Butane Grills

[Good Times]

My Coleman 2 burner stove (propane) has been a workhorse but apparently I've misplaced it and now I need to find another stove in preparation for future camping events. With that in mind while buying some groceries at a Chinese supermarket I came across some pretty cheap butane grills (under 20 bucks!)

Sample product
http://lghttp.16485.nexcesscdn.net/808325/mage/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/B/D/BDZ-138.jpg

I personally have no experience using butane out in the field and how it performs but I thought I'd reach out to you guys and ask if you guys have any experience with products like this? I've seen some Asian restaurants use these for hot pots so I know it works wonders but what's it like outdoors? Is it as effective and worth the money?

I like the fact that it's super cheap and the butane appears to be pretty safe right? or is that naive? The portability factor (it comes in its own plastic case) is cool too!

[troyboy162]

I haven't seen them be very popular and I figure that due to the butane. Where can you get those canisters outside of REI? there are propne single burners cheap as well. Nice that the canisters are self contained within the burner though

[Good Times]

I want to say I saw the canisters for 1 buck. Don't quote me on that but my thought was for sub 20 bucks and a bunch of canisters it'll go a long way. I like the portable factor and the easy of canister use. Just hated to always make room for the propane somewhere on the table near my propane grill.

I'll check it out next time I'm at the store to get some more accurate pricing. That'll probably help the discussion better :)

[Seanz0rz]

Lance, seems like Mark and Linda had one the first time we went to Mojave.

[Bob98SR5]

lance, i have one of those for indoor use. it works well. never tried outside/outdoors. just as long as its shielded from the wind, im sure it'll work fine.

hey, i have three coleman burners. one is traditional gas and the other two are propane. you need one, you can have one of my propane ones.

[4x4mike]

When I worked at REI I had a huge collection of stoves. At most I think I had three 2 burner Colemans, tons of Wisper Lights, XGK's, and pocket rocket type. For car camping I tend to prefer the Coleman 2 burner propane models. I don't always need the two burners but the stove itself is very stable and has built in wind protection. I've eaten cold and soggy meals at 12,000 feet because it was too windy to cook even in a vestibule.

I see the above stoves a lot but never the fuel. It's most likely an isobutane mix which is good fuel. Our camping box is a Rubbermaid Action Packer and I keep a 2 burner propane and an MSR Pocket Rocket in there. I tend to use the pocket rocket with it's small pre mix fuel for things like boiling water. It will boil water for 2-3 peoples coffee/tea/hot coco in minutes. I can get 3 days of cooking for the entire family on one small bottle of propane and one small iso butane.

I bought one of the refill couplers for my propane. I have a few 20 pound tanks at home that I use with my BBQ and my small disposable bottles. The coupler allows the disposable bottles to be refilled. I don't think they refill as much as if they were brand new but one will last a weekend. I can use the propane on my fire starting torch and lantern (although it's been replaced with an LED model) as well.

[4x4mike]

Sample product
http://lghttp.16485.nexcesscdn.net/808325/mage/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/B/D/BDZ-138.jpg



Another note on this stove. If it's windy and you made a windscreen or shielded the burner the stove itself may heat up enough to create a dangerous situation. A lot of backpacking stoves have the fuel source away from the burner for this reason. For best results you wrap the screen around the bottom of the pot and enclose the burner. That may not be possible with this stove. If it was you need to make sure it doesn't heat up your pressurized fuel canister.

Another thing to look at is the fuel canister itself. If it is the type that threads in and can be removed I'd get it compared to a canister that is punctured. GAZ used to make stoves and lanterns that had the pierce top canisters. The equipment and fuel was super cheap but it wasn't great. The seal on the canister wasn't always great so it would leak fuel/vapor when not in use (all stoves do this but it was worse on puncture cans).

Ideally you'd be able to remove the canister when not in use. Constant pressure on the hoses and seals also wore them out quickly. At REI I worked in the bike and ski shop but we did just as many stove repairs/rehabs.

[CJM]

I have something similar to this: http://www.campmor.com/primus-classictrail-stove.shtml?source=CI&ci_sku=72304&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw=

Sadly you can only get the isobutane fuel canisters at a camping store and sometimes walmart or kmart. However for compactness and weight you cant beat it. The canisters weigh more than the stove. On a backpacking trip for 2-3 days I take one small canister with me, if Im going longer or think I will be cooking more I bring 2 small canisters or a double sized singe canister. I got lucky tho, the local sporting goods store incorrectly had all the canisters for a buck when they rang up-I bought like 20 lol. Them things are easily 5/ea usually.

[Good Times]

Mike you bring up a few good points on protecting the flame from the wind elements and also where the canister is in relationship to heat exposure. My old coleman had the wind protector so I never thought twice I guess. doh! The other point was the possibility of leaking after the canister is connected. Definitely overlooked that entirely.

Marc I've seen those and I have a bunch of friends who swear by those products. JetBoil has something similar to that design too. My beef with those (with no personal experience using em) is the fear that it'll tip over. I like the "compact" factor but just the thought that it might tip over really erks me.

Bob I'm in no "rush" for a new grill just exploring options since I love to research stuff to death before pulling the plug on anything I purchase but I will keep your spare in mind. :)

[4x4mike]

My usual back packing set up is a MSR Pocket Rocket or Primus Express, titanium tea pot and fuel. The stove, fuel, foldable spork and windscreen all fit in the tea pot. If I'm eating dehydrated food or homemade stuff that requires hot water only it's all I need and is small and compact. It's basically what a JetBoil is now. I really like the jet boil but you have to get used to cooking with them and you can't cook everything on them.

A small burner on a fuel canister can be tippy but they can cook so fast I don't see it as a hazard for too long. In the scheme of things I myself am a larger hazard, especially after chili and beer. I pack one of these and my 2 burner for car camping (what the white people call Overlanding) because each has it's place and don't take up much room. The backpacking stove fits in my coffee mug and the fuel inside of a bowl all within my chuck box.

Lance, the worst part of a leaky stove is waking up in the morning craving bacon and coffee only to learn you're out of fuel. I guess worse would be having it leak inside of the vehicle while sleeping with a lit cigarette but you're a family man now so I know you no longer sleep in the back of the truck.

[CJM]

Almost all of them little stoves Lance, are kinda tippy. Even the smaller remote hose ones, just not enough real room for a large pot. What I have done in the past with mine was to carry a small grill grate from a toaster and use it with the stove by putting sticks up to support it (away from the flame of course lol) or use rocks. In all actuality its a backpacking stove and isnt nearly as good for car camping as say a large coleman 2 burner would be.

Jetboil is nice but your tied 100% to their cooking pots and stuff, cant use anything else as it all locks together.

[Seanz0rz]

I refuse to keep pressurized fuels inside my truck on trips, especially when I am sleeping inside, but even when I am not. Propane bottles store nicely in the Trasharoo. If I had no choice, I'd probably want to store them in something with a really good seal, like an ammo can.