10 Campfire Cooking Tools You Need

One of the greatest joys of being at the campground is time spent around the campfire. That time can be even more unique and special when you cook your meals over that fire. This experience can be much more enjoyable when you have the right tools for the job.

Cooking on open fire

While you can certainly get by with just a couple of things, we have a list of 10 tools that can make the job easier, quicker, and a much better experience.


Cast Iron Skillet

We love our cast iron skillet, as a matter of fact, we have several of them, all different sizes. O course you need a really large one to cook meals for a larger crowd and smaller ones for the side dishes.

One of our favorite brands is Lodge, which Is mostly what we use. We find the quality seems to be a litter better than some of the cheaper cast iron skillets even though they are still very affordable, especially when you consider that cast iron properly taken care of will last more than a lifetime.

Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron 3 Skillet Bundle. 12 inches and 10.25 inches with 8 inch Set of 3 Cast Iron Frying Pans
  • 12” + 10.25” + 8” CAST…
  • SEASONED CAST IRON COOKWARE. A…
  • THE PERFECT TRIO. Lodge knows…

Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Once you properly learn how to use a dutch oven you’ll find it hard to not have one when cooking a meal over an open campfire. This style of dutch oven is designed to sit right into hot coals and even have the coals placed on the lid to even out the heat for baking.

Dutch ovens can really do it all from cooking soups and stews to baking bread. You are only limited by your skills in using one but that will come with time and practice.

Lodge makes a great one of these as well. I like that you can hang it on a hook above the fire if you desire or use it in a more traditional way right into the coals.

Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Deep Camp Dutch Oven – 12 Inch / 8 Quart
  • 8 QT. DEEP CAMP DUTCH OVEN….
  • PRE-SEASONED COOKWARE. A good…
  • MADE IN THE USA. Lodge has…

Extreme Heat Resistant Grill Gloves

Safety first because nothing will ruin your little camping trip quicker than a burn injury. The one downside to cooking over an open fire with cast iron is things get really hot. You have the open flames to contend with as well as hot handles.

You need to be prepared for this and a good pair of grill gloves make it easy to be safe.

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Campfire Cooking Stand

Having a proper setup over your fire makes things so much easier when you are cooking over an open campfire. There are several kinds of cooking stands from ones that just sit over the fire to the type you hammer into the ground and they swivel around.

I’m fond, however, of the swing type. They give you plenty of room to tend to the fire and allow a large cooking space. What is really nice is when you are done cooking you can get it out of your way and enjoy the campfire.


Campfire Forks

If you just want to cook a hot dog real quick or roast a couple of marshmallows for your smores after the meal then you will need a good campfire fork. There’s not a whole lot to say about these other than I like having ones that are heavy-duty and plenty long enough so you don’t melt your face. The stainless steel forks are also much easier to clean.

Coghlan’s 9195 Camp Fork , Silver
  • Heavy-duty chrome plated steel
  • Perfect for using around a…
  • Great to cook hot dogs or…

Cast Iron Sandwich Maker

Hot sandwiches for a quick lunch are a treat and cast iron sandwich makers make the job of fixing them easy and delicious.

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Grilling Basket

Another great campfire cooking tool to have in your arsenal is the grilling basket. They are great for fish or vegetables as well as a variety of other things. It’s one of those things you may not use every day but it will make the job easier when you need one.

Campfire Basket Grill Grill Broiler with Long Handle, Standard version, Multicolor
  • 8 inches x 9 inches cooking…
  • Makes campfire cookn’ easy!
  • Flip it all at once. Secures…

Percolator Coffee Pot

Sitting around a fire enjoying a hot cup of coffee may just be my favorite thing about camping. In order to do that you need a way to make some coffee easily. To me, nothing makes a better cup of coffee than a percolator. Whenever the fire gets going it’s always the first thing I’m heating up.


Campfire Worthy Cooking Utinsels

Of course, you can get by with some flimsy, cheap cooking utensils but I like something in my hand with a little substance for better control and durability.


Campfire Utensil Holder

It was time to flip the burger or stir the pot so you bring out your utensils, do the job, then look around for a place to set them down without them getting dirty for the next use. A campfire utensil holder will solve that problem and makes a great accessory to have.


Of course, there are many more things you can get to accommodate your campfire cooking experience but I find that having these tools are what I wouldn’t want to do without. No get out there and whip up some meals and memories.

Harold & Mary Thornbro

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