Looking for Portable Cooking Stove

[Mongrel]

I'm thinking I should have something to cook on in case of no power. What's a good reliable 2 burner type and how many gas cylinders should I have on hand?

thanks

[Canadian-guerilla]

DIY / improvise and save money

#10 can ( hobo stove )

and who cares if you lose it
plenty of FREE cans everywhere
plenty of FREE fuel ( wood ) everywhere too

[BikerJon]

how many gas cylinders should I have on hand?

thanks

Lots and lots.

Or think about a propane grill with side burner and extra 20lb tank. That will last quite a while, and you'll get more use out of it. I can get a 20lb tank filled locally for $10. Much cheaper than the 16oz bottles.

I also have a Coleman duel fuel single burner for when traveling. It can use White gas or unleaded in a pinch. However the 10% gasohol we have here seems to eat the rubber seals out every few years.

[Victor]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200408996_200408996?cm_ven=natural&cm_cat=netconcepts&cm_pla=Google&cm_ite=northern%2520tool%2520cook%2520stove

[ralleia]

I like the propane burner idea.

My husband has a little propane burner that attaches to a tank that he used to heat water for beer or scalding chickens. The "King Kooker" looks similar.

The hobo stove will always be there as a backup as soon as you empty your first #10 can.

[goldie40]

you can find these around for less than 60., you'd have one burner and get the 30 qt pot as a bonus.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6934920&SRCCODE=PRICEGRABBER&cm_mmc_o=2mHCjCVybgwTyz__wyCjCVqHCjCdwwp&cpncode=00-5195954-2

[Sampson]

I use a coleman two burner propane stove that folds against itself for storage. For a backup i also have an older two burner coleman camp stove that uses white gas although i usually use regualar gasoline instead. As BikerJon mentioned the seals don't last too long with the gasoline but rebuild kits are only a few bucks and i keep a few on hand as necessary.

One benefit of propane for prepping reasons is that as long as you prevent the storage tanks from rusting the storage life is indefinite. I like to put a couple extra coats of paint on the tanks, use gun oil or grease on the threads (clean well before using), and store off the ground in a dry, covered area. You can purchase a small adapter for about 10$ that allows you to fill the small 1lb tanks from the larger 20lb'er which is much more cost effective if you use the small tanks for convenience. I also like to keep a couple hoses that connect the 20lb + tanks directly to the stove for versatility/convenience.

One tip for efficiency if using propane burners outdoors is to keep some thin sheet metal on hand and use it as a wind block to keep the heat where it is needed. It is amazing how much heat can be blown away in even a mild breeze. I cook hundreds of meals every year in the bush on my small two burner stove, don't leave home without it. :p


Sampson

[hoarder]

You can't beat propane camp stoves for ease of use. I borrowed a stove that runs on liquid fuel once and there was a lot of cussing before dinner was ready. It flooded and blackened the underside of my skillet, then the soot got all over my Suburban on the way home.
I have camped 30 weeks since then with a propane stove and still love it. Buy a 12 quart enameled stock pot, too. Great for hot showers!

[Book]

One benefit of propane for prepping reasons is that as long as you prevent the storage tanks from rusting the storage life is indefinite.



http://www.kaboodle.com/hi/img/c/0/0/5e/0/AAAADOgGh7gAAAAAAF4IYw.png

Coleman two-burner can use unleaded gasoline out of your zombie neighbor's automobile wtshtf.

[BackwardsEngineer]

Rocket stoves..... around $100. Everyone should have these, bought one for each of my children and many friends.

http://www.stovetec.net/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2&zenid=3ag917jtmbclgsrmje2j7kn220

[hoarder]

Rocket stoves..... around $100. Everyone should have these, bought one for each of my children and many friends.

http://www.stovetec.net/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2&zenid=3ag917jtmbclgsrmje2j7kn220It doesn't give much info on it.

[Merlin]

Rocket stoves..... around $100. Everyone should have these, bought one for each of my children and many friends.

http://www.stovetec.net/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2&zenid=3ag917jtmbclgsrmje2j7kn220

Along with the hobo stove, this is an excellent idea because you can burn ordinary sticks and twigs -- it does not require special gas or gasoline, fuels that may be used up in a SHTF situation rendering other stoves useless..

If you have put away an abundance of charcoal, as I have, you might look into designs for making your own outdoor oven (http://wellness.byu.edu/pics/documents/wellandwise/combo%20handout%20for%20website.pdf) from cardboard boxes, aluminum foil, etc. And as long as you are into cooking, think about buying a dutch oven, which you can use in a charcoal pit. Don't forget a solar oven for those sunny days; it has the distinct advantage of offering a renewable energy source, at least on the days when the sun is shining.

