When it comes to camping and food, I’ve always been a minimalist. Just give me a way to boil water to make a freeze-dried dinner come alive, and I’m happy. Lately though, I’m on a kick to eat better outside than I do at home. And that mission has brought me to the Camp Chef Rainier 2X Combo camping stove.
Camp Chef is a Utah company located in Logan. They’ve been selling a lineup of outdoor cooking gear since 1990. Camp Chef has got everything from the Stryker Stove for backpacking trips, to giant smokers for the patio like the Woodwind Pellet Grill. But ever since my wife and I had a kid, we’ve been car camping and taking out the popup trailer. For that, the Rainier 2X Combo has been the perfect choice.
Camp Chef Rainier 2X Combo
The Rainier 2X Combo features:
- One 8,000 BTU tube burner
- One 10,000 BTU burner
- Regulator adaptor for a 1 lb. propane cylinder
- Durable carry bag
- Folding lid provides a three-sided wind barrier
- Matchless ignition
- Non-stick coated aluminum griddle and grill
- Stainless steel drip tray for easy clean-up
- Convenient carry handle
Rainier 2X Test
Grilling meat is my jam when I’m cooking outdoors. Bratwurst, burgers, chicken – it’s what I prefer to eat if I’m car camping. That’s why I dig the Camp Chef Rainier so much. It has two burners; one is a tube burner for the grill, and the other is a regular burner for anything else like heating up chili or soup, mashed potatoes, or to cook up come stir fry. Other Camp Chef stoves have two regular burners, but I like the versatility that the grill provides.
Taking the Rainier out of the box, it’s obvious that the stove is a quality product. Camp Chef recently redesigned the Rainier (and its cousin, the Everest) and both stoves seem more burly and well built than previous versions. The metal is sturdy. The burner knobs are solid. None of the stove’s components feel cheap.
My first time out camping with the Rainier, I grilled up chicken sausage and instant mashed potatoes. Remember when I wrote that I’m trying to eat better outdoors than at home? Well this wasn’t my finest moment. But for a quick overnighter above Bear Lake, I considered it a win. The stove ignited instantly with the push of a button. The burner under the grill cooked the sausages evenly and fast. Boiling water in a pot for potatoes happened impressively quick. The 10,000 BTU burner is powerful, evidenced by the sweet, windy sound of gas burning like a jet engine. When I worried that the sausages were cooking too fast, it was easy to lower the burner output to a low level.
After dinner was cooked and consumed, cleanup was easy. The grill and grate above both burners come off easy for a wipe-down.
Rainier Versatility
There’s a lot more I like about the Camp Chef Rainier. The stove includes a griddle, so if you’d like to cook pancakes and eggs in the morning, simply switch the grill out for the flat top and have at it. The grill nests underneath the griddle so they both can be packed inside the stove when not in use.
Also included is a carry bag, which makes it easy to get the stove from your truck to the campsite without getting any grease on you. The bag has two mesh pockets on either side for carrying small propane bottles. I thought that was a nice touch.
Final Word
Overall I’d say the Camp Chef Rainier 2X Combo is everything you need from a car-camping stove. It grills, it heats, it griddles, it boils. And with a cooking area of 267 square inches, it can handle a big meal. At 16 pounds, the unit is a little heavy, which makes portability limited. But for RVs, car campers, and tailgaters, I can’t think of another cooking system that’s better than the Rainier.
For this stove and so much more, check out campchef.com to build your own outdoor-cooking system.
Great review! I have been looking for a camp stove that’s more than a JetBoil. I’ll check this one out!
Nice review, but how do you keep it clean when you’re grilling? the previous model had a grease trap. This doesn’t
Luis, I simply wipe it down after every use. NBD