Cookware
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Types of Cookware
Pots and Pans
Cups and Mugs
Plates and Bowls
Utensils
Kettles
Coffee Presses and Filters
Thermoses
Storage Containers
Food Bags
Coolers
Kitchen Accessories
Top Picks
How we choose: The best cookware highlighted here were selected based on 968 reviews of 442 products. Our top picks are those that are readily-available in the United States and have received the highest overall ratings from reviewers.
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Snow Peak Titanium Spork
This was a great buy. It performs exactly as a spork should. It is really useful when separating fish meat from the bones.
Reasons to Buy
- Strong
- Durable
- Easy to clean
This spork is really well made and is built to last. I have had mine for two years. It is much sturdier than the plastic alternatives. Definitely worth the purchase. You can also use it as a scraper on fire steel.
Read more: Snow Peak Titanium Spork reviews (11)
Toaks Titanium Long Handle Spoon with Polished Bowl
My trusty Long Handle Titanium spoon is the only eating utensil that I need in the backcountry. It is simple and functional, and does a much better job than any spork.
Reasons to Buy
- Long handle (8.5" total length)
- Lightweight (0.5 oz)
- Relatively inexpensive
- Titanium=durability
- Easy to clean
- Flat edge to scrape/cut
Reasons to Avoid
- Easy to lose or get mixed up with other hikers' spoons.
Ease of Use: A good eating utensil should be one of the simplest pieces of gear. Done right, most backpackers will find that they only need one utensil for fast and effective food delivery. But this is a piece of gear that people often get wrong, IMHO. For years I had it wrong too. I fell into the trap of thinking a spork was the one, all-purpose utensil that I needed for the trail. A sampling of all the utensils I have tried over the years. Having used my long handle spoon for the past four years, I can no longer fathom why sporks have garnered such favor.
Read more: Toaks Titanium Long Handle Spoon with Polished Bowl reviews (3)
Snow Peak Ti-Double 450 Cup
If coffee, tea, or any hot beverage matters to you then you'll have no problem justifying the cost.
Reasons to Buy
- Liquid stays HOT
- Exceptional durability
- Light as a feather
Yep. 50 to 60 bucks for a mug. But if you're a committed coffee / tea / cocoa drinker then this will be money VERY well spent. I picked this up via a gift card gift so it took the price tag sting away a bit but, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't hesitate to drop the money on it at full retail. After years of drinking my morning coffee in whatever lightweight container I had, and needing to do it quickly before it cooled off, this double walled mug has been a game changer. Pour the coffee, drink a little, walk away to do some camp chores, come back and drink a little more HOT coffee.
Read more: Snow Peak Ti-Double 450 Cup reviews (8)
Sea to Summit AlphaLight Long Spoon
Sea to Summit's AlphaLight Long Spoon is an ultralight, anodized aluminum spoon that, due to its superiority, has replaced the Titanium Spork I've carried for nearly 15 years.
Reasons to Buy
- Ultralight (0.4 oz)
- Reaches the bottom of freeze-dried food bags
- Clips to your pack with a 0.05 mini-biner
Reasons to Avoid
- Loses the tines of a spork
- Wish the bowl was a bit larger
Most of us have done it...Finished off the last of our Mountain House meal by digging into the bottom of the bag and allowing our hand to be covered in tomato sauce or other goo. It seems to go with the territory. Let's start with a short, slightly narcissistic video. For 15 years, my Snow Peak Titanium Spork has been my companion on every camping adventure, but earlier this year, I stumbled upon the Sea to Summit AlphaLight Long Spoon. There was, of course, a moment of indecision. I mean, I've had my spork almost as long as I've had my wife, and I'm a pretty committed person.
Read more: Sea to Summit AlphaLight Long Spoon reviews (5)
GSI Outdoors Compact Scraper
A double-sided tool, with a hard, plastic edge for more difficult scraping, and a soft, silicone edge to lightly scrape leftover liquid or softer foods. If you like cooking and don't like washing dishes, this is an essential tool to have as part of your camp kitchen, no matter how small or large it may be. Pair this with some baby wipes and your dishwashing will never be easier. Spending five bucks on this scraper will save you the cost of having to prematurely replace worn-out non-stick cookware.
Reasons to Buy
- Compact size that nests into almost anything
- Durable construction
- Color-coding makes sides easily discernable
- Extends like of non-stick cookware
Reasons to Avoid
- Use of lanyard hole makes operation cumbersome
If you like cooking and don't like washing dishes, this is an essential tool to have as part of your camp kitchen, no matter how small or large it may be. It is a double-sided tool, with a hard, plastic edge for more difficult scraping, and a soft, silicone edge to lightly scrape leftover liquid or softer foods. This came included with my GSI Crossover Kitchen Kit, and is easily one of my favorite items in my kitchen. Using this scraper saves time and effort when washing dishes, and if your non-stick cookware is slick enough, it makes a tedious and lengthy chore into a short and simple one.
