Are you planning your next camping or trekking trip? Then a gas stove is a must, as it allows you to enjoy a hot meal or a hot drink at any time, even when you’re on the move. We have compared good camping stoves with each other and tell you here which are our favorites and what you should look out for when buying one.
The most important things first
- Camping gas stoves provide you with hot drinks and warm meals at all times, even on your outdoor adventures.
- There are many different types of gas stoves, so there is a suitable stove for every requirement.
- The main selection criteria are the number of flames and the type of operation.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- The most important things first
- Compact & high-quality: The editors’ recommendation
- Good & affordable: The price-performance winner
- What is a gas stove and how does it work?
- What are gas stoves suitable for?
- How hot do gas stoves get?
- How safe are gas stoves?
- Which cartridge / which gas for gas stove
- What types of gas stoves are there?
- The number of flames: 1-burner, 2-burner or multi-flame?
- What you should look out for when buying a gas stove
- Gas consumption: How long does a cartridge last?
- Which pots are suitable for gas stoves?
- Camping dishes: What you can cook with a gas stove
- We compared these camping gas stoves
- Frequently asked questions about the camping gas stove
Don’t want to scroll? Click here to go directly to the gas stove comparison.
Compact & high-quality: The editors’ recommendation
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Light, compact and powerful: this camping gas stove is the ideal companion for outdoor activities such as camping or hiking.
Good & affordable: The price-performance winner
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The robust metal housing, 2 flames with automatic piezo ignition, wind protection and infinitely variable control speak for this gas stove.
What is a gas stove and how does it work?
In a way, a camping gas stove is like a stove for on the go. It has one to four flames and is operated with propane, butane or a mixture of both gases. The gas comes from a gas cartridge or gas cylinder.
This means that a gas stove works independently of an electricity or fixed gas connection. So you can set up your cooking area anywhere.
In modern appliances, the flame of the stove is ignited automatically with the so-called piezo igniter. Alternatively, you will need a lighter or a match to light the flame.
A regulator can then be used to adjust the gas supply and thus also the temperature. The dishes for cooking are then simply placed on a rack above the flame.
When you have finished cooking, you can cut off the gas supply directly at the rotary knob with which you control the intensity of the flame. Or you can simply turn off the gas supply to the bottle.
What are gas stoves suitable for?
Thanks to their independent operation, camping gas stoves are suitable for almost all outdoor activities. Whether you’re camping with a motorhome, caravan or tent, on a multi-day trekking tour or a spontaneous overnight stay outdoors, there is a suitable gas stove for every activity, ensuring a hot meal wherever you go.
How hot do gas stoves get?
With a gas stove, food and drinks are heated on an open flame. If you look closely at this flame, you will see that it glows blue at the bottom, while it takes on a red-yellowish color towards the top. These different colors express different temperatures.
At the bottom, where the flame is blue, the temperature is around 800 degrees Celsius. The red-yellow areas of the flame have a temperature of up to 1,300 degrees Celsius.
Special care must be taken with some gas stove models made of steel, as the body can also heat up. In view of this, it is important that you are careful when cooking and always make sure that you don’t burn yourself.
How safe are gas stoves?
Nowadays, all gas stoves are equipped with an ignition safety device, also known as a gas stop. This is a safety device that ensures that no more gas can escape once the flame has gone out. Therefore, gas stoves are completely safe when used in accordance with the regulations and your cooking area is very safe.
This ignition safety device is thermoelectric and works as follows: When the gas flame burns, it simultaneously conducts a small amount of electricity. This current flow heats up a small metal part of the ignition fuse, which ensures that the gas supply remains open. As soon as the flame goes out, the metal ignition fuse cools down again and the gas supply is closed by the ignition fuse. Outside in particular, the flame can quickly go out due to boiling water or a short draught. However, the gas would continue to flow out and a huge flame would be created when it was ignited again. This is exactly what the ignition fuse protects you from.
Which cartridge / which gas for gas stove
Most gas cartridges contain a gas mixture of propane, isobutane and butane. Gas is uncomplicated as a fuel, is considered safe and is also suitable for beginners.
