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Cooking Equipment

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Barry Chuckle

Messages
552
Location
UK
Vehicle
T6.1 Ocean 204
Hi,

I've my new Cali Ocean on order and am already counting down the months....

I've searched this forum as to not repeat old threads, however I cannot seem to find a specific one on this. My first purchase will be a gas hob kettle and cooking equipment. Can anyone come up with any suggestions, when it comes to buying cookware for the home, I've always found that cheap is expensive so tend to buy the best as it's longevity works out much less than buying cheaper equipment which peels, warps, corrodes etc...

Can anyone suggest any sets or makes I should be looking at, the cost is of secondary importance, I'd rather buy the best and have it last for years. eg I've bought Le Crusset at home and it has really stood the test of time?

Thanks again
 
Ridgemonkey for both the Connect and Kettle. The kettle fits in the basin.Sea To Simmit X-Pots. They compress down and can store inside each other.
The Cadac Paella Pan. Fantastic on both your Safari Chef and hob.
 
Barry Chuckle said:
Hi,

I've my new Cali Ocean on order and am already counting down the months....

I've searched this forum as to not repeat old threads, however I cannot seem to find a specific one on this. My first purchase will be a gas hob kettle and cooking equipment. Can anyone come up with any suggestions, when it comes to buying cookware for the home, I've always found that cheap is expensive so tend to buy the best as it's longevity works out much less than buying cheaper equipment which peels, warps, corrodes etc...

Can anyone suggest any sets or makes I should be looking at, the cost is of secondary importance, I'd rather buy the best and have it last for years. eg I've bought Le Crusset at home and it has really stood the test of time?

Thanks again
Click to expand...
Depends what your intentions are. If you intend to use an induction hob when on EHU at a campsite rather than burn your gas, then I would suggest buying steel pans. As you’ll know aluminium pans don’t work with induction hobs but you can obviously use steel pans on your gas stove. Quechua do a nice stacking set.
Thumbs up for the Ridge Monkey though. Worth having one in your kitbag.
 
Definitely, I'd say my favourite one is the Le Creuset Grill XL. Fits perfectly, in between both gas stoves, plenty of space to cook. It will heat up quicly and retain heat as it is made of steel.

Another suggestion will be Tefal Ingenio set of pans since they come with a detachable handle, and they are handy and easy to store
 
Hi. I’m expecting my Cali in early Oct. I plan to use my trusty Trangia 25 pans and kettle. They are the non stick 1.5 and 1.75 pans plus the 25 series kettle. And the handle. They all fit in together. About £55 all in. I’ve used them for single and family camping and they are very light and versatile
 
vw_motion4life said:
Definitely, I'd say my favourite one is the Le Creuset Grill XL. Fits perfectly, in between both gas stoves, plenty of space to cook. It will heat up quicly and retain heat as it is made of steel.

Another suggestion will be Tefal Ingenio set of pans since they come with a detachable handle, and they are handy and easy to store
Click to expand...
Agree about the Tefal set. I'm going to use my Trangia set (see my earlier note) which are lighter
 
I have the outwell non stick stainless steel pan set with detachable handles, a ridge monkey and an outwell collapsible kettle - all have been excellent. Agree buy cheap buy twice, my trusty le creuset pans at home are nearly 25 years old and still going strong! Enjoy your van shopping :)


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We like the Outwell kettle with the whistle - light and quick to boil. Fits in cupboard with handle down. We have two others that sit neglected in the garage as this works best for us.

wmcamping.co.uk

Outwell Tea Break Lux Kettle M (Black)

The Outwell Tea Break Lux Kettle M is a high quality and stylish stainless steel whistling kettle with a large 1.8L capacity. It has a large stable base to boil quickly on a camping stove and comes in attractive black colour. Outwell Tea Break Lux Kettle M features a spout cap, a removable lid...
wmcamping.co.uk wmcamping.co.uk

For a cookware set this has screw off handles and all folds together into a small bag. Easy to clean and good thick non stick coating.

www.outdoor-revolution.com

3 Piece Induction Pan Set

Outdoor Revolution’s new 3-piece Induction Pan Set is made from high quality aluminium body with a ferrous metal base so it is compatible with all electric induction hobs. This set can be used with any heat source including gas. The pan set has a non-stick coating for a better cooking and...
www.outdoor-revolution.com www.outdoor-revolution.com
 
