The top rated campfire grill grate is the AmazonBasics grate. It has a good amount of cooking space, it is stable, has a durable construction, and is portable enough to carry around!
I took up camping shortly after the pandemic lockdowns ended. Since one of my favorite things about camping is outdoor cooking, I had to find the perfect grill grate for me. So, I looked at the top options and put them through their paces!
In this post, I will identify the best campfire grill grate, while also providing you with some other options. I have also included a buyer's guide!
Here are the best campfire grill grates for you to choose from:
Best Overall
As a mid-sized campfire grill, this grate can hold enough pots and pans to cook for at least two people. So, it is great if you are looking for campfire grates that have a nice balance between good size and portability.
Now, the only disadvantage of this campfire grill grate is that it isn't meant for direct contact grilling. Due to this, you have to place the food on pots and pans before cooking it.
I was pleasantly surprised at how stable this grill grate was! Once planted into the ground, it is completely steady. And, even when I placed camping pans on the grill, it didn't budge at all. Even when I was cooking with larger cuts of meat, the grill grate held firm!
The other thing that I liked about this grill grate is that it was made from a durable material and it was welded together really well. Not only does this make the grill ideal for hiking and camping trips, but it also makes the grate a good investment. You can use it time and time again without worrying about wear and tear.
I loved how easy it is to fold and unfold this grill grate. Simply fold the legs into the frame and you are all set to go. It is also great that once folded, the grill grate becomes incredibly compact, making it easy to store in your backpack.
Runner Up
If you are looking for a grilling surface that you can cook food directly on, then this is the campfire grate for you! From steaks to veggies, you can easily cook anything that you like on this campfire grill grate.
I like that the heat is evenly distributed across the cooking space. As a result, it all cooks at a similar taste and you also get those nice grill marks too.
The only disadvantage is that this camping grill has been coated with cast iron paint. As a result, you have to first expose it to direct heat and wait for the paint to crack and peel. Scrape this off, season the grill and you are good to go.
What makes this grill one of the best campfire grills is its stability. The camping ground that I tested out this campfire grill grate on was pretty rocky, even after I cleared the area out. Despite this, I was able to set up the grill and cook my food on it without any issues.
Once I got past the paint issues, I discovered that this was a pretty durable campfire grill. It is made from high quality steel, is welded together, and the mesh is great for managing the weight of the food.
I also really like how portable this grill grate was too. It folded up really neatly, creating a compact package that was easily stored in my backpack.
Best Budget Option
The reason that this grill is at the top of the list for the best campfire grill grates is due to its lightweight design. I absolutely love to take this grill on long hikes as it weighs virtually nothing. It is also a great option if you are carrying a smaller backpack - this grill is small enough to fit in.
I would also suggest this grill for those who are new to hiking and camping. Being lightweight and set up, you will love having this grill along with you.
Thanks to the way that the grates are designed and spaced, this is actually a great option for direct grilling. So, if you don't want to lug around pots and pans during your camping trip, you now don't have to.
That being said, I would avoid setting a very hot flame underneath this grill. It is pretty lightweight and the grate may warp due to very high heat.
I love how affordable this grill is! And, at the same time, it has got such great features that you do really feel that you are getting an amazing bargain. If you are someone who is new to hiking or camping and isn't ready to make an investment in your grill, this is the alternative that I would suggest for you.
This is the perfect campfire grill for anyone who goes camping by themselves and wants a campfire grill grate that will hold up time and time again. The material of this grill is really something. It is rust resistant and designed to hold up against high temperatures.
All in all, it is a great investment.
Of course, it isn't just the quality of the grill that sets it apart from other campfire grill grates. The welding and attention to detail with this campfire grate are something else. Due to this, you can feel really confident when using this campfire grill.
My only concern here is that when the legs don't really lock when they are fully extended. Now, the grill is steady but you do have to be careful not to try and move it in any way while there is food on the grilling surface.
There are a few different reasons why this campfire grate is so portable. To start with, this particular grill is really small so it folds down so that it is even more compact. It also comes with its own bag, allowing you to carry it wherever you go.
And, even if you don't have the greatest upper body strength, it isn't a problem as this is one of the most lightest campfire grill grates on this list.
I absolutely love the idea behind the campfire grill. Unlike other campfire grates that only have a grill, this also comes with a skillet. This doubles your options for cooking things up on a camping trip. Not only can you grill meat and get those gorgeous grill marks, but you can also whip up a hearty breakfast on the skillet too!
Both of the surfaces on this campfire grill are equally heat resistant. However, there are some chips of paint that will fall off with that first cook. Clear these off and you are good to go.
One of the reasons that this campfire grill grate works so well is that it heats evenly from one end to the other. This guarantees that the food is cooked at a similar rate and cooked to perfection.
Of all the campfire grill grates on this list, this certainly boasts the largest cooking area for both the steel mesh grill as well as the skillet. This makes it the perfect campfire cooking equipment for a large family or if you want to cook lots of different foods at once.
