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Stainless Steel Cooksets:

• These will be the heaviest of the cookware
• The most durable
• Usually not non-stick
• Often less expensive than titanium
• If weight is not an issue for you, steel is the best option

Aluminum Cooksets:

• Lightweight
• Great heat dispersion
• Usually consists of a non-stick coating
• Less durable than steel
• Fairly affordable

Titanium Sets:

• The lightest of all the cookware
• Some four piece sets can weigh less than 12 oz
• Very easy to clean
• May cost more than sets made of other materials depending on number of pieces in set
• Best suited for those looking to shave as many ounces off their pack weight as possible, lightweight and mininalist camping/backpacking.

The Bottom Line

Let’s cut to the chase. If you’re looking for the most durable cookware, and weight is not an issue in your situation, then stainless steel would be the way to go. Steel is good for camping when packing the item to a destination won’t be necessary, like car camping or a kayaking trip.

If you need to cut pack weight, that leaves you two choices, aluminum or titanium. The primary decision maker would probably be the cost versus weight saved. A typical aluminum set will weigh almost twice as much as its titanium counterpart. The MSR Blacklite aluminum 4 piece set weighs 23.5 oz, while the Snow Peak Trek Combo titanium cookset (4 pieces) weighs 13 oz.

Using the same two sets above, the titanium cookware costs approximately $30 more than the aluminum. It’s up to you whether a 10 oz weight reduction is worth $30, and it may be in some cases.