Help me pick an emergency stove/fuel source

[DavidNorcross]

I believe in backup's to my backup's. I would recommend a butane burner first. Sterno is the name brand but there are alot of them out there. Camp Chef also makes a very good one. I also have a two burner camp chef. If things get really tough you can easily cook over open fire with a dutch oven. Also charcoal is important to have on hand even if you do not regularly cook with charcoal. If you really want get serious then I would recommend a Sun Oven https://www.sunoven.com

[Michael_in_TX]

Thank yall so much for the advice!

I am still on the fence between the Coleman Classic Stove and one of those butane single-burners. The Coleman is extremely rugged and it is two burners. However, the smaller footprint, easier clean up, and simplicity of the butane single burner is attractive. (I actually found a single-burner stove that accepts both butane canisters and propane canisters.)

I need to continue to think through things. If I anticipate needing to warm up two different things at the same time, the Coleman stove is definitely the way to go.

[ecowper]

This is why I have the single burner Coleman stove in addition to the two burner. It’s light, easy to use, quick to get going.

[jfmorris]

Butane for some reason can be safely used indoors with many of those single burner systems that use it, but the propane camp stoves cannot. That would be another reason to have one of those. I see them used on a lot of cooking shows.

[Michael_in_TX]

One solid argument for the butane stove is that probably would use it outside of emergencies. There have been a few times in which I wish I had a burner next to my grill. With the Coleman stove, that would probably only get used twice a year -- once each summer to make sure it still worked, and second if we actually lost power.

[ecowper]

Do you have a propane gasser? If you do, get one of these to attach to your propane tank as well. Gives you everything you are looking for. Or get one and a propane tank and you’re golden.

https://www.amazon.com/GasOne-B-5300-High-Pressure-Outdoor-Propane/dp/B06XWJPSDJ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=NF3C2ZBTUHXW&dchild=1&keywords=propane+burners+for+outdoor+cooking&qid=1630545339&sprefix=Propane+burner%2Caps%2C252&sr=8-5

[jfmorris]

The butane single burners can be used indoors as well safely, but propane camp stoves cannot.

[grantgallagher]

Also remember you are planning for evacuation which probably means you have your car/truck. In that case portable but bigger and runs off of butane/propane is probably better. If you are planning on the zombie apocalypse where your family is dead and youre hoofing it, MSR whisper lite cannot be beat cause you can burn anything in it.

[Michael_in_TX]

So here is my current thinking. I am back to the Coleman Stove. There are just too many reviews of the butane burners having problems in the $30-$45 price range....melting elements, catching on fire, etc.

The Coleman Stove has nearly none of these. Also, while I can easily get Butane online (albeit shipped ground), I can get propane canisters at nearly every grocery store. Also, if we evacuate to my mom's and she loses power, that second burner will come in handy, if nothing else to just be able to heat -- and cook as my mom does not have a grill -- more food at one time.

I'll sleep on it and see what I come up with.

For the coffee, I think I am going to go with a camping teapot. This will let me heat water for coffee (me) and tea (wife) and use one of those pour-over cups as mentioned for my coffee.

This has been very useful!

[jfmorris]

Good points.

[jfmorris]

Another thing on propane - you can buy a hose that lets you run the Coleman stove from a 20 pound propane tank, and those 1 pound throw aways are readily available anywhere. I have to agree with you that the Butane cylinders, while nice and compact, are not something you will find locally in many stores.

[Michael_in_TX]

I just ran across a Youtube video from an RVer that will probably tip the scale for the Coleman stove. The standard Lodge griddle fits perfectly on the stove.

I've used my griddle indoors and it works, but the kitchen smells like hamburger grease for the rest of the evening. This would be a fast way to use this griddle outside. The Coleman stove runs hot....probably not as hot as my electric range, but maybe hot enough to do a smash burger or two. $40 might just be worth it to find out. If I could use this thing regularly, it's almost a given I'll buy it. Poor man's Blackstone.