I am not going to lie - when I saw that this campfire grill had to be staked into the ground, I was nervous. I also wasn't sure how stable the grill would be. To my surprise, though, this setup held up incredibly well. Once it was in the ground, it didn't move or wobble at all!
If you don't like the tiered design of the campfire grill grates of the previous grill, then you may want to consider the Adventure Seeka option instead. Here, the grill grate and the skillet are side by side. This way, you don't have to make any adjustments while you are cooking.
Instead, you simply have the option of cooking two different types of food at the same time. This allows you to get done cooking your meal that much faster.
I do love that you have a larger cooking area than most other campfire grills. This is ideal if you are camping with a larger number of people. You will be able to turn out more food in a shorter period of time.
I have to say that the design of this grill is pretty sturdy. The grill is really well built and maintains its place well, even after the food is piled onto the grill. I didn't notice any wobbling or movement.
The folding mechanism on this grill is pretty unique. It is easy to fold and once you do so, it resembles a briefcase, complete with carrying handles. So, this makes it a breeze for you to carry the grate separately.
The only downside is that this grill is pretty hefty. Now, this is good news as it means it is well-built and will last a long time. At the same time, I wouldn't advise it for any camping trips that require you to hike to the grounds.
If you are planning on setting up camp for a few days and are going to be doing more in-depth cooking, then I would definitely suggest this campfire grill for you.
One of the reasons is that you can adjust the height using the chains on either side of the grill. This lets you get the grill closer or further away from the flames, depending on what you are cooking. In turn, you can cook a wider variety of food.
Unlike many other campfire grill grates, you can place the food directly on the grate with this design. Not only does this allow you to get a gorgeous seer with foods like steak, but it also allows for more lightweight camping.
This way, you don't have to take pots and pans with you on your trip.
That being said, I am not crazy about how small the size of the grate is, given the size and the weight of the entire setup.
It is great how sturdy and stable this grate is. As there are four separate points that can be stuck into the ground, the grate is supported from all sides. This guarantees that the grill stays put throughout the cooking process.
If you want to cook greater amounts of food or balance larger pots, then this is the grill grate that you should consider. There is plenty of space for anything that you would like to cook.
You will find that this design works especially well if you like to cook using camping pots and if you want to cook food for a larger number of people at once.
I really like the fact that you can adjust how far or close to the flames you want the grate to be. This way, you can sear food, slow cook it, or even warm it up if you like. So, if you are someone who likes to do serious cooking while you are camping, then this is the grill for you.
Just a word of caution, though, as it isn't easy to maneuver the grate. So, if you do plan to lower or lift the grate, I would suggest taking any food or pans off of it first.
This was the first time that I worked with a grill grate like this so I wasn't sure about how well the design would hold up. It was a relief to find out that the grate was incredibly sturdy and was more than capable of holding up the grill, food placed on top of it, as well as any pans!
If you want to be able to cook your meat and veggies directly over the flames, then this is a great option for you. The grill is very low to the ground so it is great for fast cooking or even searing.
The design of the grill ensures that the food is properly supported for even cooking.
Speaking of even cooking, I noticed that the heat distribution on this grate is really even. This means that all the food that is on the grill cooks at a similar rate. This makes it a lot easier for you to know when the food is cooking.
Between the high quality construction and the low to the ground design, this grill is incredibly stable. The only thing to be aware of here, though, is that the legs do have a tendency to loosen. As a result, you should always check them before placing the grill over the fire.
Here are some top tips to pay attention to when shopping around for your own campfire grill grates:
The first thing that you need to do is to figure out what kind of grill you want. The most common type is the one that looks like a traditional grill. The grate is square or rectangular in shape and it is attached to four legs.
One of the best perks about this kind of design is that it is sturdy as there are four points of stability. It is also quite portable as many of these have foldable legs that make them more compact.
The downside, however, is that you can adjust the height of the legs and can only cook the food directly over the fire.
Then you have the grill with the swivel grates. This is when you have two sets of grates - sometimes one of these may be a griddle. Here, you can place either grate - or both grate over the fire.
This versatile design allows you to cook different types of food at once.
Then you have the swing grill. This grill is held up by two chains that are attached to a frame. The main advantage here is that you can adjust the height of the grate and cook your food at the desired temperature.
The downside is that these grills aren't very compact and can take up more space.
Finally, there is the tripod grate. This is also great for adjusting the food but if you only want one point of adjustment. Of course, this means that adjusting the grill can be more difficult.
Not everyone needs the same amount of cooking space. If you are a solo camper, you are obviously going to need a lot less room. On the other hand, if you are traveling as a group, then you will need to cook more food in one go.
Make sure that you can fit the amount of food that you need to ensure that your food cooks as quickly as possible.
If you are hiking to your campsite, size, and weight is key. So, make sure to check this beforehand. Also, test out how the grill feels in your pack so that you know what to expect.
Of course, if you are driving to the site, then this isn't such an issue.
The AmazonBasics campfire grill is certainly the best! It has a good amount of cooking space, is both durable as well as sturdy, and is portable to boot!
Of course, make sure to check out all the grill grates on this list. You never know which one may be just right for you!
