Here are the Best Camping Stoves of the Year!
Whether you are car camping or backpacking you can count on our review to give you confidence in choosing the best camping stove for your next trip. I have listed and reviewed the Best 2 & 3 Burner Camping Stoves and the Best Backpacking Stoves. Scroll down towards the bottom for the Camping Stove Guide and Side-By-Side Comparison. If you have any questions or comments please send me a message at [email protected].
Best 2 & 3 Burner Camping Stoves
#1 Rated
Camp Chef Everest 2 Burner Stove
The Camp Chef Everest is the most highly rated 2 Burner Camping stove due to a number of key features that put it on top of its class. The power is a major bonus with the Everest pumping out 20,000 BTU’s per burner. The stove will set up and be ready to cook your meal in under 2 minutes. Click here for the detailed review that covers other key features for the Everest.
#2 Rated
Stansport Outfitter 2 Burner Stove
The Stansport Outfitter Series was one of the most highly rated stove this year because of the power, durability and affordability. The Outfitter pumps out 25,000 BTU’s per burner and is a great choice for a variety of different elevations and camping conditions. Take a look at the detailed review for the Stansport Outfitter Camping Stove.
#3 Rated
Coleman Triton Series 2 Burner Stove
The Coleman Triton Series 2 Burner Camping Stove held strong at the #3 spot in the overall review process. It doesn’t pack quite the BTU power as the Camp Chef Everest or Stansport Outfitter, but does provide sufficient power with 11,000 BTU’s per burner for most camping conditions. Take a look at the detailed review for the Coleman Triton Series Stove to get a better feel for the benefits of this model.
#4 Rated
Camp Chef Explorer 2 Burner Stove
The Camp Chef Explore is an affordable and powerful stand alone camping stove choice. With twin 30,000 BTU cast aluminium burners, a 448 square inch cooking area, 3 windscreens, styling ergonomic knobs – there is plenty of value with the Camp Cher Explorer 2-Burner Stove. If you want to learn a little more about the key features click on our detailed Camp Chef Explorer 2 Burner Stove page.
#5 Rated
Camp Chef PRO 90 Deluxe Series Stove
With a cooking area of 608 sq in. you can entertain large parties, or simply use less burners and space if there are just a couple of you. One of the largest plus points is how easy the Pro 90 is to set up and use, despite being a large stand alone camping stove it has been designed for ease of use. Take a look at the detailed review for the Camp Chef PRO 90 Deluxe Series Stove.
Best Backpacking Stoves
#1 Rated
There is a reason the MSR XGK has been one of the best backpacking stoves in the world for 35 years and we don’t plan to knock it off of the top with this review. It was the #1 Rated stove again this year due to the strong features it demonstrates and I highly recommend this stove for all around backpacking use. Take a look at our MSR XGK EX Review Page for additional information.
#2 Rated
The list of positive words and testimonials for the MSR Reactor is long. Simple, efficient, powerful, durable and compact are just a few that come to mind when describing the Reactor. It came in at the number 2 spot this year for these attributes and others I will explain further. You can find a more detailed review at the MSR Reactor Stove Review Page.
# 3 Rated
Jetboil Flash Personal Cooking System
The Jetboil Flash is the #3 rated backpacking stove for a number of unique features it displays on top of the efficiency and rapid boiling ability. Similar to the MSR Reactor, this stove is super efficient and super powerful. Leading the field in boiling time and ease of use. If you have additional questions please see the Jetboil Flash Review Page.
#4 Rated
The Primus Omnifuel has answered the question of “liquid or gas fuel”. It provides both options and a number of other great features. On top of being able to use any fuel liquid or fuel type on the planet, it is also bomber proof providing the confidence that this stove will last for years. To find more information please see our Primus Omnifuel Review Page.
#5 Rated
The super durable, super lightweight, and super compact Snow Peak LiteMax made it on the list at #5 this year. The LiteMax is the best choice if you are trying to decrease weight yet still need a highly effective stove for a variety of conditions. You can find more information at the Snow Peak LiteMax Review Page.
