ultimate Base Camp kit
• Best Camping Cookware for Families/Beginners: Woods Selkirk Anodized 4-pc cook set
• Easiest Camping Cookware Set to Clean: GSI Bugaboo Base Cookware Set