Camping is a really fun activity, but you have to buy a lot of gear for it. Is there a way that you can skip purchasing some camping pots and pans and just use what you already have?
Using a regular pan over a fire is not recommended. Regular pans are not designed to withstand the heat of a fire, so they are likely to be damaged and/or release metal and chemicals into the food. It is also more difficult to keep the food from burning and clean the pan if it is used over a fire.
There are a lot of reasons why cooking with a regular pan over a fire is a bad idea, and there are many options for cooking pans that will work much better. Let’s dive in!
Why Don’t Regular Pans Work Over Fire?
The main reason why regular pans do not work to cook over fire is because they are not designed for that level of heat. Regular pans are designed for stoves, not for fires. The highest temperature that an electric stove reaches is generally between 400°F and 500°F. That means that regular pans only need to be able to withstand that level of heat. A medium-sized campfire will be about 900°F, and a larger fire can get up to 2,000°F. This is a significant difference. The extreme heat of a fire can cause multiple problems if you use a regular pan rather than one designed to be used over a campfire.
The material that the pan is made of is not as resistant to the heat of a fire, so the pan can burn or even melt. Even if you can still use the pan after you’re done cooking with it over the fire, it will probably end up covered in burnt parts. You will probably have to end up replacing the pan, especially if you cook with it over the fire more than once. If you are trying to save money by not buying pans specifically made for camping, you won’t, because you’ll end up needing to replace the pan and buy camping stuff anyways.
Regular pans, when exposed to high heat, can discharge metal and chemicals. These metals and chemicals can get into your food. This can, at best, make your food taste metallic, ruining the flavor. At worst, you can ingest dangerous chemicals. This would be especially bad while camping because any hospitals will probably be far away. This problem is particularly bad if you are using a pan with a nonstick coating. Nonstick pans are great on the regulated heat of a stove, but if they are exposed to the extreme heat of a fire, the nonstick coating will melt. This coating is made of harmful chemicals that will get into your food and make you sick.
A stove has both lower temperatures and the ability to regulate the amount of heat that it is giving off. Pans that are safe to use over a campfire will tend to release the heat more slowly so that the food is not exposed to all of the heat all at once, mimicking the effect of a stove. However, ordinary pans do not have this same effect, so it is much easier to burn the food.
Cooking food over the fire leads to more residue sticking to a pan than cooking over a stove. This makes cleaning the pan a lot harder, as it requires a lot more scrubbing. Campfire pans are designed to be easier to scrub roughly to get rid of this residue. However, if you scrub a regular pan too much, the bottom of it will become rough and uneven, making it even harder to clean in the future. You also might end up scratching the pan.
Regular pans are just not designed to be exposed to the intense heat of a fire. The other issues all stem from this underlying deficiency.
What Kind of Pans Do Work?
Most camping pans are made of titanium or cast iron, though some are made of specially treated aluminum or stainless steel.
Here are some campfire cooking sets that are well rated on Amazon:
- Odoland 15pcs Camping Cookware Mess Kit
- Aire 16pcs Camping Cookware
- Yodo Anodized Aluminum Camping Cookware
The majority of complaints about camping cookware is that they are too small and not nonstick. Most camping cookware is small because it needs to be easy to carry around and transport. It is not nonstick because nonstick coating is dangerous to use over a fire. Be advised that camping cookware that you purchase might be on the small side and difficult to clean.
Are There Ways to Safely Cook on a Fire with a Regular Pan?
There are ways that you can cook over a fire with a regular pan without ruining the pan or the food. You just need to be more careful.
You should never use a pan with nonstick coating on it over a fire. This coating is dangerous if it melts, gets into your food, and is ingested. You should also only use a pan with a metal handle. Plastic or rubber handles will most likely melt when exposed to the heat of a fire. Make sure that you don’t touch the heated metal handle with your bare skin.
Most regular pans are made of aluminum or stainless steel, which can be used over a fire, provided you are careful and build the fire strategically. These types of pans aren’t designed to withstand that much heat, so you will need to elevate the pan about six to eight inches above the fire instead of placing it directly in the fire. Consider purchasing something that can help you suspend your pan over the fire, or you can build something yourself. You also need to be keeping an eye on the food; you can’t just leave it to cook on its own.
If your pan is suspended high enough above the fire, it should be safe enough to use because there will be less heat. However, it may be safer just to purchase a campfire pan to use.
