Cooking over a fire takes experience and, some would argue, natural-born aptitude. But the camp cookware of old didn’t help matters. Today’s far improved technology has transformed every last piece of camping gear – from air mattresses to coolers to food itself – and hasn’t skipped the campfire cooking set. Gone are the old blue and white speckled warhorses. As much as we loved/hated them, a new generation of campfire cooking set engineering has arrived and changed the game.

The Ultimate Campfire Cooking Set

Campfire cooking set technology is rapidly perfecting foldable handles, roomy storage and tough-as-nails materials. The first improvement is using durable and attractive stainless steel in constructing pots and pans. Primus' campfire cooking set offers two pots, two lids and a frying pan, all of which stack together. All are 18/8 stainless steel, so the camp stove will last for decades of regular use.

These pots and pans have handles made for hanging when not in use, even long enough to extend over a fire. Combined with the latest two-burner camp stoves, the campfire cooking set allows for preparing a full meal that, of course, tastes better because it’s all happening outdoors.

Campfire cooking set basics require retractable or foldable handles, and these are a great feature of each Primus set. The handles are out of the way when stored in its bag, but are sturdy when in use. The other must-have is a way to store and pack the set easily, and this cook set doesn’t disappoint. Once used and cleaned, it stacks with frying pan on bottom, and tucks neatly into its drawstring bag.

The frying pan in this set includes an aluminum-clad bottom which improves heat distribution and a foldable handle that locks into place when in use. Large enough to do a generous fry up for breakfast, the bags up nicely with the rest of the set. The larger pot includes a notched handle for hanging over a campfire, but all pots and pans can be used easily with any portable, one or two burner stove set-up.

Both lids have a much needed and handy feature in the leather strap that allows cooks to pick up the lid without having to pry it out or touch a hot edge. Lids include a series of holes to preclude boil over and allow for draining water (as in pasta). The lids also securely rest and slightly nest into both pots so they don't slide off.

The cook set is deceptively simple looking, at first appearing to be just another stainless steel mix of pots and pans you’d find at a thrift shop—but the locking handles and lids, plus small holes in lids and stackable feature make this an excellent outdoor set for cooking on the fly. The set fits together as it should, but comes apart when you need it to. 

For your next outdoor adventure, take along a campfire cooking set that will improve your outdoor chef cred, and make cleanup and packing as hassle-free as possible. For a humble set of pots and pans, this set impresses in its simplicity, design, and overall effectiveness.