Single-Burner Stove Users - Comment on stability?

[Herbie]

Hello all. I'm looking for comments from owners of single-burner stoves, preferably stuff like the Coleman 442, 533, or Exponent multi-fuel stoves.

Specifically, I'm questioning whether or not I would put a big pot of boiling water on top of one of those... with the possibility of children in the "kitchen" area...

I'm looking seriously at changing around my camp stove setup. I have Coleman 2 and 3 burner white gas suitcase stoves that I like very much. They're super hot and very stable, so I can put a gallon of pasta water in a big stock pot on, no-problem.

But I am also trying to reduce the packed size of my kitchen gear, along with other considerations. I really like white gas, and I'm heavily invested in it between the coleman stuff and my backpacking stuff (MSR whisperlite, etc.). I also like the dual-fuel nature of my stoves, since I've always got some unleaded on-hand as a backup. I've been considering swapping out the Coleman 425 for a single burner stove, and maybe supplementing with my butane "catering" burner for the rare times when I need a second heat source and/or better heat control. I would gladly do a proper french omlette on my catering burner, but wouldn't consider it on either coleman, I just can't dial the heat down enough. Conversely, I wouldn't want to try to bring a big pot of water to a rolling boil at altitude with butane...

The problem, as I see it, is that even though I often use only one burner of the coleman, I really like that big stable suitcase. Now that I have a daughter and I cannot 100% guarantee she won't be in/around the kitchen when food is being prepared (although I will discourage it), I feel funny about moving to a system that might be sort of unstable...

I'm not that excited about the idea of moving to propane, despite the advantages of the smaller stove sizes, mostly because I really don't want to deal with the issues of storing disposable canisters or finding a home in/on my van for a refillable tank. I know this sounds contradictory to using the butane in my catering burner, but I really do see that as a limited-use second burner, versus moving over to propane as my main cooking fuel. I could confidently go on a trip with only a single butane cartridge the size of a can of spray paint, and bring it home with fuel for a nice tableside bananas foster at a dinner party...

Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[bstory]

We are using this Coleman one-burner propane in our Sprinter van - didn't want to take up the whole kitchen countertop with a larger stove since we usually cook outside but wanted something for cold rainy day hot tea or hot chocolate, fried eggs, etc. Seem quite stable, but still not like a stove at home, I guess. The thing with kiddos is to keep the stove back away from the edge of the counter or table so they aren't likely to casually bump or reach into it. Stove stability may not be the main factor, though no one would want one that isn't stable either.

We have the Coleman Fold n Go - with 2 burners - to take outside and it packs down pretty small. The one-burner one lives on the counter.

 

[Herbie]

The thing with kiddos is to keep the stove back away from the edge of the counter or table so they aren't likely to casually bump or reach into it. Stove stability may not be the main factor, though no one would want one that isn't stable either.

Sure, all precautions will of course be taken. I'm just trying to imagine this stock pot:

With 10-15 pounds of boiling water and pasta, balanced on top of this little stove:

:Wow1:

 

[109 Pretender]

I think the small one burner stoves were meant more for backpacking sized pots/pans. My Primus is hard to adjust to a simmer level. The small size of the flame would also work against you with a large stock pot as illustrated. I love my Cook partner which is a two burner. It's more compact than the coleman multi-burners and uses Propane. Flame adjustment is a lot easier as well. I also have an old 3 burner Coleman model 443 that was made only in 1962 or 63. It has an aluminum case. I still remember my folks using it when I was young so it's a keeper.

As you mentioned, I'd be very worried w/little ones around the stove when cooking. A big pot of boiling water balanced precariously on a small footprint stove seems like a potential recipe for disaster.

I think you need a big stove for big jobs (or where flame control is critical) and your one burner stove idea when the job is small. In the end I think you'd be happiest with both types.

 

[Co-opski]

Sure, all precautions will of course be taken. I'm just trying to imagine this stock pot:

With 10-15 pounds of boiling water and pasta, balanced on top of this little stove:

:Wow1:

Don't do it!
2 Litters should be max on a stove like that. Save those stoves for backpacking with a small mess kit. If you must cook with a single burner look into a stove with the fuel on the side like a Whisperlight and mount the burner to a stable base-plate. With a set up like that you will not save too much weight in the long run and more time will be spent fussing with the settings getting the flame right.
The grass is not greener.
:chef:

 

[bandit455]

having done the following with this stove

it's doable, but its a bit unnerving, and I wouldn't recommend doing it regularly. as it was stated, a backpacking style mess kit that's designed for a stove like this is a much better fit. If I was buying a small backpacking style stove new, it's hard for me to look past the jetboil setup, it's simply brilliant.

