Best Butane Stove For Indoors – Single Gas Burner

121 Comments

1. We have the Coleman double burner stove which we have converted over to propane. This way we don’t have too many types of fuel. Speaking of fuel, what is the difference between the propane that I store and butane?

   1. Peanut gallery,

      Without getting into the chemistry, propane and butane have similar characteristics and as a rule can be interchanged as a fuel, i.e., a stove that works with one will work in the other. The main difference comes with the ambient temp it’s being used in. Propane’s boiling point, that is them temperature it goes from liquid to gas is -44 degrees F. Butane is +32 degrees F, making it pretty well useless when the temperature is below freezing.

      When I was a child we depended on propane and butane for our home (still do after retirement). Dad bought butane for summer use as it was cheaper, but bought propane for wintertime.

      Ever notice how a BIC lighter sometimes won’t work in cold weather? Same reason.

      1. @ Dennis, Thank you for the explanation. That helps.

      2. Dennis,

         I hope you really enjoyed being a motor officer. Because you would have made an outstanding science teacher.

         1. McGyver,

            My education was chemistry and biology, with a heavy dose of physics. My passion was motorcycles and the outdoors. In the words of the immortal Fonz, where else do they pay you to ride a motorcycle?

         2. I took a heavy dose of physics once and I regretted it for 2 days. My bum was so sore

   2. Here is a Gas One Portable Stove that uses BOTH Butane and Propane.
      It uses the aerosol looking cans for Butane. Sam’s Club has them for four for around $6.
      And uses a threaded hose (included) that attaches to where the Butane canister connects to.
      The other end of the hose attaches to a Propane canister.

      Most of these stoves look alike.
      But, They DON’T have a threaded attachment. (where the hose attaches to the stove)

      GasOne Propane or Butane

      Price. Under $30

      BTW, due to current events.
      Good luck finding one.

      But, persistence pays off.

2. – Bought one of these last fall. Plus a number of cans of butane. The stove cost 10 dollars, the fuel I caught at $1.25, so was pretty happy with the cost. Have only used it a couple of times, but familiar with the thing from eating at Asian friends’ homes. Roughly how long do the canisters last, as I have yet to empty one on my own stove? Never thought to ask when I was visiting, that’s in a different part of the world now. It’s a nice backup to my Coleman propane two-burner, just for in case, (I have an old Coleman gasoline stove, too. Don’t know as I would really want to try using it indoors, except in dire need.)
   – Papa

   1. – FWIW, my stove is a Gas-One, with the carrying case. Wish it would accomodate a canister in the case, though.
      – Papa S.

      1. Papa,

         If it is a typical Chinese stove you can leave the butane canister in it’s holder and simply lift the actuation lever to disconnect the gas.

         1. – McGyver
            Thanks, appreciate the info. I wasn’t really comfortable with storing it that way, and was wishing that I could put one in the case where I could grab just one thing and put it all together. Not really much of an inconvience, just thinking about DW and if I’m not home when the lights go out.
            – Papa

         2. I love my Gas One and use it every summer when we have eat outs at the farmstead. Just bought a few more gas canisters when Sam’s went out of business for half price. Show your DW how to set up and use – it is not hard. And yes, I keep the canister in the unit.

            Also bought and sent these to my son and ExDIL for use, along with fuel supply. Very handy and usable even now.

   2. Here in China, one thing they use a lot in restaurants to keep the food warm or boiling hot during meals is a blue/green gel. Not sure what it is but they use a lighter to start it burning and it doesn’t give off any smoke and burns very evenly. They just put some gel in a tray under the pot and set it alight. Never saw the stuff in the US and it works great.

      1. INPrepper

         I believe you’re referring to alcohol gel burners. Caterer use them all the time. The gel is basically like hand cleaner only a much higher octane alcohol and a thicker gel.

3. Funny, I mentioned these just a couple of days ago. We have several. We use them indoors all the time within 10 feet of a CO detector that will detect down to 1ppm. The stove has no effect on it at all.

   Also, when I worked in Taiwan, I saw something interesting at a number of restaurants. Each table had a tiny little 8mm gas line and a quarter turn valve on the wall, near where you might expect the sweetener caddy to be. If you happen to order something like a hotpot or other dish that requires constant heat, they just plug it into the gas line, spark the flame, and it just simmers at the table.

   I’m pretty convinced that indoor CO poisoning from one of these stoves would require great effort. Probably by burning something combustible on top of it really.

