Camp stove pots

[Tex68w]

I have been looking for a set of pots to use with the camp cook stove. I love the stackable GSI stuff, but I would rather have stainless steel or brushed aluminum than the non-stick coated surface stuff and that's all that GSI offers. Primus makes a nice two pot set (3L and 1.8L with lids) with a frying that stores away in a bag for $69 through REI, seems like a great price but I haven't put hands on one since they only sell them online. REI also offers a similar set less the frying pan with a strainer in its place for $99 from Snow Peak. Stanley makes a decent set as well, but the larger pot is only 1.5L and it comes with a lot of cheap plastic utensils I have no use for. MSR sells sets and individual pots as well and they are probably the best value. I plan to use a Skottle and/or Lodge cast iron frying pans for grilling/frying/searing.

I would like for the pots to stack inside of one another for space savings and the lack of a non-stick surface will allow the use of a steel wool pad for easy clean up. Any suggestions here amongst those who have been down this road?

 

[mtnbike28]

I bought this Stansport set a couple of years ago. Heavy enough not to scorch food. Has cleaned up well every time, I am very happy with them. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stansport-Stainless-Steel-Family-Cook-Set/9856755

 

[Biker Eagle]

Magma

Just got a 10 piece set that stacks inside of each other. Heavy duty stuff. Will go in our camper. Spendy at over $200, but doubt we'll be able to wear it out.

 

[Outside somewhere]

Have a couple if stansports and a couple of msr. All of it 5+ years old. The black stainless coating outside is decent enough, the non stick for both has been excellent as haved been the handles. Less than $100 into all of them so I'm happy.

 

[tarditi]

All the aluminum stuff I've seen scorches and is hard to clean without really beating up the surface.
It's great for weight savings, but that's the primary redeeming quality.

I prefer my GSI pinnacle set.

Have you looked at Magma? Very popular in the cruising/boating scene - not light, but great cooking properties, durable, and pack down well.

 

[t-rex grrr]

I'm a fan of the Sea to Summit X-Pots b/c they're collapsable and function well. However, the bottom will get scorched if you don't stir the contents enough, but I found that it could easily be cleaned afterwards by boiling some water with dish detergent.

 

[Tex68w]

All the aluminum stuff I've seen scorches and is hard to clean without really beating up the surface.
It's great for weight savings, but that's the primary redeeming quality.

I prefer my GSI pinnacle set.

Have you looked at Magma? Very popular in the cruising/boating scene - not light, but great cooking properties, durable, and pack down well.

The Magma stuff has certainly caught my eye, I am leaning heavily towards their 7 piece or 10 piece stackable set at the moment. The GSI stuff is cool, but feels thin and I'm no fan of non-stick, simply doesn't cook as well.

 

[goin camping]

Attacking this from the other side...

I picked up a couple of Revere Ware SS & Copper pots for under $5 at a yard sale.

Figured they are quality and at that price if they get damaged, lost or thrown it would not matter. Still using them years later.

(I save so much money being a camper instead of an Overlander. )

 

[carbon60]

I quite like my Lagostina cookset:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/lagostina-camping-cookset-0763585p.html

Usually comes on sale for 25% off.

 

[Rumblefish_Pro]

How about Stanley Basecamp 4x

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfVpPhBymcQ

 

[Tex68w]

How about Stanley Basecamp 4x

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfVpPhBymcQ

I looked at the kit at REI the other day, very much in line with what I want, but I have no use for the flimsy plastic plates/utensils/cuttingboard/etc. so I don't want to pay for them.

Do you all see a need for a pot larger than 1.6L while camping, if not, the individual MSR pots would be perfect? I feel like I need at least 2L if not a 3L when cooking certain things. Am I overthinking this?

 

[krick3tt]

Did not understand the idea of ' the lack of a non-stick surface will allow the use of a steel wool pad for easy clean up' The idea of a non stick surface means you don't NEED steel wool for clean up. that is what non stick means...nothing sticks.

 

[Corey]

I have the Magma Ceramic coated stuff I have been using for a few years, it is great stuff, but heavy.
I recently bought the non stick GSI Pinnacle large and small sets, as they all can stack together on the large case.
I had bought the large GSI set first, but even the smallest pot was too big for just a can of chilli.
I had talked with GSI to see if the small set would nest with the bigger one, and a woman there test fitted it and said it would work, so I bought the small set too.
Both the GSI sets together weigh less than the Magma set.

Just test fitting both brands here last week after working on my new fridge slide/chuckbox setup.

 

[justrom]

I bought this Stansport set a couple of years ago. Heavy enough not to scorch food. Has cleaned up well every time, I am very happy with them. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stansport-Stainless-Steel-Family-Cook-Set/9856755

This is the one that we use as well. It served well for 3 months on the road then another 4 months at home while we waited for our household goods to catch up. The bottoms are pretty thick and no nonstick coating. There is only one handle and it can be a bit finicky to attach though it became easier over time. We use a separate frying pan as well.

I really needed my pots to nest, but if you can work around that requirement then buying cheap at a thrift store is going to offer a lot higher quality pots for a lot less money. "Outdoor" products all have a premium price tag on them...

 

[Tex68w]

Did not understand the idea of ' the lack of a non-stick surface will allow the use of a steel wool pad for easy clean up' The idea of a non stick surface means you don't NEED steel wool for clean up. that is what non stick means...nothing sticks.

Steel wool is necessary for cleaning up a pan without the non-stick coating. I prefer not to go with a non-stick because they scratch easily, do not cook as well or allow the ability to sear like a non-coated stainless, and the other half doesn't like the chemical make up of the coating itself. Will the non-stick cook 80% as well as the stainless, sure, but if I am going to drag a kitchen along with the truck to cook in the brush then I will live by the philosophy of anything worth doing is worth over doing and/or doing right. I love to cook and I refuse to do so with an inferior item like a non-stick pan would provide. It's as simple as that, YMMV.