There’s nothing quite like cooking over a campfire, and a BBQ is one of the best ways to cook outdoors. Here are five of the best campfire grills to take your camp cooking to the next level.
At a glance: our top picks
Texsport Heavy Duty Over Fire Camping Grill
This fire camping grill from Texsport is a robust device. With its welded steel construction, it’s an excellent purchase for locals who camp frequently and are looking for a fire pit grill that WILL serve for many years to come.
The design of the Texsport camping grill is very simple. It consists of a grill and foldable legs to save space. The cooking area is 24 x 16 inches, making it one of the more expanded options on the top end.
A downside to this grill is that the steel will rust if not protected, so consider using anti-rust coatings.
Despite its rather high price, the Texsport Fire Pit Grill is exceptionally popular and highly rated. It’s not difficult to understand why. If you’re an avid camper, we think this fire pit grill is the best buy for the money.
Advantages:
- Large 24″ x 16″ grilling area.
- Heavy welded steel construction.
- It can be folded up to save space.
Disadvantages:
- Expensive.
- It will rust if not protected.
- For use with outdoor cookware, including heavy cast iron (not for direct contact…
Coghlan’s Camp Grill
The Coghlan Camp Grill is an ultimate option, ideal for those looking for something for the occasional outing. In addition, this camping grill is much more compact than the Texsport grill. It’s also a good choice if you have very little space in your RV or backpack.
Although the steel frame of this camping grill is much thinner than the Texsport grill, it is nickel-plated and corrosion-resistant. As long as the nickel plating is intact, the thing shouldn’t rust.
The cooking surface of this fire pit grill is also sized at 24″ x 12″, which should be plenty for most needs.
Coghlan’s also offers this grill as a heavy-duty option. It is similar to the Texsport grill, but is slightly cheaper. Their steel doesn’t appear to be nickel plated though, so Coghlan’s standard grill might be a better buy in terms of corrosion resistance.
All in all, the Coghlan Camp Grill is a great camping cook set . This thing won’t stand up to a tough multi-day camping trip, but it will serve well when your trip is short and you need to stay light.
Advantages:
- Ideal for occasional outings.
- Corrosion resistant nickel plated steel.
- The grill measures 24 x 12 inches.
- very cheap
- Very compact when folded.
Disadvantages:
- Definitely not for frequent multi-day trips.
- Heat up a meal or grill in a pan, boil water and brew coffee over a campfire…
- Measures 24 x 12 inches and is 7 inches tall; Lightweight portable grill suitable for…
- Essential expected gear for backpackers, RVs, RV trailers, RVs, cabins and…
Amazon Basics Outdoor Fire Pit Grill
If you’re looking for something sturdy and compact, this AmazonBasics Fire Pit Grill is a great option. It is approximately 11″ x 18″ and saves a lot more space than the comparable Texsport fire pit grill.
The construction of the AmazonBasics grill is also very robust. It features a welded steel construction along with a stainless steel cooking grate. The AmazonBasics grill will stand up to heavy use any day, but just like the Texsport grill, it could be prone to rust. Therefore, you can treat it with an anti-rust coating.
The AmazonBasics grill folds back up, so it saves a lot of space when not in use.
Keep in mind that this particular grill is medium sized so you can find smaller and larger grills as well. But to be fair, the 11″ x 18″ cooking grate doesn’t really feel “medium,” it’s more like small. Don’t get us wrong, the size is ok but definitely not what we call “medium”.
Advantages:
- Robust welded steel construction.
- Rather compact.
- Foldable design.
- Backed by a 1 year warranty.
Disadvantages:
- Very small for a “medium” size.
- It may rust over time.
- Heavy duty fire pit grill for open fire cooking
- Constructed of high quality welded steel with a steel mesh top grille
- For use with outdoor cookware, including heavy cast iron (not for direct contact…
Texsport Heavy Duty Rotating Grill
That’s pretty interesting. This grill is again from Texsport, but it’s very different from the fire pit grill we discussed earlier. It’s a rotating grill that’s designed to be nailed to the ground, which brings a number of advantages.
This rotatable grill is height adjustable up to 17 inches, allowing you to control the amount of heat applied to the food as well as the cooking time. Sure, you can control the heat with any fire pit grill, but don’t add or remove charcoal here & you!
The grilling surface is also quite large on this type: 24 x 16 inches, which is the same size as the previous Texsport grill. The rotatable grill is also very compact: the 28-inch tube can be easily removed and stored separately.
In terms of material, the rotary grill is made of high-strength, welded steel and should withstand stress without any problems. But again, this grill isn’t rust-resistant, so be sure to protect it from the elements.
Advantages:
- Welded steel construction.
- 24″ x 16″ grill surface.
- Height adjustable up to 17 inches.
- Very compact and space-saving.
Disadvantages:
- It won’t be as stable as our previous picks.
- Not rust resistant.
- Solid metal construction welded from high quality steel to walk over an open fire.
- Large 24″ x 16″ grilling surface with 28″ vertical support post. Overall dimensions 24″ L x…
- Height adjustable to 17 inches for optimal warmth
Stromberg Carlson GR-1522 Stake and Grating
The Stromberg Carlson GR-1522 Spike and Grill is a slightly more functional alternative to the Texsport rotary grill we just reviewed. The build on GR-1522 doesn’t seem that difficult, but it has plenty of other things that make up for it!
