Comparison Kemping CA4-245 vs Time Eco TE-24 Set

Items for food can be divided into individual and general. Individual items are designed for use by one person, it is by the number of such devices that the number of people for which the set is designed is determined (see above). This variety includes:

— Plates. It usually refers to small plates of small or medium size (snack or canteen). Meats, vegetables, various snacks and other solid foods can be laid out on such plates.

— The plates are deep. According to the classic serving rules, deep plates are intended for liquid dishes — soups, mashed potatoes, cereals, etc. However, in nature, in a relatively informal setting, they may well be used for solid food. Moreover, in some cases, such plates are even more convenient than small ones — high sides prevent pieces of food from falling off the plate.

— Forks. Traditional universal forks for various solid foods — except for corn, special devices are used for it (see below). For ease of carrying, they can be smaller than classic canteens (corresponding to a snack fork).

— Forks for corn. Special forks designed to eat corn straight from the head. They are small in size — about 10 – 15 cm in total length, of which approximately half falls on the handle. The working part is most often two-pronged. Such forks are usually used in pairs: they are stuc...k into the corn cob from the ends and turn into handles, for which you can hold the head of cabbage and eat corn from it without touching the grains with your fingers. This is especially convenient in nature, where it is not always possible to thoroughly wash your hands.

— Table spoons. The largest variety of spoons used for eating. Tablespoons are useful for soup, liquid porridge and other similar products. With some tricks, they can also be used for solid food, as well as for cooking and serving — for example, to stir salad and arrange it on plates.

— Tea spoons. Small spoons, originally designed for stirring tea or coffee. During picnics, however, they can be used in many other ways — for example, as a dessert (for berries, ice cream, yogurt) or as a cooking tool (when dosing salt, spices, etc.).

— Table knives. Traditional table knives differ from kitchen knives in that they have rounded blades without a pronounced point, as well as a blunt cutting edge. In order for the knife to cut, a special notch is provided on the edge, which works similarly to a saw. Such a tool is not suitable for cutting raw foods, but it does a good job with fried or baked meat (not very dense), fish, etc. In addition, the wide blade is useful when spreading butter or other similar additives on bread. However, in addition to such knives, picnic and barbecue sets often contain so-called "steak knives", with a wooden or plastic handle, a traditional pointed blade and a sharpened or sawtooth cutting edge. Such tools are designed to efficiently cut dense meat that a classic table knife cannot handle.

— Glasses. Glasses included in picnic sets can be divided into wine and beer glasses. A distinctive feature of wine glasses is the presence of legs with a stand; this leg can be quite long, and in general such vessels have a more elegant appearance than beer ones. Although the specific design, of course, may vary — often there are glasses with a short stem and a rather voluminous, high bowl. Beer glasses, in turn, in most cases are not equipped with legs, moreover, they are traditionally made of thicker glass (more precisely, plastic) than wine glasses. Formally, it would be more correct to call them mugs or glasses (depending on whether there is a handle in the design or not), but the name “glasses” has traditionally taken root for such dishes. In addition, there are beer glasses with a stem.

— Glasses. Classic glasses are universal vessels for various drinks, having a relatively large volume (usually about 250 – 300 mL). They have a cylindrical or close to it shape, although there are also quite unusual options; but the absence of a handle is a mandatory sign of a glass. Note that such dishes are designed mainly for soft drinks, but they can also be useful for wine / beer: although it is better to drink such drinks from glasses, in their absence, glasses will also do.

— Glasses. Containers for drinks, characterized by a small capacity — about 50 – 70 mL, less often up to 100 mL. Used mainly for strong alcohol: vodka, cognac, various tinctures. It should be noted that according to the “classics of the genre”, it is customary to call a glass a small vessel with a stem, but in this case, most often we are talking about piles — containers of a similar volume that do not have legs. The stacks are more stable and more practical when used outdoors.

