Plates and bowls, let's overthink this together

[CWu21]

I didn't see these mentioned, could be because it's pricey. But I am very fond in the Hydro Flask plates and bowl. Super high quality and extremely durable. I have two young ones and having something that was strong and not going to fall apart was very important. Plus they look great

 

[64Trvlr]

I got my camping bowls, plates and other stuff at Kmart 25 years ago or so. It's Martha Stewart plastic that was 75% off. Money well spent and bullet proof, doesn't break, chip or dent.

 

[grubworm]

bullet proof, doesn't break, chip or dent.

im more impressed that its machinist mate proof...

 

[socal geek guy]

*covers rate on dd214.................

 

[obchristo]

I have the MSR Alpine Bowls and don't use them because they get freekin hot. Went back to some cheapy nesting plactic bowls from Targe'.

 

[oldsoldier181]

We use a cheap dish set from the dollar store. I just went and pickedout plates and bowls. As for utensils, I repurposed some old mess kit utensils. They are stainless, heavy, and the knife actually cuts

 

[SLO Rob]

We mix & match w/ 2 sets of each color. We currently have 14 place settings (7 different colors), & seeing all the colors in the cabinet makes me happy! Buy from www.tablematters.sg

Thanks for turning me on to www.tablematters... great site!

 

[dsheber]

Old School Coleman blue enamel set of 4 plates 4 bowls and 4 cups in a mesh bag. About 11x8 nested. Cheers, DZ

 

[tenebs]

I know this is an old post but this is my experience.
From a durability, easy of cleaning, and sanitation standpoint, I much prefer stainless steel. However, my husband doesn't like cold plates saying they make hot food cold quicker or too hot to hold. My stainless steel plates were the stainless steel gsi plates and msr bowls.
My current kit has plastic plates & bowls. I ended up using inexpensive kids bowls & plates from target. The plates have a raised edge which keeps food from going over the edge. While the bowl is small tht is fine as we take smaller portions so can go back for seconds from the pot where the food/soup stays warm. The plastic set is lighter weight, but I really hated cleaning them when the food was oily or fatty. It takes more & hotter water to clean versus metal plates.
Another criteria I have is I want the plates & bowls to nest compactly. Many options, camping or general, don't nest together well so they take up a bunch of space in the kitchen kit.

Lately I have thought about the hydroflask plates but the gsi I already have are equivalent. Now if the hydro flask had insulated bottoms that would be better. The same for the new Sea to Summit Detour plates. I like that they have a high raised edge so preferred over the hydro flask.
The hydro flask bowls take up much more post than my current sets.
The Sea to Summit Detour bowls give the option of two different sizes. While these are collapsible so take up very little space and the large bowl could also be used as a plate, I have concerns that the silicon part will attract dust and have the same cleaning problem. Also the folds by weaken & crack. I've had other collapsible camp gear split the folds.

I think I will put the stainless steel GSI plates & MSR bowls back in my kit. To try them again before I would commit to more expensive options.

 

[Ethan N]

I stole this image from a listing on eBay, but I have like 6 full sets of these Korean War era Army mess kits. You can't go wrong with one of these and it'll never get old.

 

[tenebs]

I stole this image from a listing on eBay, but I have like 6 full sets of these Korean War era Army mess kits. You can't go wrong with one of these and it'll never get old.


View attachment 291315

Those military mess kits are great, especially when you have a group of inexperiened travelers woth you and you need to suggestion a personal eatiing (plate bowel, utensil) kit to bring.

 

[tenebs]

I needed a couple of stainless steel bowls and all I could find at the time was sets of 4. I went for 2 dog food bowls ...

That is actually a good idea because those simple stainless steel dog bowls nest together very compactly and come in all kinds of sizes to suit your needs. What I hate about most bowl offerings is they dont nest together well taking up much more space. You also didnt have to pay the overland tax on those.

 

[tenebs]

Exploring this topic further I discovered wheat straw plates & bowls. Search it on amazon or google. They are microwave, dishwaher & freezer safe and unbreakable.

 

[mep1811]

This is my go to for plates and bowls.

 

[jimmyjamson]

While being stuck at home sheltering in place I've been going through my camp kitchen gear. I've never been completely satisfied with our current set of plates and bowls since they don't nest well and have been looking into options, and I'm interested in hearing what the rest of the OB community uses.

Must haves (for me)
- Durable since they'll get knocked around in the truck and and my daughter will likely drop them on the ground.
- Inexpensive for the reasons above and because I want to leave them drying in camp without worrying about someone taking a $$$ titanium piece.
- Nest well to save space.
- BPA free if they are plastic.
- Trying to avoid paper products since they aren't great for the environment and you run out of them at inopportune times.

Not important
- Weight since I'm not backpacking with these.
- Coolness factor, not tied to any brands.

Nice to have
Lids for the bowls so they can be used to store leftovers or keep bugs off, and for some insulating value so that hot foods don't burn the holder (does this rule out metal?), you might want to check out https://help-center.pissedconsumer.com/temu-vs-shein/ for more insights on which materials might work best.


Part of me likes the idea of stainless steel bowls since they can do double duty as mixing/prep bowls and are easy to clean after using them for things like scrambling eggs. That said, single-wall metal bowls are not fun to hold when full of hot soup or chili. The top contenders here so far are the MSR Alpine nesting bowls and the GSI Graniteware.

On the plastic front the GSI Cascadian options seem solid, nest well, everybody can have their color, and are reasonably priced. And the Sea to Summit Delta Bowl has an optional lid, but might not nest well and is $$.

Thoughts? What are you using for plates and bowls?

For durable, nesting, and affordable camp kitchen gear, I’d recommend the MSR Alpine nesting bowls for stainless steel, as they can double as mixing bowls and are easy to clean. For plastic, the GSI Cascadian bowls are a solid option—they’re BPA-free, durable, and nest well. The Sea to Summit Delta Bowl has an optional lid but might not nest as well and is pricier. If insulation is a concern, look into silicone-coated bowls to keep hands safe from hot food.

 

[DharmaBumOverland]

I’ve used the MSR stainless steel bowls and enamelware plates from Best Made Co., no complaints about either