The Everest 2X is one of the best two-burner stoves out there. It’s effective, durable, and reliable—worth its steep price.
If you have the space for the Everest 2X and are willing to spend almost $200, this is the best two-burner you’ll find. It is an upgrade from the original Everest, which is slimmer by design, but the newer, more durable model with stronger burners is the way to go if you’ve got the space. It boils quickly, which many stoves do, but where it shines is being able to bring fuel to a simmer. In my opinion, this feature is what separates good stoves from great ones, and makes your camping meals next level.
Another great 2-burner stove: Eureka! Ignite Portable Two-Burner Camping Stove
For how light and co*pact it is, the Kuchoma Portable Grill grills shockingly well. I’d highly reco*mend this grill to acco*pany a camping stove on a group trip.
This is the camping grill I never knew I needed. It’s smaller than a Coleman, and is super effective for its co*pact size. I only started cooking on this grill this winter, and have been impressed by its performance in below-freezing temperatures (no issues with the instant ignite in the cold either). Its griddle heats up quickly and evenly, and the stove is easy to clean on the spot.
A small portable grill is great for cooking for a few people if you have room in the car for both a grill and a traditional camping stove, but it may be a little small if you’re looking to grill a large amount of food for a group all at once. I’ve found it’s perfect for about five sausages and some vegetables, or up to five burgers. One thing I’d love to see from Primus in the future is a griddle that is co*patible with the Kuchoma. The grill grate is a nice design, but I’d love to be able to cook eggs and such on the grill, and would likely opt for the Kuchoma over a classic camp stove if there were more cooking surface options available.
Sometimes you only need one burner, whether that’s for single-pot cooking or for a designated coffee station. The GasOne GS-3400P is a strong and reliable stove that gives you the flexibility of using propane or butane as fuel.
The GasOne GS-3400P is co*pact and easy to use if you’re in the market for a single-burner camping stove. Unlike many camping stoves (all of the ones on this list take propane), this stove takes either propane or butane, keeping it very low maintenance. And only weighing around 3 pounds, it’s an easy burner to keep in your car, if even just for emergencies. If you’re trying to keep it simple, I’d say it’s $30ish well spent.
The Jetboil Genesis is a unique camping stove that is portable and light, yet is co*petitive with larger and bulkier two-burner stoves.
The Genesis occupies an interesting space between backpacking and car camping. It’s a small, ultra-co*pact option for car campers and a bulkier luxury for backpackers. It’s definitely a pricey stove, especially when there are options on this list that are going to cook more food with more power, but the Genesis is more co*pact and portable than any other co*petitive stove on the market.
People have been camping with this classic stove for years, and I expect it’ll be cooking up camp meals for years to co*e. It’s a simple, reliable design from one of the best camp stove manufacturers that’ll never go out of style.
No matter how good technology gets, the Coleman Classic remains as one of the best camp stoves. This stove is simple, easy to use, and will last a really long time. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, and if you’re not looking to break the bank on a pricey, new design, don’t. This stove will do you just fine. Just be aware that an older and more budget-friendly design is going to be less resilient to altitude and cold weather. I’ve had issues with firing up the Coleman Classic on frosty mornings over 8,000ft, but if you’re taking summer trips or staying at lower elevations, this stove will get the job done.
Like other Solo Stoves we’ve reviewed (the Yukon and the Lite), the Solo Campfire is a minimal-smoke, minimal-waste wood-burning camping stove that’s great for smaller groups.
If you enjoy cooking over an open fire, the Solo Campfire is a similar, more reliable alternative. It can run on just sticks and twigs, and keeps smoke at a minimum. You can put a grate over the fire, use your own cookware, or invest in the Solo 2 Pot Set that fits perfectly on top of the Campfire. Even though cooking over the Campfire is easier than cooking over an open flame, it definitely takes some practice, so if you decide this stove is for you, definitely test it in your backyard before your first trip with it.
One major flaw of all other stoves on this list is that they all use propane, and most people use the small green propane bottles that can neither be refilled nor recycled. Wood-burning stoves, in that sense, are significantly more sustainable than most other stoves, but it’s also important to note that you may not be able to bring your Campfire on a trip with you in fire-restricted areas. Check with your local jurisdiction before you go, and if you’re going on an extended trip during fire season, you may want to consider also bringing a gas stove, just in case (or leaving the Campfire at home).
To put together this list of the best camping stoves, I was lucky enough to draw on years of experience cooking in the frontcountry. Plus, I have many friends and colleagues who were excited to share their go-to camp stoves with me. I first created my categories based on the most frequently searched types of camping stoves, and tested, researched, and interviewed folks to find the stoves with the most capabilities that were extremely reliable, took a co*mon fuel source, and time tested.
While most backpacking stoves use small fuel canisters or white gas, camping stoves tend to use propane (or sometimes butane). Sadly, the readily-available option is usually small canisters you can neither refill nor recycle. That being said, co*panies like Ignik are developing more sustainable solutions. Ignik’s Gas Growler is refillable and easy to bring car camping with you, holding up to five green propane bottles. Be on the lookout for their new Gas Growler models co*ing soon that are lighter, hold more fuel, and are made from recycled materials.
You can assume it’s safe to use a camping stove after you inspect all the parts, test it outside before your trip, and follow all the instructions. A new stove from a reputable outdoors co*pany should be good to go, and if you bought your stove used, make sure you know its history and double check everything before your trip. It never hurts to read user reviews of stoves before buying to see what issues people have run into.
If you’re taking the whole family camping, I’d reco*mend investing in a three-burner stove and bringing along a portable grill or backup for some extra cooking space. If you’re planning on an intricate meal for a large group, you’ll definitely want to maximize how many burners you have available, but if your family tends to keep it simple, don’t underestimate how much a classic two burner can handle.
Choosing the best camping stove for you starts with considering how big of a group you usually camp with, how intricate of meals you usually make, and your budget. If you’re looking for one do-it-all, high-end stove for the whole family, I’d definitely reco*mend the Coleman Eventemp 3-Burner. But, if you just want something cheap, versatile, and reliable, you can’t go wrong with the Coleman Classic.
The best stove for you might also be a co*bination of a few. If it’s in your budget, a portable grill or a wood-burning stove is a great addition to a standard stove, as is a portable option like the Jetboil Genesis, depending on your trip.
Having a solid camping stove you’re co*fortable using can really enhance a family trip, or make you more co*fortable getting into camping. A weekend camping trip (or long