— Mugs. In this case, we mean mugs for "tea and coffee" purposes — cylindrical vessels with handles having a capacity of about 300 – 400 mL. Such dishes are useful primarily for hot drinks, although, if necessary, they can also be used as an impromptu replacement for glasses or goblets (see above).

— Napkins. In this case, cloth reusable napkins are meant. The traditional use of such napkins is to fasten ("lay") on the chest or lay on the knees in order to protect clothes from contamination during meals (even the most careful eater is not immune from troubles like falling pieces of fatty food). They can also be used to wipe the face and hands after eating, but it is more convenient to use disposable paper napkins for this.

In turn, common tableware includes:

— Knife universal. General purpose kitchen knife. It is used not only during meals, but during cooking and serving: it is convenient to cut vegetables, bread, ham, etc. with this knife. Also in barbecue sets, it can play the role of a meat knife (see "For cooking").

— Swiss knife. Initially, a Swiss knife is called a folding knife (not necessarily made in Switzerland) of small size, equipped with various additional devices. At the same time, in picnic sets, this name may mean a device of a slightly different design, which is more of a universal opener, complemented by a folding knife blade. The "handle" of such a "knife" is usually made of metal, it provides a slot or a tooth for opening metal caps, as well as a corkscrew. And the blade when opening bottles can be useful for cutting foil or film from the neck.

— Cutting board. Cutting board for cutting various foods such as vegetables, bread, cheese, etc. The cutting boards supplied in picnic sets are usually relatively small, but even this is quite enough for its intended use. And barbecue kits can also include full-sized boards suitable for cutting a piece of meat into portions for frying.

— Thermos. A classic thermos is a container with good thermal insulation, which ensures long-term preservation of the temperature of the contents. Thermoses supplied in picnic sets usually have a traditional design and are intended for a variety of drinks. Such a container can be useful in order to carry a supply of hot coffee or tea with you in cool weather — or vice versa, to store a chilled drink in the heat.

— Set for spices. Table set for spices, usually consisting of two containers — for salt and pepper. Most often, these are classic salt and pepper shakers, with holes in the upper part, from which, when turned over, the contents spill out.

— Tablecloth. A tablecloth is a large piece of fabric that covers a dining table. Such a product protects the countertop from dirt, and also performs an aesthetic function: even a simple and not very beautiful tourist table with a suitable tablecloth can take on a rich and sophisticated look. Note that you should not confuse a tablecloth with a bedding / mat (see below): in this case, it means a product made of thin fabric intended for a table and not designed to be laid directly on the ground. At the same time, the tablecloth can be laid on a bedspread or other bedding, thus creating an impromptu table.

— Towel. A small towel that can be used, for example, for drying hands or fruit after washing, wiping countertops, or even as a makeshift napkin or lining for food. However, this item is considered far from obligatory for a feast in nature, which is why it is rare.

In addition to those described above, other food items may be included in the set, for example:

— Lighter. Usually we are talking about a lighter for smoking cigarettes or pipes, but such an accessory can also be useful for making a fire.
— A separate corkscrew for opening wine bottles.
— Food containers that allow you to conveniently pack some products.
— Toothpicks for cleaning teeth from the remnants of eaten food.
— A special cheese knife, usually with a serrated blade.
— Butter knife — quite wide, sometimes without sharpening at all.
— Metal flask for strong alcoholic drinks.

And some sets are even equipped with playing cards.

The material from which the plates are made (see "For food") included in the set.

— Plastic. In the case of tourist dishes, this option can be called almost perfect; it is plastic plates that are completed with most picnic sets. Plastic is strong enough and reliable for its main purpose, it weighs a little, it is inexpensive, and most importantly, it is not afraid of bumps and shocks (at least, it is much more difficult to break a plastic plate than a ceramic one, it is almost impossible to do it by accident). However when buying a set with such dishes, it's ok to clarify the specific characteristics of the material: plastic is produced in many varieties, and not all of them normally tolerate elevated temperatures and are suitable for hot foods. However, conscientious manufacturers in most cases use high-quality heat-resistant grades of plastic that normally tolerate the temperature of freshly fried meat or hot soup. But the unequivocal disadvantage of such dishes is their sensitivity to scratches, because of which it can quickly lose its marketable appearance — especially with frequent use of knives. On the other hand, on plastic plates, knives become noticeably less dull than on metal or ceramic ones.

