Coleman Dual Fuel 2 Burner Stove Review
It would not be a complete Best Camping Stove list without the old reliable and trusted Coleman Dual Fuel 2 Burner Stove. The flexibility of fuel uses is one of the big benefits with this stove allowing you to use either white gas or unleaded gasoline to power the burners.
Setup and Design Features
In order to fire up the stove you will need to pump the fuel chamber to provide the pressure necessary to keep a strong flame. During use of the stove the pressure will decrease over time an re-pumping may be required again to top it off. The number of pumps needed to fully pressurize the chamber will very depending on how much fuel you have in the tank.
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The dimensions of the Coleman Dual Fuel 2 Burner Stove are 6.5”H x 13”W x 20”L and it weighs 10 lbs putting it a little lighter than the rest of the group. Overall, it’s a little more compact in size so it won’t accommodate as large of a pan as some of the other 2 burner stoves. There is a larger version of this stove that will cost about $30 more. The Dual Fuel Powerhouse is 2” longer and pumps out a few more BTU’s. The Powerhouse provides 9,000 and 8,000 BTU’s for each burner compared to 7500 and 6500 for the model we are reviewing here.
Take a look at Coleman’s website if you need additional information about the Dual Fuel or other Coleman stoves. BTU’s are not as critical a factor with either of the Duel Fuel stoves because you can always pump up the tank to get an extra boost. You will feel like you are up there with the more powerful stoves with a few extra pumps.
Comparison Information
The Coleman Dual Fuel 2 Burner Stove burns either white gas fuel or regular unleaded gasoline. The big benefit here is that you have a backup fuel source in certain situations. This model isn’t quite as powerful as some of the other comparable 2 burner stoves. Most of the stoves we reviewed were over 10,000 BTU’s, but as discussed earlier this can be a little misleading for the Duel Fuel. It doesn’t have quite the surface area as some of the other stoves as well. If you are looking for a stove that will accommodate 2 large pans you may want to check out the Camp Chef Everest or Stansport Outfitter. You will save a little money on fuel vs the propane stoves and the flame control is very comparable to some of the other table top stoves.
There is more maintenance required for the Duel Fuel stove due to the pumping feature and fuel type. You have to monitor the flame while you are cooking and over time the pressure in the tank will decrease requiring additional pumping. There will also be more soot buildup on pots and pans from liquid fuel vs propane. 
Because of these two details you will spend a little more time cleaning and monitoring this stove while camping.
These are pretty minor details, but take a look a look at this information to give you some extra time during your next camping trip. Other major downsides of this stove include the increased setup time and smaller size of the cooking area. The big benefits include 2 fuel type capability and durability. This stove has been around for a long time and has proven itself as a high quality product.
If you are interested in finding more gear related information and a few tips to help in choosing other gear take a look at this summary. This stove does not have an automatic lighter switch or a carrying bag. It has good wind resistance ability because of how recessed the burners are within the stove and the because of the side windscreens.
The funnel for filtering gas and filling the tank is included with the stove. There is a model of this stove that burns only white gas and costs about $20 less. Prices range from $65 to $130 for the Duel Fuel model we reviewed here.
The Pros
- Fuel is less expensive
- Very good flame control
- Good for emergency preparedness
- Works well in extreme environments
The Cons
- Takes additional effort to get started
- Cooking area is smaller than competition
- Automatic ignition absent
Insider Tips
If this dual fuel model isn’t giving you enough size you can upgrade to the duel fuel powerhouse which offers more overall surface area for cooking and provides higher BTU’s per burner. Although you can use unleaded gasoline it will be cleaner and have less odor if you use white gas or Coleman fuel.
Coleman Dual Fuel 2 Burner Stove Summary
The Coleman Duel Fuel provides a quality and reliable cooking experience, but takes just a little more effort to get it going. The flame control works very well and is a little lighter than the others in the Top 5 2 burner category. This stove will take you back to the good old days of camping with dad.
Great for extremely cold conditions or emergency preparedness situations because of the duel fuel source capability. This stove has withstood the test of time and is still one of the best 2 burner stoves on the market.
Conclusion
This is one of the all-time trusted and unique 2 burner stoves. The Coleman Dual Fuel 2 Burner Stove has been around longer than most, and will be around for many years to come. Read through the key features and click on the link below to discover why it’s such a great value.
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I love the coleman dual fuel. I had an old one back in the day that was passed down from the family. Thanks for the reminder that these are still available and as reliable as ever. I will make sure to click through your link and grab one from Amazon.
Thanks Russ. The Dual Fuel is still a very effective and efficient stove. If you have a little extra time for setup you will love it!
This stove is an absolute classic and IMHO a must have for campers and a great back-up at home. It rates alongside Driza Bone jackets, Akubra hats and the Rolex watch for entry into a museum of man’s best inventions.
That is a nice take on it. I have great memories as a kid, as many do, of using my dads old dual fuel. It’s pretty cool to still use and see the old gear that’s still cranking away after all these years. Thanks for taking the time to chime in.
