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

 

[FishinCrzy]

I have some of these (not this particular brand) and have found them vey useful.

Bo-Camp Saucepan Siliconen Opvouw. 1,3Lt

www.outdoorxl.com

There are some limitations but they do pack well. I see more choices than a few years ago.

 

[Dave in AZ]

I have some of these (not this particular brand) and have found them vey useful.

Bo-Camp Saucepan Siliconen Opvouw. 1,3Lt

www.outdoorxl.com

There are some limitations but they do pack well. I see more choices than a few years ago.

He said no silicone or rubber pls, wants campfire usable.

 

[Dave in AZ]

The bane of cooking, and camp cooking in particular, is thin weak metal pans. And when you get a nesting set, they are almost always cheap thin metal. And made in shapes that are not good for cooking, prioritizing nesting over proper pan shapes.

Because camp cooking has extremely poor control over heat intensity and hotspot size, having clad cookware, i.e. thick stuff with a core to transfer heat, is critical. Propane stoves generally have small burners creating a small hotspot, and can't be set accurately very lightly. So terrible to cook on with thin pots. Fire use is similar issues.

Here is what I recommend.
1. 12" carbon steel wok. With a lid. This is light and pretty thin, but can be made completely nonstick easily. Serves as your frypan, saute pan, small to large pot for soup etc. Normal woks are 14".
Here is a video using one for camp cooking, and I think I have an amazon link in video description

Here is a seasoning video showing how easy, wok is new:

2. You can nestle any cheap nonstick pan underneath the wok when storing, if desired, but once you use it a week you'll realize nonstick pans are no longer required.
3. Inside the wok, I carry an 8" stainless frypan and a 6" stainless pot that has thick walls and bottom for good heat transfer, with a lid. They are old All Clad ones I don't use around house. They all nestle together as good or better than any kit I ever had! And I used to go backpacking and have had several nestling "messkits" starting 50 yrs ago in boyscouts.
4. Kettle, here is a 2.1 L or 1.5 L one I bought, isable as a pot also, that has heat exchanger fins on bottom to efficiently capture flame heat and boil fast. $30 ish
Bulin Camping Pot Camping Coffee...
This forum strips out amazon links. Enter your amazon dot com, then add this:
/dp/B0B3HBMJ4N

I actually use an electric kettle now for ease and speed for coffee, with my powerstation. This one is double walled, so it holds water hot, stainless so no rust. Inside is single piece so no leaks. Im pretty happy with this one... read 1000 1star reviews before buying.
BOMICHING Electric Water Kettle,...
BOMICHING Electric Water Kettle,...
This forum strips out amazon links. Enter your amazon dot com, then add this:
/dp/B09YLT13

 

[grubworm]

the stanley set @socal66 mentioned is a great set. ive been using stanley nesting pots since i started backpacking back in the 80s and i still have my original set. im sure a lot of the chinese knock-offs are good, but the stanley brand is tried and tested and for a few dollars more...i think they are worth it.

we have a camp trailer and i carry carbon steel pans now, like @Dave in AZ just posted...but i still keep the stanley set in my truck and use it ever now and then because they are just so easy to have and use.

i would just avoid anything with a non-stick coating because the non-stick doesnt last long and it will flake off in your food. been there and done that
just keep in mind that "overlanding" is basically driving and eating, so dont cheap out on cooking gear!

 

[genocache]

I too camp singly, cooking for 1 sometimes 2. I found the Stanley Adventure set Robot or human? works great! Boil water for freeze dried meals or coffee. Fits MSR single burner hiking stove or a Coleman single burner white gas to a dual burner. Paired up with a cast iron pan.
If you need to boil more water nothing beats a Kelly Kettle! You are being redirected... I recommend the Stainless models as the aluminum deforms. I made an adapter for my Colman single burner to the Kelly Kettle since a lot of places have a fire ban, Kelly Kettle stove adapter

 

[irish44j]

Lots of great advice here, definitely looking into all your suggestions!

re: the electric kettle - yeah, that would be idea, but my power pack is just a Jackery 500 (also running my fridge) so not sure if it has the start-up wattage for the electrics (at least, it won't run my cuisinart one in my kitchen, i tried). That kelly kettle is pretty neat though and seems convenient in not having to break out a burner if I don't need to.

 

[ZombieCat]

MSR and GSI Outdoors both have nice sets of stainless nested pots/pans. Your Jetboil is fine for most things, especially heating water, or you could get a Pocket Rocket or similar stove. My plates and bowls for travel are all the cheap plastic stuff you can buy at Walmart/Target. They work fine and are lightweight/easy to replace. My silverware is from Goodwill and a couple of knives and other utensils from Homegoods. I have a small coffee pot and a good knife sharpener. I’m a fan of one pot meals - less time cooking and cleaning, more time for fun.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

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.

Think I've seen an even smaller one of these without plates and stuff. Sort of the size of a Stanley food jar?

 

[North American Sojourner]

I don't have any suggestions because I carry a chuck box full of stainless pots and pans. LOL
I don't care if it's 2lbs or 25lbs I still get 12.3 mpg on the road and I've got the room.
I remember the Boy Scout pot and pan kits we had back in the 70's. Huge and heavy.
Zim

 

[John and Mandi]

We are in a van so we carry a full thick bottom all stainless 10 piece Magma nesting pot set, not even sure they even make the non-coated set anymore. It's also the set we use in our house. We went through many sets before biting the bullet and getting the expensive one which we've been using for 14 years. We also carry a pressure cooker so giving advice on a set is probably not helpful. We can pass along tips on how to cut down a little on gear. We are coffee press people but friends carried a coffee pour over and it worked decently. Other friends had their glass press explode so they cowboy brewed and poured it through a a small wire mesh strainer. All of us just used one of our pots to boil water instead of bringing along another item. We picked up a collapsible kettle (eventually two, one for the stoves and one that is electric) but it really isn't necessary since we have an all stainless double wall press. We also carry a snap ball tea strainer.

It comes down to how you make coffee and tea. If it's instant and bags then just use a pot to boil water, same for a press, pour over, or tea strainer. If you prefer perked than you'll have to carry one. For most meals a medium sized pot and a 8-10" pan would cover about 95%. We recommend having lids as we don't carry a strainer so we use the lids to pour out water when making noodles etc. We also highly recommend one pot meals, just makes life so much easier but it does require a stove that can actually simmer. A great breakfast is to cook your bacon in the pan, next fry up the eggs in the bacon grease, then finishing with hoe cakes (A.K.A. Johnny Cakes) sucking up all the remaining bacon grease. For 1-3 days we'd prep out our meals, even pre-cutting the veggies etc, to cut down on even having to use/clean a cutting board, knives, etc.