The Portable Car Camping Stove You Can Find At Home Depot For Under $50

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If you're hitting the road for a camping trip, you may be looking at some DIY camping hacks and considering the best way to deal with your meals. You could choose to eat only cold food like sandwiches from a cooler and pre-packaged snacks, or try out some grilling or cooking over a fire. However, a plug-in camping stove is one of several great alternatives to a campfire during fire season. Home Depot carries one that allows you to plug it into a car's 12-volt cigarette lighter so you can heat up and cook food on the go. That means you can have a warm meal when you arrive at the campsite rather than waiting until one of you remembers how to start a campfire. The RoadPro 12-Volt Portable Stove is selling for around $36 at the time of this writing. It warms and cooks food up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and uses disposable 8 inch by 3.75 inch by 2.5 inch RoadPro RPSC-90820 Aluminum Pans, which you can get on Amazon.

The stove has a 4.2 out of five star rating on HomeDepot.com, with 97 reviews. Additionally, YouTuber Deal Finder Shops gave it a test drive in their car, heating up a meal (that had been chilled in a cooler) in 45 minutes as they drove, saying it worked very well.

Customer reviews on the Home Depot site are generally positive, though some do say that the plug and lid clasp may not hold up after repeated use, and others mention that the stove is smaller than it looks. Therefore, it's worth getting the compatible pans to make sure you know how much food it can hold. On Best Buy, where it sells for around $40 at the time of this writing, it has 4.5 out of five stars. One reviewer there wrote, "I put a raw roast and uncooked potatoes in here and it fully cooked them in a few hours!" Another said to make sure to only use it when the vehicle is running.

On Reddit's r/vandwellers, where the YouTube video was also posted, reviewers suggest that the stove is better for heating up meals rather than cooking them. Others mention that it's best if you're driving long distances and have time to wait for your dish to heat up. On Reddit's r/Truckers, posters also speak about having to drive for a while to make it worth it, but that it's great to heat up lunch. One poster said, "I can make grilled cheese in 30mins, stop at rest area throw together a sandwich ... and toss it in the little oven. Snap the lid down and close it. Leave it by my seat. 20-30 mins, pop it open with one hand, and boom I got a hot grilled cheese!"

It's best to avoid cooking raw meats, according to posts in the Van Living Forum. Instead, people suggested pre-made food like enchiladas, soups, or pasta with sauce, as well as hot dogs, frozen pizza, fish sticks, and even cornbread. Finally, if you prefer a portable gas stove for camping, here are the top five picks.