When camping, the type of cookware you have can make a meal very enjoyable or it can make it a disaster. Understanding the various types of cookware advantages and disadvantages will help make your outdoor cooking a memorable experience instead of one to avoid. Cooking outdoors is much more demanding on your cookware than cooking at home with your kitchen cookware. As we all know a well fed camper makes a happy camper. Your outdoor cookware should be versatile and tough. An important factor is to store it in plastic containers, this way its always ready to go when you are. No worries in forgetting an important piece of cookware this way.
The type of camping you do will depend on what type of cookware you will need. Like your home cookware, outdoor cookware comes in many types of sets and types of materials from which to choose.
Titanium is a popular metal that is durable and extremely lightweight and will last a long time if taken care of which attracts backpackers and hikers. This material also heats quickly which in turn requires less fuel consumption. Because of this, one should pay close attention to food preparation as food will burn quicker. In addition, this cookware is a natural non-stick metal and will require less water or oil for cooking. The biggest disadvantage of titanium is it cost more than other cookware.
Aluminum cookware is about the cheapest outdoor cookware there is. This cookware is lightweight and conducts heat evenly which makes simmering foods easier without scorching. However, this metal will break down slowly by cooking acidic foods. In addition, aluminum dents and scratches easily. If aluminum is your choices of cookware then try the anodized aluminum which is just as strong as stainless steel, yet it is lighter, cleans easily, and conducts heat just as well as pure aluminum does.
Stainless steel cookware is what can be found in most homes. Stainless steel outdoor cookware is most popular with the car camper and family camper that is not concerned much by the weight. The reason being this metal is strong, durable, cleans easily, and does not scratch very easily. However, when cooking with stainless steel cookware one should pay close attention to food cooking for this metal does not distribute heat evenly. An option for this outdoor cookware is to purchase a set that has the outside aluminum bottom which will distribute heat more evenly.
Backpackers mostly use sets of cookware that are light weight and pack inside of each other. This way the only space that is taken up is the size of the largest pot. However, some canister stoves pack inside of a pot and the lid serves as a frying pan, so there is no need for additional cookware. The car camper and family camper have more options when selecting outdoor cookware. These type campers can purchase individual pieces to fit their specific needs or purchase different size sets that will fit the needs from small familys to large groups.
