To date my camp cooking experience has been with single-burner back-packer type stoves. I have a decent collection of Coleman Multi-fuel stoves and butane gas stoves.
I've recently added a larger airbeam tent, an Outwell Rosedale 4PA, to my repertoire with all the add-on bits. I'm looking to have a decent camp kitchen with base-unit, multi-burner stove and cupboardy stuff to complete a comfortable base-camp.
I'm rather taken with the Outwell Rukutu and the Chef Cooker base unit, but (a) I don't know if the two will fit together as the Chef Cooker base unit seems to be specifically for the Chef Cooker and (b) I've read a review of the Rukutu that encountered quality problems.
has anyone anything to say on the matter?
Cant Beat a Coleman Dual Fuel Stove on the Hi Stand (Model 591B499). I use Either my 2 Burner or 3 Burner Stove, which one I take will depend upon how much space I have available in the Car. The Oven does work better on on of my 3 Burner Stoves, though
Personally I would not worry about a grill, I have always found the grills on double burner stoves to be next to useless.
A flat folding toaster (not the pyramid type) on the hob is very effective and quick.
Got to agree, the 'grill' on most camping stoves is pretty hopeless, poor cooking ability and heavy gas usage for what it does! For toast, the hob accessory types, even the pyramid one, is a better option.
We upped our game many years ago, TBF, when catering for a larger group, by buying a Kampa Roast Master Portable Oven And Stove, brilliant bit of kit, Full English Breaky for 6 or 7 all served together thanks to cooking and keeping warm in the oven, pizzas, roasts, pies, lasagnes etc. Has to be said, it's big, heavy, and expensive, so not ideal for all campers, but if cooking for a group, it has a lot of merits.
For many of our camping trips the best cooking aid has been a FRIDGE/FREEZER! It means you can pre-cook a number of things at home and at leisure, so on site cooking is more reheating than true cooking from scratch! Saves a lot of shopping, a lot of storage of ingredients, brings variety that may be almost beyond a camp kitchen, and it saves time, you rarely want to spend hours at camp conjuring up meals.
Even though now mostly luxuriating in a fully equipped caravan these days, the lessons learned of pre-prepared refrigerated and frozen home cooked meals still carries on, really nice to get back after a day out and have, for one thing, a choice, of real food as opposed to 'I'll get by with beans on toast'
We have a Campingaz Camping Chef Elite double burner with grill. The burners are great while the grill is rubbish. We have used this for several weeks a year in our awning, as I prefer to cook in the awning rather than in the caravan, and it must be about 10 years old now and still going strong.
My preferred method of cooking is pan/wok fry, hardly use the grills or ovens at home (a combi microwave oven and a regular size single oven).
My last stove as a tenter was a Coleman 424 Dual Fuel 2-burner stove and I loved it as it made great toasts as well as being an all-season stove that I could use when I camped during winter.
I sold it when I switched unit to a van; regretted it so much that I bought a new one recently as a spare stove in case I need to cook a big meal for guests.
Here is a pic of the Coleman 424 in use for cooking up a nice fry up:
I even bought a stove top stove (not an Omnia) for use with the Coleman 424, used only once on a camping trip as an experiment, took too long to cook a pasta bake and it never came out of the kitchen equipment box again.
I concur with the others about having some pre-cooked meals to bring to the campsite.
When I was a tenter, the first meal after a long drive was usually soup or a nice oriental pot noodle.
Nowadays, I have a mini oven with grill in the van and the first meal had been something that could go into the oven or under grill.
I had recently made 12 tubs of cheesy creamy gnocchi with 3 different types of meat (diced Chorizo, lardons, garlic sausage meat) with loads of vegetables for the freezer, ready for this year's camping season. Just need to stick one in the fridge the night before, and it should be defrosted ready to go into the oven when I arrive on site.
The tubs are metal with a plastic lid that don't break when I drop them onto a hard floor (unlike the glass ones ) - bought them via Amazon in October 2024 with making first night dishes in mind.
DK
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I'm going to swim against the tide here and say don't bother with a multi burner stove. We bought one early in our camping career and got rid of it after a couple of seasons. A folding table with an extendable windshield and a variety of single burners plus portable barbecue has done us very well and allows more flexibility according to size of party, time of year, what fuels are permitted where etc
I am with Sean. We had some twin burners but they are in the loft. A couple of Trangias or a couple of single burner gas stoves are fine. I can put the omnia on the Trangia 25 and use the 27 for cooking.
I must admit, I would be tempted by a twin burner Coleman petrol stove...
Edit. Just bought a used Coleman 425f for €98 Inc delivery from fleabay. I will give it a good clean and service before use. Quite chuffed and the wife is happy with the purchase. It will go great with the Dutch pyramid and we will keep a single burner for quick brew ups etc
I've suffered a brain event and bought the camping gaz camping kitchen muti chef plus which is new for this year. Frigging thing is massive in its bag. Bought from Outdooraction.co.uk who were the 1st people to stock it at a reasonable price.
Oh, and a Fire Maple FMC XT2 kettle, just because I like the heat exchanger thingy.
Going to go against my own Kampa Oven 'product promotion' here a little, but got to endorse the notion that simple single burners can be sufficient. A mate who owns a pub/restaurant has knocked up some impressive meals for us on a single burner suitcase stove and a griddle version - OK that's two 'burners' in effect, but could be done with a single stove and a griddle plate in a sequential manner.
A LOT of what you can cook on a camp stove is down to your ability to cook, and correct choice of meal.
I will also Joing the Single Burner Stove viewpoint, and I agree there is a Time and Place for them, and I always have one in the Car with me.
Not the most Modern, A 1944 AGM (Coleman) 520, Which I picked up in Car Boot Sale in the Dordogne in 2016 for €15 / £10. Whilst I was told it didnt work and was seized, but a bit of TLC, it Fires up first time now.
The Orange Flames only appear on lighting, but Burns Hot once warmed up.
Quote: Originally posted by Outwell42 on 11/4/2025
I've suffered a brain event and bought the camping gaz camping kitchen muti chef plus which is new for this year. Frigging thing is massive in its bag. Bought from Outdooraction.co.uk who were the 1st people to stock it at a reasonable price.
Oh, and a Fire Maple FMC XT2 kettle, just because I like the heat exchanger thingy.
We had an earlier version of this and the corner sockets where the legs insert kept breaking. It looks like they have tried to address this issue by adding the underneath shelf to give the legs some more stability but keep an eye on the part where the legs attach. Ours was only a few months old when it broke, so we were refunded under warranty and bought a tabletop version instead.
I was conflicted as to whether to get this version or the tabletop one with a camp kitchen.
I haven't got unlimited space in the tent or the car. Although I have a trailer it's full of greasy stinky boat stuff. I'm not free to go backpacking due to my husband's failing health so I'm setting up for a more civilised camping experience that I can do when he's nearby in the motorhome.
For fans of the Coleman liquid fuel stoves: Try Aspen 4 chainsaw fuel instead of the Coleman fuel. It's cheaper than Coleman fuel and burns more cleanly than the Coleman white spirit or gasoline. Apparently it's an Alkyd distillation fraction rather than a naptha, so doesn't give that vaguely hexamine smell you get with Coleman fuel (ex-military types will recognize what I mean) and burns so cleanly it will clear any soot or carbon from the burners. It's available from farm equipment shops. I get mine from Earnest Doe and sons at Ulting. I have it in 2 x Sportster 533's and 3 x Exponent Feather 442's (I know, I know) but I haven't yet used it in anger in my Fyrestorm Titanium
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