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Over the last 12 years, we have hand-picked, purchased, and rigorously tested over 40 unique camping stoves. For this update, the top 13 have been analyzed and ranked to determine the best. From one-pot-magic and sauce-simmering marathons to wind-resistance trials and boil tests, we put each stove through a ton of cookoffs in the great outdoors. When testing, we assess each model for efficiency, performance, and function, noting how easy each one is to set up, use, clean, and transport. We have rated each to help you determine the best option for all your culinary camping needs.
The Camp Chef Everest 2x is a fresh take on Camp Chef's classic, award-winning stove. This time around, Camp Chef upped the ante, making a beefier cousin to the original model. It has a larger cook surface, a nearly seamless windscreen, and excellent simmer ability, despite having an impressive 20,000 BTUs per burner. They even improved upon the previously flimsy latches. With a fast boil time and functional Piezo auto-igniter, this stove is sure to impress even the most discerning camp chefs.
The drawbacks with this stove are fairly negligible unless space, weight, fuel efficiency, or price are a concern. The revamped Everest 2x is among the bulkier and heavier tabletop propane stoves we tested. It is also fairly expensive; however, it is comparable in price to the other top performers in our review, so we think it is worth it — especially for premium durability and wind resistance. If your car camping rig can accommodate a slightly bulkier stove, and you're looking for a powerful stove that will simmer like a boss, this might be the one for you. If you want one that's a bit more compact, take a look at the Jetboil Genesis Basecamp.
We admit that making donuts at camp is a little extra, but we figured hey, why not put these stoves to the test? The Everest 2X heats frying oil to the perfect temperature. Simply toss a little water into the oil, and if it sizzles and dances, your donut will be crispy on the outside and fluffy goodness on the inside.
Butane has poor performance in freezing conditions
SPECIFICATIONS
Number of Burners
1
Total BTUs
9,000
Cooking Surface Dimensions
8.25" x 8.25"
Piezo Ignitor
Yes
Measured Weight
4.1 lbs
The Gas One GS-3000 is capable of slaying any single-pot meal you're craving, so don't let its slim price tag fool you. This competent single-burner has excellent simmer control, is easy to care for, and is ultra-portable. It's also the lightest model we tested. This stove has just one single burner, but you could buy three of them for almost the same cost as the cheapest dual-burner we tested. In a competitive field, this stove holds its own, scoring at the top of the pack for portability, ease of care, and ease of setup.
The Gas One lacks wind protection and requires butane as its fuel source. Butane can be more difficult to find than propane, which is widely available. This is also one of the least fuel-efficient stoves we tested. And, when cooking for a group, its single burner is not as practical as a two-burner stove, but using it alongside another two-burner stove is an affordable way to have three flames at once. This stove is cheap but worthy and would be a great backup stove for a van-lifer or a stand-alone single-burner for the rest of us. If you need two burners, you might find the Coleman Cascade Classic worth the extra money.
Looking for more than just soup heated from the can? The Coleman Cascade 3-in-1 is your go-to for bodacious outdoor chefs and grill masters. More than a stove, it is our favorite multi-use camp kitchen, doubling as a cast iron grill and griddle. It offers a top-notch cooktop experience with the classic outdoor charm of cast iron cooking. Cast iron is known for its evenly heated cooking, durability, and ability to infuse a unique smoky flavor that can tempt your friends into line for seconds. Its versatility makes it the perfect cooktop for those who love to whip up various delicious cuisines lakeside or tailgating in the mountains. Plus, let's be real – food tastes better fresh off the grill, especially with a view.
Coleman designed the Cascade 3-in-1 for convenience. It's compact, boils water quickly, and is a breeze to clean and store. Its multi-use versatility makes it a favorite among our reviewers. While it may have smaller wind guards than some models, and its fuel efficiency may not be the highest, it still offers a convenient cooking experience. If you're looking to optimize fuel efficiency, consider the Camp Chef Mountaineer 2X and Camp Chef Pro 60X.
As the sun sets, it's the perfect time to whip up a delicious meal for famished hikers, all thanks to the easy-to-adjust heat settings of the Coleman Cascade 3-in-1.
If you prefer gear built to last, then the Camp Chef Mountaineer 2X certainly checks that box. It is durable and fuel-efficient, two features that lend to a lower environmental footprint. It boils quickly without wind and, owing to a solid windscreen and recessed burners, our wind test barely phased it. With auto-igniters and good control on the low end for excellent simmering, this stove impressed even the most discerning on our review team. We found it carried well, despite its weight, and with its rectangular shape, it stowed away easily with our camping kitchen gear.
