Cooking

Even though it's now possible to 3D-print foods into millimeter-precise shapes and forms, cooking those printed foods is still an inexact process. Scientists are trying to change that, by using lasers to cook foods to specific optimized standards.

A new solo stove from Japanese outdoor gear maker Camp Ooparts offers a clever way to stay true to the "leave no trace" ethos, featuring a slide-in bed for the fuel that keeps the whole operation up off the ground.

It can be challenging, trying to cook your campsite meals while crouched over a tiny propane stove. The Space Box offers a bigger but still compact alternative, packing an oven, two-burner stovetop, prep surfaces and sink into one package.

Following a recipe may seem foolproof enough, but the problem is … most recipes can't tell if you're doing something wrong. That's where the Cooksy system comes in, as it actually watches the user's stovetop as they cook.

For eight years or so, GoSun has been offering outdoor enthusiasts clean ways of cooking up their meals through a range of solar-powered stoves, grills and ovens. Its latest and greatest, the Sizzle, is billed as its fastest and most powerful yet.

Open-fire cooking you can carry anywhere, the new Alpha Bonfire collapses flat into a smartphone-sized package small enough for a pocket. It carries easily by foot or light vehicle, building into a mini fire pit and grill complete with utensils.

Founder of Trayvax wallets and Kimbo campers, Mark King, brings together EDC and overland adventure with the Trayvax Ration. Something of a vehicle-adventure mess kit, the Ration packs a single burner and space for food, water and utensils.

Unlike thermoelectric camp stove/chargers that rely on live fire, the new Gen Stove powers up electronics with waste heat from LPG-fired cooking. It provides an easier, more universal solution for cooking and charging simultaneously.

Would-be RVers without the budget for a full motorhome might want to consider a camper-in-a-box. We've seen many such systems over the years, and Girovaga Box has another: modular cubes that combine into a van bed and an outdoor kitchen/dining set.

For two decades, US company Jetboil has specialized in portable stoves for adventurous souls and has now launched what it calls the lightest backpacking stove ever made, the 7.1-oz (200-g) Jetboil Stash.

Bringing its lightweight gear expertise to car camping, Swedish gear maker Optimus blurs the lines between car camping and backpacking with its new two-burner Gemini stove. The extra-slim stove carries easily, whether by motor vehicle, bike or foot.

For decades, people without access to kitchens (such as college students) have cooked meals on portable electric hotplates. The Bonbowl gives that concept a modern makeover, by incorporating faster, more efficient induction heating technology.