   1. I loved the easy heating of the butane stove, but I had the opposite Carbon Monoxide readings when cooking inside. My CO detector read 400 ppm while cooking with the window cracked open 10 feet away. So I always ran my CO meter when I had to use my butane stove

   2. Like catalytic heaters used in a confined space, such as an automobile, the greatest danger is not CO but lack of oxygen.

      1. Chevy,

         ANY heater which “burns” fuel, whether it be solid, liquid or gas, catalytic or flame, uses oxygen, and if you don’t have good enough ventilation you will get CO (carbon monoxide) produced, instead of CO2 (carbon dioxide). THIS IS A CHEMICAL FACT of combustion.

         The only way to fully have a burner which always burns to CO2 would be to have a separate source of OXYGEN (e.g. another bottle or can), like an oxy-acetylene torch does (or those NASA rocket lol).

         Of course, home cookers (very rarely – ranges) and heating systems use flues to both supply outside air and take the fumes away, so as to separate the combustion process from your homes air supply.

         I’ve got piped gas here, so we keep the kitchen doors open and the cooker hood exhaust on, with good ventilation there’s plenty of oxygen to ensure that only CO2 is produced.

4. I an interested in finding out how long a canister lasts. Would it be the same as a propane canister used to run a stove?

   1. 2 to 8 hours.

   2. Ma’am,

      Livin’ is correct on the run time. I would just add that these butane cans do not resemble in any way the typical 1 pound propane bottles. They actually look like a small aerosol can of window cleaner that had the spray tip removed. So they are much smaller and much easier to handle and transport. Also they connect with a simple lever tab lock… no messing around trying to get the threads to engage as with propane bottles. Great for those of us who suffer failing eyesight up close.

      1. Sir,
         Thanks so much. I want one!

5. Amazon also has a 12 pack of fuel canisters for $29.99. Comes out to about $2.50 per can.

   1. Livin in the woods,

      Your name suggests that Amazon might be the most cost efficient option. But if you ever get near a 99 Ranch Market, stock up. Last time I went in there the butane cans were a buck a piece.

   2. Sams club shows a 4 pack of sterno brand for 5.22

   3. Any Asian supermarket, especially Korean will have them on the cheap

6. Interesting item, definitely fits a gap in the equipment. As others, I have the 2-burner Coleman, woodstove, the grill with extra 20 lb. tanks and the distribution tree for the stove/Mr. Buddy dual use. Also, the screw on lantern. Never gave a single burner butane stove a thought, just ordered the medium Iwantani with 4 butane canisters. Very nice, thanks for the information and comments. (guess that’s what happens when you take a day off due to the snow, buy stuff).

   1. Grey,

      Did you clean out my garage last night? Hahaha.. That list is a little spooky. Oh hey, on those Buddy heaters, I have three. Recently the oldest one started taking a very long time to pre-heat the thermocouple. I ordered a new part off eBay and after considerable effort to get the heater apart, I discovered it was the wrong part. But I also discovered that the original thermocouple had a layer of crusty crud on the bottom side. A quick buff with a bit of scrub pad and that heater works like new.

      1. McGyver, re: clean out your garage last night. Good one, great minds think alike I guess. Good to know on the Buddy thermocouple, thanks. So far we have been ok during the winter storms this year, power grid has be rebuilt over time, that and trees have been cut back since the great ice storm years ago. But, we still have 1/2 of March to go. As I write this the lights did the a-one and a-two glitch, didn’t get number three which dumps the power. Teach me to mention storms.

         1. Grey,

            Believe it or not, we use those Buddy heaters as primary heat in the winter. (disclaimer, we never get below freezing). Nat Gas here is dirt cheap, but electricity is very expensive. We do spend most of the summer between 90F and 116F, so air conditioning is the priority.

            I gutted the central HVAC system years ago in favor of mini-splits. They are also heat pumps and do a decent job of warming the house. But comparing BTU’s for the dollar, propane saves us significant money over winter.

            We had two power outages on Monday, now averaging about 15 per year. No particular reason, just crumbling infrastructure.

         2. I remember in the 70’s and 80’s that almost every time we had a good storm, branches and trees had knocked down power lines everywhere. The last several years, not so much. They are doing a great job clearing the trees back from the lines.

7. We’ve had one and DW loved it, me, not so much. I think my propane 2 burner camp stoves are a lot more versatile. I can run it off of multiple size tanks and have an adapter for refilling the smaller disposable tanks.