In terms of functionality, there was very little to complain about with the Mountaineer. It is a premium stove that is designed exceptionally well. However, with a premium stove comes a premium price. Beyond being the most expensive stove in our review, the Mountaineer is also among the heftier and least compact of the tabletop models. Additionally, it may be a drawback that this stove won't work with small 1-pound propane canisters. Our reviewers actually see this as a perk because it reduces waste. If you are looking for a well-designed camping stove that will keep up with your car camping or river adventures for years to come, we highly recommend this stove. However, if you're looking for a great stove and don't want to shell out the big bucks for the Mountaineer, take a look at the more affordable Camp Chef Everest 2X.
The bombproof Mountaineer made camp cooking as easy as cooking in our home kitchen.
Credit: Jared Ross
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Testing which of the best camping stoves works well in large group situations
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
How We Test Camping Stoves
Our amazing team of passionate campers, backcountry guides, and van lifers are experts at creating delicious meals in the great outdoors. They don't just settle for reheating canned soup. These adventurous foodies pack fresh ingredients to campsites and trailhead parking lots, whipping up everything from simple mac and cheese to elaborate multi-course feasts. They've braved high altitudes, cooked in challenging weather, and lived out of cars and tents for months to test the best camping stoves available in real-life conditions. After performing countless boil and fuel efficiency tests, they've pinpointed the models that are not only well-designed but also offer the best value. For more on our testing of these stoves, see our dedicated How We Test article.
Our rigorous testing process is divided into five metrics:
Boil Time (25% of overall score weighting)
Fuel Efficiency (25% weighting)
Simmering Ability (20% weighting)
Ease of Use (15% weighting)
Portability (15% weighting)
We hosted the “Great Camp Stove Cook-Off” to separate the burnouts from sizzling success.
Credit: Kate Pitts
Why Trust GearLab
Our camping stove testing team is a solid crew of experienced car campers, foodies, and folks who love to play camp chef. This review is headed up by Mary Witlacil and Kate Pitts. Mary is an avid outdoorswoman who would always choose a dish seasoned with a little bit of trail spice (aka dirt) over a Michelin five-star meal, especially if it means falling asleep under a blanket of stars. After spending years bike-touring and traveling, Mary traded in her bike cleats and passport for climbing gear and a pair of climbing shoes. She has spent years dialing in her backcountry cooking scene, from deluxe multi-course car-camping meals to prepping expedition meals for multi-week backpacking trips. This gal loves playing outside almost as much as she loves cooking outside. You'll find her romping around the Western US, climbing cracks, and perfecting her backcountry culinary skills.
Formerly a backcountry ranger for the National Park Service, Kate has cooked hundreds of meals for hungry hikers on and off the clock. No matter the conditions, she loves how a good meal lifts the spirits. Now, she shares her love for the outdoors by guiding and teaching yoga in Yosemite and is passionate about how food brings people together in nature. After a full day of hiking, climbing, or paddling, she enjoys the way the air fills with laughter and stories around a bubbling soup or a whistling kettle. She intends to share joy when she rolls her sleeves in the camp kitchen. A meal that brings deep contentment, connecting you to yourself and loved ones, and grounding you by the earth beneath your feet. Her wish for all readers is, "May you enjoy a delicious meal under the open sky with the beings you love!"
The minimal windscreen on this stove, meant that it did not perform well - on average - during our boil test.
The side-tables in action. They are spacious enough to make it feel like you have a backcountry kitchen counter whenever you use this stove.
Testing camping stove portability. Side handles can make it reasonably easy to carry this beast of a stove short distances.
Our testers know how to figure out which gear is up for the task of taking great cooking to the great outdoors.
How to Choose the Best Camping Stoves for You
Before buying a camp stove, consider what type matches your cooking style. Do you need a stove for dirtbag efficiency to “heat and eat before the peak?” Maybe you are looking for a backcountry kitchen matched to your culinary genius so you can wow friends at the campground. No matter your outdoor culinary ambitions, we have insights on the best stove for your needs. Here's a summary of the main points from our buying advice guide:
What style of stove fits your camp kitchen?
