Ditch Long Roasting Sticks For Portable Telescopic Ones
Roasting hot dogs over an open campfire followed by lightly toasted marshmallows in yummy s’mores is one activity you just have to do when camping.
Roasting sticks make fun by the campfire a lot easier but they can be a pain to pack and take to the campsite.
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They’re long, pointy, sometimes dirty, and there’s just no perfect spot to store them.
Even in an RV, it can be hard to figure out what to do with them.
Luckily the world has a solution to the annoying long smore sticks issue.
Portable marshmallow sticks are telescopic. That means they can extend for safe marshmallow roasting and then retract for easy storage.
They are super easy to pack around and you never have to go searching for a decent smores stick in the dark again.
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Longest Prongs
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Best Telescopic Marshmallow Sticks Reviews
1. MalloMe Marshmallow Roasting Sticks
MalloMe makes a lot of different kinds of marshmallow sticks but the telescopic version is probably one of its best.
Made with 304 stainless steel metal and long wooden handles, these smores sticks are safe to use with food, are rust resistant, and are easy to clean if you do it right.
The wooden handles won’t get hot and they also have different colors on them so everyone in the family can claim a favorite.
The prongs are extra long and perfectly spaced for holding big marshmallows. They are also made to be blunt to make them a little safer for children.
When fully extended they are 32 inches long which is a good distance for children and keeping away from the flames of the campfire.
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When retracted they are around 12 inches long. There’s a zippered heat resistant canvas case included for storage.
As far as weight capacity goes these are going to be absolutely perfect for marshmallows and one hot dog but they aren’t made for multiple dogs or big heavy pieces of meat.
They may droop a little under the weight of even one hot dog.
There are packs of 5, 8, 12, and 2o available.
To clean it’s recommended to soak them in water for 15 minutes, then scrub with soap.
The MalloMe Marshmallow Roasting Sticks are perfect for having in your RV or car so you never miss a chance to make some yummy smores.
They don’t have the highest weight capacity when compared to some of the others in this review, but they will be able to handle a hot dog and roast marshmallows perfectly.
PROS
- Very Affordable
- Long Prongs
- Kid Safe Blunt Prongs
- Perfect Prong Spacing For Marshmallows
CONS
- Low Weight Capacity
- Not Super Long
- Blunt Prongs Not So Good For Hot Dogs
2. Briout Telescoping Marshmallow Sticks
The Briout telescopic roasting sticks are geared more toward meat and hotdog roasting.
The design is extra wide prongs that are sharp on the ends.
The stick part is a little thicker than what you’ll find on thinner smores sticks.
The max weight capacity as stated by Briout is 1 lb. That’s well over the weight of 2 hot dogs.
The entire body and prongs are made with 304 stainless steel that’s food safe, rust resistant, and fireproof.
The handles are metal as well with a rubber coating that has ergonomic finger dents for better grip.
There are also small rubber covers for the prongs so they don’t jab you when not in use.
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When fully extended these campfire roasting sticks are 45 inches long, which is one of the longest in this review.
When retracted they are 11.8 inches long.
The extra long length makes these one of my favorite smores sticks in this review. The further you can be from the fire when roasting hot dogs or marshmallows the better.
These come in a pack of 10 and there’s a storage bag included.
The Briout Telescoping Marshmallow Sticks are perfect for the hot dog and meat roasting campers.
They’re also great for roasting marshmallows but the sharp and wide prongs make them best for meats and sausages.
PROS
- Extra Long
- Full Metal & Rubber Handle
- Sharp Prongs For Hot Dogs
- 1 lb Weight Capacity
CONS
- Not The Best For Marshmallows
- Low Quality Control
3. Campester Telescopic Roasting Sticks
The Campester telescopic roasting sticks are a mix between smores sticks and hot dog sticks.
They are made with food safe, rust resistant, and durable 304 stainless steel.