   I think where it would be really nice to have would be on the new (old) sport fishing boat that I recently got to replace the sailboat we sold. The new boat came with an Origo alcohol single burner stove. I’m going to have friend who does eBay try and sell it for me. Surprising what they go for. The sailboat had a 2 burner Origo which I got rid of as alcohol just doesn’t get hot enough to do a good job frying.

   Now that I want the butane stove we can’t find it. I kind of think my strep-son might have borrowed it and “forgot” to tell us (or ask permission).

8. I just might have to get one of these. I have a single burner propane stove and it does make water hot it never has made it hot enough to make the coffee pot percolate. Very disappointing.

   1. Sounds like something is wrong with your stove, i have a single propane real similar to the one in the picture and it will run my AApressure canner if i need to, the small bottles dont last long enough

      1. Maybe, seems to have a nice flame though. It’s a Coleman knock off ummmm maybe Glacier something. I ended up heating the water and pouring it over the coffee in the drip coffee maker.

         1. Folks – a question that I swear does not want to start arguments over. Civil discussion, okay ?

            What are the advantage(s) of a butane stove over a liquid fuel stove like a Coleman or Optimus ? I was thinking of future fueling and the white gas seems more available then cartridges. But maybe its just my location. So whats the skinny ?

         2. – Liquid fuel has more of a tendency to flare up, so more of a fire hazard. Butane just lights like a normal gas stove. Just feels much safer. I would have to light my Coleman white gas stove outside, as it will occasionally put out a 6-foot flare on lighting. Just the nature of the beast.
            – Papa S.

         3. One advantage appears to be the fact that butane burns cleaner and just about zero carbon monoxide. Therefore safer to use in and indoor environment than others. That was the purpose for this article.

         4. – For reasons that I would think are obvious, DW won’t use my white gas Coleman. Once in a hundred times is just too often. The propane and butane, no problem. Just like using her favorite gas stove in the house. The biggest thing is the short-time convenience, after a major SHTF, she would have to adjust and accept once butane canisters stored are gone and all of the propane is used up. Probably, though, it would be cast iron over wood fire rather than the white gas stove in the long run. I’ve tried to teach her in the past and she does okay with pots and frying pans. Dutch ovens, though, are just not her thing and I only have four or five of those.
            – Papa

         5. j.r. guerra in south tx.;
            Contrary to most I prefer the White Gas stoves aka Colman 2 and 3 burner stoves and Colman Lanterns.
            One of the reasons is once the Butane/Propane runs out its done/gone. Specially speaking in EOTWAWKI and not nada available, one can and I do mean “CAN” use unleaded gas for white gas fuel, I do NOT recommend it nor does Colman, but I have done it, and works fine, hence if TSHTF hard and a year later ya can always find some old gas and use that, AGAIN I do not recommend it, but…….

            Always good to have backups, to the backups, to the backups.

            Again so I’m perfectly clear, I do NOT recommend using unleaded gas in Colman equipment, but.

         6. jrg in south texas,

            Short answer is convenience. No fuel spilling, no pumping to pressurize, less chance for flame-out. For the long haul after teotwawki? Well, the cold hard truth is that any appliance/apparatus that requires processed/manufactured fuel will become useless junk as supplies run out or go bad. Most prepping you see recommended around the internet in reality just buys time. My collection of hand tools and my wits will be my only real chance of survival if things go real bad (trust me, that’s a real possibility). Everything including your brain and body has a shelf life. The trick is working it so they all run out at the same time.

         7. Hey NRP

            That’s a really important point about the unleaded gas. It could be life savin to know what you can and cannot get by with. If people plan to survive a calamity it likely won’t be followin step by step instructions. We must look outside the boundaries. Good point.

         8. Dennis

            I look at it exactly the same way. I would hate it but I will start out on the bottom rung of the ladder if I have to. It looks inevitable to me at some point.

         9. J.R Guerra,
            Okay, guess I will weigh in here also, have something to add. Propane/butane are convenient, but like everyone says, when you run out, the stoves and lanterns are useless. Now liquid fuel stoves, might be a different matter. Primus, Optimus, and Coleman stoves will run on white gas (benzene), unleaded gasoline and a few other readily available liquid fuels. Since they are ‘pressure burners’, I suspect that you could use alcohol in them with some adjustments. Alcohol you can make by fermenting and distilling in very sustainable processes. (Sorry NRP, I had to cringe at the thought of ‘burning’ alcohol just now too!) I have heard that the GIs in Europe during the war burned brandy they found in their little Coleman Pocket stoves. So the answer is that for long term prepping, a liquid fuel burner would likely provide a lot different solutions to the fuel problem. This will very by manufacturer, so you might want to try different fuels before hand. Just be careful when you do your testing.
            Just my thoughts on the matter.

