Top 6 compared
The best camping cook sets
Hot meals and the first brew of the morning at camp, from a cook set that packs down small.
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The top 6 at a glance
A camping cook set is a camp kitchen in one bundle: pots that nest inside each other, a frying pan, often a kettle and sometimes cups, plates and cutlery, all packing into one bag. The smallest kits are a pot and a lid for a walker counting grams; the biggest feed a family. All are aluminium, light and quick to heat; several are anodised for a harder surface, and one is coated non-stick.
Only the Trangia brings its own heat, a spirit burner inside a two-part windshield; the rest go on the stove you already own. A little oil in the pan before cooking stops eggs and pancakes catching on anodised metal.
What matters
- A kettle with a proper spout, if the morning brew matters.
- Insulated or heat-resistant handles, kept clear of the flame.
- Pieces that do two jobs: a lid that’s also a pan.
- Room inside the nest for a small stove.
#1OVERMONT DS300 Camping Cookware Set (1–2 people)
£20–£30
A light anodised aluminium mess kit for one or two, built round a pot, a frying pan and a kettle with a pointed spout that pours without splashing, all stacking together into a mesh bag that hangs off a rucksack.
What owners say: Owners like how neatly everything stacks into its bag and find it a good size for one, though some expected it to be bigger and views on how well it lasts are split.
A closer look: Its handles are insulated plastic, so keep them clear of the flame on a wide burner and turn each pan so the handle sits away from the heat. Thin aluminium heats fast, too, so keep the flame low under the frying pan, or the middle can catch before the edges are hot.
- Kettle spout pours without splashing
- Mesh bag hangs off rucksacks
- Insulated plastic handles
- Pot and frying pan
Best for: One or two, on any stove
- Made for
- 1–2 people
- Material
- Anodised aluminium
- Kettle
- Yes
- Stove included
- No
- Weight
- 690g
#2Trangia 25-2 UL Cook Set with Kettle and Spirit Burner
£50–£75
A complete storm cooker for three or four: two saucepans, a frying pan and a 0.9-litre kettle nest round a spirit burner and a two-part windshield. Trangia’s first spirit stove came out in 1951, and the sets are still made in Trångsviken, Sweden. The OVERMONT leads because it goes on the stove a camper already owns; this is for someone who wants the whole kitchen, heat and all, in one nest.
What owners say: Owners count on it in wind and rain, say a full kettle boils in about five minutes, and find it very solidly built.
Heads up: Trangia’s rule for the burner: add spirit only once the flame is out and the burner is cool enough to hold, and fill it no more than two-thirds, about 100ml.
A closer look: Fuel is methylated spirit or bio-ethanol, carried in a proper fuel bottle: Trangia advises against packing the burner away with spirit inside, as it may leak. The handle grips each pan in turn, and the strap holds the whole nest together in a pack.
- Two-part windshield
- 1.75L and 1.5L saucepans
- 22cm frying pan
- Packs to 22 x 10.5cm
- Made in Trångsviken, Sweden
Best for: Cooking on windy, wet pitches
- Made for
- 3–4 people
- Material
- Ultralight aluminium
- Kettle
- 0.9L
- Stove included
- Spirit burner
- Weight
- About 1kg
#3Queta 10-Piece Camping Cookware Kit
£20–£30
A 570g aluminium mess kit: a saucepan, a frying pan and a kettle, plus three bowls, a spatula and a bamboo spoon, all folding and stacking into one bundle small enough to hang off a rucksack. It suits a weekend’s backpacking, or a spare set kept in the car boot for emergencies.
What owners say: Owners like how light it is and how small it packs, everything stacking into one bundle for a backpacking trip; some find it fiddly to clean, and several say it’s on the small side.
A closer look: The pans are sized for small portions, so plan on one-pot meals or boil-in-the-bag food rather than cooking for a crowd. Dry every piece before nesting it back together, and pack the sponge inside the saucepan so the bundle doesn’t rattle in the bag.
