New Zealand camping brand Zempire updated the familiar two-burner stove design with an improved heat output (12,200 BTU per burner, higher than most camp stoves) and broader dimensions to accommodate 12-inch skillets and large pots. These upgrades mean campers can fry bacon and simmer oatmeal simultaneously, or sear shrimp in a frying pan while boiling a big pot of macaroni. Notably, wait times are shorter than with some other two-burner models: The DLX Wide’s boiling speed earned props from impatient coffee drinkers.  

The stove also lets you pare down your camp kitchen: A built-in push-button ignitor eliminates the need to bring a long-handled butane lighter. And the unit’s flame control is impressively sensitive, allowing users to make subtle adjustments that achieve a sauce-coaxing simmer or keep cooked foods warm without scorching them. Customer-reviewers do note that the collapsible side panels weren’t always successful at shielding the flame from wind.  

The DLX Wide works with disposable 16.4-ounce propane canisters, which are available at REI Co-op and widely available in specialty gear shops and roadside convenience stores across the United States. The stove’s suitcase-style layout folds up in seconds, making for easy packing and storage. Buy here. 

There's something soulful about cooking over a fire, whether you're watching a marshmallow turn golden and gooey on a roasting fork or warming a pot of chili mac over open flames. But, if you're camped in an area that doesn't allow DIY ground pits or you want to avoid the hassle of fire cleanup, check out the Snow Peak Takibi Fire & Grill. It lets you enjoy the best of both worlds: a cozy fire and a freshly grilled meal. (The breezy cleanup is just the cherry on top.)

The Takibi Fire & Grill is made of stainless steel and built to last many seasons outside. (And should something happen—like the grill rusting or a part breaking—Snow Peak provides a lifetime warranty).

Plus, it's portable and collapsible (making it easy to stow), so outdoor lovers who want to end their day with food over flames can take it anywhere they go. "I personally love cooking over the fire when I'm camping instead of using stoves most of the time," says Elizabeth Nguyen, a camp sales lead at the REI store in Atlanta. "This can handle a 10-inch cast iron and still has room for cooking burgers and vegetables."

The kit comes with five pieces: a grill net, a grill bridge, the fireplace, a baseplate and a carrying case. (If you want to burn charcoal, you'll have to purchase the Fireplace Coal Bed separately.) This modular design allows whoever's playing chef to lower and raise the grill into three different positions, adjusting the heat intensity from a full scorch to a mellow simmer. The baseplate protects the ground from heat and ash, and the carrying case makes it easy to store and take anywhere.

One caveat: Some online customer-reviewers shared that they had trouble burning larger logs. You may have more success with small sticks and twigs. Still, customers appreciate this wood- and charcoal-powered grill for its versatility, packability and style. It'll make even the most novice camp cook feel like a master chef in the great outdoors. Buy here.

BioLite raises the camp-kitchen bar with its CampStove 2+, a wood-burning, canister-free cooking setup that does everything from sizzle sirloin to charge your devices when you run out of power. And it's smokeless, thanks to a small, heat-generated fan that feeds the flames. This can amount to a lot fewer emissions compared to a traditional wood fire.

The main unit also features a 3,200-milliamp hour battery, a small 100 lumen LED light and a port for charging your phone. "It's for someone who needs to have their technology close by while camping," says Nguyen.

REI Sales Associate Jackson says this versatility makes it popular with far-out adventurers, like a journalist Jackson met who paddled the entire length of the Columbia River. The writer relied on the stove for cooking and to power his devices so he could document his journey, Jackson reports. "He said that there was plenty of wood along the river and that, other than some rust, he was very happy with its performance." The ability to create electricity for charging small devices using green power (from utilizing biomass and wind power) makes this a solid choice for multiday camping trips or anyone who likes to have a way to power their devices.

The CampStove surface is made of stainless-steel grates that can hold up to four standard-size hamburger patties or six hot dogs, which will come in handy if you've got a couple of little ones (or hungry mates) in tow. Plus, the burner temperature can be adjusted between high, medium and low for that just-right char on your camp steak (or just to heat your noodles quickly). Pitching a tent where there's not much wood? No problem. The stove also burns biomass pellets. Buy here.