— Metal. Metal usually means food-grade stainless steel. The main advantage of such plates over the widespread plastic ones is high strength, which accordingly affects the service life. And steel resists scratches much better, so such dishes retain...their presentation for almost their entire “life”. Another important advantage is resistance to heat: such dishes are guaranteed to be suitable for hot food, and deep metal plates can (with appropriate caution) be used even as impromptu pots — for heating and boiling water over a fire. Actually, most metal plates are made just deep. On the other hand, steel utensils are much more expensive than plastic ones, and the described advantages are rarely so significant as to outweigh the difference in price. Thus, this option is quite rare, mainly among expensive high-end kits.

— Ceramics. Products made of ceramics practically do not differ from ordinary dinner plates. As purely tableware, such plates are quite practical: they do not scratch, they are easy to clean (including with abrasive products) and can be used for hot food without restrictions. Ceramics has a rather large weight, but if the set does not have to be carried far, this can not be considered a disadvantage; and in some situations, massiveness turns into dignity — for example, in strong winds that could blow off lighter plastic dishes. However, from the point of view of this material, there is a very serious drawback — fragility: the plate can break from a fall or impact, even not very strong. This is not particularly important in the kitchen, but it is critical when going out into nature, where there is a high probability of various “troubles” that can break fragile ceramics. As a consequence, such plates are extremely rare in picnic sets; most often they are included in retro-style designer kits, delivered in wicker baskets (see "Form") and designed for connoisseurs of the corresponding style.

The material from which the containers for drinks supplied in the set are made — glasses, glasses and/or glasses(with the exception of mugs, their material is indicated separately; for all these types of dishes, see "For food"). Usually, all these containers are made of the same material.

— Plastic. Most often there is a transparent or translucent plastic, to some extent imitating glass and allowing you to see the amount of liquid in the vessel. At the same time, such material is much stronger and more reliable: it withstands impacts that would break even thick glass without consequences. Of course, plastic can also be split, but even in this case, the fragments will be safer than glass ones. Other advantages of this option include low weight and low cost. The disadvantage of plastic is, first of all, sensitivity to scratches, due to which such dishes may become cloudy over time; however, this moment affects the appearance rather than the practical properties. In addition, it must be borne in mind that not every plastic normally tolerates liquids with temperatures above 50 °; so if the glasses are planned to be used for hot drinks, it's ok to clarify the properties of the material from which they are made before buying. However, all these shortcomings cannot be called particularly significant, as a result, most glasses, glasses and glasses in modern picnic sets...are made of plastic.

— Metal. Metal (usually stainless steel) has some notable advantages over plastic. First of all, it is much stronger; it is almost impossible to pierce or split such a vessel without a special tool. "Stainless steel" normally tolerates drinks of any temperature, both cold and hot, it is easily washed and allows cleaning with abrasive products. In addition, steel vessels have a solid appearance. They weigh noticeably more than plastic ones, but this can also be an advantage: massive metal dishes stand more securely on the table and do not tip over so readily (this difference is especially noticeable when empty). At the same time, such glasses/glasses/glasses are much more expensive, which is why they are used less often, mainly in rather expensive sets — and sometimes the metal is chosen not only for practical merits, but also for reasons of style. Also note that steel is opaque and has a high thermal conductivity. The latter makes it difficult to use it with hot drinks: the glass will quickly heat up and burn your hands.

The material from which the cutting board supplied in the set is made (see "For food").

— Plastic. Quite inexpensive and at the same time practical material. Plastic boards are strong, durable, completely impervious to moisture and easily cleaned of food contamination. However if you cut “from the heart”, rather deep grooves with protruding edges may appear on the working surface, but in most cases even this does not prevent using this surface for its intended purpose. In addition to all this, the plastic board can be made quite thin, which has a positive effect on the convenience of packaging and transportation. As a result, most picnic sets use cutting boards made from this material.

