But if you want a lightweight discada pick for solo or couple adventures, this model may be a good choice. We tested one model with a built-in griddle, the Camp Chef Rainier, and it left us underwhelmed. Its dedicated burner took longer than 20 minutes to boil 6 cups of water on full, and its griddle pan was lethargic.
One reason the Kinjia didn’t earn a perfect score is that the wooden , which doubles as the opening lever, is not the most intuitive. That said, there are directions printed on the stove to help out the dimwitted among us. Side handles can make it reasonably easy to carry this beast of a stove short distances. Finally, like any burners, there are going to be some hot and some not-so hot spots around the surface of the cast irons, once they heat up. Now, this didn’t affect grilling buns or corn, but if you are trying to cram a lot of food onto the griddle, just know the temperature will vary a little. The top cooking grate is removable to allow full access to the drip tray underneath.
This result was well below the 10 to 15 coleman camp stove that the recipe calls for, yet still 2 minutes 30 seconds slower than the more-expensive Coleman FyreCadet took. Also, even though the Classic’s eggs weren’t as ethereal as those cooked for more than 10 minutes at home would be, they were still wonderfully soft. If you often cook for a crowd, the FireDisc’s paella-pan-like design is ideal for making big meals. This stove is great for those who don’t want to tote extra cookware. I want to get families, singles, anyone and everyone outdoors and enjoying the world of camping!
To be clear, the WindBurner Stove Combo cannot come close to the output or overall cooking abilities of the traditional camping stoves above. The system only has one small burner, you can only use WindBurner-specific pots and pans, and total output and burn time falls well short of a propane-powered unit. The drawbacks with this stove are fairly negligible unless space, weight, fuel efficiency, or price are a concern. The revamped Everest 2x is among the bulkier and heavier tabletop propane stoves we tested.
As with most camping equipment, weight and packed size aren’t necessarily specs to be overly concerned about. Compared with backpacking gear, it’s all heavy and large, but you still need to store and transport the stuff. In general, we look for an effective balance of performance and weight, which is why we rank the Eureka Ignite Plus so highly. It clocks in at a very manageable 12 pounds, folds down easily to fit into a duffel bag, and provides ample output for most car camping adventures. We’ve used MSR stoves all over the world for backpacking, but most of their light and compact designs have limited appeal for car camping. This complete set-up includes one of MSR’s highest-performing canister stoves, the WindBurner, along with a 2.5-liter pot and 8-inch skillet for groups.
With a modern, quality design you can expect consistent fuel output, strong flames, and superior simmer controls. Camping stove sizes vary from small tabletop models to freestanding behemoths for large groups. For first-timers or those desiring some background information, it’s worth checking out our comparison table and buying advice while narrowing your search.
fuel canisters are not as widely available or common among campers as propane. Wood-burning stoves are becoming more popular, and the BioLite CampStove 2 is a unique take on the idea. The attached battery powers a small fan which controls the flame levels and recharges itself with heat from the fire. We decided to perform our tests with this stove outside, rather than in the semi-controlled shed where we did the other tests, and we found that the low flame was easily extinguished by a light breeze. We suspect that in perfectly still air it would have a fantastic low setting, but we had a hard time getting it to work in practice. While we loved the ability to cook over extremely high heat and fine tune the heat settings, this stove has a hard time maintaining a good simmer.