         10. Thank you for the replies below people – I appreciate the information. I haven’t become accustomed to pressurized gas stoves, I’m still with white gas / alcohol stoves (aka the ‘oldies’). Just an old dog trying to learn some new tricks.

9. I like the old kerosene stoves personally, have propane, butane, rocket etc, but the white gas coleman camp stove and the kerosene will far outlast the others other than the rocket just by virtue of the variety of stuff you can burn in it, the kerosene unit can even be coaxed into running on vegetable oil if need be

   1. I like it for its availability,,, realisticly, if TSHTF the butane will run out, well everythings going to run out, but the kerosene/diesel not as fast and easier to aquire, i can get 55 gallon drums of high grade kerosene locally for a reasonably good price, the butane is nice but it is expensive, Ken has a point though on emissions, but we dont have cold temps here
      so opening up the windows gives plenty ventilation,
      For short term IMHO butane or propane are excellent options, longer term, i think whatever you have will have to do, im planning on doing more cooking outside if things go awry so in a screened covered cook porch it wont matter much about emissions, most likely end up cooking over a wood fire anyway.

10. I’ve had two of them for a few years and I’m happy with how they work. However I have four cases of the butane canisters stored in my garage along with some propane and as of late it does worry me. I fear someday one of them will spring a leak and I will not notice and … KABOOM.

    I don’t think anything anyone says will ever not cause me to worry about that possibility, however remote.

    1. CL;
       Please see this MSB Article; https://modernsurvivalblog.com/preps/safe-storage-of-gas/

11. – I’ve looked at, but not purchased, the distribution tree for propane tanks. Just seemed too short to get my lantern up where it needed to be. Have got several 20# propane tanks and one 100# tank, also the connector hose for the stove/cat heater and a couple of those brass dinguses for refilling the little one-pounder disposable propane bottles. I normally just use one of the disposables with my Coleman lantern and then hang it wherever seems like the place to be. The best single burner propane stove I’ve ever had is an old and long out-of-print Hank Roberts that screwed to the top of a propane canister. It would perk a 10-cup coffeepot, by the way.

    – Papa S.

    1. Papa Smurf,
       If you go to your local propane company, they may be able to help you find a small diameter hose to run from the distribution tree to your lantern at the ceiling.

12. I do not have one of these stoves, but I can see a place for it in indoor cooking. Most everything I have is liquid fuel, (Coleman 2-burners, Colman single burners, Primus). However, in my collection of Coleman stuff I have a vintage 1960s, Pink, Coleman butane picnic stove.( my friend calls it the “Barbie Stove”) it has space for two small cans of butane similar to this one, that had rubber tops that you would just press into place.( very hard to find canisters to fit this stove now) This Coleman butane stove, and a number of Coleman butane lanterns were produced in the late 50s and early 60s. I do not know why they quit making them. I think perhaps it was Coleman’s first foray the gaseous fuel market, but the distribution network wasn’t there. Also, as Dennis mentioned, butane is not a good fuel to use at below 32F, will not vaporize so that kind of eliminates it for camping. All fuel burning appliances can produce Carbon Monoxide that will kill you if the combustion is not complete, always crack a window if used indoors. If this stove is as cheap as Papa Smurf says, I may pick one up to have in the truck.

    1. – Minerjim
       Sorry, don’t really feel the need for the hose. It’s a good suggestion though, and someone else might read this and be able to use it. As far as the costs on the little stove go, I have found them all over the place, from the one I bought for ten bucks up to the same one at a big box store that would ruin a fifty. The cheapest place I have found them consistently has been at a not-too-faraway oriental foods store.
       – Papa S.

       1. Papa Smurf,
          Do not have any oriental food stores around our place, but will be going through SLC and Boise in the next week or so on business, will try and look one up. thanks for the suggestion.

