There are four things that every human needs to survive… Air, shelter, food and water!

Camping really brings this idea to life in a fun way; you’re getting yourself out in the fresh air, you probably spent ages finding the perfect tent, and now your thoughts are turning to food… and unless you aim to spend several days eating sandwiches, you’ll probably be looking at how to cook said food, which brings us to the topic of this post. Stoves, which is the best Camping Stove for Camping Cooking?

There are a lot of options available, and it can be hard to decide which stove to go for!!

  • Should I get a small cheap one so it’s easy to pack?
  • Will I need gas canisters?
  • Maybe we need something more substantial?
  • Can I cook for my whole family?
  • What if I have other people to cook for?!
  • Will it work in the wind??

AM I ABOUT TO BURN DOWN A WHOLE CAMPSITE?!?!

*Starts to hyperventilate*

Calm down! Let the camping knowledge of Bellisima help you, while we share which stoves we feel are the best and why!!

One or Two Ring?

The first thing to consider is the number of people you’ll be cooking for and how they like to eat.

If it’s just one or two of you, you have the luxury of being able to use a 1 hob stove. This gives you the widest choice.

You can make some great one pot meals!

Even as a family, we’ve often managed with a single gas ring. Pasta and sauce can be combined, rice can be cooked then stirred into your curry at the end, combinations of eggs, beans, sausages and bacon (all veggie for us!!) can be made in a decent sized frying pan! Add a hotplate and you can even make pizza!

However, if you have children, you will inevitably end up cooking your meal, plus some pasta, then some beans, plus something else (we all know what kids are like!!) etc so you will definitely want a two-hob stove if you can.

Some people also just like to have dishes cooked separately rather than in one pot, eg rice separate to their stew, and if that’s the case for you, a two-gas ring is the way to go.

You should also consider if you might end up cooking for others!

We often take turns cooking for friends when we’re camping, so a two-hob stove really helps with being able to cook the volume of food needed.

Cheap as chips or pay for quality?

The cheap single stoves are very handy. They’re small and usually have their own carry case. You can easily get gas canisters and you can get a good supply of them.

They do have their downsides though; the ring is often not very hot and cooking a decent meal can take ages and ages, and even the tiniest breeze can whisk away their heat.

If you can, we recommend that you pay a bit more and get a decent hob.

The double folding ones are great as these pack away neatly and can be connected to different bottles of gas, allowing you to choose what size will meet your needs. They are easy to use and clean, and they have their very own built-in windbreak.

Well good!

Can I Cook in the Wind?

Many of the single-hob stoves, from the value ones, right through to the Cadacs, offer no wind protection. If you choose a stove that has an opening lid, they sometimes have a degree of wind protection as their lid doubles as a windbreak, but it’s still not great.

With a good camping stove, a simple kitchen set up, and a cooking wind blocker, you should be able to set yourself up a nice little cooking area and still cook in the wind!

We love the Campingaz Xcelerate stoves as they have rings that deflect the wind, helping you to create the perfect camping cooking environment, but check out all the options below!

Bellisima Camping’s Favourite Stoves!

CAMPINGAZ XCELERATE STOVES

The Xcelerate Gas Hob Technology guarantees uncompromising performance and economy, even in wet and windy weather.

The Xcelerate burner creates a low, yet steady flame, and features a down-step design, which makes the flame wind resistant, and the wind blocking pan support provides the ultimate protection for your gas stove flame. These things combined gives results unmatched by regular burners.

With Xcelerate, the heat isn’t lost so you speed up the cooking time and reduce the amount of gas used, saving you money in the long run.

Not only do these stoves work well, but they are also stylish; with a neat, fold-away design. The lid acts as a further wind barrier, and when folded away, it takes-up minimal space inside your vehicle.

What’s not to love?

There are two types; the Xcelerate 400SG and the Xcelerate 400ST:

CAMPINGAZ XCELERATE 400SG

The 400SG stove is a double burner with a grill. It has two powerful Xcelerate burners complete with two cooking grids that are perfect for grilling and toasting. These are interchangeable with the included pan supports and are great for pan cooking.

CAMPINGAZ 400ST XCELERATE

The 400SG stove is a double burner with a toaster.

Featuring two Xcelerate burners and an additional infrared grill that is perfect for toasting.

CADAC SAFARI CHEF 2

The Cadac Safari Chef 2 is a single burner stove, but it is designed to be a cooking system!

It comes with its own large pan and lid, so you can make a good sized one-pot meal, and a grill plate so you can have a BBQ style food. It also comes with a hot plate to fry on. Additionally, you can purchase a pizza stone, allowing you to easily cook up some delicious stone baked pizzas whilst your camping!

This is a great sized, multipurpose barbecue and grilling system and is ideal for any small family.

We love how quick and easy it is to set up.

We love that the pans are enamel so they will always scrub clean.

And we also love that it all packs away beautifully, with its pans and grill plates nesting neatly inside one another; fitting nicely into the little carry case.

This stove has fold away, sturdy but versatile legs that allow it to be used on a variety of surfaces.

The Cadac Safari Chef 2 is perfect for camping, but it’s also great to pop out for events, lunch in the park, or dining on the balcony.

We really like the Cadac Safari Chefs, and if we could survive with one hob, this is our first-choice camping stove!

CADAC STOVE – 2-COOK PRO DELUXE

We love these two hob stoves because they look great!

They’re black and stylish. They’re also lightweight. Cadac products are good quality, so you get a great product for your money.

The deluxe comes with two griddle plates to cook on; a non-stick ceramic coated flat plate and a ribbed plate. These sit individually on top of the pan stands so you can use them both together or use one plate and one pan.

Flat plates are ideal for cooking fish, breakfasts and pancakes.

Ribbed plates are ideal for grilling meat, fish, chicken and vegetables and even charring bread like ciabatta.

These will be in stock at Bellisima Camping soon, so watch this space!

DID YOU KNOW?

With the unpredictability of gas supplies in the UK this winter, some people are even getting these setups as an emergency reserve for their homes. We think this is a great idea and have decided to do the same!

Click here to visit the eating and drinking section of our website. We hope you enjoyed reading our article about the best camping stove!