Tip, Hoarder, click on the individual Rocket stoves. There is a wealth of information supplied.

[TnAndy]

You can't beat propane camp stoves for ease of use. I borrowed a stove that runs on liquid fuel once and there was a lot of cussing before dinner was ready. It flooded and blackened the underside of my skillet, then the soot got all over my Suburban on the way home.
I have camped 30 weeks since then with a propane stove and still love it. Buy a 12 quart enameled stock pot, too. Great for hot showers!

I agree. We use a 2 burner Coleman, and have an adapter hose to connect to 20lb bottle. We used it all summer while I remodeled the kitchen and the main stove was out of commission. Used about one 20lb bottle per 2 months of everyday use. But the 1lb bottles are nice if you really want portability.

Also, Coleman makes ( or did ) a single burner that screws right onto a 1lb bottle, using the bottle as the base ( with a plastic ring on the bottle ).....these are nice to keep for day trips where you want to heat a can of soup or tea kettle.

[gnome]

Along with the hobo stove, this is an excellent idea because you can burn ordinary sticks and twigs -- it does not require special gas or gasoline, fuels that may be used up in a SHTF situation rendering other stoves useless..


Yes, hobo or rocket stoves are definitely ideal for shtf. Fukushima and Miyagi are case in point right now. Propane, heating oil and gasoline are nowhere to be found, but Japan has tons upon tons of forest, not to mention the tons and tons of waste lumber piled up from the tsunami. Meanwhile, a hundred thousand people are nearly freezing in unheated gyms.

Hobo stoves and rocket stoves are easy to make from widely available scrounged materials and they will run on twigs. The rocket stoves burn cleaner.

[gnome]

I agree. We use a 2 burner Coleman, and have an adapter hose to connect to 20lb bottle. We used it all summer while I remodeled the kitchen and the main stove was out of commission. Used about one 20lb bottle per 2 months of everyday use. But the 1lb bottles are nice if you really want portability.

Also, Coleman makes ( or did ) a single burner that screws right onto a 1lb bottle, using the bottle as the base ( with a plastic ring on the bottle ).....these are nice to keep for day trips where you want to heat a can of soup or tea kettle.

I have both of those stoves.

[BackwardsEngineer]

It doesn't give much info on it.

hoarder,
google rocket stoves..... these things are greatest innovation in third world cooking ever. I have traveled to every continent drilling water wells and working relief after disaster, natural or human caused. In every case people end up cooking with wood or charcoal, maybe not for the first couple of months but soon after. We just raised money to send a bunch of these to Africa in preparation of post insurrection needs. Have spoken to many experts, and to a person all completely agree these are the ticket for heating and cooking long term after shtf. I currently have 3 in my garage, all sitting on my bug out shelf. If it cam down to it i would load one of those versus any items lost in boating accidents...... I like eating that much!

For camping there are better options, small, light and all that. But give me a couple of rockets and some wood and i could serve 50 people some really good grub.... just ask the Liberians!

[Garyw]

find an old 4 burner propane stove insert out of an old camp trailer and hook up a hose and barbeque 5 gallon propane tank. Set it on the ground or a couple of bricks.

[Armed.peasant]

I have a 2 burner coleman propane that works great, I also have a single burner screw on the goes on the top of 1 pound tanks.

I also have a 4 burner propane stove from an old RV, the coleman works better than the old RV unit.

I lived off the coleman 2 burner fo 2 years at one point. I used a coleman oven box that sits on the either one or both burners as an oven. It makes anything you want to make from biscuits to pies.

The 20 pound tank last a long time. I use a connector to refill one pound tanks for my single burner and can re-use and re-fill the 1 pound tanks 10 or 15 times until the valve fails in them.

[ToBeSelfEvident]

As others have said, the rocket stoves are really great for long-term situations and the 1-lb propane stoves are excellent for short-term use and greater portability. If you wait for a sale, you can get the 1-lb tanks for about $1.50 each. While this is about twice the price (per pound) of a refilled 20-lb tank, having a supply of the small tanks is nice and if you get the conversion valve you can refill the small ones from a large tank at the lower price.

Another consideration is a cast-iron multi-burner unit that uses the 20-lb tank. If you don't need portability, this will hold up better in a grid-down situation. The lighter camp stoves are okay but for cooking in large pots a sturdier stove is needed.