Uncovering the Best Camping Stoves for Your Outdoor Adventure

We’ve put camping stoves from brands like Campingaz, Coleman, Halfords, and Vango through their paces in order to make outdoor cooking as easy as possible for you.

With one of the best camping stoves, you won’t have to give up the conveniences of cooking in your own kitchen to take advantage of the great outdoors. Because of this, the primary focus of our evaluations was to identify the camping stoves that are the least complicated to operate, the quickest to heat up, and the most flexible in their design. Camping stoves that are difficult to operate and require a significant amount of time to heat up may really put a damper on your camping trip, and that’s even before it starts to rain. We put seven popular camping stoves from brands such as Campingaz, Halfords, Vango, and others through their paces in May 2021 in order to determine which ones are worth taking on your next camping trip. Our evaluations encompassed a wide range of camping stoves, from two-burner models equipped with grills to foldable, portable stoves designed specifically for trekking. Check out the whole findings of our tests down below to find out which option comes highly recommended. The most recent check of pricing and availability was performed on April 20th, 2022.

The most reliable camping stoves

The Campingaz Party Grill 400 CV was selected as the winner by the editor.

 

Amazon offers the lowest price of £99 for this item, which is also sold at Decathlon.

One is the total number of burners.

The combined dimensions are 42 by 39 by 34 inches, and the packed dimensions are 25 by 39 by 34 inches (HxWxD)

Weight to be Carried: 4.66kg

Recommended fuel(s): Butane/propane small gas canisters

Other important aspects include:

Piezo ignition, a carry bag is included, and cooking attachments such as a barbeque, pan, griddle, grill, and wok are all included.

The advantages include portability, rapid heating of cookware and water in the kettle, stability on grass and flat surfaces, and user-friendliness.

Negatives: It is a one-burner camping stove, so it takes up quite a bit of space.

Our conclusion is that, all things considered, this camping stove is our top pick because of its well-considered design, lightning-fast heating, and remarkable adaptability.

The cooking area is spacious and designed in the style of a kettle barbeque, with plenty of capacity for larger pots. Attaching the gas canister is as easy as screwing it into the base; there are no hoses or gas regulators to mess with. We found that the gas control was dependable and easy to understand, and the entire machine was completely steady while it was being used. There were no wobbles, and there was no chance that it would topple over. In our tests, the Party Grill emerged victorious, becoming the only stove to bring the kettle to a boil in under five minutes and winning the race to the finish line.

The temperature in our cooking pot reached 200 degrees Celsius in fewer than two minutes. When it comes to cooking, this range gives you a wide variety of options to choose from. In addition to making use of the conventional burner that is located at the base of the stove, this model features a collection of cooking utensils that are appropriately proportioned to be placed on top of the burner. You have the option of using a frying pan, a griddle pan, or the grill bars, and there is a fat drip collector encircling the base of the burner to ensure that your barbecues are clean and tidy. Alternately, the lid can be turned over and put to use as a wok. This is one of the more substantial camping stoves that we put to the test, and once it’s assembled, you’ll see that it takes up a significant amount of space due to its expansive cooking surface and its legs. However, it may be disassembled into its component parts in order to take up as little space as possible, and all of its accessories can be stored within the stove itself. Both the convenient hold handles on the lid and the carry bag that is included make it very simple to transfer the container. This is not the only camping stove that we recommend, but we do think that it is the best overall, and with the accessories that come with it, it has many more arrows in its quiver than the other camping stoves that we tested.

The FyreStorm PCS from Coleman is the Editor’s Choice.

 

The best deal you’ll find is at Amazon (out of stock), Blacks (out of stock), Go Outdoors (out of stock), and Millets, where you can get it for £68. (out of stock)

One is the total number of burners.

Dimensions: 22.6cm x 14cm x 14cm (H x W x D) 16.2 millimetres by 14 millimetres by 14 millimetres when constructed (H x W x D) packed

Weight on person: 0.63 kg Recommended fuel(s): Butane/propane small gas canisters

Other important aspects include:

Piezo ignition, cooking pot with sleeve/carry handle and windshield included, gas regulator and hose included in the package.

The benefits include being lightweight and portable, fast heating cookware and bringing water to a boil, being sturdy on grass and tabletops, and being simple to operate.

