Recommend a camping stove...

[EarleD]

I need to get a camping stove and don't know if I should go with propane of white gas. Needs to hold two pans. Propane is easier to carry than tanks of liquid fuel.

This will be used for car camping so weight isn't a huge issue.

Any thoughts

 

[EarleD]

was looking at the Stansport 2 burner cast iron stove with stand for $129

 

[ChadTower]

Coleman. You will never go wrong with Coleman camp stoves. They've been the standard for decades. In fact if you can get a 30 year old Coleman dual fuel stove in good shape that will be the last one you ever need.

 

[bsmit212]

Agree with ChadTower. Pick up a Coleman from just about any store that sales camping equipment. I have one now and have no complaints.

 

[Gus]

One more vote for Coleman. And an extra "Amen" for picking up an older one. I have both old and new Coleman's, and it may be a cliche', but it's true "... they just don't make 'em like they used to"

As for propane vs. liquid - liquid works better in cold-weather camping, but if you don't have to worry about freezing temperatures - propane sure is easy and convenient. And inexpensive.

Gus
"Of course I trust my political representatives ... just not with my liberties or my wallet" :Camping with Gus

 

[carmen]

Coleman makes great product and we have never replaced ours, the thing has been beat and bruised but it still works. We have also had a few spills with it when the kids are transporting but if it can hold up to them, it should be able to hold up to anything you toss in the way.

 

[Grandpa]

I've still got a good, serviceable 1950's era white gas coleman. I've got other colemans that are somewhat newer. However, when size and weight are not an issue, we use a Camp Chef free standing two burner propane for primary cooking and a coleman propane converted to feed off a bulk bottle for the morning coffee/chocolate etc. But then when we car camp, we usually have a whole herd of the clingons along so a big stove is a necessity. :tinysmile_twink_t2:

When space is an issue, I fall back on the old gas coleman. There are lots of coleman style knockoffs out there but I can't recommend or criticize any of them.

 

[ChadTower]

Well, if we're talking portable grills, then the conversation goes a whole new direction. When car camping my primary cooking device is usually a tailgating grill with multiple surfaces.

This is the one I use most often lately. It has swappable cast iron grates, cast iron griddles, and chromed burner grates. That does take up quite a bit of space in the truck bed so it's definitely for those "space is not an issue" trips.

When space is an issue I have one of these. Same selection of surfaces but they are aluminum. It takes 2-3 rounds to feed four hungry people.

Both are Coleman. There are Weber equivalents of both that might be a little better but would cost a whole ton more.

 

[EarleD]

using a bulk propane tank would be nice as those little ones add up after awhile. Looks like you can get an adapter for a Coleman stove to use the big tanks. Any thing avoid. Ebay has tons of Coleman stoves.

I'm can post links soon.

Thanks

 

[ChadTower]

The small Coleman above is ridiculously efficicent on propane. I can go a whole bunch of 3 day trips on one canister. Of course, efficiency generally trades off with power, so when you're cooking with the lid open it's not nearly as hot as with the lid closed.

The one main pain in the butt with both of those is that they both have a specialized adapter to the propane tank. It "attaches" to the small one with a weak clamp that never holds it well. The larger one's adapter doesn't even attach. It is very easy to pack the grill but forget that adapter. I have done that.

 

[ppine]

For ease of operation propane is simple. I like the Brunton stoves because they are stainless steel.

The complete answer is that it takes more than one stove to do everything. A small backpacking stove is worth having for many types of trips.

edit-I gave up on coleman products after buying a new gas lantern that didn't work. I sent it back to the factory. It still doesn't work.

 

[TakeAHike]

We just got a Coleman 2 burner camp stove at the end of last season. We haven't had a chance to use it yet though. I have never had any problems with any of Coleman's products though so I am sure it will work great. I would recommend one of those.

 

[Hikenhunter]

Been using a coleman 2 burner since, forever. I was just at wally world and saw a coleman three burner. Two round burners with an oval burner between the two round ones. If I were in the market for a new camp stove, there is no doubt in my mind that this would be the one. It is bigger than the two man stove but you can put 3 or 4 pots/pans on it at one time. I think it would also work great at supplying a more even heat to a Lodge or other, cast iron grill/griddle.

 

[frank6160]

Got to go with Coleman white gas stove and a lantern also. Get used to them you will be happy.

 

[CozInCowtown]

Go to your local flea markets and/or pawn shops, Coleman stoves are everywhere for cheap!

 

[trianglepinoy]

+1 on the Colemans. I have a 2 burner stove I scored from amazon for about $45. used it on 4 camping trips already. the wife thinks it's a winner. nuff said.

 

[EarleD]

Go to your local flea markets and/or pawn shops, Coleman stoves are everywhere for cheap!

Good idea... Will check out flea market this weekend.

 

[EarleD]

Ive been looking at this

Cabela's: Camp Chef Explorer Stove

seems like a much better stove than the Coleman.

 

[ChadTower]

If a camper needs dual 30k BTU burners then that camper needs to reevaluate their cooking needs/methods. That thing isn't a stove. It's an incinerator. Oof.

 

[Grandpa]

The campchef is a great stove. We have an older version of that stove when we are car camping with all the clingons. It is strong enough to throw a dutch oven or a huge grill on. We have a large grill that just fits the stove. Great for making large numbers of pancakes for a big group. We are sold on campchef products.

Like Chad said, this stove is a little overkill for just a couple of people but really gets handy with a bigger group. Grandma sets it up on the patio for heating water during the fall canning season to keep heat out of the kitchen. Those big burners can bring a 3 gallon pot of water up to a boil in a hurry.

Daughter has the 3 burner version and uses it much like we do for canning and camping. Hers gets extra duty on those baseball tournament trips grilling up burgers for a herd of little baseball players.