[ecowper]

My gas stove has 5K, 9K, 12K, and 18.5K BTU burners. I consistently use the 9K and 12K for most cooking and the 18.5K for big stuff, like boiling 8 quarts of water, or what have you. But the 9 and 12 burners do really well for most things I'm cooking. On the Coleman, I've never had any issue with not getting enough heat from the burners.

[jfmorris]

Do you remember which griddle that was? I have an old Nordicware cast aluminum griddle that won’t sit right on my Coleman stove and am wondering if a specific Lodge would do the trick. Thinking of taking it with me to the beach next week in the trunk as an emergency grill/patio cooker in case the place I am staying doesn’t have a grill.

[Michael_in_TX]

Ack, unfortunately, I can't seem to find that video again. My memory is that it was the lodge, or at least a griddle that was reversible with the grill lines on it.

[latenight71]

I lived in my truck for a year and a half (that's another story) and used a small backpacking stove like the ones mentioned above and this kettle to make my coffee. I used a pour over like pictured above. I would fill my cup, pour it into the kettle, the water would heat super fast, then pour it over the filter. Didn't have to watch it as I boiled just enough water to fit the cup. (Tip: fill the cup to the brim, this will fill the cup up to the level you want as some is left in the grounds. Otherwise your cup is a bit short.) It has now become my backup emergency stove for making coffee when the power goes out. And being so portable, I can take it with me on the road and brew my own fresh instead of expen$ive coffee shops or travel plaza tripe.

ComfortablyNumb
was it like this living in your truck . . . .?

[Bkhuna]

I ditched the Coleman many years ago and rely on this in my hurricane break-out kit. Burns hotter that you can imagine and the butane cannisters are small and inexpensive. I also got a hybrid portable generator that will run on my house natural gas. With the addition of a transfer switch, I can power up when we lose electricity and still run portable ac units and ceiling fans; something second only to hot coffee and cold beer after major storms.

[Panhead John]

Same here, who makes it Bkhuna ? Pretty sure I want one.

I found it! DavidNorcross

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/choice-2-burner-high-performance-butane-countertop-range-portable-stove-with-brass-burners/472BR23600.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7MGJBhD-ARIsAMZ0eevpnIuB2ulIvUVlcGASuuiS_W8m4ZL1CrTopyCerd9mo7YDl4FUi5saAv9HEALw_wcB

[DavidNorcross]

Good stuff. Thank you!

[Michael_in_TX]

Snazzy....hmmm....

[Panhead John]

Thanks for the tip Bkhuna I just ordered this one.

[STEbbq]

You can take the 30 day free trial for free shipping and then cancel if you wish.

[Bkhuna]

Panhead John - I've found that if you have Asian markets, the butane cannisters are cheaper than at Home Depot, etc. They are ubiquitous in Japanese and Korean households for cooking bulgogi, Korean bbq, and one pot dishes at the table.

[Panhead John]

I did not have to pay for shipping on mine. Which one are you gonna order DavidNorcross ? I don’t know why I got free shipping. It just told me I did. 🧐

[jfmorris]

Michael_in_TX Let us know what you end up going with. You've inspired me to dust off my Coleman stove, buy a 4 pack of propane bottles next time I am at the store, and I also ordered new mantles for the Coleman propane lantern. I had used up my last few 1 pound bottles with my Weber Performer, so can't even test out the stove right now! . I'm going to set the camp stove up on one of the outdoor tables and mess with it over the weekend while cooking.

[Michael_in_TX]

Yeah, I'm stupidly back and forth on this. The pros of the Coleman propane two-burner are the cons of the butane single burner and vice versa.

What is telling is that many camper/RVers/preppers on YouTube have both....they are relatively cheap, after all and....as I think someone mentioned here....backups are good. I could see myself getting both. Now just to figure out which to get first.

I may just spring for the butane, just to have it with one month left in our effective hurricane season. For the propane two-burner, I need to figure out a table situation on the patio. I'm already blocking as much of the view of the flowers and garden as I'm allowed with my PBC and Kettle.

