One of the best parts of camping is building a fire to cook with. These open fire kettles won’t melt in the high heat of the coals or fire so that you don’t need a stove or other specialized equipment to enjoy your tea, coffee, or water boiled meal!
Sneak Peak: Best Open Fire Kettle
Overview
Image | Product | Features | Price |
 | Fire-Maple Antarcti Kettle |
| |
 | Alocs Camping Kettle |
| |
 | GSI Outdoors Tea Kettle |
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 | Docooler Camping Kettle |
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 | Granite Ware Coffee Boiler |
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What to Consider When Buying Camping Kettles
Weight
As with any camping gear, the weight is going to be more important the further your planned campsite is. For backpackers, every ounce will make a difference. For primitive campers, you have a little more leeway to choose heavier materials as long as you don’t mind carrying it a quarter mile or more!
The main factor influencing weight is the material the kettle is made of.
Material
There are two types of open fire kettles on this list – Enameled and Aluminum. Enameled kettles have a layer of porcelain on the outside of the kettle to protect it from rust and heat as well as ensure a more even temperature. The downside of enameled camping kettles are their significantly higher weight. The good news is that they will last you for years if well maintained.
The second type are the aluminum camping kettles. These are going to be significantly lighter (up to 92% lighter!) but cannot stand as high of heats. For best results, let the fire die down to hot coals or use a shovel to pull some embers out and place the aluminum kettle atop the coals. Aluminum kettles may also be more prone to rusting if they are left wet or exposed to the elements for long periods of time.
Capacity
The last major consideration is the capacity of the kettle. Keeping in mind that one cup of tea may run you 8 – 16 or even over 20 ounces of water, depending on which type of camping mug you’re using, a family will need significantly more capacity than a couple boiling water using these open fire kettles.
The enameled kettles typically hold more water than the aluminum ones. Unless you’re willing to boil multiple pots or really need to save the weight, enamelware may be the best way to go.
1. Fire-Maple Antarcti Portable
Best Open Fire Kettle
Made of pure stainless steel, the Fire-Mable portable has all the hallmarks of a good camping kettle – easy to clean, weighs under a pound, and is the perfect size for about two cups having a capacity of 0.8L. The kettle’s wide base helps it heat water up quickly (some reviews claim it will boil in a minute and a half) and the handle allows it to be hung right over the fire!
2. Alocs Camping Kettle
Best Ultralight Open Fire Kettle
With a unique design and weighing in at only half a pound, the Alocs camping kettle is the best open fire kettle around. The 1.3 L capacity is enough for at least two cups of coffee or tea. Boasting a boil time around five minutes, you can go from tent to coffee first thing the fire is started and coals are hot. The kettle ships with a cloth to help protect your hands when pulling this off the coals or opening the lid.
3. GSI Outdoor Tea Kettle
Best Medium Sized Enamel Kettle
For a tough and sturdy enamel kettle that is easy to clean, check out the GSI outdoor tea kettle. With a classic blue speckle design, this kettle can fit in at any campsite. At 4.4 pounds, this kettle would not be suited for backpacking but can add some great style and function to your car camping setup. to top it off, this kettle can boil up to 2.4L of water, almost double the capacity of most ultralight open fire kettles!
4. Docooler Camping Kettle
Best Value Ultralight Open Fire Kettle
Docooler’s camping kettle comes in four sizes, ranging from 0.8 liters through the largest 1.6 liter capacity – giving you a lot of versatility to find a kettle that fits your exact group size and needs! Made of anodized aluminum, this kettle sports an easy to remove top, covered rubber handle, and has one of the lowest prices we’ve seen on open fire kettles.
The short spout and included carrying bag make it easy to attach to the back of your backpack and reduce the amount of space this kettle takes up. Take a look at the image below or click the link to find out more!
5. Granite Ware Coffee Boiler
Largest Enameled Open Fire Kettle
With a whopping three liter capacity, the Granite Ware Coffee Boiler can support the whole family on a single boil! While this extra capacity comes with a significantly higher weight, this kettle is perfect for making high capacities of tea or coffee over the fire or coals. Serve the whole party hot cocoa in this porcelain coated, coffee-colored pot should hold up to high temperatures but be careful with the hot handle when taking it out!
Conclusion
At the end of the day, as long as the water boils and the pot doesn’t fall apart – you can’t go wrong with any kind of adonized aluminum, cast iron, or enameled pot. Let us know if you have any thoughts about our picks above and enjoy making your hot chocolate, tea, coffee, or freeze dried meals with these best open fire kettles!
Tips for Using your New Camping Kettle
How to Use Your Open Fire Camping Kettle
To use these camping kettles on the open fire, you want a hot and steady source of heat to give the kettle the energy it needs to boil water. If you’re using a fire, try to let the fire die down until it has a strong bed of coals to use as the heat source, as opposed to using the kettle on roaring flames.
How to Descale a Camping Kettle
If you start to see a white powdery buildup inside your kettle, boil 1 – 2 cups of white vinegar inside of the kettle, let it cool, and rinse the pot. Give it a good clean (boil clean water inside to be safest) and you’re all set! If you need to, repeat the process for stubborn buildup.
How to Clean a Dirty Camping Kettle
You’ll likely get some soot on the outside of your kettle when you start to use it in the campfire. Most of the time, simple soap and water will be enough to wipe the marks off but for particularly difficult stains, try using oven cleaner on the exterior for extra firepower!
Can you use the Kettle on a Grill?
Yes! You can use these open fire kettles on top of pretty much any heat source, although be careful with kettles that have any kind of meltable or flammable equipment on the handles since you’ll basically be putting the kettle in a charcoal-fired oven