— Wood. A classic cutting board material still used today. However, when used in picnics, wood is not as practical as plastic. Firstly, such a board must be quite thick and, accordingly, massive — otherwise it will quickly become unusable; this accordingly affects the mass and dimensions of the entire set. Secondly, wood is less cleanable than plastic, it tends to absorb dirt, including fat from butchered meat — as a result, it can be very difficult to clean such a board “in the field” with high quality. However the wooden surface also has advantages: in addition to a pleasant appearance, it does not blunt knives as much as plastic, and the cut products on such a board lie more reliably and slide less. However, these moments in most cas...es are not particularly noticeable, and wooden boards are more expensive. Because of this, they are found mostly in premium-level sets, made in a traditional style, which is best suited for a classic wooden board.

The material from which the supplied wipes are made.

Note that anyway, the material of table napkins is selected in such a way that they can be used normally for their intended purpose. As a result, the difference between the various options is mainly in the features of cleaning and washing. However, there are some practical differences as well.

— Cotton. A natural material that has long been used for cloth napkins, but has not lost its popularity even today. Cotton is soft, pleasant in appearance and to the touch, and is relatively inexpensive. Often, its “naturalness” is also recorded in the merits of this material, but this is a matter of taste and belief only. Among the disadvantages, we can mention that cotton fibers readily absorb dirt, and often for normal cleaning such products have to be washed at high temperatures, which can lead to shrinkage. However, shrinkage is not critical for table napkins. Also note that the service life of cotton is somewhat lower than that of synthetics, but this, again, cannot be attributed to serious shortcomings. Thanks to all this, this particular material is most widely used in picnic sets.

— Polyester. A synthetic fibre found in table napkins is much rarer than cotton. This situation is connected not only with the prejudice against synthetic materials (many believe that natural fabrics are better), but also with quite practical points. So, polyester is rather slippery and less pleasant to the touch...than the same cotton. Such material has good fat and water repellent properties, which, on the one hand, facilitates cleaning and speeds up drying, on the other hand, makes it not very convenient when wiping your face and hands after eating. As a result, polyester napkins have not gained much popularity.

— Fleece. A specific type of fabric made from the polyester described above. A feature of fleece is that it is actually a microfibre — a material made of very thin, a few microns, fibers. Due to this, fleece has some serious advantages over the classic polyester fabric: it is much softer to the touch, perfectly absorbs moisture and dirt, and at the same time is easy to clean and dries quickly. At the same time, even at picnics for table napkins, such properties are not particularly required; cotton also handles well with the main tasks. Because of all this, fleece is used very rarely, mainly in rather specific sets — for example, individual "lunch" sets for fishermen: while fishing, a fabric that absorbs moisture well and dries quickly can be very useful.

The presence of an additional pocket in the design of the package, regularly used for the set.

This function is found mainly among sets that use bags and backpacks, less often in baskets (see "Form"). An additional pocket is a separate compartment — often even larger than the compartments for kitchen and cutlery. Thanks to this compartment in a bag (or other product), you can carry not only the picnic set itself, but also other things. However, it is assumed that the pocket will be used mainly for products; Therefore, many of these models are equipped with thermal insulation.

It is worth noting that in some products the main compartment plays the role of an additional pocket, in which items from the set are compactly fixed along the walls, and there is a lot of free space in the middle. For such models, this function is not indicated, although they are also suitable for carrying additional items and may even have thermal insulation.

In this case, usually, the total weight of the kit ready to be carried, with all accessories and packaging, is indicated. This allows you to evaluate how convenient this or that kit will be in transportation. Note that many high-quality materials weigh relatively much — for example, steel plates (see above) are much heavier than plastic ones. However, if you don’t plan to carry the kit far — for example, if you buy it for “gatherings” in the yard of your own house or for trips out of town by car — you can not pay much attention to weight.