Sometimes it's nice to get a bit creative with breakfast when you are out car camping. That said, my creativity is usually limited to pancakes and some other basic breakfast foods, but I hate trying to cook them in smaller frying pans so I went and invested a few dollars in the Coleman Aluminum Non-Stick Griddle. This griddle fits easily over the two burners of your basic Coleman Camping Stove and with their highly adjustable settings, it's actually quite easy to cook decent pancakes, eggs, french toast, bacon and sausage (though not all at the same time) on this griddle.

Basics

This really is just a heavy-gauge aluminum griddle that has a non-stick coating on the cooking side. It's got flared up edges so that everything stays on the griddle and doesn't drip onto the stove while you're cooking. There are also built in handles on either end of the griddle. The actual cooking surface of the griddle is just over ten inches deep and just over sixteen inches wide. That gives you enough space to cook a couple of pancakes or pieces of french toast at a time. You can also be cooking up eggs and have your bacon or sausage cooking on the other side.

While it lacks the very consistent heat of a cast-iron griddle, for a piece of lightweight aluminum, I think it does a good job. The heat from the two burners quickly warms up the griddle and while there are spots that are warmer than others, overall, it's quite easy to cook on without any problems.

Experiences

I went with the aluminum griddle mostly because I liked the non-stick surface. Plus it was a bit lighter than more traditional cast-iron skillets. That doesn't really matter though since I use it only when I'm car camping. I use the griddle with my two-burner Coleman propane stove. The griddle fits over the two burners and I haven't had a problem cooking with it. I can adjust the heat on the stove and the griddle responds quickly and heats fairly evenly. I like the non-stick since it gives you the extra bit of insurance against sticking when you're cooking. I also like it because it makes cleaning the griddle easier.

Final Thoughts

This isn't the perfect griddle, but considering I'm using it in the outdoors on top of a camping stove, I think it does an admirable job. I haven't had a problem making pancakes in the morning. I like that it has a non-stick surface and I like that it's not as heavy as a cast-iron griddle.

Overall if you're looking for a griddle to take car camping, I'd recommend this the Aluminum Non-Stick Griddle from Coleman.

Recommended: Yes