Camp Chef Rainier Campers Combo
There’s something about cooking with fire that is just better. After being in an electric stove time warp for the last several houses I’ve rented, there’s a sigh of satisfied relief every time I push the matchless ignition and hear the flames flash into action on the Camp Chef Rainer Campers Combo stove.
Specs:
MSRP: $153.00 (BUY NOW for LESS!)
Dimensions: 13″ L x 23.5″ W x 5.75″ H
Cooking Area: 23.25″ x 11.5″
Total Output: 18,000 BTU/hr
Weight: 16 lbs.
Warranty: One Year
What you can expect from your Camp Chef Stove:
In an effort to properly test the stove, I have sent it though the ringer. As in, I boiled over rice (also known as starch cement), grilled heavily marinated steak (magically without setting myself on fire), exploded cheese filled sausages on the grill (that’s what I get for “multi-tasking”), cooked on an uneven surface (what else are you going to do without a table?), and stored it in the exposed bed of our truck for a cross country drive. Why? Because no matter how many times you read instruction manuals or cooking directions, life happens. And guess what? The Rainier stove kicked butt. There are some nuances that I would adjust if I had my way, but overall she’s got what ya need for all of your camp cooking needs.
Why the Rainier Campers Combo?:
The burner fits my 3L pot from the GSI Pinnacle Base Camper, as well as my 10” GSI Pinnacle frypan perfectly. I was afraid that the windscreen would hold too much heat, and in turn melt the silicone on the lid for the pot, but I have yet to experience that as an issue. It would be nice to be able to adjust the screens, but for most of my cookery, it’s not an issue. My first time using the single burner, I had a glass pot from my indoor kitchen I was using to make quinoa, NOT ideal. A light breeze would start to blow the pot right off the metal grill. As this grill is intended for outdoor use, that also refers to needing outdoor cooking equipment, just keep that in mind when packing up your pots for your adventure. What you’re looking for, if you are selecting from your household wares, is something with a spiral base, or cast iron so it won’t wander on the metal stove covering.
When all packed up, the stove makes very little racket when going over bumps in the vehicle. As this thing has been loosely in the backseat of the Maxima for a while, going to and from XPCamper building our new adventuremobile, the EEXP, the lack of sound is much appreciated. As there is no secure place to put the metal propane attachment, I find that if I just stick it on the outside side of the grill in the bag, it seems to stay put. The added tightness of having a propane tank in the outside mesh pocket also helps.
The grill side has ample space for some serious burger action for 2-4 people, 6 if you want to get creative. The center of the grill plate has a solid construction to help protect the burner below from drippings. At first this was a bit confusing as to where to place my food to get it to cook properly. Overall, the entire grill plate will get hot. For me, I noticed the left side of the grill was noticeably hotter. Just another thing to keep an eye on as you can quickly have a well-done burger on the left, while still having medium-rare on the right. Rotating your food around the grill as you cook will largely make that a non-issue.
Combining the ability to grill and boil at the same time exponentially widens the array of meal choices you can have on the road. This is hugely helpful, as sometimes the outdoor cooking world can seem limiting when you only have a few tools to work with, and no oven. With the addition of the non-stick griddle, there is hardly anything to get in your way of the perfect meal with the Rainier Camp Stove configuration.
Things to know about the Rainier Camp Stove:
1) Give ‘er some space. ALL sides of the stove will get hot, and fast too. While great for the cooking part, just a thing to look for if you have paper towels, or other flammable/heat sensitive objects set too close.
2) To ‘properly’ pre-heat the griddle, place the heat on med to med-low for about 5 minutes This will get you to a surface temp of 350-400F. Then adjust the heat to med-low for an additional 2-3 minutes to establish an even heat. After that, you’re ready to rock and roll! (NOTE: Never heat the griddle on high, as it will quickly warp the metal)
3) Camp Chef has this stove set to use with 16.4oz disposable propane cylinders, but if you get a bulk tank adapter hose from Camp Chef, you can get a refillable bulk LP-Gas tank (maximum capacity of 20 lbs), to use for cheaper car camping.
4) The drip pan located under the grill side can get GNARLY, go ahead and line it with some tin foil to save yourself the cleaning woe.
5) Keep an eye on your flame; the ideal coloring should be blue with just a small yellow tip. If you’re getting a mainly yellow flame and it’s leaving soot on your pots, check the Air Vent behind the control knob. If that doesn’t fix it, a good cleaning session is in order.
6) SPIDERS! If you’re storing your grill in your garage or shed in late summer and fall (when these little critters are most active) and you have lost your carrying case, they might have made a home inside one of the burners. Keep an opened paper clip handy to poke though the little holes if you notice your power isn’t what it used to be due to the blocked airways.
7) Want to calculate how many hours of cook time you have with your stove? Take 22,500 and multiply it by the lbs. of tank you have. Then divide the answer by the total amount of BTU’s your stove is. So, if you’re using a 16.4 oz Propane fuel tank and both sides of the Rainier Stove: 22,500 x lb. of tank/BTU’s of stove is (22,500 x 1.025/18,000) = 1.28 hours.”
8) Fun fact, the BTU’s that the Rainier stove puts out on the single burner is about the same as your household counterpart (10,000-12,000), so it is pretty easy to translate the cooking times you are used to at home, to the outdoors. The grill side puts out about 8,000 BTU’s.
Pros:
Small
Versatile
Consistent
Cons:
Non-adjustable windscreens
No secure place to store the propane attachment
Bottom line? Buy. For the pice you pay for this outdoor camping tool, you have a great, diverse piece of equipment that will hold up to some serious abuse.
(Disclaimer: Camp Chef provided Exploring Elements with the Rainier Campers Combo for review consideration.)