The cartridge is pressurized so that the gas inside is in a liquid state. The individual gases differ in their boiling point, i.e. the temperature at which the gas changes from a liquid to a gaseous state at which it can be ignited.
Butane becomes gaseous at approx. 1 degree Celsius and isobutane at approx. 12 degrees Celsius. Propane, on the other hand, changes back to its gaseous state at around 42 degrees Celsius. A high proportion of propane is therefore advantageous for operation at low temperatures.
When hiking and trekking in temperatures below 10 °C, always make sure you use a gas cartridge with a “winter gas” or “all-season” mixture.
What types of gas stoves are there?
Cartridge stove / gas stove with cartridge
Cartridge stoves, often also called top-mounted stoves, such as those from Campingaz, are very compact in design. These camping stoves are operated with a gas cartridge, which is fitted directly under or next to the device for the cooking pots. This design means that the gas stove takes up very little space. This also increases safety when cooking, as there is a direct connection between the stove and the gas supply. Cartridge stoves are available in both single-flame and multi-flame versions.
If the cartridge is also the base of the appliance, this type of stove is often not quite as stable. An additional stand can help here. On top of that, the hotplate is often rather small and cooking with larger pots or pans is somewhat difficult.
Gas stove with external gas supply
In a camping stove with an external gas supply, the gas is fed to the burner via a flexible line. These include the so-called stool stoves.
These gas stoves are usually multi-flame, but are also available as single-flame models. They also have good stability and are often equipped with additional extras such as a windbreak. They also often offer several hotplates and space for larger pots and pans.
However, these stoves are considerably larger and heavier than compact cartridge stoves. This makes transportation somewhat cumbersome. The extra gas cylinder is also very bulky and takes up a lot of space. However, transportation is made somewhat easier by the fact that these gas stoves are usually built into a kind of “case”.
Camping gas stove set
A camping stove set offers you everything in one: a gas stove, the right utensils and often also a cartridge. These sets are either limited to the bare essentials and are particularly small and light for when you’re on the move, or are very versatile and contain lots of accessories.
With these sets, you are ideally equipped for your outdoor adventure.
The number of flames: 1-burner, 2-burner or multi-flame?
Gas stoves are available with one or up to four burners. All models have advantages and disadvantages and the question of how many flames are best depends entirely on the intended use.
Gas stove 1-burner
These models are usually small, compact and lightweight, making them ideal for all outdoor activities. They are also operated with a cartridge and are very economical, as the gas only has to operate one flame. They are rather inexpensive to buy.
However, they only offer space for one pot, which means that only one dish can be prepared at a time without side dishes. They are therefore only suitable for a maximum of two people.
Gas stove 2-burner
2-burner gas stoves are very common. They are still small and compact, but allow you to prepare a meal with a side dish. They can mainly be operated with a cartridge or gas cylinder. However, the intensity of the flame is somewhat lower for the most part. In addition, the gas consumption is somewhat higher, which means that the gas cartridges or cylinders run out more quickly.
Gas stove 3- or 4-burner
3 or 4-burner gas hobs can be used to prepare large meals, making them suitable for several people. These stoves are usually very stable and sturdy. You should make sure that such a stove is operated with a propane gas cylinder. There are also models with a gas cartridge. However, as a lot of gas is consumed when using several flames at the same time, the cartridges are quickly empty and not really efficient.
Multi-burner gas stoves tend to be heavy and bulky, which makes them unsuitable for outdoor activities on foot or by bike, as they should also be set up at a fixed cooking point. They also have a high gas consumption, which results in higher costs.
What you should look out for when buying a gas stove
The selection of gas stoves is really large. To find the stove that suits you best, you should pay attention to a few things when buying.
Size
The size of the gas stove plays a decisive role. Whether you need a small or a large stove depends on the space you have available when you’re out and about.
A handy size is very advantageous for taking along on vacation or for outdoor activities, while larger, multi-flame gas stoves may also be available in a motorhome or caravan.
In most cases, large gas stoves are also slightly better in terms of quality. But even small stoves can do a lot. System stoves in particular, e.g. from Primus or Jetboil, where the pot and burner are firmly connected to each other, are often smaller and still offer adequate quality. They are often so small and light that most system stoves fit into the pot in which they were purchased, making them particularly easy to transport.
