Winter is here, and so is the campfire, tenting, picnicking and camping season. This is when we show our little barbeque cooking and grilling skills or prowess in caveman-style food preparation. There is something adventurous about campfire cooking. However, even if one has the best of food ingredients, the entire picnic or campfire culinary episode can turn into a misadventure if there aren't suitable cooking kits.
Let's focus only on the outdoor cooking pots.
Pro heat and ideal size
Look for outdoor pots or pans that heat up as quickly as possible. Now coming to the ideal size, a good set of pans should also be easy to downsize and save you some space with its nesting capabilities.
Heaviness
The campfire cooking kit's weight is another factor to take into account. To enjoy outdoor cooking, practicality is essential. Consider if you'll be carrying your cooking set in your backpack or if the car will do the needful. Your pots should be lighter the more strenuous activities you have planned to do on foot. Especially, if it involves trekking, then stay away from heavier cooking pots.
Cheap thrills for some other occasion
Avoid buying outlandishly cheap pot sets, as a rule. Alfresco cooking can be challenging because of them. For instance, they frequently have unstable parts and may have materials that will melt if placed near an open flame. Purchase much more durable things if you're willing to spend a bit extra money.
Count thermal conductivity
The heat conductivity of various materials varies to differing extents. What you plan to prepare while camping will determine the type of cooking set you require. Low thermal conductivity pots are ideal for soups and other liquid foods but not for dishes requiring minimal cooking water.
Preferred materials
Aluminium pots are one of the most popular items among camping cookware since they are lightweight, inexpensive, and excellent heat conductors. Choose the tougher aluminium varieties over the standard ones because they are more resistant to wear and tear. Duossal or Hard Anodized aluminium are a few solid options. However, choosing them will make the kit slightly heavier and less effective at conducting heat.
Stainless steel is reasonably priced, resistant to damage and rust, incredibly robust, and simple to maintain. It doesn't react with any form of food, unlike aluminium. The heat conductivity of these pots is adequate. As a cookware material, titanium offers unbreakable stability, but it is way pricey. Titanium vessels weigh less than those made of stainless steel, and their most significant advantage is their exceptional hardness. They aren't the best heat conductors. So, it may take a little time to initial heating.