Are you cooking for yourself (or your better half) on the road, or are you cooking to feed an army of hungry campers? The best stove(s) gives you space to cook up a delicious smorgasbord for the mouths you feed. To meet the needs of solo vagabonds and expedition camp chefs alike, we group camp stoves into two categories: freestanding and tabletop. Freestanding stoves rise on their own two legs and make their table, making them ideal for cookouts on the beach. They are a good option if you often don't have a tailgate or picnic table, although they are heavier than tabletop stoves and require more elbow grease to carry to your picnic spot. Freestanding stoves are ideal for large groups or setting up a long-term camp kitchen.
Free standing stoves create a spacious outdoor kitchen for treating your friends to dinner with a view.
Credit: Mary Witlacil
If you are car camping or cooking for a small group, tabletop stoves fit better in your road-trippin' storage bins. Tabletop stoves are compact and lightweight, so they are not a burden when you carry them to a secret wilderness picnic. They are ideal for groups of four or less used on their own. In the outdoors, where weather changes, they often offer superior wind resistance to freestanding stoves and are easier to pack up if you have to take a rain check.
How many burners do you need?
The next consideration for your ideal camp stove is how many burners you need. If you have larger groups, freestanding stoves can come in two to three burners, giving you more cooking space. Tabletop stoves can still be a good option if you set up multiple stations, preventing “too many cooks in the kitchen” and offering more burners for the group to cook on. Our best pro tip is to check the cooking dimensions of the stove you intend to buy to match the fit of your pot and pan set. A one-burner stove can be great for minimalist cooking, but two to three-burner stoves can open up possibilities for multi-dish potlucks.
Do you need a compact kitchen for life on the road, or multiple burners for an outdoor shindig?
Credit: Kate Pitts
What fuel is best, and how much power do you need?
The standard camp stove uses propane; most models we tested have a propane adapter that attaches to the standard green 16-oz. propane canisters. These canisters are readily available at convenience stores, gas stations, and outdoor retailers. If you want a more economical fuel source that you don't have to refill for weekend warrior adventures, then you can buy a hose and adaptor for a 5-gallon tank that you can refill.
Many stoves use 16-oz. propane canisters that can last you for a weekend adventure.
Credit: Kate Pitts
Companies measure stove power in BTUs or British Thermal Units, and a higher BTU number correlates with more heat output. In addition to power, design features significantly influence the heat the burner can provide to your pots and pans. Features like broad wind screens boost a stove's heat retention, so the data our testers collect in our boil tests helps us identify designs that optimize heat efficiency.
What features should you consider?
Wind guards are essential if you plan on cooking outdoors. The wind through the pines sounds beautiful but can blow a flame around. A stove with beefy windscreens or burners recessed in the cooktop can keep you cooking in stormy weather. Broad, rectangular windscreens that protect three sides of the burner create a better shield than low L-shaped side bars.
When your picnic table is wind whipped, the Everest 2X buckles down with excellent wind guards so your kettle whistles for tea-time in a jiffy.
Credit: Kate Pitts
Another feature to consider is simmer ability. When you want to cook a pancake, having a stove that blasts too little heat and gives you gooey insides or too much heat that blackens your flapjack bottoms is a bummer. Knobs that allow you to dial in heat settings intuitively will enable you to simmer soups and sauces to perfection and provide even heat for the perfectly crisped eggs, bacon, and burgers. We meticulously test each model's precision to find camp stoves suitable for your inner pro chef in your outdoor kitchen.
Analysis and Test Results
We conducted extensive head-to-head tests of the stoves in this review over the course of several months to assess their strengths and weaknesses. In determining the overall score, we gave priority to certain metrics over others. For example, our rankings place a strong emphasis on boiling time - both in windy and wind-less conditions - as this reflects a stove's power, reliability, and performance in outdoor settings. Our review team considers fuel efficiency to be equally important as boiling times, as it indicates how efficiently or wastefully each stove uses fuel. Stoves that are more fuel-efficient are better for the environment and for your wallet. While portability is somewhat less critical than stove performance, we still assessed this aspect, acknowledging that it could be the deciding factor in your purchase. Additionally, we evaluated each stove's simmering ability (a deal breaker for foodies) and ease of use to determine an overall rating. We distinguish between different testing criteria so you can make an informed decision based on the pros and cons of each model.
What's the Best Value?