The prongs are wide and sharp for meat but they have a few features that make them perfect for marshmallows.
A unique design to these is an integrated 360 swivel that’s used for turning the food on the end of the stick.
It’s controlled by a small piece that’s on the top of the plastic handle. As you turn it, the prong will also turn.
This not only helps you get a more perfectly toasted marshmallow, but it also helps you maintain control of the handle so you don’t accidentally drop it.
The swivel isn’t what I would call a “must-have” for a smores stick, but it’s a really fun addition that some might find really useful.
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When fully extended it’s 34 inches. When retracted it’s only 10 inches long, making it the second shortest when retracted roasting stick in this review.
There are rubber covers for the sharp prongs and there’s a small storage bag included.
Because of the short length, they’re actually pretty heavy duty and can easily take the weight of two hot dogs.
These come in sets of 5 campfire roasting sticks.
It’s recommended to clean them by soaking them in water first.
The Campester Telescopic Roasting Sticks have the cool 360 rotation feature and are built to hold a decent amount of weight.
They have everything you need to enjoy some fun cooking by the campfire and the multicolored handles mean everyone can choose a favorite.
PROS
- Good Weight Capacity
- 360 Swivel
- Sharp Prongs For Meat
- Nice Plastic Handles
CONS
- Not Super Long
4. Liund Portable Roasting Sticks
The Liund portable marshmallow sticks are a lot like the Briout ones reviewed above.
They use the same full 304 stainless steel design with rubber coated handles with an ergonomic finger grip design.
The main difference is the rubber handles are different colors and the overall quality control seems to be a little better.
When fully extended they are 45 inches long and only 11 inches when retracted.
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They have sharp prong ends for meat with little rubber covers for when not in use.
They are built extra sturdy and can easily handle at least 2 hotdogs before starting to bow under the weight.
The Liund Portable Marshmallow Sticks are a great heavy duty option for meats and hot dogs.
If you want great quality control and multicolored handles these will be a fantastic option for campers and backyard smores makers.
PROS
- Extra Long
- Full Metal & Rubber Handle
- Sharp Prongs For Hot Dogs
- High Weight Capacity
CONS
- Not The Best For Marshmallows
5. Odyseaco Premium Retracting Smores Sticks
This style of portable roasting stick is really focused on having a prong that will grip food much better than the traditional straight wire.
The prong looks sort of like a crab claw. It’s smooth on the outside with teeth on the inside. It’s also pretty short when compared to the other smores sticks in this review.
The benefit of this is it’s going to stop your marshmallow from sliding around.
You will be able to turn it no matter how melted it gets inside which is important for the perfect toasty golden brown we all try and achieve when toasting marshmallows.
The prongs are also pointy for stabbing into meats and hot dogs. They are also removable for cleaning via a small screw on the base of them.
This is a great idea in theory but there have been some complaints about the screws loosening over time which causes the prongs to fall off.
Make sure the screws are tight before using the Odysea roasting sticks.
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When fully extended these are the shortest roasting sticks in this review measuring only 31.5 inches long.
But they are also the most portable measuring only 4 inches when fully retracted.
Another really cool feature with these is the wooden handles are made so the prongs retract inside them. So no sharp points are sticking and the clean prongs are protected.
The metal used is the standard 304 stainless steel that’s food safe, rust resistant, and easy to clean after being soaked in water.
These come in packs of 4.
If you’re a backpacker or a minimalist camper the Odyseaco Premium Retracting Smores Sticks are a fantastic option for a way to cook food over a campfire.
You can throw them into a backpack without worrying about the prongs poking holes in the fabric and they are heavy duty enough to hold a hot dog without bowing.
PROS
- Heavy Duty
- Prongs Have Excellent Grip
- Prongs Disappear Into Handle
- Only 4 Inches Long When Retracted
- Very Portable
CONS
- Short Prongs Can Only Hold 1 Marshmallow or Hot Dog
- Prong Screw May Loosen
- Short
What To Look For In A Portable Roasting Stick
Total Length
Many smores sticks that are advertised as portable are often very short, which means you have to get close to the hot campfire in order to cook your food.
