My camp cookware is old. I bought it at a garage sale about 5-6 years ago, and my husband recognized it as exactly the same stuff he camped with as a kid in the 60's. It's served its purpose well, but I'm ready to replace it.
Should I go with stainless or non-stick? I use both at home, and have no particular preference, although I do enjoy that the nonstick is way easier to clean. I already have some cast iron pans, so I don't need to buy more of those (plus, I don't like them!)
I'm no gourmet camp cook. Boil water, heat up pasta sauce, fry some scrambled eggs...that about covers our menu. I just need something good for my family of four, that folds down or nests for compact packing in the rubbermaid box. We car camp with our tent, exclusively, probably 10-15 days a season.
Depends on size of family - or size of mouths/bellys to feed. I/We (2 adults) like 'Texsport' BlackIce cookset - tripple coated hard anodized alum. 7" fry, 1qt. pot, 1 1/2qt pot, 2 lids -attached folding handles -- all nest. 1 set in tent camp 1set in MH. About $25 at WallyWorld. Best we have found so far. Also have a couple of big ol' pots - don't know why we keep taking them - don't use. Just added 2qt. wide bottom granite tea-kettle to tent collection - wide bottom catches more usable heat and boils water really fast. Suits us. Happy Shopping oops!! camping.
We have a family of 4, and although 2 of them are still only 8&9, they'll grow. The sizes of the pans/pots in your suggestion wouldn't be big enough for us.
When I'm tent camping, what I have to clean posts and pans in is a plastic tub. Scrubbing anything that's not non-stick is a pain in the butt. I vote for non-stick. With it, you can use a paper towel to scrape everything off into the trash and you don't dirty your dishwater as fast. Get good stuff, take good care of it and it'll last you a good long time. Non-stick coatings today are much more durable than they were 10-20 years ago.
The only disadvantage of non-stick is technical: you can't really make a pan sauce with it because whatever you're sauteeing doesn't stick to the bottom. For most of us, that's not a huge consideration.
And don't deep fry (or use in an oven) in a non-stick as the higher heat releases compounds in the Teflon material that aren't healthy. Use a steel, aluminum or cast-iron pan for deep frying. Cast iron will they heat more evenly, don't release harmful compounds and are very efficient once heated. Yep, they're heavy and not for backpacking.
Just a thought. You stated you do not like cast iron. Is it because of weight or a bit extra work to keep clean?
I'm asking as some people are not aware of how to handle cast iron. If that is you:
Never actually wash the cast iron in soapy water. You clean it by using salt and oil. There is some work to this. You have to rub the oil and salt inside the pan with a handywipe or paper towels. Then, once clean, more oil to remove excess salt and leave oil on the pan --- all sides including outside.
If you correctly clean and season the cast iron, it works quite well. Washing it will remove the oil and everything will stick to the pan.
If it's the weight, can't help you there. DW and I 'car camped' as you for decades, so I understand what you're saying. Same thing --- no gourmet cooking and everything fit into a couple of plastic bins (which we still use with a popup camper).
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retiredtraveler wrote: Just a thought. You stated you do not like cast iron. Is it because of weight or a bit extra work to keep clean?
I'm asking as some people are not aware of how to handle cast iron. If that is you:
If you correctly clean and season the cast iron, it works quite well. Washing it will remove the oil and everything will stick to the pan.
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While I'm not accustomed to the xtra work in maintaining the cast iron, my issue isn't really that. My issue is that my son has multiple food allergies, and I need to make sure every cooking tool, utensil, pot & pan is thoroughly cleaned from any of the allergens that would cause a reaction. If I cook eggs, and don't get all the egg residue out, and use that pan to prepare something for him, we'll be grabbing the epi-pen, or at least the Benedryl.
It's not so serious that I have two sets of cookware in the house, but I do have a stoneware piece that I clean similarly to how you described the cast iron, and I never use that stonewear for my son's food. Can never be too cautious! We've had too many 911 calls and episodes of vomiting, swelling, and hives.
I have found a wok can be very useful in a camp setting when the number of cooking utensils are limited. You can fry, use as a dutch oven, pan for boiling/heating etc. One with a handle, lid and nonstick has been best for us. The size needed is up to the cook and number of people.. You can get one cheap at a big box store.
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Hi,
Depends on size of family or how candidate to feed. If your family is small then you have bought non- stick cookware. because it is easier to clean. If your family is big then i recommend you stainless still.
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The sizes of the pans/pots in your suggestion wouldn't be big enough for us.
