In our comparative test for low-temperature control, the Coleman Classic cooked soft scrambled eggs from raw in 4 minutes. This result was well below the 10 to 15 minutes 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. We’re not sure exactly how old our Coleman Classic is, but our parents used this stove when they camped and passed it on to us when we began venturing outdoors.
Our cooking fuel also delivers a clean burn, and makes easy work of lighting lanterns or stoves in extreme conditions when you need it most. Their small(er) footprint and lighter weight is easy to pack up and fit into a car, and on a high-quality build like the Camp Chef Everest 2X, the drop in performance is fairly minimal. If you’re heading deep into the unknown or are basecamping in a remote location but still desire a gourmet meal, you’ll probably need to bring a camping table not only for the stove but also for any prep work.
Get ready for your next adventure with Coleman outdoor gear from Ace! Shop wilderness essentials like Coleman stoves and grills, then pick up dependable power sources like Coleman gas to fuel your cooking needs. Mix in some camp gear, accessories and other Coleman parts to make your next outing fun and comfortable. Shop designs with adjustable burners, plenty of sizes and power options, and removable grills for easy cleaning.
In hand, it’s clear the Classic is the cheaper option compared to Coleman’s more premium Triton below (as well as the pricier designs above). Neither are really solid or durable—and at this price point, they really can’t be—but the Triton is the better investment for the camper who gets out more than a couple of times a year. The Colemen Classic Propane Stove is a no-frills 2-burner camping stove that gets the job done.
But it was not widely adopted and was phased out about a year later. Although disposable-bottle refill kits are legal to buy, it remains illegal to commercially transport one-use bottles after they have been refilled. Coleman, on its bottles, expressly recommends not doing this—though some people still do (video). Ideally, the edges would be smoothed and the burrs removed at the factory. So if you have a few tools, you might want to sand down or grind out the sharp corners.
Propane does start to see its performance diminish once the temperatures dip below freezing. Butane, used in the Eureka SPRK+ Butane Camp Stove, does even worse and isn’t as readily available as propane, but the canisters are lighter and more compact (this is more of a consideration for backpackers). That said, if you’ll be doing a lot of four-season camping, liquid fuel is the most reliable choice and can come
in the form of white gas, unleaded gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, or diesel. White gas is one of the best choices for backpacking and basecamping in extreme conditions, but there aren’t a whole lot of options in a full-size camping stove style. If you’re a hardcore adventurer, consider a stove like the Coleman Guide Series Dual Fuel (not listed here), which can run on either white gas or unleaded gasoline.
For those limited on space in their vehicle or gear storage, GSI Outdoors offers a unique solution in their sleek and modern Pinnacle Pro Stove. At just 1.4 inches tall when closed, the Pinnacle Pro is significantly thinner than most two-burner alternatives, including the Camp Chef Everest 2X (5.6 in.), Eureka Ignite Plus (4 in.), and others above. Additionally, we found the deployable legs helpful for raising the stove to a convenient height when cooking on a camping table. To measure boil times, we head to our windless “lab,” aka our garage, at 5,000 feet (1524 meters) and do two boil tests.