Stoves compared: gas, alcohol, solid fuel, liquid fuel

Every stove basically does the same thing: it brings fuel evenly to one spot, mixes it with air and lets it burn there in a small, controlled flame. In a gas stove, gas flows from the canister through a valve and a jet. In an alcohol stove, the liquid alcohol evaporates thanks to the heat of its own flame. Fuel tablets melt or turn to gas at their surface and burn there.

Liquid-fuel stoves work a little differently: the fuel is pushed under pressure through a tube that runs over the flame. There it gets hot and vaporises before it burns. For this to work, the tube must first be preheated (“primed”) – this is the step where you must follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly.

Because the flame is small and sits right under the pot, much less heat is lost than with an open fire. It is still combustion, though: exhaust gases are produced, including carbon monoxide. That is why a stove is a cooking device and never a heater.

Gas canister stoves are the simplest: screw on, open the valve, light, regulate with the knob. Their weakness is cold. The gas in the canister vaporises less well at low temperatures, the flame gets weaker, and the canister cools down further while you cook. A canister kept body-warm inside your jacket works much better in frost.

Alcohol stoves are light, quiet and have hardly any parts that can break. However, they give less heat, are sensitive to wind, and their flame is almost invisible in daylight. Fuel tablets weigh little, do not leak and keep for a long time – but they are slow, smell and leave residue on the pot.

Liquid-fuel stoves are powerful and cope well even with severe cold. In return they need practice, regular maintenance and care when priming. Small wood stoves that burn twigs are a group of their own: they need no carried fuel, but they produce sparks and are often treated legally like an open fire.

For short summer trips and for the emergency supply at home, a gas canister stove is usually the most convenient choice because it works immediately and without practice. People travelling for a long time who want to save weight often choose alcohol and accept the lower output. Fuel tablets are good as a light backup fuel that can sit in an emergency kit for a long time.

In the cold, at high altitude or for groups who have to melt a lot of snow, liquid-fuel stoves show their strength. At high altitude, by the way, water boils at a lower temperature, so cooking food takes longer there even when the water is bubbling.

In areas with a campfire ban, a stove is often the permitted alternative – but not always. Some bans explicitly include open-flame stoves or wood stoves. So check the local rules before every trip.

The biggest danger is invisible: carbon monoxide. It has no smell, you cannot see it, and at first it makes you tired or dizzy or gives you a headache – signs that are easily mistaken for exhaustion. So without exception: run stoves only outdoors, never in a tent, vestibule, car or home, not even “just for a moment”. If you suspect poisoning, get into fresh air at once and call the local emergency number (112 in the EU).

The second common danger is scalding from tipping pots. Place the stove on level, firm, non-flammable ground, shelter it from wind and keep children away. A windscreen helps a lot, but must not wrap around a gas canister so tightly that the canister heats up.

Refill or change canisters only when the stove is off and has cooled down, and well away from other flames. This is especially important with alcohol, because a flame that is still burning is easy to miss. Always store fuel separately, tightly closed and clearly labelled.

Read the instructions for your own stove before you need it outdoors – they take precedence over any general overview. Then try it out in the open, for example in the garden: how long does it take for a pot of water to boil? How does it behave in wind? How much fuel do you use for one meal?

Experience of your own like this is worth more than any table, because weather, pot and windscreen make a big difference. Make a rough note of how much fuel you need per day, and add a small reserve when packing for trips. That way you also know how long your supply lasts during a power cut at home.