The main material here appears to be steel (stromberg Carlson does not specify the material anywhere), which is chrome plated. Thanks to the chrome coating, the steel is said to be corrosion-resistant, a great advantage when camping.
Another benefit of this grill is that it IS designed to grill food through direct contact. Our pick above isn’t, but if you’re disinfecting the shelves, you should be able to safely use this way.
The GR-1522 grill’s peg is also 36 inches long (8 inches longer than the Texsport grill), so you should get a wider range of temperature adjustment with this thing. Thanks to the integrated mesh handle, height adjustment is easy.
What the GR-1522 grill lacks compared to the Texsport (apart from durability) is cooking space. The rack here is 15″ x 22″, so you don’t have that much grilling space.
Advantages:
- Designed to grill food through direct contact.
- Corrosion-resistant chrome-plated steel.
- Measures 15 x 22 inches.
- Allows you to set the grilling temperature.
Disadvantages:
- It will not be as stable as other grills.
Why Use a Fire Pit Grill?
A campfire grill rack is a great way to bring the smoky flavors to your food and authentic campfire flavor to delicious dishes. It’s one of the best camping cookware you can get. There are several advantages to using a fire pit grill. One of them is that a grill will help you cook better on an open fire.
Trying to cook over an open fire, like a campfire, has never been my favorite experience. While I appreciate the taste of food cooked on it, I feel like the heat burning my hands melts them, so I never thought it was worth it until I found a way to have some kind of controlled environment. , for wanting of a better word.
A fire pit grill provides structure so YOU can cook over an open flame, but is supported by a grate that keeps the flame at bay and gives you a stable surface to grill. It also helps you cook with just the basics. A grate gives you a good height above the open flame, which solved my direct heat issue with cooking over a campfire.
Another benefit of using a grill is that YOU can regulate the heat and manipulate its intensity depending on where you place the grill. The closer you are to the flame, the hotter it will be, and the further away you are, the less intense the heat will be. This is very helpful as controlling the heat of a campfire is not very easy.
The grid also helps with heat dissipation. You can layer the food on the grill grate, targeting the different heat zones. So, for example, if the fire is hottest in the center and dies away outwards, YOU can sear the meat where it’s hottest while YOU cook something that requires less heat on the outside of the grill. This allows you to use more area of fire and get more out of a single firing cycle.
The other benefit of using a trellis is to ensure your safety. It’s an excellent way to keep everything in the same space and with the same content. They also make cleaning up a lot easier, after all. You can choose to use it differently, either throw the food directly or use pots and pans. Cooking grates are versatile, and that’s another great reason to use a grate!
Types of Grills
There are different types of grills that you can use. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Tripod
This type is mounted on three legs, a tripod. It’s a design that allows you to adjust the height of the grille more than any other type. It could easily be said to be the most flexible when it comes to height adjustment. The grill hung from the top of the tripod over the fire. It looks like an Indian teepee standing over a fire.
The only downside you might encounter is the rack rocking. The rocking can be harmful when cooking for long periods of time. Also, it’s best suited for small camping trips where you don’t need to prepare a lot of food since they tend to be small. But it protects you from the heat and you can adjust the height as you like.
Rotating Peg
If your camp consists of a larger number, YOU WILL like this rotating stake model. It is rammed into the ground with a stake. Then the grill is attached to the pole. As the name suggests, this grid rotates. When the food is ready, simply turn the grill to take the food off the heat. They can be adjusted up or down 20 inches. You can adjust the height by raising the stake out of the ground or lowering it.
Flatbed
This is probably the most common and as the name suggests is a flat top grill pan. It is a simple grill that often has a folding mechanism. The downside is that the racks don’t have height adjustment features like the tripod or swivel racks.
Important Functions
Material
Fire pit grills should be made of a material that is durable and also withstands heat well. Most cooking grates are made of stainless steel or cast iron because of these qualities. The material should also contribute to how well it dissipates heat and how light it is. Stainless steel is also easy to clean and lightweight. It is also rust resistant. However, it is not as durable as cast iron.
Cast iron and heat distribution very well, but is also bulky, making it difficult to transport. It also has the advantage of being very durable. It is also the least caustic cooking grate material.
Portability
You want a cooking grate that is easy to transport. It should fold easily and have a mechanism that allows you to store it easily as well. For example, the tripod stand needs to be able to be folded and secured when you install it. Portability also refers to how light it is. See if you can carry it in a backpack or in a car to see what your options are.
Heat Retention and Heat Control
Make sure the material retains and radiates enough heat to thoroughly cook food. You want something that will heat up and cook food evenly without burning it. It also depends on the material used. Heat regulation is significantly influenced by the construction. Steel and cast iron work well for this department.
Size
You need enough space to cook enough food for the number of campers. Check the overall size, which is usually measured by multiplying the length by the width. Typical fire pit grill sizes are 13 inches by 9 inches by 6 inches for small to medium sized grills, while large grills can measure 15 inches by 22 inches.
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
