{"id":170193,"date":"2021-06-24T07:57:38","date_gmt":"2021-06-24T14:57:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=170193"},"modified":"2025-02-05T19:38:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T03:38:47","slug":"first-look-oxo-outdoor-cooking-gear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/first-look-oxo-outdoor-cooking-gear","title":{"rendered":"First Look: Testing the New OXO Outdoor Cooking Gear"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Some people hate when their cult discovery goes mainstream\u2014like when Supreme clothing went big-league or when indie rapper Saweetie signed to Warner Records\u2014but not me. When OXO<\/a> announced that it was rolling out a line of kitchenware designed especially for camping, I gave myself a smug pat on the back for having been an early adopter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For at least a decade, I\u2019ve included a Good Grips waiter\u2019s corkscrew in my camp kitchen kit. Now, OXO wants all campers to know that the company\u2019s famously grippy and durable cooking tools deserve a place in their outdoor kitchen. And to that I say: All aboard the bandwagon!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For summer 2021, OXO rolled out a line of 10 kitchen tools that comprise the new OXO Outdoor collection<\/a>. Items include the Campgrounds French Press<\/a> ($24.95), two pan-scrubbers (one made of silicone<\/a> and a bristle-brush for cast iron<\/a>), a squeeze-bottle set<\/a> ($9.95), an 8″ chef\u2019s knife<\/a> ($14.95), the Steady Surface Cutting Board<\/a> ($11.95), a can opener<\/a> ($14.95) and a range of utensils\u2014some made of silicone, and some built of stainless steel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, I wondered why the company felt it was necessary to \u201coutdoorsify\u201d its already-great products. The pancake flipper and can opener that I routinely use in camp are just regular pieces of kitchenware that I bought from thrift stores, and they function just fine with or without a roof. But you only need know about OXO\u2019s very first innovation to get it\u2014a vegetable peeler that company founder Sam Farber designed for his wife, whose arthritis called for a beefier, grippier handle. As it turns out, those qualities also make it appealing to camp cooks whose hands are slippery from sunscreen residue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"OXO<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

First up, I tested the OXO Outdoor 8″ Chef\u2019s Knife with Sheath<\/a> ($14.95), which proved to me that some basic kitchen tools definitely benefit from outdoorsification. This stainless-steel blade comes with a polypropylene cover that keeps it sharp and prevents it from piercing other things (like my fingers when I reach into my RV\u2019s kitchen drawer to retrieve it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThrough our research, we saw campers wrapping knives in tin foil or creating their own cardboard sheaths,\u201d says OXO spokesperson Mary Ogushwitz. Thus, when the company reenvisioned this basic product for camping, she explains, \u201cWe knew it was important to add something that was reliable and durable so it could be packed with confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sheath is a simple but brilliant addition to a knife that\u2019s intended for outdoor use, because I don\u2019t carry a heavy, bulky knife block in my camper\u2014I just dump my knife into a box filled with other utensils. The sheath even lets me toss this knife into a canvas picnic tote without fear of the blade slicing through the fabric. It\u2019s also fabulously sharp (and has remained that way over a few weeks of use) and like all OXO items, the handle feels grippy and stable in my hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also adore the OXO Outdoor Pots + Pans Scraper<\/a> ($5.95), a palm-size piece of stiff silicone that\u2019s become a staple in my camp kitchen. I use it to squeegee away residual pancake batter or spaghetti sauce before I wash the pot (pre-cleaning makes my wash water last longer, which is helpful when faucets are in short supply). The scraper also lifts away crusted foods, making dish sponges obsolete (and I\u2019m thrilled to say goodbye to those unhygienic pads).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Campgrounds French Press<\/a> ($24.95) is another winner. Modeled after OXO\u2019s Venture French Press Coffee Maker<\/a>, the Campgrounds sports a cheery red-and-grey color scheme that looks more picnic-ready than the Venture\u2019s black gloss. It also uses a more sustainable material: The Campgrounds\u2019 shatter-resistant carafe is made of Tritan Renew, a 50 percent recycled resin made from plastic bottles that are diverted from landfills. (Read more about Tritan Renew here.<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"OXO<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is meaningful for OXO to use recycled materials when possible, and we understand use of these materials is important to the outdoor consumer and is something they look for in making product choices,\u201d Ogushwitz says. Tritan Renew is also durable enough for rough-and-tumble transport or encounters with boisterous dogs (I banished glass from my camp kitchen after a playful golden retriever overturned a folding table laden with glassware).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, the Campgrounds makes a better-than-average cuppa joe. A silicone gasket around the filter prevents grounds from seeping into your coffee, so my drinks were far less muddy than most pressed brews (the silicone also keeps the metal from scratching the carafe\u2019s resin walls). And both touch points feel great, as you\u2019d expect from any OXO product: The plunger feels custom-made for my palm, and the hoop-like handle doesn\u2019t bash my knuckles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admittedly, there are a few OXO Outdoor items that did not earn a spot in my camp kitchen kit. The Campsite Squeeze Bottles<\/a> ($9.95 for a couple) aren\u2019t leakproof, so there\u2019s no way I\u2019ll trust them to transport oils, sauces or salad dressings. For those messy liquids, I\u2019ll stick with repurposed jam jars or Nalgene\u2019s small screw-top containers<\/a>, which have never leaked salsa over everything in my cooler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Flexible Silicone Utensil Set<\/a> ($16.95) and the Can + Bottle Opener<\/a> ($14.95) are terrific, but identical to OXO\u2019s \u201cregular\u201d counterparts, so they don\u2019t deliver any additional functionality in outdoor settings. I\u2019d buy them if I were starting a kitchen setup from scratch, but I wouldn\u2019t seek them out to replace similar items that I already own and use in my mess kit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will, however, continue to keep a close eye on expansions to OXO\u2019s Outdoor line, because the company is currently incorporating camping insights into future designs. \u201cWe are excited for the launch,\u201d Ogushwitz says, \u201cbut also for year two and beyond, as our teams continue to work hand in hand on product development and testing with the goal of new, innovative tools being added to the assortment in 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, good things are coming down the pike to camp cooks. But is a camp dishwasher too much to hope for?<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some people hate when their cult discovery goes mainstream\u2014like when Supreme clothing went big-league or when indie rapper Saweetie signed to Warner Records\u2014but not me. When OXO announced that it was rolling out a line of kitchenware designed especially for camping, I gave myself a smug pat on the back for having been an early […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12183,"featured_media":170399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1057,2120,724,1538],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-170193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","tag-cooking","tag-first-look","tag-gear","tag-new-products"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/first-look-oxo-outdoor-cooking-gear","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"First Look: Testing the New OXO Outdoor Cooking Gear","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/first-look-oxo-outdoor-cooking-gear","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/first-look-oxo-outdoor-cooking-gear"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/00-oxo.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/00-oxo.jpg?fit=2000%2C1000"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maren Horjus"}],"creator":["Maren Horjus"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["cooking","first look","gear","new products"],"dateCreated":"2021-06-24T14:57:38Z","datePublished":"2021-06-24T14:57:38Z","dateModified":"2025-02-06T03:38:47Z"},"rendered":"