When most people think of cooking on a camping trip, they're probably imagining roasting hot dogs over a campfire or boiling water for a dehydrated meal. And while those can both be great options, with the kitchen setups available these days, there's no reason not to up your camp-cooking game to include a camp stove, prep space, and more.
I've spent over six years working as a seasonal mountain guide living out of trucks and vans. I've used just about every variation of camp cooking setup imaginable, and all-in-one camping kitchens are my go-to for longer trips because of the ease and comfort they offer. With a camp kitchen, there's no need to chop vegetables on my tailgate or fish my spatula out from under my front seat.
The best camp kitchen offers a balance between storage and prep space, and weight and portability. There should be plenty of room for spices, ingredients, utensils, and a stove, but the whole setup should be able to be easily packed away and light enough to carry. Many are also reinforced with some steel components, making them incredibly sturdy tools that can be used for multiple seasons.
With a camp kitchen, it's possible to bring everything—including the kitchen sink!—on your next camping trip.
The Best Camp Kitchens
- Best Overall Camp Kitchen: GCI Outdoor Master Cook Station
- Best Lightweight Camp Kitchen: Campland Folding Cooking Table
- Best Camp Kitchen with Maximum Storage: Goplus Folding Camping Grill Table
- Best Minimalist Camp Kitchen: Camco Olympian Deluxe Folding Grill Table
- Best Camp Kitchen for Organization: Cabela's Deluxe Camp Kitchen
- Best Upgrade Camp Kitchen: SylvanSport Dine O Max
- Most Durable Camp Kitchen: Coleman Pack-Away Portable Kitchen
Best Overall Camp Kitchen
GCI Outdoor
Top Pick: GCI Outdoor Master Cook Station ($128)
The folding GCI Outdoor Master Cook Station is our pick for best camp kitchen, with everything you need thoughtfully laid out. The steel frame folds open to reveal aluminum, heat-resistant countertop for a camp stove, plus storage racks for food, utensils, and cookware, three side tables, a collapsible sink basin with a drain hole, and a handy lantern pole to hang a light from.
At just under 23 pounds, it's light enough to carry from car to campsite, even if you have to travel a short distance. The one-piece design also means that it is relatively easy to set up. Bonus: You can save 20% on Amazon for Black Friday, making your outdoor adventures even more enjoyable and affordable.
Best Lightweight Camp Kitchen
Campland
Top Pick: Campland Folding Cooking Table ($90)
Weighing under 10 pounds, the Campland Folding Cooking Table is the lightest option we could find while still having all the important bells and whistles. This setup has a 26-inch, heat-resistant surface for your stove and two fold-out side tables. There's also a zippered, two-shelf pantry that's topped with a food prep surface. The legs of the table can be adjusted to different heights to help you balance it on uneven ground.
All told, the Campland is a great choice for those looking to save money without sacrificing features. Get it even cheaper with 10% off the original price on Amazon.
Best Camp Kitchen with Maximum Storage
Goplus
Top Pick: Goplus Folding Camping Grill Table ($86)
If you're looking for maximum storage, the Goplus Folding Camping Grill Table is for you. Featuring an elevated cooking station, two side tables ready for food prep, and two zippered storage units with two shelves each, this camp kitchen will almost make you not miss your setup at home. A detachable windscreen connects to the center tabletop to block the wind from your stove, giving you a safer, more efficient cooking environment.
Made of sturdy steel and aluminum, the Goplus can hold up to 210 pounds, though it weighs just 25 pounds itself, so it's best for car camping where you can drive up to your site. Despite its size, the installation is easy: Just unfold the table and add the accessories.
Best Minimalist Camp Kitchen
Camco
Top Pick: Camco Deluxe Folding Grill Table (from $90)
At just six pounds, the Camco Olympian Deluxe Folding Grill Table is a great fit for anyone looking for prep and cook surfaces that prioritize portability. The simple fold-out design features a top shelf for a camp stove and two side shelves, with hooks for utensils and a towel rack.
The Camco packs flat and comes with a carrying case, and its small size and light weight make it a good choice for sporting events, boating, and picnics, or for a starter camp kitchen.
