Pots and pans (and kettle?) - nesting, compact, not crazy expensive

[irish44j]

I've been doing a lot of reading, but it's clear that many here have more extensive cooking needs than I do / more space to put stuff / more actual cooking skill than I have. Anyhow, I'm looking to pick up a small set for camp cooking that ideally would include a pot, a frying pan/griddle, and a kettle that all nest together. Most of my trips are 1-3 days, and I'm a pretty basic chef so really just want to make soup, pasta, burgers/grilled cheese, pancakes, and other basic stuff. And I'd like a good kettle/teapot that nests with that stuff, since I like to drink coffee and most coffeepots are cumbersome and hard to fit into compact storage. I'm usually cooking for just myself, or maybe 2 people so don't need "family size" stuff. I usually cook over a two-burner propane stove or a Jetboil, but would like something that can go over the campfire as well if appropriate (so, no rubber melting handles...)

And when I say "fit" I mean that my camping vehicle is compact. VERY compact. So the goal is always to pack as smartly as possible (hence the interest in nesting pots/pans/kettle) since I don't have a ton of space available like many do. And this picture makes my space look LARGER than it actually is lol. The black footlocker is holding my food and cooking stuff right now, but it's a random bunch of cheap pots and pans and utensils that are pretty crappy and definitenly don't pack up well.

I'm not a hardcore long-duration overlander, mostly just a weekender, so not looking to spend a fortune on some of the awesome high-end stuff. But also pretty apprehensive about some of the Amazon "camping cook sets," which of course there are a million of out there (not to say they're all bad, but it's hard to tell which ones are decent, and which ones suck).

So, any suggestions/recommendations are more than welcome!

 

[K12]

I dont have specific recommendations as brand. I would recommend looking into cast iron, maybe a Wok. Wok is extremely versitile and you can use it over a fire or burner. it would be a single piece of cooking equipment and you could get a small kettle that fits your needs. Its hard to give links to specifics since everyones setup and storage is different.

 

[socal66]

I have a Jeep that has the same requirements for needing to pack things small. I use one of the Stanley nesting cookouts such as this:

https://a.co/d/7NArTqA

They have other sets with different combinations but we use this one and removed the plastic dishes/bowls/utensils and used the freed up space to nest a couple of other smaller nesting pots we previously had. The Stanley cookware is simple and well made out of stainless steel. Between this set, a two burner stove, and a Jetboil system we can cook pretty much anything we need to. Perhaps you can find a small kettle that would fit in place of the dishware for your set.

 

[El-Dracho]

Paying attention to pack size and weight is great, I always do. And of course a kettle should also be light and relatively small in pack size. I have a Primus kettle for many years and it's really great. It's available in two sizes, I have the larger version. It´s named Primus LiTech. Great quality.

LiTech Coffee/Tea Kettle 1.5L | Lightweight, Aluminum | Primus – Primus Equipment US