          1. NHM,
             Guess I gotta start a grocery list for the oriental market! I think now would be the time to plant both ginger & turmeric. Good advice, thanks! (BTW been on turmeric capsules for two weeks, really has reduced the overall pain! been off of ibuprofen and feel great. )

13. Bought a stove similar to the shown but do not recall the brand, it was a JIC purchase.

    These will make great birthday presents for the nieces that live close by. One is just starting out on her path of independence and the other has owned a home for a while but it is all electric. Power goes out they have no way of heating water or food unless it is on the wood stove.

14. I think I will just stick with my dual fuel Coleman double burner – have replacement parts and the chance of finding fuel in an emergency is better. Added to that is a single burner propane run off a 20 lb bottle, a natural gas bbq, and a propane bbq, and two wood burning appliances, a fire pit, …. then I have to rough it. Soon I will be accused of hoarding by my DW.

15. Again Ken is good at trying to spend my money HAHAHA
    Fortunately for me this time I’m well versed in the “stove” and cooking apparatus area.

    A two burner and a three burner Colman White gas units
    A 1 burner and a 2 burner cast iron portable propane stove
    (3) 100,000 BTU Cajun Burners on the Brew-Tree, propane
    A JetBoil stove; boils 3 cups of water in 2 minutes flat
    In-house stove that can be lite without power, 5 burners
    2 Wood Stover in the house, mainly for heat, but can and do cook on them
    2 BBQs propane
    1 BBQ, charcoal of wood
    Fire pit with grating to cook on
    AND a camp trailer that has a 4 burner and oven stove in it :-)
    And if things ever go totally to poop, I can build a Camp-Fire 9 different ways HAHAHAHA

    As a side note; I see a LOT of Kerosene Stoves in Asia, these are very nice, and as someone said, Kero will store for a VERY long time 10 years plus without additives. Such as this one…..

    Butterfly A822 14k BTU 22-Wick Kerosene Cook Stove

    1. NRP
       Thanks for reminding me – there is a propane cook top and an outside connection for a grille in our RV trailer. Heck, I may need a spread sheet just for the cooking facilities. :) Plus two microwave units but they don’t count except they cut heating time down much if you have a power source.

       1. hermit us;
          Dang the EMP, nada much gets between me and a hot cooked meal…. HAHAHAHA

16. I have one of these at home & at BOL. We were at large pot-luck picnic last year, and a friend was using one of these in addition to a 2-burner propane camp stove, at opposite ends of a concrete table. The local sheriff’s dept was out and about that day and gave him a hard time for the butane – telling him that the propane was fine but the butane had been banned and to shut it down.

    Last year the CA legislation sent a bill to Moonbeam to limit & track butane sales, which he did not sign into law – but I think Sacramento County did pass something with limits on this. I’ll have to look and see if a state regulation ever did pass, or if the counties down here have enacted anything restricting this.

    1. SCG

       I think they intentionally have outrageous laws to drive the conservatives out. We really do not like to pick on your State but it sure is hard to ignore some crazy things there. So no butane cooker for you until you move?

       1. hermit us,
          I know, it’s truly insane.
          So, they burners have not been banned. and for now the legislation banning the canisters was not passed into law, but it is a problem for people in cities and counties who have enacted their own rules. The reasoning behind the push to regulate is that people in the pot industry use the burners to turn pot into concentrated oil that sells at the dispensaries. But, I guess some of these places have hundreds or even thousands of canisters on hand, so of course there is a huge safety hazard.
          As far as I know, in my area I can still buy butane without having to go into the database. There is a local source for these, I’ll have to pay them a visit and see if they can still sell without restrictions. Some areas though, like Sacramento, will have issues.

          1. SoCalGal,

             Is it possible you are talking about BHO? No not that guy; Butane Hash Oil.. Burners aren’t used for that. Pure, unadulterated, liquid form butane is used for that. In large quantities. A house two blocks from me had the entire roof blown clean off when one of those operations found a spark.

             I saw the writing on the wall three years ago and purchased a lifetime supply in anticipation of forthcoming restrictions..

             I also just saw your post about Long Beach. Sweet Jesus! It’s time to leave.

          2. McGyver,
             Yep… that’s it… I mis-posted, should have been saying they use the butane for production, not the burners. Either way, I need to chat with the local supplier I have to see what the deal is in my area. It will have to wait until next week – but I want to see if they even still carry the bottles any more.

             And yes, it is actually past time to leave. I am crossing my fingers as the next step in the “plan” is well underway and things continue to move forward (albeit at a snail’s pace).