Heat regulation can be a bit finicky at times.

Our conclusion is that the Coleman FyreStorm PCS is the best stove for you to purchase if you frequently go hiking or have limited storage space.

It can be folded up neatly and stored in the cooking pot that is included. Additionally, it has a sleeve handle on the exterior that allows you to clip it to the outside of your backpack in the event that you do not have enough room for it inside. The FyreStorm also comes with a wind shield that fits neatly on top of the legs, and the legs themselves have useful slots that allow tent pegs to be hooked through them to hold the stove in place when it is placed on the ground for cooking. The flame has the appearance of a welding torch and has a satisfying roar to it; also, the stove generates a significant amount of heat despite its diminutive size. Just 49 seconds was all it took for this stove to heat up our pan, making it by far the quickest option available. The gas pressure can be easily adjusted by using the regulator’s diminutive handle, which, despite its ease of use, may benefit from being slightly enlarged. Because you only need a small amount of electricity to generate a significant amount of heat, you have to be very accurate while controlling the gas. The power can be considerably increased with even the slightest of touches. It will be difficult for you to prepare meals using large pots on this stove because of the limited space available for cooking and the intensity of the flame. Although it is sturdy, the centre of the pot will cook food far more quickly than the outside corners of the pot. In general, if you have a larger number of people to cook for, you will discover that this stove is restrictive; however, if you are travelling light and are looking for something that is both compact and powerful, there is no need to explore any further.

The Campingaz Camp Bistro 2 was selected by our editors as the product with the best value.

 

Blacks and Millets have it for the lowest price of £15; it’s also available on Amazon and at Go Outdoors.

One is the total number of burners.

Dimensions: 12cm x 34cm x 28cm (H x W x D)

Weight to be Carried: 2.3 kg Isobutane, butane, and propane gas cartridges are the recommended types of fuel.

Other important aspects include:

igniting using piezoelectric crystals; travel case is included

Advantages include portability, stability on both grass and flat surfaces, and simplicity of operation

Negatives: A one-burner camping stove does not make efficient use of space.

Our judgement is that this is an outstanding option for those who are seeking for a camping stove on a limited budget.

The Campingaz Camp Bistro 2 came out on top as the most popular model among those that we evaluated, and it is simple to understand why. We noticed that using it was very similar to cooking at home, since it benefited from having a huge surface area and a wide burner ring that could accommodate cooking pots of a respectable size. The Kemper Camping Stove Xtra Smart, which can be found below, is conceptually quite comparable to this stove’s layout. Both have a broad and flat base, a huge burner in the middle, and a chamber on the side for plugging in gas cartridges. The bases are connected by a tube. In the course of our research, we came to the conclusion that this model of stove is superior to others on the market due to the fact that its gas cartridge compartment is far safer and simpler to operate, as well as the fact that its burner was significantly less affected by the wind. In the course of our research, we found that it took slightly more than five minutes to bring a kettle to a boil and slightly less than two minutes to bring a pan up to the appropriate temperature for cooking. Despite the fact that there is only one burner, we had no trouble transporting it at all thanks to the convenient carry case that was included in the package. Nevertheless, it is somewhat cumbersome. However, the fact that it has such a broad base allows it to remain absolutely stable on any surface, and both the piezo ignition and the gas control worked quite well for us. There are stoves on the market that are of higher quality and cost more money, but the quality of this stove isn’t that much lower, and for the price, you get a lot of bang for your buck with it.

The results of the tests conducted on the remaining camping stoves

The results of our tests on the remaining camping stoves are shown below, in alphabetical order.

Double Stove with Grill Available at Halfords

The best deal I could find was at Halfords for £38.

The number of burners is two.

Dimensions: 34cm x 57.5cm x 39.5cm (H x W x D) constructed; 8cm x 57.5cm x 32cm (H x W x D) packed

Weight to be Carried: 4 kg

Recommended fuel(s): 37mbar butane/propane gas canisters

Other important aspects include:

Piezo ignition, grill tray included

Advantages include portability, stability on both grass and flat surfaces, and simplicity of operation

The cookware takes a long time to heat up.

Our conclusion is that this stove is adequate and that it will serve its purpose for you on a family camping trip; but, there are other options available that are superior.