[ecowper]

Oh, I know all about blocking the view. My grill and smoker and rain cover garner complaints all the time :-)

[jfmorris]

For the Coleman stove, remember it folds shut and carries with a handle. You probably won't want to leave it out when not in use for long periods of time, blocking the view and all that.

[Michael_in_TX]

Sure, absolutely.

[Michael_in_TX]

So I thought I would update yall on what I got!

After the requisite period of overthinking this, I went with one of the single-burner Butane stoves. Most of the ones on Amazon are around the $30 range seem to just have slight variations between them, so I went with the Gas One 1000 as it came with four cans of butane.

Of course, as these things go.....it arrived on last Wednesday.....the day after Tropical Storm Nicholas came through and after we had lost power twice for a total of of about eight hours. Oh well, at least now I have it.

I've used it exactly once to heat up some salsa. Seems to work as designed.

Here's an interesting observation..... I've never cooked on a gas stove before. (Well, I'm sure I have back in the Boy Scout days, but I have no memory of that.) Wow this thing got to temp quickly! Within ten seconds the pan was over 130 F! And that was with the flame at the minimum setting!

Is this normal for gas? If it is, I can see why people like gas stoves! (I also noticed that the temp began dropping significantly after I turned the burner off, unlike my electric stove.)

I am still giving the purchase of the Coleman Classic serious consideration. Like I said, it would be nice to have a backup, something that uses more widely available fuel (propane), and I am thinking of using it in conjunction with a cast iron griddle as a poor-man's Blackstone.

[jfmorris]

Yes - the quick heating and equally quick ability to turn the heat complete off are the attraction of a gas stove. Other than a couple of apartments in my 20's, all but one house I've lived in had a gas stove. Something boiling over on a gas stove? Turn the gas down or off and problem solved. Electric cooktop? Better move it to another burner that isn't on!

Induction would have many of the same advantages, but you need all your pots and pans to have nice flat bottoms, and be magnetic.

[xaugievike]

Just to offer a different perspective - and not b/c I think any of the above mentioned are bad...just another way to skin this cat. Obviously these get you into a whole other price point. But for consideration:

Small generator (which may be handy to just have around anyway)?

Or perhaps a battery power/"solar generator" like Jackery, goal zero, bluetti (which also may be handy to have around anyway)?

Then just grab your maker of choice and go.

[Michael_in_TX]

I've been meaning to look more closely at some of these. You see them, oddly enough, a lot in pellet grill videos.

[rickgregory]

The Jackery (small one) is an interesting option, but they're comparatively expensive for the wattage they provide.

[saneric38]

I am interested in portable solar power for emergencies. We will probably get a generic at some point, but I became interested in the solar possibility when the wire to my well messed up. I was running my gas generator to pressurize the well until I could run a new line. I started looking up the solar generators. Haven't gotten one, but it's something I want to add.

[HawkerXP]

A word of caution. I seem to remember we had a discussion here about what you use for "lighting your chimney".
Someone was using one of those Butane stoves with disastrous results.

[jfmorris]

Yes - a patio style or turkey fryer style burner would be ok for that, and maybe the side burner on your gas grill, although I probably wouldn't do that. These butane stoves are more indoor cooking appliances, and probably have non-metal materials that won't hold up well to dropping bits of flaming charcoal...

[Michael_in_TX]

The burner part seems to be made of a decently soft metal, possibly aluminum. Given how hot this thing made a pot on just the minimum heat settings, I doubt I'll use anything close to high. There are many reviews on Amazon showing melted burners, but I think those are people putting the thing on high to boil water in 30 seconds.

[CandySueQ]

My backup is a bit overkill, but it does have a 2 burner propane top, a generator that'll run induction (and did keep my freezer frozen during last power outage). Plus all the comforts of home! The cooker in the back is a WoodMaster Mini Hog.

[Michael_in_TX]

Backup done right.

[CandySueQ]

I have no problem living in my vehicle!