I’ve Upgraded My Entire Camp Kitchen Set Up – Even the Kitchen Sink!

Camping’s all about getting outside, unplugging, and unwinding under the stars, so anything that can make that easier is worth its weight in gold. Casey checks out OXO’s range of camp kitchen equipment to find what will make his family camping trips more seamless.

 

While I like to focus on the experience of camping more than the gear, I’ve realised being prepared and organised is the foundation of having a good time – especially when we’ve got to prep, cook, and clean for the kids!

As a seasoned camper, you may think I have all the gear, but until recently I was still cooking with my big op-shop pot with broken handles and heavy cast iron pan – which, of course, didn’t neatly pack into each other.

But now I’m using a new purpose-made camp kitchen set-up and have realised the right gear means I can actually bring more, in less space, with less packing – I now literally bring the kitchen sink!

It’s wild how tightly-packed well-designed gear can get

Here’s what I’m currently using in my camp kitchen set-up and why.

Camp Cookware Set

Maybe the biggest improvement to my set-up is the OXO camp cookware set, which conveniently fits two family-friendly sized cooking pots and a carbon steel fry pan neatly into a ready-to-go travel bag.

I’d always been a devout cast iron guy, but having read up on and used the carbon steel pan, it seems to have all the benefits of cast iron without the ridiculous weight. This includes a naturally non-stick and chemical-free surface that’s easy to clean and lasts forever.

Lightweight carbon steel has the best of both worlds

Carbon steel can also change temperature much quicker than cast iron, so it was easy to go between lightly heating tortillas by the tent to frying bacon and making pancakes for brekkie at the beach by our favourite family spot, Woody Head Campground.

A camping essential

I was also surprised to find the OXO cooking pots were made of stainless steel, as even stacked together they weighed in like something lighter. The smaller of the two still had plenty of space for boiling pasta and cooking up pulled pork for the whole fam.

A casual campsite pulled pork in the small pot

During our recent camping trips with the kids, this cooking set has been a massive upgrade as we gained an extra pot while somehow saving both weight and space – very handy when there’s limited room after all the kids’ stuff has been packed.

All of this packs neatly into that bag

Camp Stove Cooking Set

Good pots need good accessories, so we’ve also been using the Four-Piece Camp Stove Cooking Set from OXO.

The utensils wrap neatly into a silicone cover that also doubles as a rest. At first I wasn’t sure what I’d do with a flappy bit of red silicon, but quickly it became a versatile tool, particularly while we cooked by the beach with everything covered in sand, as it provided somewhere to keep the hot, saucy utensils clean. It was also very useful for picking up hot things and swatting march flies.

Ok so this is genius

Of course, the silicone turner was perfect for whipping up batter and flipping pancakes.

I packed the set neatly into OXO’s Camp Kitchen Prep Set, along with a knife, oil, and a few spices and sauces.

A soothing photo for Type A campers

Rapid Brewer

Again, I think I’ve been converted by the OXO Rapid Brewer. Not only because my old percolator (also missing its handle) should’ve made its last brew a long time ago but because the OXO Rapid Brewer can’t burn the coffee, or my hands.

If you’ve used a stove-top percolator, you know what I mean.

Ooft, a bit of crema doesn’t hurt!

Is it like an AeroPress? Yes and no. It’s much simpler, which is why it’s taken the internet by storm (Google it). Think of it more like a combination of a mini espresso machine (heated pressure) and a cold drip filter (gravity percolation). Except no plugs, no filters or papers.

It works simply by pouring ground coffee into the chamber, tamping with the provided tamper, screwing on the water chamber, and then just waiting for the initial coffee to drip through (two minutes for hot and five minutes for cold brew). Then use the hand pump to pressurise the rest of the brew through.

It’s been a highlight of my new camping kit!

The Rapid Brewer is made of dishwasher-safe Tritan™ Renew, which I honestly hadn’t heard of, but it’s 50% recycled materials, so better for the planet, like OXO’s commitment to 1% For The Planet.

Like the OXO pots, the OXO Rapid Brewer neatly packs away into a travel bag.

Gotta protect the essentials

Outdoor Grilling Prep

Marinating and storing meats can be tricky on a camping trip, especially if you try to avoid single-use plastic bags. But part of OXO’s more-in-less-space set-up is the Outdoor Grilling Prep & Carry System, which includes a six-piece set with sealed marinade trays, a chopping board, and serving tray all packed together.

Expert slicing on display here

Not only was transporting meat much easier in the sealed containers, they’re also cleverly colour-coded to avoid cross-contamination of meats, in our case honey soy chicken and local sausages from our mate’s farm. The lid of the set doubles as a chopping board, and apparently the bumpy bottom of trays also allow for a more even marinade – who knew?

Storage like this is a gamechanger, if the food lasts that long!

This all made it easy to impress my mates while camping at our favourite beachside tea-tree lake near Bundjalung National Park.

The whole set is dishwasher safe, so if you’re feeling lazy like me, seal it up and stick it in the dishwasher when you get home.

Washing Up

Speaking of washing up, it’s often a forgotten (but dreaded) part of camping – and usually my job – so I’m stoked to have found a way to make it easier for myself.

Thanks to OXO’s Outdoor Wash, Dry, and Stow System, for the first time I had a neat washing and drying station, which was game-changing to the post-meal chores and kept all the drying kitchenware free of sand and grass.

Absolutely crushing the wash up game here

It definitely felt like a whole new camp kitchen having everything nestled on a drying rack, rather than strewn between tea towels on top of the table. Even the cutlery had its own little holders.

I also used the OXO soap dispensing brush, while the Outdoor Wash, Dry, and Stow System ingeniously stacked into each other and offered storage for tea towels, utensils, and anything else I needed to pack in.

Quicker, more organised wash ups are essential when you have munchkins like this

Now We’re Cooking

I love camping, especially with the kids. But between planning, packing, setting up, and cleaning up, there’s plenty of work involved. So I think anything that can make it easier, like the OXO Outdoor collection, is usually worth the investment.

Even the small things, like pots and pans that stack away, or a place to properly wash and dry dishes, all make it feel less like a chore to pack and plan for camping and to keep the ship running while we’re there.

Which can only lead to more nights under the stars.

And more pancakes!