How to Choose the Best Camping Stove

Unless you plan to live off of cold beans and beef jerky every time you head into the wild, you’re going to want a camping stove. Given the massive array of models and types available, you may feel like you can’t see the forest for the fuel canisters, but choosing the best camping stove doesn’t have to be a headache.

Recreational campers were cooking meals over open flames long before camp stoves came about, so remember that whatever you get, you’re at least a step up from a pointed stick and some smoky logs. Crackling flames are ideal for marshmallows, and glowing coals serve Dutch oven recipes well, but people invented the regulators and fuel lines of today’s camp stove systems for a reason. Stoves are more efficient, can be more reliable in terms of fuel supply (what if you can’t scrounge up any kindling?), and provide more control, allowing for simmering as opposed to boiling being your only option. With a fire, you can move the pan closer or farther away from the heat source, but that’s about it. True expert chefs may be able to cook perfect eggs and flapjacks every time this way. Not so much the average camper.

Backpackers and committed thru-hikers appreciate the ease with which a modern camping stove system can be set up and taken down. There’s no waiting for coals to cool or dumping buckets of precious water on hissing ashes once the meal is done, and some sites—especially those in the dry backcountry—ban fires altogether to prevent anyone from setting off a devastating blaze.

Figuring out the best camping stove to meet your needs can certainly enhance your outdoor experience, but it likely won’t make or break your trip. There’s no one “best” option. With that pressure off, you can relax and take your time in deciding what you need, what you want, and which camp stove will probably serve you well.

One Burner, Two Burners, Three Burners, More! (Camp Stoves) 

There are three-burner options out there for people who want to cook a perfectly timed multi-course meal or feed a whole lot of hikers at once—and only use one camping stove to do it—but most people make do with single- or double-burner arrangements.

The number of burners you want on a single stove is truly a matter of personal preference, and your leanings will certainly be shaped by your history (or plans) of cooking for a few people or a lot, and whether your menu contains simple, one-pan dishes or complex meals. Need toasted pine nuts for that salad? You’re probably going to want more than a single burner. If lunch is closer to Top Ramen for two, a solo flame will likely serve you just fine.

Scenarios that do call for large amounts of food or several separate pots simmering away at once do happen, especially in group campsites or in situations where meals are more than soup. In such cases, two double-burner stoves can be used to provide more heat. The Eureka! Ignite Plus camp stove is perfect for those situations, with plenty of room for full-size pots and pans and 10,000 BTUs of group cooking power.

Integrated systems do away with the open burner concept by prompting campers to connect their cooking vessel directly to the heating unit. The overall effect is a single column with a fuel canister at its base. This obviously limits the sorts of foods that can be cooked, but it maximizes portability and efficiency for the backwoods hikers who only need one burner to heat up their freeze-dried chicken tikka masala.

What Will You Use Your Camp Stove For?

Boiling Water for Coffee

You really do want to live off of beef jerky and coffee, don’t you? A compact integrated system may be your best choice. If your mantra involves the words “less is better,” you’ve got your answer already - the Jetboil Flash Java Kit. This all-in-one system includes the beloved Jetboil Flash single burner backpacking stove system, plus a silicone coffee press that packs into the cup. It doesn't get more compact and purpose-built than that. 

If you need coffee for a full campsite the Eureka! Camp Cafe is exactly what you are looking for. This 12-cup our-over system makes high quality coffee for the entire crew, and works great with any of our one or two-burner camp stoves. 

Cooking Simple Meals

Single burner camp stoves are ideal for this. You can easily whip up a breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast in a single pan using our SPRK+ camp stove. Or if you are craving a burger and grilled veggies, the SPRK Grill is the perfect option. A single burner camp stove is like the classic little black dress: It goes with just about everything.

Feeding a Hungry Group

Take your pick. Multiple burners are going to be a must, and pretty much all fuel choices are open to you—though some campers feel that the lower cost of white gas gives it an edge for group getaways that will consume copious amounts of fuel. Perhaps you can narrow down your options by investigating further criteria mentioned below. Three or four people will probably do fine with just one double-burner camping stove, but you’ll want to expand beyond that for larger parties.

How Much Can You Carry?

The weight of a single, small canister system like the Jetboil Stash may be measured in ounces. These systems are preferred among backpackers, bikepackers, and anyone who needs to carry the full weight of their adventures. Multi-burner car camping stoves like the Eureka! Ignite can weight up to 10 pounds, and are better suited for car camping, overlanding, or tailgating.

If your answer to the above question is “The stove is going to wind up in the back of our vehicle,” then a larger option is more to your speed—or carrying capacity. This doesn’t mean you should load yourself down with extra pounds just because you can, but a bigger stove is more appropriate for preparing meals for a group, and is so obviously going to be heavier. More burners typically equal more weight.

Camp Stove Maintenance

Camp stoves are fairly low-maintenance items. You do have to keep them clean to ensure proper function and, you know, hygiene. Regular inspections can help to lower the risk of unexpected problems. Spraying soapy water onto hoses and connections while the stove is running—preferably when it’s being tested at home, not when you’re at a crucial cooking moment in the woods—can reveal any leaks or loose seals via the formation of bubbles.

Camp Stove Ignition

Pretty much every canister camp stove you encounter today is going to have an automatic lighter, known as a Piezo igniter. Starting the stove is often as simple as turning a knob and pushing a button. If the ignition system malfunctions for some reason, you can still bring the heat by lighting the stream of gas with a match.

Do Your Homework

After you’ve determined roughly which sort of stove you want, you should research more detailed information that applies to specific brands and models. There are near limitless variations that impact how long a particular stove will take to bring a liter of water to a boil and how efficiently it can do so.

Still not sure which stove might work best for you? There’s nothing like real-world experience to help when making a decision. Read online reviews, preferably from campers whose style matches or is compatible with yours. Glowing words from a car-camping family of five might not apply to your Appalachian Trail-bound needs. Also, seek out critical opinions from trusted sources. A one-star rating from “ihatemosquitoes82” that includes a scathing mention of how frustrating tent zippers can be or how annoying birds are at sunrise might not be a reliable voice that will speak to your future experience.

Word of mouth works great, too (again, considering the reliable source angle). Ask around, especially if you have a friend who has a camp stove that’s served him or her well over the years. Better yet, see if you can borrow that camp stove from that friend—or even better still, take a trip with that same friend and see the stove in action while enjoying time together in the wilderness. Drink the coffee. Taste the pasta. Try priming a liquid fuel camp stove for yourself. Carry a canister or two in your backpack for a couple of days.

The thing about outdoors enthusiasts is they love to get other people excited about spending time outside, too. So schedule a backpacking excursion with some camp stove aficionados who can fill you in on the pros and cons of the system they chose to keep them fed in the backcountry.

As for the next question you’re going to ask—Which friends should I bring?—we can’t help you with that.