We thoroughly enjoyed the testing process for camping cookware. To help find the best models, our reviewers made breakfast, lunch, and dinner for several months in these sets, day in and day out. Testing these sets over the years, we've perfected our pancakes, browned sausages, sautéed veggies, baked Dutch oven lasagna, scrambled eggs, made pork fajitas, and, of course, boiled easy pasta dishes and old-fashioned oats. These cook sets have visited the high peaks of the Eastern Sierra and the beaches of Hawaii. Essentially, we've tested these sets everywhere and used the data we gathered along the way to assess them based on key metrics.
Cooking Performance
In addition to cooking several meals on the trail and at home in our own kitchens, we evaluate cooking performance through a few objective tests. First, we performed a boil test, in which we timed how long each set took to boil two cups of water. We also evaluated the non-stick coating of each pot and pan by scrambling sticky eggs and then trying to fry eggs without breaking the yolk.
While cooking various different meals, we paid special attention to how well the individual materials conduct heat, noting which products offered primarily even cooking and those that required constant attention due to uneven cooking.
Ease of Cleaning
We use each cookset extensively over many months and many different meals in order to evaluate each design and whether or not it is easy to clean and store for the next meal. The sets that feature smooth and rounded edges with printed measurements often received the highest scores, while those that feature punched measurements were more difficult to scrub.
We evaluated the packable sets in the mountains with cold streams, and the group sets around the campsite to identify the nooks and crannies that were difficult to scrub clean without ample hot, running water nearby.
Features
What pots, pans, utensils, and accessories does each set come with? And how useful are they? After making hundreds of meals for our friends and family, we determine which features are actually helpful and which are simply just gimmicks to promote the product.
Durability
Our testing team uses and abuses each cookware set throughout our extensive testing period. Even after our test period, we continue to use each set and update based on long-term findings. We evaluate the overall quality of materials, note how well they hold up after being tossed around in the back of converted vans and pick-up trucks, and finally, how well they survive in the backcountry after being stuffed into backpacks laden with climbing gear and other bulky items.
Packability
We evaluated how well each set nests within each other as well as what other items can be packed inside the set. We also measured the amount of space each takes up in a backpack and within our travel cooking bin. We also consider the elements of performance that ultralight backpackers might prioritize to better enjoy their trail experience.
Weight
We weigh each component of each set using our own scales. We also note the weight of the sets that feature pots closest to the 1.5-liter size, in case you wanted to tote that pot into the backcountry with you as part of a lightweight setup.