Telling ghost stories around the campfire is a rite of passage for most outdoorsy kids (and their parents), but with a historic drought in the American West and fire restrictions common throughout peak recreating months, s'mores-loving campers may have to get a bit more creative.

Enter the Ignik FireCan Portable Fire Pit, a compact and more-sustainable alternative to traditional wood fires (wood fires release more emissions). "It uses propane for a campfire experience, making it useable during [lower-level] burn-ban season," says one REI sales associate.

The FireCan is an ammo box-style metal canister that holds a propane-fueled flame to give the look and feel of a traditional fire. It's easy to set up, even for first-timers—just attach a propane cylinder (sold separately), light the flame with a match or lighter and adjust the flame with a simple knob. This unit can burn for up to nearly 2.5 hours at max flame, and it produces no eye-singeing smoke or ash.

The Ignik FireCan is designed to be low-maintenance, making it ideal for car camping and backyard gatherings alike. It provides mega warmth and a cozy ambiance without the hassle of finding (or buying) logs, building a fire pit or cleaning up coals. Plus, it boasts a metal mesh that prevents sparks from flying out willy-nilly, helping to reduce wildfire risk. Our online reviewers love it too, calling it "the friend-maker" for its ability to draw in other chilly campers like moths to a, well, flame!

The REI associate noted that, at this price point (plus the cost of a propane canister), this portable fire pit is more expensive than other stoves on this list. But it's worth it for campers who live in areas where burn bans are common, or for backyard stargazers who want to add some extra toasty vibes to their patio. Buy here.

If you're in the market for a more traditional stove with the same level of portability, consider this one. The REI camp stove specialist who recommends the Genesis from Jetboil loves both its versatility and its aesthetic: "It looks like it's something out of the future." Its compactness bona fides come from the fact that its two burners fold together so it can be slipped inside the included carrying case and JetBoil's 5-liter pot (not included) to make a clean, packable unit. That also makes this stove a great option when your camping vehicle of choice is a bike or backpack.

The Genesis' versatility comes from the ability to link a single fuel source to both your Genesis and many other Jetboil and Eureka propane stoves (adapter hose not included). "Your Jetboil backpacking stove can become an extra burner if you'd like," says the camp stove specialist. "That sets you up for the ultimate camp chef moment—frying bacon and eggs side by side at the same time you have water boiling for the coffee." You can also pair the Genesis with a compatible two-burner camp stove to create a group kitchen.

Our camping specialist shared another, more altruistic use for your Genesis: "It's a great stove for trail angels. It's so compact you can pack it in on a side trail to fry up a feast. That'll make you a hero to a whole lotta thru-hikers." Buy here.

Simplicity, versatility and easy operation make this affordable stove from Coleman a winning option. Using this solo burner to its highest capabilities, an REI Co-op Expert Advice editor seared sausages to pair with a bagged salad and boiled water for morning java. On the slopes, coaches could use this simple cooker to make steaming cocoa for ski-team après, and enterprising hikers or bikers could make low-hassle hot dogs for a trailhead tailgate.

The only hassle involves tracking down the necessary fuel canisters. The stove has a dedicated, enclosed compartment that requires a cylindrical butane canister to fit inside. Coleman sells a perfectly compatible 8.8-ounce canister for the job, and other butane canisters commonly sold at gear shops and some convenience stores in 8-ounce capacities, would fit, too. “In some ways, I’d prefer an external regulator to allow for flexibility,” the editor says. “But I do appreciate the added safety, sleekness and simplicity of use afforded by the closed compartment.”  

Fitting cartridge to stove is intuitive, and installation is a no-brainer. Heat output and variability were also impressive: “I cranked up the flame to get some sausage nicely browned, then turned it as low as it could go to keep it warm, and the wind protection built into the burner did a stand-up job on a blustery evening,” the editor says. “All told, not one sausage was burned or left at a less-than-ideal temperature.” Buy here.