Ep 41 - Camp Stove Comparison
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- čas přidán 19. 07. 2024
- For links to everything mentioned in this episode, check out our show notes here:
www.snowys.com.au/blog/podcas...
From boiling in bulk, to searing a snag - we crank the heat on this week's episode of Snowys Camping Show, adding fuel to the fire that is comparing camp stoves.
Outdoor experts Lauren and Ben take this steak right to the edge, exploring the brands, BTUs, and fuel types behind some of the most practical portable cooking apparatuses. Get to know the burners best for boiling, the secrets behind simmering, and the stove system best suited for your campsite cooking. Liquid fuel or gas - it's time to put that billy can on the boil.
00:00 - Intro
01:46 - Overview and Importance of Camp Stoves
07:51 - Using a Grill with a Camp Stove
10:00 - Unregulated vs Regulated Systems: can I use my camp stove on my caravan or bayonet gas system?
13:55 - British Thermal Units (BTUs)
15:11 - Simmering on a Camp Stove
23:24 - Gas Safety Checks
24:50 - Fire Safety
30:36 - Liquid Fuel Stoves
33:50 - Pros and Cons: Liquid Fuel vs Gas Stoves
36:56 - Suggested Fuel
38:05 - Consumption and Further Comparison: Liquid Fuel vs Gas Stoves
41:18 - Materials and Aesthetics
Join the conversation over on our Facebook group: / snowys
This is becoming one of my favorite channels.
That's good to know, Boquan, I'm glad you are enjoying it. ~ Ben
Another excellent episode. Thank you both! Some really great info there.
Ben converted me to a liquid fuel stove months ago wth his off-hand mention of it on an unrelated episode, and I’ve been loving it. I have the 533, and I love it for how compact it is.
I've recently used the Coleman Powerhouse stove on an extended road trip, Coralie, and I'll never go back to using a gas stove for camping again. ~ Ben
I feared the podcast got killed off. So stoked to see you guys back
We just had some time off over Christmas, Brenton, but we are back into season 2 now! ~ Ben
Glad to have you guys back,hope you had a good Christmas break.
I had a great break, Norm, spent the last 4 months road tripping with my family, hence my absence here. Hope you had a good break too, we are excited to be getting into season 2 of the Podcast. ~ Ben
Again great episode. Good to have you back. Looking forward to camping stoves part 2 😂
We are grabbing requests from customers for season 2, Colin, if you haven't already jump in on the conversation on our Facebook group - facebook.com/groups/snowys/. ~ Ben
Great info guys. Thanks for making these. This episode may have me buying a liquid fuel instead of a propane stove for this upcoming summer. 👍
I don't reckon you'll regret it, Edward. ~ Ben
I’ve had the same Trangia Metholated Spirit cooker for over 30 years and it is perfect in function…..and longevity!!
There's nothing to break on a Trangia, Merlin Man, unless you run it over. ~ Ben
Those Liquid fuel Coleman Stoves are hugely underrated. I have used one for about 20 years (I used to borrow my brothers). They also work well in the old temps in the Vic High country in winter unlike Butane stoves. I got my own stove in 2020, exact same unit as my brothers one from 20 years ago. Carrying Shellite is real easy, much more compact and easier than a gas bottle, easy to buy on the road and I have often used a small amount to help get a fire going (soak some cotton balls in shell lite and light them).
I've just spent four months road tripping with may family, just in a 4WD and a tent. I used the Coleman Powerhouse stove for cooking and won't look back to gas ever again. It was so easy to manage how much gas I needed, I stored the extra Shellite in an ammo box strapped to my roof rack and purchased an extra litre here and there when I was near a hardware store. Overall it was a much simpler, more efficient and lighter setup that carting a gas bottle, and they work in any conditions. ~ Ben
I use a companion stove/oven and absolutely love it. I cook all the same things I would cook at home. They do take up some space but it is worth it for me. As a bonus it heats the Gazebo in Winter and no issue with Simmering. You can also buy simmer mats that help if you really need it low.
Thanks for the feedback! Great point about heating up the kitchen space aswell, its a good double use for it as long as theres adequate ventilation.
~ Lauren
I loved my dual fuel coleman stove, my parents brought theirs when we were over in the states in 83/84 which we brought back to AUS, I brought my own in the late 90's which the tank was damaged, I switch out the tanks as the stove hadn't changed with my parents and was still going strong nearly 40years on. The only downside is when you light that second burner and have to use the spinner on the side to control the second burner... Great episode again guys, butane and cold weather is never a great mix...lol
My thoughts on the Coleman Dual Fuel Stoves are in line with yours, Michael. I just spent 3.5 months on the road and that is what I used to cook on. It's my first foray away from gas and I'll never look back. ~ Ben
If you really do want to simmer food on a camp stove use can simply use a simmer mat which are available from kitchen equipment store. They are a flat round mat intended for use on domestic stove at home for when you wish to simmer stews or casseroles or curries ... It defuses the heat evenly over the whole area so that you do not burn the food to the base of your cooktop container...