The Definite Camping Stove Guide
| Ranking | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | |
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| Ranking | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | |
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| Product | Stansport Outfitter Series Stove | Camp Chef Everest High Output 2 Burner Stove
| Coleman Triton Series InstaStart 2-Burner Stove
| Camp Chef Explorer Series Stove | |
| Overall Rating | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.7 | |
| Price | $$ | $$ | $ | $$ | |
| # Burners | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| BTU's | 50,000 | 40,000 | 22,000 | 60,000 | |
| Weight (lbs) | 13 | 12 | 10.6 | 36 | |
| Dimensions (inches) | 6 x 13.5 x 24 | 4.25 x 13.5 X 23.5 | 5.8 x 13.9 x 23 | 34 x 9.5 x 16.25 | |
| Piezo Ignitor | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Fuel Type | Propane | Propane | Propane | Propane | |
| Additional Review | Click for Review | Click for Review | Click for Review | Click for Review | |
| Ranking | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | |
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| Ranking | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | |
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| Product | Camp Chef Professional Series Pro 90 Deluxe 3 Burner
| Coleman 2 Burner Dual Fuel Compact Liquid Fuel Stove
| Camp Chef Expedition 3X 3 Burner Stove
| Primus FireHole 100 Stove
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| Overall Rating | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.4 | |
| Price | $$$ | $$ | $$$ | $$ | |
| # Burners | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| BTU's | 90,000 | 14,000 | 90,000 | 24,000 | |
| Weight (lbs) | 54 | 10.5 | 44 | 13 | |
| Dimensions (inches) | 9.5 x 17.75 x 38.5 | 6.5 x 13 x 20 | 38 x 9.5 x 17 | 4.9 x 15 x 20 | |
| Piezo Ignitor | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Fuel Type | Propane | Whitegas or Regular Gasoline | Propane | Propane | |
| Additional Review | Click for Review | Click for Review | Click for Review | Click for Review | |
The Definite Backpacking Stove Guide
| Ranking | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | |
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| Ranking | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | |
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| Product | MSR XGK EX Extreme Condition Stove
| MSR Reactor Stove, 1.0-Liter
| Flash Personal Cooking System, Carbon
| Primus OmniFuel Stove with Windscreen
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| Overall Rating | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.7 | |
| Price | $$ | $$$ | $ | $$$ | |
| Boil Time (1 liter of water) | 3:30 min | 3:30 min | 4:00 min | 3:30 | |
| Burn Time (on 20 oz of fuel) | 1 hr + 49 min | 3 hr + 20 min | 4 hr | 3 hr | |
| Weight (oz) | 13.2 | 14.7 | 15.2 | 15.5 | |
| Stove System (Includes pot) | No | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Dimensions (inches) | 5 x 3.9 x 3.5 | 4.75 x 6.1 | 4.1 x 7.1 | 3.5 x 2.5 | |
| Wind Resistance | Moderate | High | Moderate | High (with guard) | |
| Fuel Type | multiple fuel types | Isobutane | Isobutane | Multiple fuel types | |
| Additional Review | Click for Review | Click for Review | Click for Review | Click for Review | |
| Ranking | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | |
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| Ranking | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | |
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| Product | Snow Peak Litemax Stove
| Trangia Spirit Burner Stove
| Solo Stove Wood Burning Backpacking Stove
| Vargo Titanium Hexagon Wood Stove
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| Overall Rating | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | |
| Price | $ | $ | $ | $ | |
| Boil Time (1 liter of water) | 4:30 min | 10 min | 8-10 min | 6-10 min | |
| Burn Time (on 20 oz of fuel) | 3 hr | 3 hr + 20 min | Wood Burning (variable) | Wood Burning (variable) | |
| Weight (oz) | 1.9 | 4 | 8.8 | 4.1 | |
| Stove System (Includes pot) | No | No | No | No | |
| Dimensions (inches) | 2.6 x 3 | 2.8 x 1.7 | 3.8 x 3.8 x 4.2 | 5 x 0.5 | |
| Wind Resistance | Low | Low | High | Mod | |
| Fuel Type | Isobutane | Alcohol (multiple types) | Wood | Wood | |
| Additional Review | Click for Review | Click for Review | Click for Review | Click for Review | |
What Size Camping Stove Do I Need?
As you can see from the top stoves above they range from small backing stoves to large stand-alone stoves capable of cooking for a group of people.
Backpacking solo – If you’re backpacking solo then you need one of the small backpacking stoves.
The MSR XGK EX is my personal choice for the best stove in its class. It’s excellent value, does everything you’d need from a backpacking stove and known to be very reliable.
Camping in a group of 2-4 – For a group of 2-4 people you need a stove with enough cooking space to cook two separate meals, right?
