Comparison Kemping Grand Picnic vs Time Eco TE-618 Picnic

Items for cooking food included in the set. Most of these items are found exclusively in BBQ sets (see Purpose).

— Knife for meat. Kitchen knife for cutting meat. Usually has a cutting edge that curves upward as it approaches the point; and some models look like "chef's" kitchen knives for general use. Such a tool can be useful both for preparing meat for frying, and for cutting an already prepared dish. However it is worth considering that the size of the blade in such a tool is most often relatively small, and it is not suitable for cutting large pieces of meat. Of course, the knife can be useful for other products, although this is not its main purpose.

— Kitchen hatchet. A small hatchet, designed mainly for butchering pieces of meat. Working with such a tool requires some skills: the blows must be strong and at the same time accurate. However, the hatchet will be indispensable where the knife cannot cope — for example, when dividing the ribs into strips-portions and in other situations when the meat has to be “disassembled” directly from the bones. However, in nature there is rarely a need to use a hatchet — the work for which it is intended is easier to carry out in advance, in a normal kitchen. Therefore, this item is rarely used in "exit" kits. At the same time, it is interesting that among such sets there are premium-class picnic sets enclosed in expensive suitcases (see "For...m").

— Meat fork. A fork designed for cooking meat is usually two-toothed, with a long handle. This is a fairly versatile device with many uses. One of the most popular is checking the readiness of meat: it is pricked with a fork, and an experienced cook can determine by the colour of the juice whether the dish is fried enough. And some forks are even equipped with built-in temperature sensors that allow you to determine the exact temperature in the depth of the piece. The tool can be used as a makeshift replacement for tongs or a spatula by hooking up the meat for grilling, flipping or removing; this does not work in all cases, but if the meat is thick and dense enough and there are no spatulas or tongs nearby, a fork will do just fine. It is convenient to hold a large piece of meat when cutting with a knife (see above). In addition, two teeth are convenient when removing shish kebab from skewers.

— Tongs for meat. Kitchen tongs designed for use when grilling. Ideally, such a device should be quite long (about 40 cm), so that when working you do not have to get very close to the brazier, and durable so that you can take large pieces of meat (for example, a whole chicken) with them. Among professional chefs, there is an opinion that tongs are more preferable than a fork or spatula for removing the finished dish from the grill. And there is a very practical justification for this opinion: tongs securely hold pieces of meat, unlike a spatula, and do not pierce it, which is important when frying certain foods (for example, sausages).

— Shampura. Classic, familiar to many devices for cooking shish kebab and roasting various products on charcoal. A skewer is a metal rod about 40-60 cm long, pointed on one side for the convenience of stringing ingredients. On the other side there is a handle for holding the skewer and turning it on the grill. Note that although the main purpose of such devices is cooking, the finished dish can, in principle, be eaten directly from the skewer — this is not very aesthetically pleasing, but sometimes more convenient (or fun) than dumping food on a plate.

— Spatula with holes. Kitchen spatula with slots in the working part. By itself, the spatula can be used to turn the meat, move it along the grate, as well as lay out the ingredients on the roaster and remove the finished products (although tongs are considered more convenient for the latter, see above). Slots are provided in the design mainly so that excess fat can drain faster from the shoulder blade; this is very useful when cooking meat and fish. In addition, due to the slots, the weight of the tool is somewhat reduced (although this is more of a “side effect” than the original purpose).

— A brush. Kitchen brushdesigned for lubricating cooking foods with oil or sauce. The working part of such a brush has a width of several centimeters and is made of soft material — natural or artificial bristles, food grade silicone, etc. Such a tool is indispensable when cooking meat or seafood according to specific recipes that require lubrication directly on the grill.

— Mitten-tack. A gauntlet made of thick fabric with low thermal conductivity that protects the wearer's hand from hot objects and the heat of the brazier. The oven mitt allows you to safely handle heated kitchen tools and other items: for example, it can be used to safely lift the grill grate to turn the coals or add fuel. Of course, such a device does not provide absolute protection against burns, but in most situations that arise during cooking, it does its job quite effectively.

— Grill brush. A brush with stiff bristles — usually metal — designed to clean the grill grates after cooking. Such cleaning is recommended immediately after cooking, before the grill has cooled down (and then the grates should be wiped with a cloth soaked in oil). Before buying a set with such a tool, it's ok to check the compatibility of the brush with a particular brazier. For traditional cast iron and stainless steel grates, in principle, any brush will do, but it is best to use a tool with stiff steel bristles, which provides high-quality cleaning. For more "delicate" materials — for example, enamel — you should use softer brushes with brass bristles. However, some sets are equipped with two brushes at once, of both types.

The above utensils are the most common cooking tools found in most BBQ sets. However, the matter is not limited to them, other accessories that are useful in cooking may be included in the kit. Here are some of them:

— Basket. A device in the form of a flat basket made of metal bars, tightly closed during use. In such a device, it is convenient to fry small-sized foods — mushrooms, vegetables, hunting sausages, etc.: the basket grate is smaller than the grill grate, and pieces of food will not fall out of it, and it is more convenient to turn the dish along with the basket. Also, the basket can be used as an impromptu barbecue grill for a classic east european barbecue that is not equipped with its own grill.