It folds down rather flat, which is remarkable for such a large stove, and because to its relatively low weight, it is not difficult to transport from one place to another. It won’t cause you any hardship to carry it from the car to your pitch, and it won’t take up a significant amount of space when it’s put up in your car. In addition to this, it has non-slip feet that prevent it from sliding at all, whether it is on grass or a table. The dials that control the gas supply are well-labelled and simple to comprehend and operate, and the piezo ignition buttons, despite their diminutive size, are simple to depress. The one and only area in which this stove fell short of expectations was in the length of time it took to warm up our cooking pan. The temperature reached 200 degrees Celsius after a little over four minutes, which was by far the longest time of all of the tests. However, once it reaches the desired temperature, we believe that the cooking process will become consistent and pleasant for you.

Kemper Camping Stove Xtra Smart

Decathlon has the lowest pricing, which is £29.99.

One is the total number of burners.

Dimensions: 11.1cm x 34cm x 28cm (H x W x D)

Weight on person: 1.99 kg

Recommended fuel(s): Isobutane/butane/propane gas cartridges

Additional important characteristics include:

Piezo ignition, travel case included

The product is easy to use, lightweight and portable, and stable on both grass and tabletops.

The water in the kettle boils rather slowly.

Our opinion is that despite the fact that this camping stove is really comparable to the Campingaz Camp Bistro 2 that was discussed earlier, we do not believe that it is quite up to the same grade. It benefits from the same design aspects, including a wide cooking area that is stable, as well as a gas control that is well-labelled and easy to understand.

However, the gas cartridge compartment does not have a locking mechanism like the one on the Camp Bistro 2, and as a result, it may be easily opened even if the stove is turned on its side. However, as compared to Camp Bistro 2, the Kemper stove was significantly inferior in terms of the amount of time required for cooking. When we tested both under identical circumstances, we discovered that the Kemper stove was far more sensitive to wind interference than the Camp Bistro 2. Additionally, it took the Kemper stove almost twice as long to bring the kettle to a boil, clocking in at just over nine minutes. Although we could not discover any serious flaws with the Kemper Camping Stove Xtra Smart as a whole, there is a possibility that it will test your patience if you have just returned from a long trip and are desperate for a cup of hot beverage.

Cooker and grill in one, the Vango Combi IR

Blacks and Millets provide the best deal, with prices starting at £67.50. Amazon and Go Outdoors are also selling it.

The number of burners is two.

Dimensions: 38cm x 56cm x 32.5cm (H x W x D) constructed; 13cm x 56cm x 32.5cm (H x W x D) packed

Weight on person: 4.83 kg

Butane or propane gas canisters with 37 bar pressure are the recommended fuel(s).

Other important aspects include:

igniting via piezoelectric crystals; including grill tray

Stable on both flat surfaces and grass Pros:

Cons: Difficult to move, difficult to use, and it takes a long time for the cookware and the kettle to heat up.

Our conclusion is that the Vango Combi IR Grill Cooker did not live up to our expectations because it suffered from a number of significant flaws that prevented us from recommending it. To begin, we had a terrible time transporting it. It is a cumbersome stove with a weight that is not properly distributed, and the carry handle that was carved out of the metal frame was not comfortable to grasp. The discomfort prevented us from carrying it for more than around 10 metres before it became a problem for us. However, once it is set up, it is stable. When you use it, there is very little chance that it will topple over whether it is placed on grass or on a tabletop.

Because the gas knobs are inadequately labelled and turn around in such a large number of different directions, it is difficult to determine whether the gas will be turned off or at its highest setting when it is ignited. Utilizing the piezo ignition requires some force and results in a very audible click. When the stove is in its folded-down position, removing the lid locks is not only difficult but also painful. The length of time it took for this stove to heat up was another feature that didn’t impress us. The time it took to bring the kettle to a boil was seven minutes, while the average time across all of the camping stoves we tested was five minutes. However, it did a decent job of heating the pan, reaching a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius in just under two minutes. It is able to carry out the fundamental tasks that you will require it to, but all things considered, we believe that this camping stove has far too many drawbacks for us to be able to suggest it.

Portable Folding Gas Stove by Vango

Amazon offers the lowest price of £29.10 for this item; it is also sold at Blacks (out of stock), Go Outdoors, and Millets (out of stock)

One is the total number of burners.