Great advice thanks, Bruce. We sell the Ozpig Heat Diffuser which does the job,. check them out here - www.snowys.com.au/heat-diffuser. ~ Ben
Ben. That diffuser may be TOO effective as it is intended to reduce the intense heat on the top of a firebox stove down to a level where it does not burn everything. The concept of a diffuser for a normal stove top is a lot thinner and would work for normal camping stoves.
Good to know, thanks, Bruce. ~ Ben
‘… the regulator, that’s that little spaceship thing’.
LOLOLOL!!!
That made me laugh, but now I actually know which part you’re talking about. Perfect. Love it. 🤣
We try and keep things professional, but it doesn't always pan out that way. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors I’m always ready for some fun geekiness.
We boil water quickly in our jetboil. Use the cooker just for cooking.
Jetboil is great for quick cuppa's. ~ Ben
Way back when I bought my stove, a Zempire Deluxe & Grill, I read a Snowy’s article on the top 10 stoves. It was only marginally more than a just 2 burner stove, wasn’t sure how often I’d grill stuff but thought it might be a handy option.
I haven’t used the grill part yet.
It would be interesting to know how many people actually use the grill on those stoves, Susan, I too think it sounds like a good idea but not overly useful in the field. ~ Ben
Have recently moved to a Coleman hyperflame cadet, have used it outside in windy conditions - no problems, produces heat like a blacksmith's forge. Having no side sheilds allows me to use the Weber large fry pan plus a large coffee percolator on the other burner. The trick to allow simmering involves silicone spray. Have used liquid fuel stoves when bike touring but not now due to pot size limitations, as for butane - ok for a quick warm-up but not much else, they don't function very well when tank is low or in cold mornings.
Thanks for your thoughts, Clarrie. ~ Ben
Stoves for use in a confined space are fitted with a thermocouple to shut-off gas supply if the flame blows out
Thanks, Neil, we figured it was something along these lines. ~ Ben
I was interested in comparing the butane tins vs gas bottles!
Next time? 😉
There are a few different types of canisters you may be talking about here, Henry.
The butane canisters are sized similarly to a can of insect spray, these are purely butane and are efficient in warm weather, but performance waivers significantly in the cold.
The shorter and wider canisters are isobutane/propane. These perform better in the cold than the above butane canisters and are the most versatile for hiking style stoves.
Large gas canisters i.e. 1.25kg + are filled with LPG and work better in most conditions but are used mainly for larger camping stoves.
There is a bit more info here if you are interested - www.snowys.com.au/blog/understanding-gas-for-camping-caravan-appliances/.
~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors nice work on the reply Ben!
I love your content and the help snowys always offers over a variety of platforms.
I think I will be going with the hyper flame and doing ‘the mod’ to get it to simmer.
And I’ll run a small 2kg bottle.
And for longer trips just take the Weber with a 4kg.
Thanks for to your input!!
I’ve actually switched to a multi fuel stove. Combine it with a couple of adapters and it can run on anything, liquid or gas. Best part is it’s supported by the manufacturer. I also have an alcohol stove for small things too.
I love my multi-fuel stoves, Antonius. ~ Ben
We used a double butane stove for years that happened to have one side that burned slower and the other that burned really fast, was annoyed at first, but it ended up being perfect as we had a simmer side and a fast side😁, came in very handy.
Another way to get a simmer is to just use a heat diffuser (aka flame tamer, simmer ring, simmer plate).
Thanks for your feedback, swagging sisters. Did you find the butane stoves performed poorly in the cold weather? ~ Ben
Not sure if SOTO stoves get to Australian shores (I’m in the UK and get my SOTO gear via Amazon Japan) but my favourite set up is two SOTO ST 301s has a large burner head and is very controllable for cooking all sorts of meals and will simmer very well. Folds up to a relatively small size but they aren’t light weight back packing stoves. Uses the ubiquitous butane canister that’s used in the cheapo Chinese stoves but with an adapter can be used with regular Lindal valve gas cartridges.
We do have SOTO stoves in Australia and from what I know they are great, just not as widely distributed. That being said I've never seen the stove you are referring to in Australia, looks kinda cool though. ~ Ben
The grill is awesome for tuna and cheese on toast... I use it during every camp...
Thanks for your feedback, Mike, which grill is it that you use? ~ Ben
Just been watching an article on the U S /Mexican Dicada/or south African scottle. Do you guys sell or use something like that? BTW it is a used plough disc on a burner.