       2. hermit u
          Guess I am in deep kimchi, oh well not the first nor last time…lol

          1. Antique Collector;
             Kinchee???? did someone mention Kinchee?
             Made 2 gallons this weekend, yummmmm
             AND you don’t need an illegal Butane Burner to make it… LOLOL
             Sorry Ken

          2. NRP
             ROWL

    2. So Cal Gal
       The limit the amount of tanks you can purchase at a time. They think it will stop the
       illegal production of honey oil off of the pot plants.

       NO one ever said the legislature in Sac were the brightest light bulbs in the package. It still all about c o n t r o l.

       1. AC,
          Ya just can’t fix ‘stupid’ can ya?

          1. Uneducated people can learn, but stupid goes all the way to the bone.

       2. AC,
          I agree completely. It’s like trying to stop forest fires by banning matches… really just an excuse to ban the matches – no hope of stopping the fires.
          But, “they” will use such regulations to make it appear they are doing something about what is going on (see, we are taking steps to control the problem), and as you say – c o n t r o l the rest of us. Ugh!

    3. Butane ban in California? Wow. Just wow. Pretty soon they’re gonna ban farts.

       1. Too many lines, not enough time.

       2. Well Ken,
          They were blaming cow farts for global warming uhh climate change.
          They probably will only outlaw Conservative farts …or make everyone wear a tooter filter,
          Bet there will be a regerstration fee and a yearly tooter filter inspection.

          1. (yearly tooter filter inspection.)

             Sounds like an episode on that dirty jobs show that Mike Rowe does….

       3. Ken
          California already does (more or less)

          California’s New Cow Fart Regulations Totally Stink

          New law aims to reduce bovine flatulance, but will the cows obey?

          Eric Boehm|Nov. 30, 2016 11:48 am

          1. Anon,
             Oh yeah, the anti-meat segment of the libs here will remind all of us on a regular basis how much methane the cows are producing. I don’t care what they say – nothing like a nice chunk of beef straight off the BBQ – yum!

          2. So Cal Gal
             Those in sac chew their cud, pass more bravo sierra, while passing more methane than our poor cows. 😁

          3. AC,
             Hahaha! 🐄

          4. Just imagine the global warming created by those massive herds of buffalo all across the plains for thousands of years! They should be thanking the hunters who wiped them out. Imagine how much hotter it would be if that had been allowed to continue! :) SMH

       4. Ken,
          Well, they are working on it – if moonbeam had agreed to it last year it would have already been statewide law.
          But, it’s okay to have homeless people everywhere, and drug needles, and human waste (by the literal ton) and everything else you can imagine littering the streets and sidewalks of every major city and many suburbs.
          As for farts – well, that’s probably on the list – homeless can fart for free (including in the taxpayer funded restroom trailers our recent sales tax increase is helping pay for), but all of us working stiffs will probably get a notice we need to pay a new tax, or maybe buy carbon credits to offset our “output” ;)

17. Just looked online. Seems that these butane stoves have been banned in Australia. Problems with flaring have been reported. Being that butane will not vaporize below around 32F, wonder if you tried to light up below this temperature, would the stove put out liquid butane??? touching that off could result in a nice ‘Poof!’ or worse. If you have a leak of a liquid petroleum gas that does not immediately vaporize, you have to be very careful it does not absorb into clothing and then catch fire, you become a human torch. This has a high enough incidence that the extractive industries ( Mining, Oil & Gas) have pretty much gone to requiring FRC (Fire retardant Clothing) for all personnel in the field. That said, I can still see a use for these burners if used with some common sense.

    1. Minerjim;
       Australia, the same country that also banned firearms and the crime rate skyrocketed, That Australia? The Island that was populated with criminals and malcontents 300 years ago and is now totally Socialist?

       1. NRP,
          Yup, I think that’s the one.

    2. Minerjim

       I got to brush up on my climatology re Aussiland – did not think they had much winter – below 32F.

       But then, what excuse did they have for taking the guns?

       1. Hermit Us,
          Ya mean you haven’t seen any snow kangaroos? Naw that part of my comment was for N. America. I have often wondered why a company like Coleman quit making butane powered stoves and lanterns. As for the Aussie ban it must be for other reasons,

          1. (I have often wondered why a company like Coleman quit making butane powered stoves and lanterns.)

             Coleman is a USA based company and most here use propane as a stove and lantern fuel.

             Propane works better in cold weather, propane 1-pound tanks are very common and priced much lower then butane on a per volume rate.

             And at least in the USA butane is used mostly by backpackers so it has a limited market.

