It is a question that is almost as old as camping itself. It is a question that has vexed camping philosophers and campfire quarterbacks for years! Should I get a camp grill, a camp griddle, or a camp stove? Or some combination or all three?

There is no simple answer to this question. But of course we decided to tackle it on today's podcast, and here on the blog anyway. Because we have no fear.  And because Jeremy is obsessed with this stuff. Stephanie--not so much. Even though she is the one who initially invested in a good Weber camp grill ( a Q100) about 8 years ago.

So let's look at the pros and cons of each and recommend a few models in each category!

To listen to Jeremy and Stephanie talk about Camp Grills, Camp Griddles, and Camp Stoves on The RV Atlas podcast, then click on the media player above. Or subscribe to The RV Atlas wherever you get your podcasts!

Pros and Cons of Camp Grills

Pros....

Camp grills are great for grilling chicken, steaks, pork chops, burgers, and hot dogs. A great grill is a campground classic and makes an amazing dinner. Maybe an amazing lunch if you are feeling extra carnivorous. Plus, for many of us...FOOD TASTES GREAT OVER FIRE. And it has for a few thousand years. Camp grills are also easy to keep clean and come in a wide variety of options at different price points. And if you like grill marks you are not gonna get em on a flat top griddle. Camp grills are also easy to store and clean.

Cons...

But a camp grill is not a great tool for breakfast. It requires a separate (and sometimes expensive and heavy) griddle top to make things like bacon, pancakes, and eggs. And even then, it won't have a place for the grease to drain or gather like any quality camp griddle will.

Recommended Grills

We love the Weber Q1200 ($209.00) and its highly portable design and cool color selections. It is hard to beat the even distribution of heat and the high quality porcelain enamel grill grates. The big brother Weber Q2200  ($269.00) is excellent for larger families.  They both make amazing food, they both last forever, and they are both easy to take apart and clean. However, I do not like the stand that Weber makes to go along with these two grills. Pick up a separate stand like the ones made by GCI Outdoor. They are better quality and cost about the same price as the Weber stand.

On a Budget?

If you find the Weber camp grills to be a bit spendy (which is understandable) here is another option. The Cabela's stainless steel tabletop grill. for $99 is also a very good choice. It's a well made grill for a "grate" price. But the grates are not nearly as nice as the grates on the Weber Q1200 and 2200--but if you don’t care about grate quality like I do--then this may be the grill for you!

If you want a charcoal option, I LOVE my Weber Jumbo Joe. It has a huge amount of grilling space for a tabletop grill. It is also easy to carry and has nice extra features. You can prop the lid up and also lock the lid into place for storage.

But how much do I cook with charcoal at the campground? Not much. I love the taste of food over charcoal, but my family could care less and it takes longer to prep a charcoal grill than a gas grill. --It is hard to find the time to get the charcoal going and it is a bit messier to deal with. 

Pros and Cons of Camp Griddles

Pros...

A camp griddle is a very diverse piece of cooking equipment that can handle breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is just as good at making pancakes as it is at making burgers. And you don't need any additional equipment to clean up or lug around. Griddles are also great for taco night, hibachi, stir fry, grilled cheese, and a million other things. A lot of people really like camp griddles because they can handle so man...