The world of camping stoves includes an incredible amount of options across a wide price range. For this reason, it's essential to consider the value of the product you are purchasing. Attributes and features that are essential for one person may not matter to someone else. If all you care to eat while camping is canned soup or freeze-dried meals, then a lightweight single-burner is perfect. But if camping season means a big group of friends and multi-course gourmet meals, then a larger freestanding two- or three-burner stove makes sense if the cost works within your budget. Value is an important environmental metric as well. Unfortunately, that old adage “buy cheap, buy twice” rings especially true with camping stoves. Less expensive stoves are often less fuel efficient, less durable, and will need to be replaced sooner than their more expensive counterparts. This isn't always the case — some folks have managed to keep their old stoves functioning well for decades. But typically, less expensive stoves aren't built to last. We know that price is a major determining factor when choosing what model to buy, so finding something that strikes the essential balance between stellar performance, fuel efficiency, durability, and a fair price is key.
With adjustable windscreens, the Coleman Cascade can accommodate larger pots or provide better wind protection. Lucky them, our testers have been doing side-by-side comparisons for years, and have cooked a lot of excellent food in the process.
Credit: Jared Ross
The Coleman Cascade Classic — the updated version of Coleman's longtime tried-and-true staple — is a stove that won't break the bank and performs well enough to be a good value. The Eureka Ignite Plus is a great stove that strikes a decent balance between affordability and performance, and it seems built to last. The Cascade 3-in-1 is a fantastic multi-purpose kitchen essential that can be used as a stove, griddle, and grill, all at a great price. Plus, it has that classic camping cast iron charm!
The Cascade 3-in-1 includes grill and griddle plates in a handy carry bag, providing the coveted campfire flavor that only cast iron and hunger from a good day playing outside can deliver.
Credit: Kate Pitts
If you are in the market for a powerful freestanding stove, the Camp Chef Pro 60X does it all for a fairly reasonable price, and it includes side tables to help keep you organized. However, if you just want a single-burner for one-pot meals or boiling water and don't mind slower boiling speeds, the Gas One GS-3000 is an inexpensive butane stove at a fraction of the cost of other stoves in our review. Between performance and cost, only you can decide which aspects to prioritize.
Boil Time
Time to boil and fuel efficiency are our most heavily weighted metrics. Theoretically, the more power a stove has, the better it boils and the more efficient you can be when you slay your camp feast. The burners in your home kitchen likely have 12,000-18,000 BTUs on the high end (but can dial down as low as 4,000 BTUs). The stoves in our review range from 9,000 BTUs to a shocking 30,000 BTUs per burner. What became apparent during our boil tests, however, is that BTU ratings aren't everything. Smart design can boost your cooking power.
To assess boil time, we test each stove in our windless garage “lab” at 5,000 feet. We then conduct two boil tests, one windy and one windless, to measure how long each stove takes to boil 1 liter of 58° Fahrenheit tap water in an enclosed 2-liter tea kettle. To rank each stove, we then take the average between each test. For the windy test, we turned a box fan to the lowest setting and used a pocket anemometer to ensure we blasted the stoves with 2-4 mph of constant “wind.” From there, we measured how long it took for each stove to boil one liter of 58°F water in a tea kettle. While this test cannot directly replicate the variability, intermittence, and multi-directionality of wind gusts in the real world, it does give us insight into how each model performs in the presence of constantly moving air.
To evaluate wind resistance, we use a box fan to simulate wind, and measure how long it takes for each stove to boil 1 liter of water in our trusty kettle.
Credit: Mary Witlacil
The Camp Chef Everest 2x averaged a boil time of 3 minutes and 21 seconds between both tests. It boiled one liter of water in 3 minutes and 17 seconds in the windless test and only took 3 minutes and 25 seconds in the windy test. With an average boil time of 4 minutes 25 seconds, the Camp Chef Mountaineer also boasted noteworthy performance for a stove with 20,000 BTU burners. In the windy test, boiling took 4 minutes 46 seconds, and in the windless test, it took 4 minutes 4 seconds. Another strong contender is the Cascade 3-in-1, which boasted an average boil time of 4 minutes and 29 seconds.
Look at that large burner! With the right camping stove, you won't have to wait long to bring your water to a boil or have your oil sizzling for the perfect stir-fry.
Credit: Kate Pitts
Camp Chef truly dominates in this category, with their Pro 60X averaging 4 minutes 46 seconds, with two 30,000 BTU burners. One thing to note is that the Pro 60X boiled water significantly slower in the windy test — taking 5 minutes 40 seconds — whereas it took 3 minutes 53 seconds in the windless test. This owes, in part, to the stove having fairly minimal windscreens and a wide gap between the cooking grate and the burners.