             And most Americans that camp do in autos or RV’s so the extra weight of a propane can is not an issue.

          2. Chuck,
             Sorry, I was wondering out loud again. Coleman made gas canister stoves and lanterns (LPG/butane) back in the 50s and early 60s, then quit by mid 60s. They picked back up again in the 80s using propane exclusively, likely for the reasons we have mentioned, better performance in the cold. I guess during the time lapse I mention, the network for selling butane fell out of favor. Propane took over and still rules in the cold climates. I did notice that Coleman does now have limited marketing of a small butane stove in the US like the one Ken has in the article about. They also sell the butane canisters at Sportsmans Warehouse.(although these do not fit any of their old butane stoves or lanterns from the 50s.) Just wondering their reasons. I am thinking in a SHTF situation my old Coleman GI pocket stoves (520 & 530 models) might be ideal as they can use a variety of liquid fuels in a pinch.

          3. Chuck Findlay, a lot of fork lifts use butane as a fuel source; Can you hook up those tanks to run you’re stove?

18. Everything I have runs on propane. Got a single burner Coleman that screws on a 1 pound canister and has its own base. A two burner Coleman camp stove, two Coleman lanterns, a Buddy heater, and a Big Buddy heater. Plus, of course my barbeque. Needless to say, I need to keep a lot of propane around. Also have that tree thing that you put a lantern on top, and can hook several hoses to. I guess I’ll just stick with what I got. Don’t know where I’d put anything else. I have tried a single burner butane stove, but liked the propane better.

19. Don’t have a butane stove , but do use a propane 2 burner for canning large batches , 2 propane grills and a Volcano 3 way grill – propane, briquets or small firewood and a coleman propane camp stove . Our kitchen range is propane . We also have a fire pit and a lot of cast iron cookware for when things really get rustic .

20. That little burner unit pictured is what my parents used to make tabletop sukiyaki when us kids came home from college or career in Kalifornia.

    Seeing the picture brought back some good memories. To SoCalGal: I am sorry to hear butane may be outlawed within Kalifornia. Once again, another reminder of why I left when I did.

    The larger asian markets in San Jose, CA used to sell pallets of these stoves and fuel canisters. In states where it is legal, the Asian markets will probably have them in stock.

    These little stoves make a lot of sense in a country where most people live in apartments and these units are pulled out and used as extra burners when company arrives. They also work well for table side/top cooking with the windows open.

    There are several asian condiments I like using that really stink up the house when placed in a hot skillet: fish sauce, chili garlic sauce and shrimp paste. when cold, they simply stink up the fridge. When dropped in a hot skillet, the odor will ruin curtains and drive the occupants from the home.

    For these reasons listed above, I like to cook stinky things outside on a portable gas unit be it propane, butane charcoal.

    1. Oh yea, now your talking,
       Teriyaki, stir fried mung beans and other veggies and a big pot of sticky delicious rice! Topped off with some salt cabbage, miso soup and green tea!
       Domo

21. I read the linked article and have moved all flammables outside into a metal cabinet. I have white gas in a blue plastic kerosene container very clearly marked. This is my only solution to preventing rust. The metal containers as well as the 1lb propane canisters are a real problems that way. I think I will use Bio-shield on the screw threads of the canisters. The butane canisters will perhaps be put into plastic bags, unless a better idea comes along.

    1. Old Chevy;
       Please make sure the “metal cabinet” is well ventilated.
       As far as Butane in Plastic bags, maybe not the best idea, if one of them leaks the “bag” will hold the gas vapor and could, “could” become a real problem if any sparks or flame are near.

       1. Metal mesh cabinet to store 6 propane jugs = $1,169 at Grainger. Metal mesh dog kennel that also holds 6 jugs of propane = $49 at Big Lots. Not sayin’, jussayin’.

    2. I don’t think butane was ever intended to be used in large volumes, by consumers. methyl mercaptan is not added to it. That’s the stuff that makes propane and nat gas stink. So butane can fill a room and still be odorless and colorless. Your first clue of a problem would be either hypoxia or an explosion. The kids who make the hash oil are dumping the contents of 5-10 large cans of butane into a a glass chamber packed with shake and trimmings. Outdoors? Nah. ditto safety glasses, face shield or an extinguisher. Idiots. That house two blocks away that blew the roof off created a shock wave so powerful that it pushed my neighbor into her front door as she was inserting a key into the lock. We aren’t allowed to ban idiots here, so guess whats coming.