Weight
Similarly, weight is also a decisive criterion. If you are traveling on foot or by bike, the stove should be as light as possible. In a caravan or motorhome, on the other hand, it can also be a more stable, heavier model.
Please note: Many manufacturers do not include the weight of the cartridge or gas cylinders in the weight specification of a gas stove. For this reason, you should always add a few grams to be on the safe side or ask the manufacturer for the weight including the cartridge.
When planning, also bear in mind that a lighter weight usually means less power from the gas stove.
Performance
The output of a gas stove is specified in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). The more watts the high has, the better its performance. However, higher energy output also increases gas consumption. Higher performance is also usually accompanied by a higher price. However, you should still make sure that the power rating of your gas hob is at least 1,000 watts in order to be able to cook properly with it.
Equipment
Particularly inexpensive gas stoves are often available without any additional equipment. Although the price is tempting here, you will then have to spend a lot of time looking for the other accessories you need, such as gas cartridges, etc.
So before you buy, think about which features you don’t want to do without and check which components are included. Some manufacturers offer complete sets including cookware and cartridge.
Also think about when and where you want to use the stove. Are you ever out and about in bad and windy weather? Then you shouldn’t do without good wind protection. This protects your gas stove and the flame and helps you to keep gas consumption to a minimum.
Piezo ignition is also recommended. This allows you to light the gas stove at the touch of a button and you don’t have to ignite the flame manually.
Gas consumption: How long does a cartridge last?
There is no general answer to the question of gas stove consumption, as it can be influenced by many factors. The power of the camping stove and the gas cartridge used usually play a decisive role.
Caution: The consumption values specified by the manufacturer are often not realistic and only apply under optimum conditions. For example, gas consumption is significantly higher in bad weather or strong winds than in calm weather. The initial temperature of the water and the ambient temperature also influence consumption.
How you use the gas stove is also crucial. If you always cook on the highest heat, the consumption is of course significantly higher than when cooking on a medium heat.
Which pots are suitable for gas stoves?
When choosing your camping utensils, you should make sure that they can withstand the temperatures of a gas stove. Aluminum dishes are particularly suitable as they are very heat-resistant. In addition, aluminum cookware is quite light and conducts the heat of the flame optimally into the pot. Alternatives include tableware made of stainless steel, flat steel or titanium.
In addition to the material, you should also pay attention to the size and weight of the harness. Because when you’re out and about, you’ll certainly be happy if your luggage is as small and light as possible and you don’t have to lug around huge pots.
Especially if you are out and about on foot or by bike, space and weight play a major role when planning your equipment. In this case, camping sets that can be packed and stowed away to save space are particularly suitable.
Camping dishes: What you can cook with a gas stove
In theory, you can also prepare all the recipes from your kitchen with a camping gas stove. However, you should bear in mind that you won’t always be able to buy all the food you need for certain recipes when you’re out and about.
A gas hob is particularly suitable for quick meals, dishes or for heating water. You can therefore prepare pasta and rice with sauce or soups and stews particularly well. However, there are no limits to your creativity. There are even numerous camping recipes especially for the gas stove that are adapted to the limited number of flames.
We compared these camping gas stoves
Frequently asked questions about the camping gas stove
How much does a gas stove cost?
Prices vary depending on the model and type of gas stove. Prices range from cheaper products from around EUR 15 to very high-quality gas stoves costing over EUR 300. Gas stove camping sets are of course somewhat more expensive than just the stove itself. Multi-flame gas or cartridge stoves start at around EUR 30 and can also cost up to several hundred euros.
Where can I buy a gas stove?
Gas stoves are available from specialist retailers and various DIY stores. Occasionally they are also available from a discounter. You can also find a large selection of camping stoves online, for example on Amazon.
Which gas stove is the best?
There is no general answer to this and it depends on how many people you are traveling with and whether you want to use the device stationary or mobile. However, safe operation, the lowest possible weight and compact dimensions are always important.
Cover picture: (c) Noppharat_th / Depositphotos
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