Thank you, Your post was very much useful for my search…. the Efficiency, safety that you have mentioned was very useful.. the method of cleaning that been mentioned was very understandable.. i am expecting more informative posts from you.. keep posting..
I’m glad you were able to get some value out of the post. Let me know if you have any other questions down the line.
I disagree and this is why.
I purchased a Coleman dual fuel two burner stove (414 model) nearly 30 years ago and like many reviews/comments I’ve read – it served me fabulously for all those years without any problems – I was a believer for life. But like everything it eventually “broke”. In my case the back pressure valve in the fuel pump went out and try as I might – couldn’t remove it and finally managed to strip the brass slot in the valve. I could have could have gone further and tried to drill out the valve and use a screw extractor but instead I opted for their newer 414 – I was especially attracted to the slightly smaller profile. One reason I like dual fuel in the first place, the fuel is not only significantly cheaper than Coleman fuel (~$2.35 a gallon vs ~$12.00-13.00 a gallon) but it’s so readily available in remote rural locations where I regularly do my field work. Long gone are the days you could pull up to any rural filling station and purchase your gallon of “white” gas.
Trouble started almost immediately with the burner constantly “popping” out. Reading forums and finally contacting Coleman customer support, it’s being proposed that sometimes using gasoline allows for moisture to build in the fuel tank and separate out and when this is injected into the manifold, the water expands rapidly and snuffs out the flame. This made no sense to me. First I only use fresh fuel and the problem cropped up immediately (first time out). Second, if this is a “sometimes” problem with unleaded gasoline, why in the +25 years I owned and used my 414 model – this didn’t happen even once…
Ultimately. Coleman replaced the unit and now I’ve used it for a season in the field – same problem immediately. The first time I used it, I used a ½ & ½ gasoline/ Coleman mix that should have pre-empted any possibility of moisture problems but that didn’t prevent the popping out of the flame on a frequent basis (the first time I used it). I then just ran straight Coleman fuel the rest of the summer – made no difference. Either I just un-lucked out and got two bad units in a row, or there is an inherent problem in the design.
It’s important to point out that there was a major re-design between the older 414 model and the “New and improved” 424 model. The 414 had a very large, heavily designed brass nozzle that fitted into a fairly complex multiple component orifice before entering the manifold. The 424’s nozzle was a simple direct screw on head, easily 75% less brass used (do I smell something fishy here?). And rather than the more complex (I have no idea what the internal design/implications are) manifold orifice on the 414, the 424 is a simple two piece stamped metal design with a lap seam holding the two pieces together. The orifice is an enlarged opening to fit the nozzle with a restriction before entering the manifold. This design clearly reduced the use of the expensive metal brass and the simple lap seam would make manufacture quicker and easier. Coleman is not the only company that constantly re-designs components to increase profit margins, and not the only company that has gotten into trouble doing so. It is no surprise that this re-design area is precisely where the problem is cropping up. On the first unit I immediately noticed a small, dirty burning flame would persist around the nozzle/manifold orifice that would dirty up your pot bottoms with soot – not desirable in camp dish washing!
It’s not moisture in the fuel snuffing out the flame. The new design does not adequately isolate the burner flame from the un-combusted gas inside the manifold. With reliable frequency the flame leaps into the manifold and the sudden combustion blows out the burner flame – or sometimes not. Often the flame burns inside the manifold creating a sputtering or babbling sound. Sometimes the flame will leap back to the burner and burn clean for a while. Sometimes the flame snuffs out immediately, sometimes it sputters for a period and then the flame snuffs out. Sometimes the flame pops loudly but continues to burn – but you never know and have to check constantly.
You have to be constantly attentive. No sitting around the morning campfire waiting for your coffee water to come to a boil. You can do that but you have to constantly listen for the flame noises. You have to respond immediately and have your box of matches always at hand to quickly re-light (a real PITA in wet weather). If you miss it your generator will flood with cooled fuel and then wait to let it get out and restart the whole lighting process – where’s my morning coffee!?
It’s not excess water in the fuel, it happens frequently and consistently with straight Coleman fuel. It’s a poorly vetted re-design issue that was hoped to increase profit margin. That’s fine for those who tolerate it and or are just stupid. Me – I have to abandon the dual fuel concept. I’m going to propane (and it necessarily won’t be a Coleman which gets consistently the lowest ratings on their propane stoves), which I hate hauling all the cylinders around and its far more expensive and inconvenient than unleaded gas.
I would wish Coleman well in their venture but I can’t – they seem to be steadily heading south. They just permanently lost a good customer who can only badmouth their increasingly flimsy line of products (did I mention my miserable sleeping bags experience with them?). Thank God I haven’t tried one of their tents…
Thanks for the feedback! I really appreciate your efforts here to leave such a detailed message. Thank you from all of us!
I have one but it used propane
I love it wouldn’t be camping without it. I love camping the best way to appreciate life and all you have.
I agree, can’t wait to get out camping soon!