- Bundle hangs off a rucksack
- Spatula and bamboo spoon
- Folding handles
- Cleaning sponge included
Best for: Short backpacking trips
- Made for
- Not stated (three bowls)
- Material
- Aluminium
- Kettle
- Yes
- Stove included
- No
- Weight
- 570g
#4Odoland 15-Piece Camping Cookware Set (4–6 people)
£30–£50
The big one for a family pitch: a 2.9-litre pot, a 2-litre pot with a lid, a frying pan and a 1.1-litre kettle, plus five bowls and two plates, all coated non-stick and packed into one mesh bag at 1.27kg.
What owners say: Owners like that a whole group’s pots, kettle and bowls pack into one light bag, and like its smart black finish; some find food sticks despite the coating.
A closer look: Coated pans last longer with wooden or silicone tools, like the bamboo spatula that comes in the set, and the soft sponge rather than a scourer. With two pots on the go, one can hold pasta or a stew while the other boils water, and the kettle looks after the hot drinks.
- 2.9L and 2L pots
- Five bowls and two plates
- Bamboo spatula included
- Folding insulated handles
Best for: Families and groups
- Made for
- 4–6 people
- Material
- Non-stick aluminium
- Kettle
- 1.1L
- Stove included
- No
- Weight
- 1.27kg
#5Vango Hard Anodised 1 Person Cook Kit
£26.00 RRP
Just two hard-anodised pots for one, the smaller doubling as the larger one’s lid, at 225g in a storage bag. Vango began in 1966 with the takeover of a tent maker in Govan, Glasgow.
What owners say: Owners are surprised how small it packs down and how little it adds to a rucksack.
A closer look: Sized for one: enough for noodles, porridge or a pouch meal heated in water. There’s room inside the nest for small stove parts, so they travel together, and the soft bag protects the pots in a rucksack.
- Smaller pot doubles as lid
- Room inside for stove parts
- Folding heat-resistant handles
- Storage bag included
Best for: Solo hikes, light packs
- Made for
- 1 person
- Material
- Hard-anodised aluminium
- Kettle
- No
- Stove included
- No
- Weight
- 225g
#6THTYBROS 17-Piece Camping Cookware Set
£20–£30
The fullest set here: a 1.7-litre pot, a frying pan and a 1.15-litre kettle, plus stainless steel cups, plates and cutlery for two, all nesting to 19 x 19 x 13cm.
What owners say: Owners like having a whole camp kitchen in one light bundle, from the kettle down to the cutlery.
Heads up: Several owners find food sticks, so treat the pans as plain hard-anodised aluminium.
A closer look: Everything nests into one unit that slips into the mesh bag, so nothing goes missing between trips. A silicone handle stays comfortable to grip over a stove, and the cleaning cloth in the set wipes the pans out before they’re packed away.
- Steel cups, plates, cutlery
- Nests into one unit
- Silicone handle
- Cleaning cloth included
- 1.7L pot
Best for: Couples who want cups and plates
- Made for
- Two place settings
- Material
- Hard-anodised aluminium
- Kettle
- 1.15L
- Stove included
- No
- Weight
- 1.25kg
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1OVERMONT DS300 | #2Trangia 25-2 UL | #3Queta 10-piece | #4Odoland 15-piece | #5Vango 1 Person | #6THTYBROS 17-piece |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best with a stove | Best for groups | Lightest | Best for two | ||
| Picked Rating | 8.8 | 9.5 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.4 |
| Price | £20–£30 | £50–£75 | £20–£30 | £30–£50 | £26.00 RRP | £20–£30 |
| Made for | 1–2 people | 3–4 people | Not stated (three bowls) | 4–6 people | 1 person | Two place settings |
| Material | Anodised aluminium | Ultralight aluminium | Aluminium | Non-stick aluminium | Hard-anodised aluminium | Hard-anodised aluminium |
| Kettle | Yes | 0.9L | Yes | 1.1L | No | 1.15L |
| Stove included | No | Spirit burner | No | No | No | No |
| Weight | 690g | About 1kg | 570g | 1.27kg | 225g | 1.25kg |
| Best for | One or two, on any stove | Cooking on windy, wet pitches | Short backpacking trips | Families and groups | Solo hikes, light packs | Couples who want cups and plates |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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