The Mountaineer has burners nestled deep in the frame, which combined with thick windscreens, help this stove offer great wind resistance.
Credit: Jared Ross
As you can see, while there is some correlation between boil time and BTUs, this doesn't tell the whole story. The large 5" burners on the Camp Chef Pro 60X are surrounded by so much open space that they are more affected by variable wind speeds, especially when the flames are low. Freestanding stoves almost require high-power burners to compensate for all this open space and the distance between the burners and the cooktop. The impermeable burner design of the Everest 2x and the Mountaineer made a clear difference with wind protection, allowing for fast boil times with lower output burners, regardless of the circumstances.
With tight windscreens and slightly recessed burners, the Everest 2x delivered unbeatable performance in the wind.
Credit: Kate Pitts
What is clear is that high BTUs don't always correlate with faster boil times when it is windy. By contrast, stoves with lower BTUs that feature tight, well-sealed windscreens and burners situated close to the cooking grates did much better in both our wind resistance and boil tests. However, the combination of less power and poor wind resistance or lack of a windscreen did reduce ratings in this category. If you boil your water in a separate device like a Jetboil, boil times may not matter so much to you. We heavily weighted the metric for boiling time because a faster boil in windy and windless conditions generally means quicker meals, faster coffee, broader versatility, and more efficient fuel use. However, the importance of this metric depends on your cooking style and preferences.
Unsurprisingly, models that don't come equipped with a windscreen or that have L-shaped windscreens had considerable trouble in this category. We also noticed that the powerful freestanding models did great with the constant “wind” simulated in our box-fan test, but when used at windy campsites, these stoves sometimes struggled to resist breezes that could circulate from every angle and direction. Unless they were equipped with rocket power, real wind challenged these stoves because they have an open, airy design around the burners, which means wind can swoop in and extinguish the flames, requiring (potentially constant) relighting.
While the L-shaped wind screens on the Pinnable Pro 2 create more space for cookware handles, they fail to provide sufficient wind resistance.
Credit: Mary Witlacil
When a stove design lacks wind resistance, there is little you can do aside from using your vehicle as a wind shelter or building up a wind barrier with rocks. However, in certain cases, you can make a windscreen from an aluminum bake dish or purchase a basic aluminum windscreen like the kind that comes with a backpacking stove. This is a great way to increase the efficiency of the single burner butane stoves in our review, like the Gas One GS-3000 or the Eureka SPRK+. These windscreens are inexpensive, lightweight, flexible, and are a great way to improve your stove's performance on windy days. If you use a DIY windscreen, just make sure not to fully enclose your fuel canister, as this could dangerously overheat it.
With a DIY windscreen, the SPRK+ would have been much better equipped to handle a windy day on the lake.
Credit: Jared Ross
In our windless test, all the stoves in our review boiled water in less than 7 minutes, but there was a significant difference between boiling times with and without the fan. The Everest 2x had impressively negligible variability between the two tests, taking an additional 8 seconds. The Mountaineer 2X had minimal variability between the tests, taking only 40-45 additional seconds to boil a liter in the wind than without it. The Everest 2x and Mountaineer feature lower-powered burners with excellent wind protection.
Fuel Efficiency
As outdoors lovers, we care about the environment. How can you spend so much time recreating outside and not care about nature? For this reason, we prioritized fuel efficiency as an important test metric in our review. Propane and butane — the most common fuel sources for camping stoves — are fossil fuels that are by-products of the natural gas production process. While the CO2 and methane emitted by propane and butane from camping stoves are less significant than fossil fuel emissions from other sources, minimizing the amount we produce while cooking in the backcountry is probably a good thing. Besides, the cost of propane and/or butane fuel canisters adds up. If you can save money, reduce your fossil fuel emissions, and reduce the number of propane or butane canisters going into a landfill, this seems like a win-win-win to us.
To measure fuel efficiency, we begin each round of stove testing with a fresh fuel canister. We weighed the fuel canister before and after our wind test, then weighed it again following the windless test. We always conduct the windy test first because stoves burn more fuel for longer in the presence of wind, and as the fuel canister empties, it becomes less efficient. For the windy test, we wanted to give each stove as much of an advantage as possible. After we have the pre-test, mid-test, and post-test fuel canister weights, we subtract the mid-test weight from the pre-test weight to determine the amount of fuel used in the windy test. Then, we calculate the difference between the mid-test and post-test weights to determine fuel usage during the windless test. To round out our analysis, we determine the percentage of fuel used in the windy and windless tests. We then rank stoves based on the average of the two scores.
