3-week test: The camping kitchen for on the road

Three weeks camping in Sweden. Or rather: glamping. Because this summer I travelled with my family not in a tent but in a camper van around and across southern Sweden. Even though a camper van is much more comfortable than a tent, I planned exactly what I would take with me. At the top of my priority list were suitable cooking utensils. The camper's cooker had three hotplates, all quite small and close together. Still, there was no room for large pans either on it or in the tight storage space.

So what I needed: a stackable pan set like the one from Campo Libre and an additional, larger cooker top a.k.a. a gas grill like the one from Campinggaz:

Camping tableware

Campo Libre. Enzo

30

Camping stoves

Campingaz Party Grill 400 CV

317

The camping pan set

For three weeks I cooked for three people with the "Enzo" pan set from Campo Libre. It is the latest set from the German outdoor equipment manufacturer and had been recommended to me by our outdoor specialists when I was shopping. The set includes:

• 1 cooking pot 3,2 l volume
• 1 saucepan 1.9 l volume
• 1 frying pan 21 cm diameter
• 1 kettle 1 l volume with tea strainer
• 1 lid to fit all three pans/pots

The two cooking pots

To be precise, I can't fill the cooking pots more than the maximum of 2.5 rsp. 1.5 litres marked on the inside walls. With the larger pot I cook just enough pasta for three people to get a reasonably well-filled plate each. The volume of the smaller one is comfortably enough for a decent tomato sauce. I can also blanch vegetables for three people as a side dish without splashing or causing trouble - but the cauliflower shouldn't be too big, otherwise I can't avoid cooking it in two stages.

The real problem with the big pot, however, are the handles on the sides, which are too small. They get so hot when cooking that I can only grip them with oven mitts (or an improvised alternative). It's even worse when I want to use the lid, which is perforated on one side, as a strainer: it's just as hot - or gets hot very quickly from the steam - and I have to hold it with both hands so that it doesn't slosh towards me with the contents of the pot. A difficult undertaking, especially as the few puny holes in the lid are far too small for 2.5 litres of boiling water.

Much cleverer is the handle of the smaller saucepan, which consists of two fold-out sheets of wire and which I can easily touch even after cooking because I unfolded it before cooking.

The frying pan

The frying pan has the largest base. In principle, it also satisfactorily fries meat, fish or fried eggs. But 21 centimetres in diameter is not that much for a frying pan. Three fried eggs still fit in without any problems. Three pieces of meat, fish or sausages, on the other hand, don't quite fit. Some pieces are always pushed up the edge of the pan and don't get evenly distributed heat. The frying pan is practical and big enough for two people, but it's not big enough for three.

The handle is again a system of its own: when stowed away, it is folded under the bottom of the pan. I'm sure I won't forget it there when I'm handling the pan. When folded up, it can be easily locked in place and doesn't heat up much.

The kettle

At first I didn't want to take the kettle with me. But since it doesn't need any more space anyway, I took it along and tested it together with a camping French press. You can read the report here.

Conclusion

On our three-burner gas cooker in the motorhome, there was barely enough space to use two cooking pots and pans at the same time. The danger of spilling something or burning oneself on the hot cooking pots was quite great. For three weeks I cooked exclusively with this set and the two pots and the frying pan were enough for three people. The set was practical above all because it could be stored in an extremely space-saving way. In terms of cooking suitability, however, I would have liked more surface area and more heat-resistant and easy-to-grip handles. A lid that fits three different pots may be practical. But it is only one lid, two cooking pots remain uncovered.

The gas barbecue

The Party Grill 400 CV from Campinggaz consists of twelve individual parts when it arrives. Three are the loose feet and two are the handles for the lid/wok that need to be fitted. Once these are assembled, I get the following:

• 1 grill tray with gas connection and water ring

• 1 hot plate for pans

• 1 grill grate
• 1 reversible grill plate, one side grooved, one side flat
• 1 lid that can be used as a wok/pan

I had to buy the gas cartridge with it, a lighter is built into the grill tray. The barbecue comes in a black carrying bag with handle, which can comfortably hold the compact barbecue as well as a gas cartridge or two. I didn't try out all the options the grill offers in the three weeks - but I'll make up for it on other occasions.

Like the cooking set, the camping barbecue packs down nicely into a compact size. The grill tray and wok form the outer casing in which all the other elements fit stably. I always stowed the grill in the outside storage space of the camper van.

Grill grate and plate

The grill offers three different surfaces: the grill grate and a grill plate that can be used on both sides. One side is flat, the other is grooved. I tried all three options for meat, fish and vegetables.

One thing against the grill is that the food sticks to it quite quickly. In addition, fat and oil drip down easily. Some of it is collected in the water-filled drip tray of the grill and can be disposed of, but some of it ignites due to the high heat and can char the food and cause a lot of smoke.

The grill is not suitable for grilled food.

The difference between a grooved and a flat plate is not very great. Both sides are non-stick - so I only need very small amounts of grease or oil at most - and transfer the heat of the gas flame quickly and directly.

Personally, I just like it better when the food is grilled with as much surface area as possible directly on the heat, so that it is cooked a little more evenly. I'm happy to forego the grill grate patterns celebrated in advertising for more grill flavour. Somewhere I read that I could even bake pizza on the griddle. I will test that when I get the chance. On a trip to Sweden, a pizza would have been sacrilegious in a way.

Cooking plate

In principle, I could have used the grill as an additional, or larger, hotplate. All the components of the Campo Libre set would fit on the cooking surface. However, the only thing I ever cooked on it, as on a conventional hotplate, was two cups of coffee with my Bialetti coffee maker, which has been in use for many years.

Wok

I never used the Campinggaz lidded wok in three weeks in Sweden. Instead, I used it at home to make a quick vegetable tofu pan. That worked just as well as with my cast-iron wok. However, the grill wok is much lighter, the heat tends to stay at the bottom and spreads a little less up the edges. But that doesn't bother me in this case.

Conclusion

The Party Grill 400 CV is fun to use. Compact to pack, it easily finds its place in a motorhome, but also in a well-packed car. And you can also transport the barbecue effortlessly in a cargo trailer for your bike. Cooking, grilling, baking - it's versatile and if you can get by with just one heat source, you'll enjoy it. Even cleaned, the various parts are quick and efficient. On a motorhome trip, I would do without a grill in future because I have the kitchen with me. For camping holidays with a tent, on the other hand, I would always pack it as my go-to cooking utensil.