I like stainless steel :)
This kettle works well for me:

MH500 1L Stainless Steel Hiking Campsite Kettle

MH500 1L Stainless Steel Hiking Campsite Kettle null Our designers, who are very fond of a cuppa while camping, have developed this kettle especially for all those campers who want to heat their water very fast.
www.decathlon.co.uk www.decathlon.co.uk
 
I suggest you narrow down what you're looking for based on materials:

Kettle
  • Aluminium
  • Stainless*
  • Collapsible
  • Whistle required?*
Pans
  • Aluminium
  • Coated
  • Stainless
  • Carbon steel*
  • Cast iron
Pots
  • Coated
  • Stainless*
  • Aluminium
  • Collapsible
I can personally recommend the Tefal Ingenio stainless pots (good quality) if that's the material you're interested in. You can probably go and look at them at your local John Lewis. De Buyer make nice carbon steel pans. Choose your materials and the product choices will be less daunting.
 
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We have teal ingenio and the sea to summit set which is a frying pan , pot and kettle. Got a ridge monkey too and they all fit in a box under the sink.
 
+1 for Tefal Ingenio stainless steel induction pans. Work well on our new induction hob at home too, so dual use. Not cheap but as said, wait around for offers.
 
johna said:
+1 for Tefal Ingenio stainless steel induction pans. Work well on our new induction hob at home too, so dual use. Not cheap but as said, wait around for offers.
Click to expand...
Thanks I've looked for these and they only seem to sell the in larger sets, I probably only need several initially, perhaps I'm looking at the wrong sites..
 
I got these from John Lewis a couple of years ago. I bought a fry pan separately, I think from Amazon. These are all the pans we have for the van (apart from an MSR kettle) and this does us fine. We only use the fry pan on a small gas stove outside, to avoid splatter.IMG_5925.jpeg
 
This ‘feast’ set from outwell is great - detachable handles and fit inside each other. They take up very little space in the cupboard. Still look new after a year.
5d39f299a96561315a538a438ba9f35d.jpg



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This is a steal. Although uncoated carbon steel seems to be despised in the UK. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324721361742 I have the equivalent Mauviel pan, many years older than my cali. Still fantastic.

Edit: the reason there are only 3 left is just bought one :headbang
 
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@Barry Chuckle - depends what, how and where you cook. It’s a very personal thing, and difficult to get right first time. We’re still curating our kitchen stuff 20 months into ownership. We started out with too many conventional saucepans (plus frying pan and Ridge Monkey toastie maker and a deep pan. We were thinking more about how we cook at home, which isn’t the same. When touring, 80% of the time we cook outdoors, using a single burner plus maybe charcoal bbq, and salads. We don’t need lots of pans. Overview of our journey:

Thrown out : Outwell frying pan - warps; collapsible small stainless saucepan, collapsible colander, neoprene splash guard, collapsible kettle for hob (Too slow and too small).

Kept and occasionally use - Outwell lux kettle, RM Toastie maker, pizza stone for outdoor cooker.

Kept and use constantly - RM deep large pan with griddle lid, small non stick saucepan and lid, small electric kettle, and new as of 2 months ago, a Cadac Paella pan with lid - excellent for sautéing, frying, and baking (fish). Campingaz Party Grill 400, a small and cheap bbq from a French supermarket (on about its 10th season). Plus a couple of small but very sharp French kitchen knives, and a cafetière of course.
 
Ridge Monkey, wouldn’t be without one.
Outwell Collapsable kettle, stable and easily stowed.
Cafetière, our favourite though on this forum a multitude of coffee makers !
Vango anodised pans ( 2 person set ). We previously had ‘clip on handle’ Outwell and they felt unsafe when holding.
 
Thank you all for your contributions and ideas, RM seem to be the standout is that due to their build quality or simply the look of them?

Thank you also to @yossarian I'm very tempted by that too. The only thing that concerns me about heavily discounted cookware on eBay is a proportion of it is counterfeit and I certainly wouldn't want to be eating from counterfeit cookware as some of the coatings used can be carcinogenic.....
 
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