The Camp Chef Mountaineer did quite well in the windy and wind-free boil tests, with minimal difference in time.
Credit: Mary Witlacil
The most fuel-efficient stoves in our review were those that use a large propane tank. With these stoves, we used a full 11-pound tank and weighed it in between uses. However, the tank was too heavy to use with our smaller, more sensitive scale, so it's not inconceivable that our larger scale missed some amount of fuel consumed. This aside, our most fuel-efficient stove was the Camp Chef Mountaineer, which consumed an average of 0.64 ounces of fuel or 0.16% of the fuel in our tank. It used the least amount of fuel overall, burning 1.28 ounces of fuel in the windy test - which was a fairly average score - and then it consumed so little fuel in the windless test that it didn't even register. The other stove requiring a refillable propane tank is the Camp Chef Pro 60X, and it performed well in this metric, burning an average of 1.12 ounces (0.28% of fuel) over the two tests.
The windscreens, recessed burners, and full-size drip pan coalesce to make the Pro 60x more wind resistant than other freestanding stoves.
Credit: Mary Witlacil
Interestingly, the stoves with the best fuel efficiency ratings in our windy test were all tabletop stoves with relatively low BTUs. The Jetboil Genesis Basecamp may have had an average boil time of 7 minutes 30 seconds, but it only burned 0.5 ounces in our wind test. It was followed closely by the Coleman Cascade Classic with 0.81 ounces and the Eureka Ignite Plus with 0.91 ounces. Aside from doing well in terms of fuel efficiency in the presence of wind, these stoves have another thing in common: they have 10,000 BTU burners. One reason these stoves performed better than the higher octane stoves is that they don't have to work as hard and subsequently burn less fuel to produce heat in windy conditions. This is wonderful news if you are hoping to find an affordable and fuel-efficient stove. With a hefty price tag, the Basecamp is an outlier among a group of relatively inexpensive stoves.
The Eureka Ignite boasts only 10,000 BTUs per burner while having relatively fast boil times, which is why it is among the more fuel-efficient table-top stoves in our review.
Credit: Mary Witlacil
Unfortunately, the affordable single-burner butane stoves did not prove as fuel efficient nor as wind resistant as other models. If you want to save money in the long run, affordable dual-burner models like the Coleman Classic Cascade perform almost as well as other tabletop models, and they are cheaper than many of the other stoves in our review.
Simmering Ability
Simmering requires finesse. Typically, you bring the food to a boil and then reduce the heat so that the food cooks slowly at a steady temperature. This helps prevent delicate sauces from crusting and stops the bottom of the pan from charring your soup. A good simmer provides a steady, intense heat that enhances the flavors in delicate dishes. People often overlook a stove's simmering ability in favor of BTU power, but this metric is a critical aspect of a camping stove's ability to cook food that tastes like it was cooked on a home range.
Even if you don't plan to cook fancy detail-oriented meals, simmering is a crucial metric to consider. A stove's proficiency at low heat also means better fuel efficiency, which equates to more long-term bang for your buck. If you need a lower flame and your stove can't simmer, you'll rage more quickly through your fuel canisters or propane tank. You'll also have fewer scorched pans and more flexibility in timing if you can achieve a good simmer. Maybe you have a curry that's way ahead of your rice — a low simmer allows you to keep a dish warm without overcooking while you wait for other things to finish cooking or for your campmate to finish pitching their tent. The models that performed the best in the simmering category are the Everest 2x and the Jetboil Genesis Basecamp. These stoves had better simmer control than some gas ranges in home kitchens.
Even while tailgating, the Everest 2X offers excellent flame precision similar to your home stove, providing gentle, steady heat for slow and even cooking of flavorful cuisine.
Credit: Jared Ross
The Cascade 3-in-1 was also leading the pack. The dials are incredibly intuitive and easy to adjust for frying the perfect egg or simmering curry. This stove is unique in our lineup in that it also includes grill and griddle attachments, giving you that coveted campfire flavor only cast iron provides.
Do you love perfectly toasted Sammies? The Cascade 3-in-1 has a cast iron grill and griddle that will wow your taste buds at summer picnics.
