How to Choose a Camping Stove

You can pack plenty of food for no-cook meals so you spend less time in the camp kitchen and more time on the trail, but eventually you and your family will want something warm and tasty.

Lucky for you, this no longer needs to involve waiting for the fire to start. A variety of camping stoves make it easy to cook good food fast. If you’re in the market for a camping stove, here’s what you need to know.

General Tips

• Bring more than one camp stove in a large group.
• Never cook inside an enclosed space.
• Always cook on a stable surface.

Avoid buying the gallon-size canisters of fuel or gas. White gas, the most popular gas for camp stoves, will degrade after about six months and can clog up your stove. you should buy new gas every camping season to keep your cooking fresh and the stove running smoothly.

What to Buy

If you have the packing space, consider a full-fledged basecamp stove, such as those by Coleman or Camp Chef. These stoves essentially mimic a kitchen stovetop. Some will need a perch, others are freestanding. Freestanding options are best for six or more campers. You'll get two burners and more space, though the whole apparatus will be heavier. Boil times, sturdiness, and burner control are still efficient, but you'll get more space and they often come with built-in wind control.

Portable basecamp stoves will vary greatly from backpacking stoves in weight and the ability to simmer, not just boil water quickly—which is ideal when in the backcountry. For a stove you only plan to use at the campsite, look for stoves that can simmer and also are stable enough to hold large, heavy pots and pans, which is necessary for larger groups.

MSR's portable basecamp stove, DragonFly, is considered a gourmet stove for MSR, a leading brand when it comes to campsite cooking. The DragonFly is sturdy enough to hold heavy pots up to nine inches in diameter—even cast iron skillets—but still packs down small and is easy to use with precise flame control. Not only can it boil water quickly to get your coffee going on those early outdoor mornings, but it can also simmer at lower temps, which helps raise the standards of your campsite menu—no more hotdogs for every meal.

If you plan to use your stove for both car camping and backpacking, start with something lighter. The award-winning WhisperLite is a great multipurpose stove that can save you from spending money on two different systems. The WhisperLite is considered a simple cooking stove. It’s durable and sturdy, has a wide base to hold a large pot, but doesn't have the ability to adjust the flame as precisely as a gourmet stove.

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Mattie Schuler is a journalist who writes, edits and reports for magazines and websites, including ReserveAmerica.com. She focuses on topics that include the outdoor industry, outdoor recreation and gear, adventure sports, health and fitness, yoga, parenting and travel. In her free time, Mattie enjoys snowboarding, hiking and backpacking, yoga, cooking, and reading lots of books and magazines.