 

[StumpXJ]

I have that Exponent stove, and would NOT put anything over a couple quarts on it. Its just not made for it. I cooked bacon in a frying pan with it this weekend, and it was very unstable with little to no weight.

I have a huge 16 inch WOK that I use for cooking sometimes, and I use it with my burner from my Zodi Extreme shower. Its a GREAT burner, and puts out tons of heat. Perfect for big pots and pans.

~ Stump

 

[Errant]

I used to use an old Coleman 502 single burner with it's little square pot on smaller trips. It was stable enough on a solid table, with precautions. My one and only accident happened last summer on a motorcycle trip. I was lazy and not taking my normal precautions and haphazardly pumped it... with the little pot on top full of hot water, while sitting in front of it at the picnic table... and dumped the pot straight into me. Burned my tummy to the point of blistering off a layer or two of skin

It has since stayed in the garage, being replaced by a Primus ETA/MF system. Takes up a bit more space, but more stable and no pumping (when using the iso fuel), or at least semi remote pumping using the fuel bottle.

 

[Herbie]

OK, I'm sold. My instincts were correct. I'll stick to my whisperlite and/or alcohol stoves for backpacking, and my bigger coleman suitcases when I need to make pasta for 6+ people!

Thanks everyone.

 

[oO_Rogue_Oo]

I've never used it at what I would call high altitude but I love my Jet Boil Helios

http://shop.jetboil.com/index.php/helios.html

 

[Accrete]

a question on the "suitcase" dual fuel stoves... can they be stored for travel upright on their rear edge (like you would place a breifcase on the ground handle up?) with fuel (unleaded gas) in the tank? Or do the tanks remove for storage/travel?

I'm asking as i'm trying to do some brainstorming for a camp kit setup and tired of propane.

Thanks in advance,
Thom

 

[Errant]

If you mean the Coleman dual fuel t burner, yes the tank comes off to be stored inside the burner compartment when not in use. Being the mommy-type, I've always drained the tank through a filter and back into the original fuel can before tansport. That was I can be more certain it won't leak, and feel that it's more easily identifiable in the event of an accident.

 

[CSG]

Oops, missed that you've got one of these and the issues you have in carrying disposable butane cartridges. I'll leave it for anyone else who might be interested.

I don't have heavy cooking needs but it's hard to beat a butane burner like restaurants use for buffet cooking.

You're not going to get much more stable than this:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Stove-List-Free-Case/dp/B001TF8UY8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1290307700&sr=8-3"]http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Stove-List-Free-Case/dp/B001TF8UY8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1290307700&sr=8-3[/ame]

 

[Accrete]

If you mean the Coleman dual fuel t burner...

Yup those are the ones. I was toying with the idea of fabricating a mount for the exterior curb-side rear van door. Something that could house the 2 burner stove in an upright position, then fold down for fairly easy setup when in camp. The favorite floorplan so far calls for sliding kitchen of sorts out the open rear doors. I was primarily wondering if i'll have to dismantle the stove/tank to travel with it upright.

 

[Herbie]

Accrete, as a counterpoint to Errant's post, not only can you store the suitcase upgright, but I always store with fuel in the tank.

Working on the theory that the vapors in the tank are the biggest danger for ignition/fire/explosion, and that you can never really get the tank 100% free of vapors without positive-pressure flushing with C02 or the like, I actually prefer to store my tank as full as possible (there is a fill limit to the tank).

When I go on a trip, I use the burner as needed, filling before each meal. (Dangerous to fill after a meal unless everything has cooled down sufficiently.) When I return home, I top up the tank and put everything away until the next trip.

Coleman fuel is extremely stable and clean, so I do not worry about the fuel separating or anything. In fact while cleaning out my mother's garage I came across my old MSR Whisperlite kit from my Boy Scout days. I pumped up the fuel regulator and it fired up and burned cleanly on the first attempt - with 15 year old fuel in the bottle!