So, a 2-burner stove is ideal. The Stansport Outfitter is my pick for the best of the bunch. It’s still compact and lightweight so you can travel light, and it has enough power to cook and boil quickly.
Camping in a group of 5+ – For me, when I’m in a group of at least five people we need a large 2-burner standing on legs.
The fold-out trays makes a huge difference for stacking plates, and two large burners are usually enough to keep the food coming for a hungry group of campers.
Camp Chef has this part of the market locked down. The Camp Chef Explorer and PRO 90 Deluxe Series stoves are two of the best, so I recommend checking these two out first.
How Powerful Should My Stove Be?
First of all, you need to be familiar with how the power of a stove is rated.
You will have noticed most stoves have a BTU rating. This is the British Thermal Units that the stove is capable of.
Obviously, the higher the BTU rating of a stove the more powerful it is. This also means it burns more fuel, so that’s something to take into account, but generally, shouldn’t sway you from buying the stove you want.
An interesting point to note is that the higher BTU doesn’t necessarily mean faster boiling times. As a general rule it will turn out to be true but look at the boil time separately too when picking a stove.
You can expect a 2-burner stove for use in the 1-4 party range as covered above to produce around 20,000-30,000 BTU’s.
How Important Is Boil Time When Choosing a Stove?
How quickly a stove can boil a liter of water is one of the main factors people consider when choosing a stove.
Not only is boiling a liter of water important for most people while camping, the quicker you can do this the better, right?
There are lots of factors to consider when looking at the boil time of a stove. The weather conditions, wind protection, type of fuel, and altitude all have an effect on a stove’s performance.
When you see a manufacturer’s boil time it’s often a best-case scenario in ideal conditions. So keep that in mind, maybe read some customer reviews to get a better idea of the actual boil times.
What Type of Fuel Stove Is Best?
Most stoves run on propane, and this is the best all-around fuel for most people. Propane is affordable, easy to get ahold of, easy to use, and performs well in all temperatures.
Propane is easy to light, burns clean, and unlike liquid fuel, for example, doesn’t require any prepping, pumping, or anything else.
Liquid fuel, which is probably the second most commonly used fuel does have some upsides.
Most notably it does perform better than propane when cold weather camping. Experienced outdoors folk will use it for this reason if they expect cold weather.
Something else to note about propane is that you will notice diminishing performance as the fuel runs low in the canister.
For this reason, you should always have a spare with you in case you run out, and keep an eye on the strength of the flame when it’s starting to run low.
Being the more cost-effective and user-friendly option I always recommend propane stoves. Unless of course you are an extreme weather camper or just prefer liquid fuels.
How to Use this Camping Stove Information
There you have it. The Best 2 & 3 Burner Stoves and the Best Backpacking Stoves plus the Definite Camping Stove Guide. If you would like more detailed information for each of these stoves or other camping stove category reviews please take a look at the other Best 2 Burner Stove or Best Backpacking Stove pages.
If you are interested in more general camping information and information on tips for getting out camping more often see this link to A Beginner’s Guide to Camping. This is becoming a popular ebook in our community for people who struggle to get out camping. Don’t we all struggle with this anyways?
If you want additional information from our Top manufacturers this year see Camp Chef’s website or this link to MSR’s site for more detailed product information. If you have questions after reviewing these posts please send me an email and I will try to answer your questions directly.
There are a number of things you should be thinking about when you are looking into purchasing a stove. Will you be backpacking or car camping, gas canister fuel or liquid fuel, weight and size, Boiling time vs. simmer ability, number of people in your group and the length of trip are all key questions. Does the stove need to be wind resistant, durable, have high output capability (BTU’s), and auto ignition capability are other questions you may ask.
These details and others will influence the type and brand of stove you will purchase and the amount of money needed for a stove that meets your needs. Take a look at How to Choose a Camping Stove if you need additional guidance to find the right stove.
The goal at Camping Stove Cookout is to answer every question you have relating to camping stoves so your next camping experience is a great one. Many of us have been in that situation where a piece of gear has not performed well and it ends up affecting your trip.
My goal is to help you avoid that situation so you have one less thing to worry about on your trip.
For questions or comments please send me an email at [email protected] and I will be sure to provide a detailed response. If I don’t have the answer for you then I will make sure to head out there in the community and find it for you.
I really want to let you know how much I appreciate you stopping by to take a look at the list of the Best Camping Stoves and hope your next camping experience is a great one.