steak cooking over the fire

The Lost Art of Cooking Outside

Cooking outside is a lost art worth rediscovering. There’s something primal about fire, metal, and food. Before kitchens had countertops and timers, we had open skies and wood smoke. Somewhere along the way, cooking outdoors became an inconvenience, something reserved for long weekends or those rare “perfect weather” days. But lately, something’s shifting. People are rediscovering the joy of cooking outside again, not just eating outside, but cooking there.

We Forgot How Good It Feels to Cook Outside

Our ancestors cooked outside because they had to. Scouts, soldiers, and early adventurers built entire routines around fire, simplicity, and improvisation. They didn’t worry about sous-vide precision or plating, mainly just flavor, fuel, and the friends and family around them.

Now, in a world where most of us cook under LED lights and exhaust fans, that kind of intentional simplicity feels nice. Cooking outside slows you down. It makes you pay attention to heat, to time, to the moment. If you don’t, you might burn your steak in the fire… we’ve been there.

Cooking Inspiration Is Everywhere

There’s a reason cooking-outside videos are racking up millions of views on YouTube. Channels like Cook Loop, where they cook a Ribeye on a hot stone, accompanied by garlic bread and smoked whiskey, or Men with the Pot, carving wooden utensils and frying wild mushrooms over open flame, they’ve captured something we all crave.

It’s not just the food. It’s the feeling.

You can almost smell the smoke through the screen. You can hear the crackle, the sizzle, the quiet between cuts. These creators remind us that cooking isn’t just about the meal, it’s about the experience of making it. The patience, the mess, the reward.

Watching them makes you want to pack up and go… not to “get away,” but to reconnect with something simpler.

Men with pot cooking steak outside

Less Recipe, More Ritual 

Out there, your ingredients don’t have to be fancy. A cast-iron pan, a fresh cut of meat, maybe a handful of herbs, or a lemon. The point isn’t perfection, it’s just getting out there and enjoying it.

When you cook outside, you notice the details: how the fire burns hotter on one side, how the wind shapes your flame, how every minute matters. It’s the same reason a coffee tastes better when brewed beside a river, or why a simple meal at camp can feel more satisfying than any restaurant.

Cooking outdoors forces presence. You can’t scroll between stirs. You can’t half-watch a show while seasoning. You’re there, fully. And that’s what makes it so rewarding.

Good Gear Should Get Out of the Way 

We started Chuk because we missed that feeling and because, honestly, most camp kitchens weren’t built to make it easy. Plastic bins, wobbly tables, lost utensils… they kill the rhythm before it starts.

So we built something to make outdoor cooking feel effortless again. A kitchen that folds out in seconds, keeps everything within reach, and makes your setup part of the experience instead of a chore. Not because we want camping to be fancier, but because we want it to be simpler. More about cooking, less about packing, setup, and fumbling around.

Chuk kitchen box - organized outdoor camp kitchen

Food Tastes Better When You’ve Earned It

Cooking outside is one of the best ways to reconnect with nature, with people, and with yourself. Whether you’re flipping pancakes at sunrise or searing steak on a stone at sunset, the act of making food outdoors grounds you in a way nothing else can.

If you’ve ever found yourself daydreaming about it or watching a few too many cooking YouTube videos and felt that itch, you should follow it. Grab your gear, drive until the signal fades, and make something delicious beneath an open sky.

That’s what we’re chasing with Chuk: not just better gear, but a better rhythm, one that reminds us that cooking outside isn’t lost. It’s just waiting to be rediscovered.

A Few Simple Answers to Outdoor Cooking FAQ

Q: What’s a go-to stove option for cooking while camping?
A: For most car campers, a dual-burner propane stove like the Coleman Classic or GSI Pinnacle Pro 2 strikes the best balance between portability, power, and reliability. If you prefer open fire, a folding grill grate or BioLite CampStove brings that real flame cooking experience while keeping things controlled.

Q: What’s the best type of pot or pan for outdoor cooking?
A: A cast-iron skillet is hard to beat for versatility and flavor, and it holds heat evenly and can go from fire to table. For lighter setups, the GSI Glacier Stainless Frypan, or if you’re looking for a premium carbon steel pan, you’ll like the GOSO Cookware Everywhere Pan, and they all nest neatly inside a Chuk Kitchen Box.

Q: What’s the best way to organize a camp kitchen?
A: Keep everything grouped by function - cook, prep, clean, and eat. A modular kitchen system like the Chuk Kitchen Box eliminates the chaos of bins by giving every item a home, so you spend more time cooking and less time searching for the spatula. See what our Co-Founder Evan packs in his Chuk Kitchen Box → here.

Q: What kind of meals work best outdoors?
A: Simple ones that don’t need constant attention. Think one-pan pastas, fire-grilled veggies, or steak with potatoes wrapped in foil. Anything you can prep in advance and cook over variable heat works beautifully. Here are a few one-pot meals you can try → Why One-Pot Meals are Perfect for Car Camping

Q: How can I make cleanup easier after cooking outside?
A: Bring a collapsible sink or use a small basin, biodegradable soap, and a dedicated drying rack. Wipe pans before washing to save water. The Chuk Kitchen Box includes space for dish kits, so cleanup stays as organized as setup.


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