This gets unbearable pretty quick and you don’t want children to have to get close to fire just to roast some marshmallows.
I recommend getting roasting sticks that are at least 30 inches long and maybe even longer if small children will be using them.
Quality Handle Material
The metal part of all roasting sticks is going to get hot, and the longer you are cooking something over flames the further down the heat will move.
A sturdy handle that won’t transfer the heat is key to being able to enjoyably roast food over a fire.
It’s also important to get a handle that’s big enough to hold steadily in your hand.
It’s easy to slip and drop your roasting stick which means good food goes right into the fire.
Prong Style
For marshmallows, a smores stick with narrow prongs that can fit two into one marshmallow is going to be the best for roasting.
Marshmallows start to melt in the center and if there’s only one prong sticking into it might just start to freely turn on the prong when you try to turn it to roast the other side.
For meat, a roasting stick with sharp prongs that are wide is going to be something to look for.
You want to get a good grip on that meat so it doesn’t slip off and into the fire.
Weight Capacity
Marshmallows weigh very little, so if you’re only going to be making smores any of the telescopic sticks in the review will work fantastic.
Hot dogs and meat can end up weighing quite a bit. Retractable roasting sticks have a lot of moving parts and they can’t hold as much weight as a solid roasting stick can.
If you are planning on cooking meat and hot dogs a lot make sure you get one with a sturdy build that can take the weight.
My Choice For Best Roasting Stick
For Roasting Marshmallows
MalloMe Marshmallow Roasting Sticks
The prong design is what makes the MalloMe marshmallow sticks the very best for toasting and roasting marshmallows.
The narrow prongs mean you can fit two in one marshmallow which gives you more control over it when turning it to get an even toast.
When there’s only one prong in the marshmallow they often start to slip and it becomes impossible to turn them because the center is melted and gooey.
The MalloMe telescopic sticks have a pretty low weight capacity so I don’t recommend them for avid hot dog roasters but for smores, they are going to be amazing.
For Hot Dogs & Meat
Liund Portable Roasting Sticks
For hot dogs and meat, you want a portable roasting stick that has a durable build to be able to hold the weight of the food.
You also want one with sharp prongs that are wide for a good hold.
The Liund roasting sticks have all of these things and they are a great choice for cooking real food over a campfire.
The Odyseaco Premium Retracting Smores Sticks are the second choice to the Liund because of the claw style prongs but the Liund seem to have a slightly higher weight capacity.
Frequently Asked Questions About Roasting Sticks
How do I stop food from sliding off of the roasting stick prongs?
Bend the tips.
If you are seeing a lot of marshmallows and hot dogs fall into the campfire slightly bending the tips of the prongs is one way you can stop food from sliding off.
How do I make S’more stuff more portable?
Now that you have some portable s’more sticks and it’s time to get out your marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate.
If you’re not careful the crackers can easily break in your bag and the marshmallows can get smashed.
Turns out there are products called S’mores Caddys out there that are made to hold everything you need.
You can get this cool Hershey’s Chocolate One (click to view on Amazon) that holds all the ingredients.
Or there’s this larger smores caddy (click to view on Amazon) that is made to hold the ingredients and has space for a few portable roasting sticks as well.
Note: none of the smores caddies come with any of the ingredients. They are just empty boxes.
How do I clean a telescopic roasting stick?
One thing about telescopic roasting sticks is they have to be clean in order to retract.
That means you will need to clean them more often than you would the traditional kind.
The easiest way to clean them is to soak the dirty part in water for 10-15 minutes and then scrub using a scouring pad with soap and water.
Dry them off completely before putting them away.
Have any more questions about portable roasting sticks for hotdogs and marshmallows? Leave a comment below.
