The best camping stoves for your trip

Are you planning a camping trip and already picturing yourself cooking delicious meals after a beautiful day spent in the great outdoors? To do this, you’ll need to equip yourself with the best camping stove. Here is a guide of the different types of camping stoves you can find in store, from minimalist models for backpacking to luxurious ones for glamping.

Backpacking stoves

Designed to be lightweight, compact and versatile, backpacking camping stoves usually feature a single burner made of a metal canister mount to hold your pot above the flame. They weigh between 50 and 500 grams and can be screwed onto a fuel canister, or connect the canister to the burner using a hose. Backpacking stoves mostly use butane or isobutane.
They are perfect for campers looking for lightweight gear. It’s worth noting they can be unstable when used on uneven ground and only let you cook using one pot at a time.
MSR is a staple brand in the best camping stove market and manufactures products which have proven themselves over several decades. Have a look at the Dragonfly or the XKG from MSR, two high-performance camping stoves using different types of fuel.

One-burner camping stoves

Both stable and practical, one-burner and two-burner stoves come stored in a carry case. They usually use propane, butane or naphtha and weigh between two and four kilos.
As the fuel canister is inserted on the side of the burner, they are more stable than backpacking stoves. Most models have an ignition switch and a metal support rack with four separate arms to hold your pot in place.
However, these stoves can be cumbersome and are therefore more suited for camping on a serviced campsite (with a picnic table, for example) or for car camping.
For excellent value for money, opt for SAIL’s Flame camping stove model, which is powered by butane. It is fairly light and compact (2 kg), and also features a built-in windshield and an overpressure shutoff device (cartridge ejection mechanism) for maximum safety.

For some additional tips on the must-haves to bring for camping cookouts, read our article.

Two-burner camping stoves

As opposed to one-burner camping stoves, two-burner ones provide the ultimate outdoor cooking experience. They allow you to cook using two big pots at once, and each burner can be set to a different intensity. They also have more autonomy and a longer-burning power, giving you up to an hour of heat for dishes that require more time to cook.
They also come in a case which can be used to store the stove away, or as a windshield to protect the flame. The case can be quite bulky and these types of burners may only be suitable for car camping trips or picnicking near a parking lot.
Brands Coleman and Martin stand out in this category. They design products which are relatively light, sturdy and easy to carry thanks to their solid handle and locking system.

Portable BBQs

Finally, for campers looking for the comfort – and even luxury – of home while in the middle of the wilderness, portable BBQs are the way to go. They mostly use propane, butane, charcoal or wood pellets, usually weigh more than five kilos and are therefore very stable.
The benefits of portable BBQs? They provide a much bigger cooking area than burners, and give meats and vegetables an unparalleled flavour as the lid allows you to control the heat until you reach the perfect cooking temperature.
Some models, such as the Camp Chef portable BBQ, feature a diffuser plate which captures and vaporizes the grease, infusing your food with a rich BBQ flavour. One of the best camping stoves for those who want to cook an advanced meal.