Credit: Kate Pitts
While the GSI Pinnacle Pro 2 and Eureka SPRK+ Butane may have slightly less power, these stoves had great simmering ability for cooking delicate meals with finesse. The Mountaineer is also noteworthy, with an impressive flame power (clocking in at 30,000 BTUs per burner), but it's still nimble enough to deliver a consistently low flame for simmering rice, sauces, or delicately cooked scrambled eggs. The capacity to simmer is not necessarily a make-or-break category for people interested in getting food to the “hot” stage to stave hiker hanger. If you decide to go with a stove based on other metrics and still need to simmer, you can always use a heat diffuser to create distance between the flame and your cookware.
Although the Mountaineer can produce high heat, the fine dial allows you to adjust the flame slowly and gently for infusing intense flavors.
Credit: Jared Ross
Ease of Use
While this is among our more subjective metrics, we think it is helpful to have a virtual “friend” who can tell you what is great vs. annoying about every stove. To determine the rank of each stove in this category, we consider a number of factors, from setting each up and taking them apart to cleaning. While car camping stoves are easier to set up than their old-school liquid fuel backpacking counterparts, some are more intuitive than others. The easier the product is to use, the more likely you are to use it.
The Mountaineer grabbed top marks in this category because it has an auto-igniter and a straightforward process to move from stowed away to cooking a meal. What makes this stove a league above the rest is that the regulator port is external to the stove, making it much easier to avoid smashing the delicate brass threads. Instead of blindly threading the adapter into the port, the two attach visibly, which reduces the likelihood of cross-threading. The Genesis Basecamp has many of the same features with a great external regulator port, but it earned lower marks because the windscreen is difficult to attach. However, both stoves are straightforward and simple to clean, and even the Basecamp is easy to use with time.
We appreciate the Camp Chef Mountaineer's external regulator port, which is easier to attach than the typical recessed ports.
Credit: Jared Ross
The Camp Chef Everest 2X is easy to use, set up, and clean. It is exemplary of how simple every tabletop stove should strive to be. The windscreens snap into place easily, the cooking grate lifts out for easy cleaning, it is simple enough to pair the regulator with its port (though we would prefer an external connector), and the auto-igniter worked consistently throughout our testing. Many of the other tabletop stoves earned similar ratings in our review, but the Everest 2X was among our favorites - easy to use out of the box, and it delivered high performance every time.
The Everest 2X is a top-notch stove that's easy to use and care for - a true champion in the camping stove world.
Credit: Jared Ross
The Primus Kinjia also garnered top marks in this category because this is the only compact 2-burner we tested with a pre-attached fuel hose, so no fussing with screwing a metal adapter in place. It also comes with a unique stand to prop the fuel bottle up at the correct angle after you screw it into the hose. A benefit of this system is you can then set the fuel bottle in a different location as long as it's in range of the hose. A potential issue is that it's a separate piece that can get lost. One reason the Kinjia didn't earn a perfect score is that the wooden handle, which doubles as the opening lever, is not the most intuitive. That said, there are directions printed on the stove to help.
This stove has a unique fuel setup with a flexible hose and a separate fuel canister stand to keep it at the correct angle.
Credit: Penney Garrett
The Cascade 3-in-1 also has a removable grate, which made cleaning the cooktop simple to wipe clean. The cast iron attachments come in a separate bag that helps keep them organized and free of dust. Seasoning the cast iron will preserve it for years and prevent rust from building on the surface.
The grate can be lifted for easy cleaning of the Cascade 3-in-1, and we recommend seasoning the cast iron attachments to prevent rust.
Credit: Kate Pitts
Most of the tabletop stoves are easy to clean and care for because they are built to meet similar maintenance goals. Cleaning is often as easy as lifting off the cooking grate to wipe underneath. However, on most models, the drip tray is not removable, or there are holes in the drip tray where food and grease can fall beneath. The SPRK+, Kinjia, and Gas One GS-3000 are slightly easier to maintain because you can fully remove the drip pan to clean every internal component.
The single-burner butane stoves — the SPRK+ and the GS-3000 — are also noteworthy because the directions for use are printed right on the stoves. Such easy access to directions makes it incredibly straightforward for a new user to jump in and help out if needed.