— Thermometer. A thermometer, more precisely a temperature probe, designed to measure the temperature of meat and determine its readiness. It is often built into a meat fork (see above), but can also be sold separately.

— Lattice for ribs. Grid-stand for frying ribs in a vertical position. This slightly increases the cooking time, but more food can be placed on the grill than with classic frying (flat on the grate).

— Starter. A device for kindling a flame in a brazier. It looks like a small metal pipe into which paper is laid, and coals are poured on top. In the starter, the coals ignite quickly and efficiently, and then they can be poured into the brazier.

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 mugs supplied in the set are made (see "For food"). The features of mugs that distinguish them from glasses (see above) are the presence of a handle and general purpose: such vessels are often used for hot tea or coffee.

— Plastic. Mugs made entirely of plastic. This material is remarkable, on the one hand, for its low weight and low cost, on the other hand, for its practicality. It is not as strong as metal, but it is still not easy to split such a mug, and many models crumple rather than crack. Plastic can be made transparent or translucent, which makes it easy to monitor the level of liquid in the mug; however, opaque vessels are often encountered. It is also worth noting such a feature as low thermal conductivity, due to which a plastic mug keeps heat longer and does not burn hands — even if it is poured with boiling water and held by the walls, and not by the handle. At the same time, it should be taken into account that different types of plastic are used in modern dishes, and not all of them are suitable for hot drinks. Of course, conscientious manufacturers use high-quality heat-resistant varieties in their products that normally tolerate even boiling water; however, for complete certainty, this point needs to be specified separately.

— Metal. Mugs made entirely of metal, usually stainless steel. The main advantage of this material over the plastic described above is its high streng...th: it is not easy to damage such dishes, even if you specifically set yourself such a goal. In addition, it is simply subjectively more pleasant for many people to drink from a metal rather than a plastic container. At the same time, the metal is much more expensive, while it has a high thermal conductivity. The latter in fact means that tea or coffee in such a mug will cool faster than in a plastic one, and the outer walls will quickly heat up, which can burn your hands, and in a particularly unfortunate case, even your tongue and lips. This drawback can be partially eliminated due to double walls — such dishes are, in fact, thermo mugs, however, they are managed accordingly. In addition, the metal handle itself is not particularly convenient. In light of all this, pure steel mugs are relatively rare.

— Metal + plastic. Usually, in this case, metal mugs with plastic handles are meant. The advantages and disadvantages of these materials are described separately above, and their combination makes it possible to combine these advantages and at least partially compensate for the disadvantages. So, a plastic handle can be made thicker and “graspier” than a metal one, and besides, it practically does not heat up, even if there is boiling water in the mug. And the metal vessel is durable, reliable and allows you not to worry about whether the mug is compatible with hot drinks. Due to this combination of properties, metal-plastic mugs are used quite often, almost on a par with plastic ones.

The presence of improved thermal insulation in the design of the packaging for the set. Note that such insulation is not required for cutlery and kitchen utensils — it is relevant when transporting food and drinks. Thus, mainly bags, backpacks and baskets are made thermally insulated (see "Form") — it is in them that an additional pocket is usually provided (see below), in which you can keep food.

Thermal insulation is intended primarily to protect perishable products from heat, as well as products that are desirable to be stored in a cool place or consumed chilled. And when using a cold accumulator, a bag (or other product) can even play the role of a refrigerator to cool the contents. However such batteries are not always included in the kit. Useful "bag-thermos" for hot food, but the need for such use arises somewhat less frequently.

The presence of a pocket for a bottle in the design of the package, which is regularly used for the set.

This function is relevant primarily for backpacks (see "Form"), although it can also be found in bags. The classic “backpack” bottle pocket is an open pocket made of mesh or thin fabric, with an elastic neck, sewn, usually, on the side. Its height is relatively small, but the capacity is usually quite enough for at least a liter plastic bottle (or other container of a similar size); and due to the neck, even a rather large bottle is tightly held in the pocket. However, more advanced varieties of such pockets are often found. So, some backpacks are equipped with a kind of bag made of dense thick fabric, in which the bottle fits almost completely. Such a device will be especially useful for carrying wine: a dense fabric will protect the bottle from sunlight, heat, and collisions with hard objects. Another option for bottle pockets is external zippered compartments, in which the entire container is placed. Such compartments can be equipped with thermal insulation (see above), even if the rest of the bag does not have such a function.

The working volume of the package in which the picnic/barbecue set is supplied.

This parameter is indicated for backpacks and bags (see "Form"). The working volume usually does not mean the total volume, but the capacity of the additional pocket (see above). It determines the amount of cargo — primarily products — that can be placed in a bag or backpack in addition to the main contents (kitchen and tableware).

When choosing according to this indicator, note that an additional pocket may have a different shape — accordingly, models with the same volume may differ significantly in actual capabilities. For example, in backpacks, an additional compartment can be made flat, “on the entire back”, and it can be difficult to fit even a small melon there, while in bags this is usually not a problem.

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.