Dimensions: 6.2cm x 12cm x 12cm (H x W x D) 11 by 9.3 by 6.3 centimetres when assembled (H x W x D) packed

Weight to be Carried: 0.23 kg

Recommended fuel(s) Butane/propane small gas canisters

Other important aspects include:

Included accessories are a carry case, a gas hose, and a regulator.

The benefits include being lightweight and portable, heating cookware rapidly, remaining stable on grass, and being simple to operate.

Heat control can be finicky, and the device is unsteady when placed on tabletops. There is also no piezo ignition.

Our judgement is that this is an outstanding tiny stove that is a worthy alternative for a backpacking trip or a Duke of Edinburgh adventure.

This stove is by far the smallest one that we examined, and it can be stored away in the accompanying miniature box after being folded up. Because the box is fluorescent orange and is somewhat smaller than a can of soft drinks, it will take up very little room in your bag and will be easy to locate within that bag. It has a burner that looks like a welding flame and is quite powerful for its size. In order to generate a significant amount of heat, only a small amount of gas is required. Because the flame isn’t obviously visible, you’ll also have to rely on sound while you’re trying to light it. Thankfully, there’s a big roar, so you’ll be able to know that it’s going by listening to the sound it produces.

Since there is no piezo ignition on this stove, it is important to keep in mind that you will need a flame in order to light it. If you plan on bringing it camping with you, don’t forget to bring matches. In spite of its compact size, this camping stove has a heat-up time that is comparable to that of the other models that we evaluated. The time it took to bring a kettle to a boil was just over five minutes, which is near the norm, while it took approximately one and a half minutes to heat the pan, which is among the shortest times. During our testing, we discovered that it is stable when used on grass; yet, due to its small weight, it can be difficult to control when used on a tabletop. This stove is not suitable for larger cooking pots due to the limited size of the cooking area; nevertheless, if you are interested in cooking on a smaller scale and desire a portable design, this Vango model is an excellent option.

 

How we put camping stoves through their paces

We chose seven of the most well-known camping stoves in the United Kingdom, all of which can be purchased from big retailers including Amazon, Blacks, Decathlon, and Halfords. When deciding which products to put to the test, we also took into account the results of web searches. Because we paid for every stove that we tested ourselves and do not accept complimentary products, you may be assured in the impartiality of our evaluations.

Mobility and dependableness both.

When you go camping, it’s probable that you’ll have to travel at least a short distance from your car to your pitch, which is why it’s crucial that your stove was designed with portability in mind from the beginning. We moved each camping stove about our testing area, taking into consideration its weight, how comfortable any handles were, and whether or not there was any way to make the stove more compact. In light of the fact that you will be working with live flames, it is essential that your stove is secure and does not pose a risk of falling over. We examined each stove by placing it on a table and then moving it on the grass, looking for legs that were unstable or feet that moved too easily.

Experience in the kitchen

If you don’t go camping very often, using an outdoor stove may make you feel a little out of your element; but, the best outdoor stoves make the process of cooking outside a simple and natural endeavour. On each of the stoves that we evaluated, we used the same pan to prepare some eggs and sausages, and then we rated the stoves based on how user-friendly and pleasant they were.

Accelerated heating up

There is nothing better than a steaming mug of tea or coffee while you’re out camping, but if the kettle takes an eternity to boil, you might not be in the mood for a warm beverage by the time it’s ready. In order to determine which stove will provide you with your beverage the quickest, we timed how long it took each one to bring 500 millilitres of water in a camping kettle to a boil. In addition, we timed how long it took each stove to heat a pan to a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius so that we could determine which one would get you ready to cook the food the quickest.

 

Different kinds of camping stoves: which one is right for you?

Because camping stoves come in a wide variety of forms and sizes, and because they might have a number of different characteristics, it can be difficult to choose which one to purchase. The majority of them can be divided into two categories: smaller, lighter stoves that only have one burner, and larger, heavier stoves that have many burners and a design that is more analogous to that of a standard home cooker. There are, however, some notable exceptions. Those that are a medium size but still have a single burner, like the Campingaz Camp Bistro 2 and the Kemper Camping Stove Xtra Smart, serve as a compromise between the portability of the compact stoves and the more familiar cooking experience provided by the larger stoves. Both of these models can be found at REI. To assist you in narrowing down your options, we have included a list of important questions that you should think about while making a purchase, which are as follows:

How many people will I need to prepare food for?