A removable drip pan makes it easier to clean the surface and internal parts of the stove as necessary.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Both the GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Pro and the Mountaineer are also noteworthy regarding their drip pans because you can easily scrub every aspect of the stove once you move the cooking grate out of the way. The Pinnacle is slightly more challenging to unhook and fold out the grate, but it is easy to clean once disconnected. We love the simplicity of the Mountaineer because this stove doesn't have a false bottom under which food scraps can get lost. To clean it, you easily lift the cooking grate and scrub underneath.
Cleaning the Pinnacle Pro's drip pan requires unhooking the grate and folding it forward. Just be careful not to pinch your skin when unhooking the grate.
Credit: Mary Witlacil
Portability
A key function of a camping stove is portability. However, not all camping stoves are equally portable. They come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and weights. Portability won't matter for some, but for folks with smaller cars or space constraints in a built-out van or truck, this is a critical element to consider. Storage space is an important factor, but you also want to keep in mind usable burner space, which will ensure you have enough space to use your favorite pots, skillets, or other accessories.
Both the Gas One GS-3000 and the SPRK+ scored favorably in this category due to their compact, lightweight design and because they both come with a plastic carrying case. The GS-3000 weighs just 4.1 lbs and is 14" x 12" x 3.5", while the SPRK+ weighs slightly more at 4.94 lbs with its plastic carrying case or 3.49 lbs for just the stove, and it is only slightly less compact than the GS-3000 at 15.3" x 13" x 3.6".
The Eureka SPRK+ is quite light and portable. It's shown here inside its carrying case.
Credit: Mary Witlacil
A review team favorite is the Basecamp, which measures just 9.7" in diameter and 4.5" high by itself, or 11" x 6" in its handy carrying bag. The storage bag includes a pocket for stashing the fuel adapter, and the flexible plastic windscreen wraps around the interior perimeter of the bag. Bag or no bag, transportation with the Basecamp is a breeze; after folding the stove, there is a handle on the bottom that tucks away when not in use. The cherry on top is that it weighs a mere 7.4 pounds, bag and all, making it a ridiculously lightweight option for a two-burner car-camping setup.
The Basecamp is a highly portable stove - it's lightweight, low-profile, and comes with a handy carrying bag.
Credit: Penney Garrett
The Cascade 3-in-1 has a slim profile for camping with a packed size of 22" x 12" x 4." We enjoyed the recessed handle and how easy it was to carry. The added accessories are heavy, being cast iron, but can always be left for longer treks to your picnic spot.
The recessed handle of the Cascade 3-in-1 makes it easy to grab on the go to an epic dinner spot.
Credit: Kate Pitts
The Pinnacle Pro also earned high marks in this category, owing to it being one of the slimmest two-burner camping stoves on the market. With dimensions of 20" x 12.4" x 1.4", it will stow away in much tighter spaces than other stoves in our review. The Pinnacle Pro did not earn higher marks in this category because it's too compact to store its regulators inside the stove body. It also doesn't have a carrying handle, but you can purchase a separate canvas storage bag made for storing everything.
The Pinnacle Pro had one of the trimmest profiles of any stove we tested, so trim that there is no space to store the regulator.
Credit: Mary Witlacil
The Coleman Triton is one of the most compact two-burner tabletop stoves, although it does not come with an auto ignite, so don't forget your matches.
The Coleman Triton is a portable and lightweight option, and is lit with a lighter or match.
Credit: Kate Pitts
Though it didn't earn top marks for portability, the Eureka Ignite Plus is worth mentioning here. This stove is wider than most other compact two-burners in our review by at least two inches, but you probably won't notice you have sacrificed a couple of extra inches of storage space in the back of your rig.
The square-shape of the windscreen on the Ignite Plus provides a bit of extra width to help accommodate larger cookware.
Credit: Penney Garrett
However, you will probably notice the extra cook space on these ranges when you want to use your largest cookware to whip together a multi-course meal. The windscreens on the Ignite Plus and the Pinnacle Pro are also shaped to provide some extra cooking width, a detail we appreciated.
Food, glorious food! You don't need a dinner reservation to have some of the most memorable meals of your life.
Credit: Kate Pitts
Conclusion
With a prolific array of camping stoves to choose from, picking a model to buy is no easy task. First, you need to decide how many burners you want. Then, whether you prefer a freestanding or tabletop design, and what camping cookware or accessories you need to perfect your camp kitchen. Each of these decisions depends on available space, the cookware you plan to use, and how many people are cooking. Hopefully, our rigorous testing and thorough review will help you sort through the options to find the stove best for you, your budget, and your appetite.