Nothing quite like that at the moment sorry, Sean, we've has similar disc style firepits in the past but they aren't something we can get our hands on at the moment. ~ Ben
Love my dual fuel Coleman stove.
Very powerful and has been extremely reliable.
Thanks for the tip about the E10 and stashing stuff inside it as I'd never thought of doing that but it could get a bit dirty in there after use.
One thing I have found is that some places may class them as liquid fuel and you can't use them in the fire ban season.
One place I went the Ranger said we couldn't use it but the head National Parks Ranger at another place we went was fine with it.
Not sure what the definitive answer is.
Personally I think it is safer than carting gas around but that's me.
I was curious about that, too. I’d be interested to find a definitive answer so that I know for sure if I’m ever approached about the use of my little dual fuel stove.
@@coralieofjumpwithnofear The place that said it couldn't be used was a Forestry controlled site and the other one was a National Parks site so who knows.
I tried having a quick look but really couldn't find much.
I don't know what the definitive answer is here sorry Old Bloke. I suspect that given the prevalence of gas stoves in the recreational camping market, it has become default to call any cooker that isn't a campfire a 'Gas Stove' in order to inform people that they cannot light a fire during fire ban season. By this definition I personally think a liquid fuel stove comes under the same umbrella as a gas stove.
But as I mentioned, I don't know this for sure. If we are able to find out we'll be sure to discuss it on the Podcast.
~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors Cheers.
Would you know why Coleman does not sell their " Coleman Fold n Go" camp stove in Australia, The same for Jetboil. The "Jetboil Genesis Basecamp Camping Stove" is also not sold in Australia.
I researched the Genesis and the only reason it's not sold here is the importer/distributor didn't want to pay to have it certified locally. Same reason at least one of the newer version Jetboil stoves aren't sold here either (we still have an old version of the Zip or Flash, can't recall right now which). The Coleman one I feel I have seen sold here some time ago so it may have just been unpopular and pulled from market or I could just be misremembering.
Not quite @apsilonblue.
@Hammer Rocks - The Genesis is currently undergoing its certification with the AGA, and is almost at the end of the process. Getting international gear approved by the AGA is a very long and drawn out affair. One of the MSR stoves took almost 2 years to be cleared.
Other Jetboil stoves, such as the current US model Flash, went through the process but didnt get approved.
Australia has quite high standards with gas appliances compared to other countries.
Generally smaller technical brands like Jetboil will absolutely aim to get approval.
Larger brands like Coleman are less bothered, as they have a dedicated range within each country they distribute too, and most of that range isn't available elsewhere.
I cant say for sure if the Fold n Go has been here before - maybe before my time - but it isnt currently.
~ Lauren
@@SnowysOutdoors Good news they've finally decided to bring the Genesis in. My info was based upon my research from ~3 years ago. The product was released ~6 years ago. I was pretty keen on one for my compact touring set up but my lap ended up being cancelled at the time due to you know what. Now I'm not in the position to do it but maybe in a few more years from now. Shame about the Flash not passing. It's only a few seconds faster than the old version but when you're waiting to make an early morning coffee that feels like an eternity.
@@SnowysOutdoors Thanks Lauren. It's a shame the Coleman Fold n Go is not offered here. I like the idea of having a double burner stove but when packed is only about the size of a single burner butane stove. This makes it ideal for my 4WD camping setup where storage is a premium.
Forget btu’s, how long does it take to cook a snag! Nice work Lauren and Ben.
Are you talking skinny supermarket bbq snag, or fat German bratwurst, Brenton? :) ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors an excellent question Ben!! In my mind I was thinking about the humble skinny snag😀
@@brentonpaterson7047 I reckon you'd be looking at around 10-15 minutes for a nicely nuked sausage, Brenton, depending on the weather conditions. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors one of the few things you can't really over cook. Thanks for the fun chat. Look forward to the next podcast.
Is there a reason nobody in Australia is stocking the Coleman dual fuel cooker anymore?
As far as we are aware no one is making it at the moment, unfortunately. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors interesting, thanks for the reply. Any alternatives that you are aware of? The thought of hauling gas really doesn’t appeal to me and this looked like a great solution
I hated carrying fuel either gas bottles or liquid fuel, and find the butane canisters easy to pack and have out of the way.
I didn't see or hear any mention of butane cookers at all, how come?
Butane cookers are great for picnics and short trips in good weather, but they do not perform well in the cold. You also need to carry a lot of canisters, both full and spent, and you need to find somewhere to safely dispose of them on your trip. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors thanks for the reply Ben. I've used these stoves all over Australia, and often find myself cold climate camping especially around d the ACT and snowy regions. I've never really noticed the cold weather performance issue to be honest, and if I have space to pack the canisters when full I have the same space when they are empty. I cook with fire where possible but that is not always possible. I might look into the dual fuel stoves though, I just have such an aversion to having gas bottles or liquid fuel in the car.
