Stanley Even-Heat Camp Pro Review

The Stanley Even-Heat Camp Pro has almost everything you'll need for your car camping cookware kit. This high-quality cookware features 18/8 stainless steel that enhances heat distribution and improves durability. The 10-piece set features two pots with vented lids, one frying pan, two cooking utensils, two trivets (especially nice for dumping hot water), and one collapsible cutting board. All these parts make cooking for a group a breeze and easily nest into the largest pot after cleanup.

Performance Comparison

Cooking Performance

The Stanley Camp Pro set was designed with high-quality cooking performance in mind. During our boiling water and egg frying tests, we couldn't help but notice the thick and durable 3-ply stainless steel construction that evenly distributed heat within the pots and pans. Since this set has two pots and one frying pan, it's easy to cook an entire meal (for a group size up to four) all at once. Our testing team appreciated the ability to sauté veggies in the frying pan while the rice or pasta was cooking in the pot.

One of the only downsides to this stainless cookware is the cleanup. Eggs easily stick to the bottom of the frying pan – no matter how much oil we add to the pan – and require the strength of steel wool to remove. Elbow grease aside, Stanley boasts that their camping cookware is so good that you'll want to bring it indoors, which we did when our housemate's non-stick Teflon was starting to deteriorate. Overall, this set provides some of the most versatile cooking out of all the cookware sets we tested.

Features

While the Camp Pro doesn't offer the same number of features as other cookware sets in this review, the parts of this set really count when cooking for a group. Two pots with vented lids, one frying pan, a collapsible cutting board, and two collapsible cooking utensils really make it easy to cook an entire meal all at once. We'll even give Stanley extra credit for including two trivets to protect your hands while dumping pasta water or moving your meal from your two-burner stove to the picnic table.

The capacity of the pots makes it possible to heat up large pots of soup on chilly fall nights, or make enough pancake batter for the entire Search and Rescue team in Tuolumne Meadows. Even though you'll still have to gather up personal bowls and utensils, this high-quality cookware set includes everything else a frontcountry chef could want for a solid car camping kitchen.

Ease of Use

The largest pot of the Camp Pro set has two incredibly sturdy handles, while the frying pan and smaller pot have locking handles that are secure enough to manage the pot and pan, even when filled to the brim. Our testing team loved the thick, stainless steel construction that allowed the pots and pans to easily balance on top of a classic two-burner or even a tiny backpacking stove.

Though the two-piece utensils take a little muscle to snap into place, they are helpful when flipping eggs and pancakes or whipping up a quick stir fry. Locking handles, vented lids, and thick, stainless construction made this set easy to use no matter where we were cooking, even if it was in our own kitchen.

Durability

The Camp Pro cookset is built from 18/8 stainless steel and BPA-free plastic for the utensils, trivets, and cutting board. Next to cast iron, this is one of the more durable cookware sets that we tested. The thick stainless not only aids in distributing heat for an even cooking surface, but also inspires confidence that this set is built to last for many adventures to come.

The only issue we experienced during testing was the quality of the cooking utensils. We noticed the plastic was soft enough to melt when scraping a hot pan after frying eggs. Though the plastic utensils help reduce the overall weight of this cookset, we would prefer a higher-quality metal set that could better withstand the heat of regular cooking.

Packability

Once you get familiar with the nesting system of the Camp Pro, it becomes a lot easier to pack. Every item thoughtfully packs into the largest pot, whose top is secured between the two pot handles by a locking bungee system. The two-piece cooking utensils break down to store within the smaller pot. which has a foldable handle to secure its top and nests comfortably underneath the frying pan. Stanley even thought of designing a collapsible cutting board that folds into four sections and is easily stored on top of the frying pan, below the lid of the largest pot.

The entire cookware set packs into 11.6 x 10.3 x 6.7 inches (the size of the largest pot) and easily fits into our camping cookware bin. Most of the space within this nesting system is efficiently utilized, but there is some extra room within the smaller pot to store small fuel canisters, coffee, oats, or other small ingredients. Though this cookset weighs more than other options and requires some familiarity with the nesting system, it still packs up in less than one minute.

Weight

Weighing in at 8.2 pounds, the Camp Pro cookware set is one of the heavier options we tested. However, considering it is made with an incredibly durable stainless steel construction, we believe it is worth any additional weight.

While we wouldn't recommend this cookware set for base camping or backcountry adventures, the 10-piece kit perfectly designed for any car camping adventure.

Should You Buy the Stanley Even-Heat Camp Pro?

If you're looking to invest in a do-it-all cookware set for frontcountry camping, the Camp Pro won't let you down. Constructed from thick stainless steel and BPA-free plastic, this 10-piece set is built to last. It is super easy to pack and unpack (once you learn the sequence) and offers top-notch cooking performance. Other than the necessary serving dishes, this set includes thoughtfully designed accessories that help you easily cook up meals for a small crew.

What Other Camping Cookware Should You Consider?

Even though the Stanley Even-Heat Camp Pro is a high-quality car-camping set, Stanley also offers the Stanley Adventure Base Camp, an affordable, all-inclusive, 21-piece set that includes the serving ware the Camp Pro set is missing. But if you're looking to cook truly gourmet meals in the great outdoors, the Lodge 3.2 Quart Cast Iron Combo Cooker is the perfect affordable option for any frontcountry foodie.