In the event that you will only have one cooker, it is highly likely that you will require more than one burner, and it is even possible that you will require more than one cooker. There aren’t that many tiny stoves that have more than one burner, therefore it could be difficult to prepare food in really big pots on those stoves.

Are many burners going to be necessary for my meals?

Even if you’re going camping by yourself, you should plan out the meals you want to prepare and think about how many burners you typically use on your stove at home before you head out. If you don’t like making meals in a single pot, you should consider invest in a stove that has at least two burners.

What kinds of camping and hiking excursions do I have planned?

Single-burner stoves are ideal for backpackers and campers who prefer to keep their kit to a minimum because they are lightweight and take up very little space when packed away. On the other hand, if you will just be going on camping vacations with your car and you have lots of space, you might want to consider purchasing a larger stove.

Do you think there would be place for a gas can in here?

It is simple to become fixated on the camping stove itself, to the exclusion of the fuel that will be required to be burned with it. If you have a larger stove, you will almost certainly require a larger canister to go along with it. This will result in even more space and weight being taken up in your vehicle.

 

Before you go out and buy a camping stove, there are a few things you need to know.

1) You can select a flame that best suits your needs from a variety of options.

You can have flames that look like regular gas hobs, but there are also camping stoves that have flames that look like welding flames, and they produce powerful heat and an audible roar. The stoves that we examined that used this kind of flame burned at the hottest possible temperature and did an excellent job of heating up pans. In addition, we found that they were significantly less susceptible to being disrupted by the wind than the normal burners. On the other hand, they focus their heat on a much smaller point, so if you have a wide pan, you can find that the food in the centre of the pan cooks more quickly than the stuff on the edges.

2) Controlling smaller stoves can be more difficult.

The smaller stoves that we tested put off a lot of heat for their size, which is great for quickly bringing water to a boil, but it could make it difficult to prepare food with a higher degree of precision. The gas regulators on these stoves were quite small, and it didn’t take much of a turn to make a meaningful adjustment to the level of power that the stove provided. The power of the flame was exponentially increased by even the slightest brush across it. Because of this, it is difficult to cook on low heat with stoves of this size, and it is particularly challenging to achieve precision while adjusting the temperature settings.

3) Piezo ignition can be temperamental

During our experiments, we lighted each stove a number of times, and we found that the rates at which they ignited varied quite a little from one another. Some of the stoves ignited with the very first click of the piezo ignition, while others required quite a few attempts before the flames erupted. It is a good idea to bring some matches along on your camping trip just in case there is a lot of wind or if the piezo ignition simply won’t work. If one of these things happens, you will be able to manually light your stove.

4) The rates of heating are quite comparable.

Once the flames have been lit, you will probably discover that the majority of camping stoves heat at a rate that is comparable to one another. It is helpful to have a stove that heats quickly. When we tested many camping stoves by placing 500 millilitres of water in our camping kettle and timing how long it took each camping stove to bring the water to a boil, we discovered that most of the times we recorded were not that different from one another. There were one or two models that were particularly slow, but the majority of the stoves were able to get the kettle whistling in around five minutes. There was also a pattern in the amount of time it took the stoves to heat our pan to a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius. Although there were a few speed demons who managed to heat the pan in one minute or less, the majority of people needed about two minutes to get it to the desired temperature.

5) Burner size still matters

You can choose the burner that is the most appropriate for the size of the pot you are using to cook on your home stove, which will often have a number of different-sized burners to choose from. If you choose a burner that is too tiny for the pot you are cooking in, there is a good chance that the heat will be concentrated in the middle of the pot, leaving the outside edges of the food uncooked. This is also true for camping stoves, although it is quite doubtful that you will come across very many stoves that have burners of varying sizes. It may be necessary to be patient and gradually increase the temperature of your stove in order to ensure that food is cooked uniformly in a larger pot. If you apply an excessive amount of heat too rapidly, the food in the middle of the dish may be cooked properly but the stuff on the edges may still be raw.