Read more: GSI Outdoors Compact Scraper reviews (5)
MSR Titan Kettle
General Product Description: This is a .8 liter one-person cook pot. It has a rigid wire handle, a short spout, and a tightly fitting lid. Bottom Line: All but the most fanatic backpackers cook something, so I count cookware amongst the "essentials" of backpacking. Of all the pots and pans I've used, none has impressed me more than the MSR Titan Kettle. Best Uses: This item is best used to cook simple meals for one person, or as a smaller accessory pot in groups. Positive features Size: At .8 liters, this pot holds a generous cup of tea or coffee.
Read more: MSR Titan Kettle reviews (10)
GSI Outdoors H2JO! Coffee Filter
Best backcountry coffee maker, so far.
Reasons to Buy
- Fits on Nalgene bottles
- Takes up almost no space
- Makes great coffee
- Lightweight
- No filters to pack out
Reasons to Avoid
- Allows tiny amounts of grounds to leak through; less than a french press
So in my search for the ideal backcountry coffee maker I stumbled upon this one. My search had these criteria: lightweight, easy to use, durable, packable, inexpensive and small. The H2JO fits all of these criteria. The H2JO screws in to the top of a standard Nalgene bottle and can be used two ways: Infuser method: Fill the filter with coarse ground coffee, pour hot water over it into the bottle, cap the bottle, invert the bottle and wait a few minutes for the coffee to brew. Then unscrew the H2JO, dispose of the grounds and drink the coffee.
Read more: GSI Outdoors H2JO! Coffee Filter reviews (4)
AeroPress Coffee Maker
Right up front, this lightweight, compact coffee press is absolutely the best way to make coffee! It's fast and extremely easy to use. Setup, brewing, and cleanup takes less than 2.5 minutes.
Reasons to Buy
- Easy to use
- Brews GREAT coffee!
- Lightweight and compact
- Fast brewing time
Reasons to Avoid
- Heavily counterfeited
I love my coffee, and the Aerobie AeroPress is hands down the best coffee maker that I have ever come across. It's so good, that there are almost 35,000 positive reviews and how-to videos on YouTube. I highly recommend watching some of those videos. I highly recommend any one of the inverted methods. Setup, brewing, and cleanup are simple, and it's very fast. Once your water is hot, you are 50 seconds from a great cup of coffee. Cleanup requires almost no water. Just wipe it off and it's ready to brew another cup.
Read more: AeroPress Coffee Maker reviews (6)
GSI Outdoors Halulite Microdualist Cookset
Compact, light and convenient. Perfect Trekkers cookset.
Reasons to Buy
- Packable
- Light
- Comfortably accommodates 2
- Scratch resistant
- Packed with features
Reasons to Avoid
- Flimsy and hard to clean sporks
- Rubber handle can melt from liquid gas stoves (but not canister stoves)
I bought this a couple of years ago and fell in love with it! I'm able to pack my entire cooking setup without sacrificing more space in my pack! Everything nestles inside of itself nicely! What I like: Packable, lightweight 2 insulated cups with lids (I can finally leave the mug at home), 2 eating bowls, All plastic is BPA free! Strainer on pot lid, Integrated rubber handle (leave pot gripper at home). What I don't like: Flimsy and hard to clean spork. I replaced these with a Light My Fire utensil. Rubber handle can melt from larger stoves Wish I could store 2 canisters with my stove. All in all, I'll be buying more product from GSI in the future. I have my eyes on the Minimalist!
Read more: GSI Outdoors Halulite Microdualist Cookset reviews (6)
Optimus Sliding Long Spoon
An extendable-handle spoon that's lightweight and perfect for reaching into the corners of food pouches.
Reasons to Buy
- Lightweight
- Extendable
- BPA Free
Reasons to Avoid
- A bit flat
- Has a moving part
What an ingenious little spoon! Collapsed the Optimus Sliding Long Spoon is slightly less than 7 inches long. Fully extended it is 9.5 inches long. Collapsed versus extended Weighing in at a paltry 25 grams, this little spoon is great for stirring your tea, eating soup, or digging into a bowl of your favorite breakfast cereal. Slide the handle into its extended position and, voila!, it's now perfect for digging out your dinner from the deep, dark recesses of those freeze dried food pouches! No more sloppy hands from using a too short spoon! Taller than a food pouch! When extended, the Optimus Sliding Long Spoon locks into place with a little spring-loaded button.
Read more: Optimus Sliding Long Spoon reviews (2)
More Cookware
Trailspace reviewers have shared 968 reviews of 442 different cookware. Narrow your search and view more specific cookware recommendations in these categories:
Pots and Pans
Cups and Mugs
Plates and Bowls
Utensils
Kettles
Coffee Presses and Filters
Thermoses
Storage Containers
Food Bags
Coolers
Kitchen Accessories
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