@@SnowysOutdoors Worth noting I believe you can get ISO-Butane canisters in the larger (insect repellent can size) that perform well in winter regions. Haven't had an issue yet. I would love to get a fancy new stove but I always end up changing my mind, the Butane stoves just work and are so simple, space efficient and cheap
@@meandering6206 iso-butane will work better in cold temps as it has a lower boiling point. I've never seen it in the larger canisters though. ~ Ben
As a dedicated 'only campfire' cook, I enjoy different ideas. I carry a 2kg LPG bottle, with a burner that goes on top, if there is a fire ban, I unhappily utilise that. I like the concept of a cooking device, which I will rarely use, that has multiple fuel sources. Ben, for a very basic entry level unit, fuel carrying unit & single burner, what is a guideline? Can I use this same fuel source for camp lighting? Rohan
Coleman also do a Lantern which is excellent but I find mine to be a pain to pack and the cheap modern LED lights with a USB connection and small battery bank thingy that you use for phones is a way better option imo.
A small solar cell or in car charging via USB will mean you will likely never run out of lighting.
@@oldbloke204 Thank you for your response. I have a full on 12 volt set-up, fixed solar and solar blanket, a couple of hundred of amp hour batteries, however I am always trying to reduce set-up, pack down time.
I have a very nice 2 bar led light set up, but it takes time to set-up, pull down.
If camping is only an occasional experience, set up takes what it takes. If you go regularly, like fortnightly, you start to notice things that take up valuable time.
I like the idea of a backup cooking system (when fire bans are in place), and a simple camp light, dimmable like an old school gas light, but without a gas bottle.
@@Rohan-go4oo This lantern is exactly like that but they are bulky, at least mine is.
I think Coleman do a smaller one as well.
As I said in another post make sure that you can use these items in places during fire bans as I couldn't use mine in one place as it was not a "gas" appliance but the National park I went to had no problems with it.
Hi Rohan, have just travelled for 3.5 months and used the Coleman Powerhouse Dual Fuel stove. I love the simplicity and that I don't need to cart gas cylinders. In a pinch I can run it off unleaded, which I didn't need to do as Shellite is pretty easy to come across. They have a single burner option that may suit your needs - www.snowys.com.au/guide-series-compact-dual-fuel-stove. You can probably get away with just carrying a litre or two of Shellite for most trips, especially if combining this with campfires.
As Old Bloke mentioned, Coleman have a lantern that runs off the same fuel, but they are bulky. I'd suggest that if you have a good 12V setup, then some simple lithium rechargeable lanterns like this - www.snowys.com.au/hangdome-light, are a good option. They are quick and easy to hang up and turn on, and you can plug them in to charge from your auxiliary batteries during the day.
They won't give the same light as your light bars, but if it's just a quick setup and enough light to cook and read by, then they would do the job.
~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors Thank you Ben, a couple of good suggestions there.
The shellite burner may be further down the track, but the hangdome lithium light seems to be a winner!
Thanks to 'Old Bloke' for originally recommending the same idea!
Ventilation -> LPG is far heavier than air. the floor shouln't have a upstand and sealed/ water proof floor. other wise gas will collect on the ground...
Yep, safest option is to use LPG in as much open space as possible. ~ Ben
Can Ben and Lauren do an episode on induction cooking. I keep hearing great things about them and I believe they are the future due to speed (especially in a windy environment), heat control and portability.
We will make a note on this, Craig, it's not something I'm clued up on but I have a feeling Lauren may have done some research on this recently. ~ Ben
Red stoves cook better, everyone knows that🤔🧐😂
I thought it meant they went faster. :) ~ Ben
You can use a bottle of “Chalet”? What is that? You said you could use that or gasoline, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.
'Shellite' is what I said, ApexFizz, that's what it's called here in Australia. It's a clean burning fuel for stoves. We sell it instore at Snowys but you can also find it pretty easily at hardware stores. ~ Ben
@@SnowysOutdoors, is that basically denatured alcohol? I wonder if you can’t run the Coleman or the Svea on HEET; the yellow bottle. Thanks for answering by the way.
@@emeryz10 Shellite is petrolium based , much more like unleaded fuel only cleaner burning.
I'm not sure what HEET is, it looks like a fuel antifreeze additive. I can't really comment on whether this would be suitable for multi fuel stoves sorry, frozen fuel isn't something we have an issue with in Australia. :) ~ Ben
That’s funny, you have a camping podcast, and you’re not in the woods. That’s Hilarious
We do come out of the woods to go to work, MrMagicsemporium. ~ Ben
43 minutes? Can't do it in 12?
We could, but we'd have to talk reeeaaallly fast! ~ Ben