Best Camp Kitchen for Organization
Cabela's
Top Pick: Cabela's Deluxe Camp Kitchen ($170)
Cabela's Deluxe Camp Kitchen has some of the best organizational components you could ask for. With a zippered pantry with shelves, two racks for spices and soap, a rack for utensils, and a paper towel holder over the sink basin, the setup keeps meal prep and cooking humming along throughout your trip. The windscreen protects your camp stove, and the adjustable legs make it easy to accommodate uneven ground or chefs' different heights. With heavy duty steel legs and aluminum frame, this Cabela setup is also likely to last through many years' worth of camping trips.
At 36 pounds, it's on the heavier side. All of the storage components also mean that the kitchen can take about 10 minutes to set up, so it's best suited to longer trips where you are staying in one place.
Best Upgrade Camp Kitchen
Sylvan Sport
Top Pick: SylvanSport Dine O Max ($400)
The SylvanSport Dine O Max might just be the ultimate camp kitchen setup. It's also our list's most expensive and the heaviest, at 46 pounds. But, for all of that, you get a gourmet campsite-kitchen experience.
The Dine O Max has about every feature you could imagine: a bottle opener, a garbage bag holder, a collapsible sink, hooks, a huge zippered pantry, and two massive bamboo work surfaces (almost 9 square feet!) to cook and prep on. All of that makes it our top pick for large groups in stationary camps.
Most Durable Camp Kitchen
Coleman
Top Pick: Coleman Pack-Away Portable Kitchen (from $90)
The Coleman Pack-Away Portable Kitchen is the sturdiest pick on this list, capable of holding 300 pounds, thanks to its angled legs. It has two surfaces that you can load up, a tabletop for preparing food, and a smaller rack that fits a camp stove or a cooler.
This kitchen has hooks, a mesh shelf, and a pole for you to hang your lantern off of. At just 14 pounds, it can be easily carried like a briefcase to your next campsite.
bjdlzx/Getty ImagesWhat to Look For When Buying a Camp Kitchen
The whole point of a camp kitchen is to give you more space to prep and cook food. Look for ones that have at least two fold-out side tables to offer plenty of room to chop vegetables, mix ingredients, and plate meals. You'll also appreciate a few shelves, or even a full zippered pantry, so that there's space to store ingredients when they're not being used. The most comprehensive options come with a spice rack and a place to store utensils.
A camp kitchen should be sturdy enough to last multiple seasons, but light enough that it can easily be carried around camp, or from your car to camp. Look for mostly aluminum materials, with some steel supports for increased durability.
That said, a camp kitchen shouldn't be too overbuilt; that will just make it unreasonably heavy. Make sure to check the weight of the product before buying it, and be comfortable lugging that weight around. Most pack down well, but you should make sure the model you choose fits in your car.
While camp kitchens add a bit of a luxury experience to backcountry camping, they still should be easy to set up. Any side tables should fold out easily and quickly. The best camping kitchens are mostly one-piece construction, with no overly complicated instructions. Nothing is more frustrating than coming back hungry from a long day of adventures and struggling to set up your prep space so you can cook dinner!
Your Questions, Answered
A camp kitchen is a lot more than a folding table and a two burner stove. It's essentially a miniature, portable kitchen that can be set up as a cooking station. Depending on the model, camp kitchens come with options such as zippered pantries, shelving, a place to set a grill and cutting board, a kitchen sink basin, and holders for your utensils. All you need to provide is your favorite mess kit, grill or camp stove, and the food.
Just because you're in the backcountry, it doesn't mean you have to eat like a nomad. While the simplicity of a campfire or simple stove on a picnic table might be appealing for short trips, there's something to be said about getting back to camp after a long day of adventures and having plenty of space to cook a delicious meal.
With a camp kitchen, there's no worrying about starting campfires or dropping hot dogs in the ashes, or how you're going to wash your utensils. Camp kitchens offer surface areas for a camp stove to cook and counters on which to prep your meal, as well as storage for ingredients, utensils, and bowls—all in a portable package.
Who We Are
Chelsey Cook is a professional adventurer, working as a mountain guide in some of the most remote parts of Alaska and Washington. Along the way, she's lived in everything from vans to truck beds to backyard sheds, and has learned to feed herself and her friends using just about any type of kitchen setup. She's an expert at camp cooking, and is known for her backcountry pot pies and biscuits.
READ MORE: 10+ Delicious Dutch Oven Recipes for Camping