22. I went on a 3 day car camping trip with my son last month and he had one of these butane stoves. I was really impressed with how well it worked and just picked one up for myself. We did some of the cooking over the fire, but I used the butane stove with a 10” cast iron pan to make pancakes and heat up lil smokies, boiled 4 different pots of water to make coffee in the French press (we’re from the Pacific Northwest. We don’t use percolators, we carefully wrap and bring our French presses when we go camping. ;) haha). I also heated up some cans of chili on the stove, and used it for a couple other things, and we only used less than half the canister of butane!

    I found your website looking for information on indoor safety with butane. I appreciate your explanation between carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. I’ll probably still use it outside just to be safe, but heating up a quick can next to an open window would probably be ok.

    I live in an area with tons of very tall old growth trees and we can have a lot of high wind in the autumn that inevitably knocks out power for a couple days (longest was 9 days). I have been using a Dietz oil lantern with a cooking attachment during power outages

    Dietz Lantern Cooker

    It’s a nice, dual-purpose lantern but it takes a long time to heat things up so the butane stove will be a good addition.

    I’m a casual prepper mostly concerned with power outages and earthquakes and have enough supplies on hand for about 3 months – just in case. The way things are going though I just added $100 of canned goods that I will begin to use one they get toward the pull date.

    This is a great blog and I subscribed to your RSS feed to learn more.

23. A number of people mentioned “unleaded gas” as an alternative to Coleman white gas. Likely, many on this blog understand the issues, but some probably do not. To clarify, all auto gas sold today is unleaded, to keep us from breathing lead. So that is not a relevant criteria. What you want to use is gasoline WITHOUT ETHANOL. If storing gas, you should be storing this special (formerly normal) stuff, not the usual 10% ethanol stuff.

    Why? Because ethanol destroys various parts in small engines such as generators, lawn mowers, and chain saws. And it separates out when stored, thus giving it a much shorter shelf life, thus causing problems with auto engines as well. You should only use ethanol-free gas in your RV if you are parking it for months at a time. When first introduced, ethanol did a number on auto engines and the industry had to replace various gaskets and the like with materials for which ethanol is not destructive. Oh, and ethanol-free gives you a little better millage as well, giving you a slightly longer distance on a tank of gas.

    Perhaps the added ethanol does a number on your Coleman stove; perhaps not. Certainly would burn a little different. But the advantages of storing ethanol-free are huge, so there should be no reason to even consider using gas with ethanol. Coleman white gas, of course, has no ethanol.

    There is, of course, absolutely no good reason for adding ethanol to automobile gasoline. I understand that the energy required for the fertilizer to grow the corn actually exceeds the energy output of the ethanol in your auto. It is strictly an ingrained (pun intended) political payoff to corn farmers.

    In my neighborhood, WaWa and one of the other brands has ethanol free (usually at an end pump, with its own separate extra nozzle). Suggest you do a little investigation in your own town.

24. How good is the flame regulation on these butane single burners. Looking to make some candles in my basement, and need to melt the wax evenly.

    Plus the butane stoves can be used elsewhere, unlike portable electric hob/rings

    1. greenandgrey

       Recommend you melt wax in a double boiler. Depending on the type of wax you’re using can be quite volatile. Double boiler provides very even heat for smoother melting and holding temp.

    2. greenandgrey;
       I agree with Anony Mee 1000%, never melt Wax of any kind on direct flame.
       Unless of course you have very VERY good Fire Insurance.

25. I am looking for something LIKE Origo 3000. Only ALCOHOL! We have babies and ‘some’ carbon-monoxide and or ‘some’ flairs are not an option. I wish someone would give an honest, no bull, answer as to where we could find and buy one. This is frustrating, just saying.

    1. Anni
       I personally have not seen an alcohol stove in a long time.
       I had one on my boat.
       Maybe you can look for one on the marine supply /boating pages.
       Just a thought…

       1. Trangia cook sets or use the burner with your own pots. Available at REI (usa), MEC (can), and most camping stores. Also note that hte [cheap] chinese butane Hiking stoves can use adapters for different butane cans and/or disposable propane bottles.

    2. eBay but I wouldn’t own one because I have owned one.

26. I just started searching for a free-standing single burner for cooking. I’m far from a survivalist, and I don’t camp. I rent an old house. The wiring is old… 60 years, was searching for a burner I can use to cook outdoors on the patio for two reasons.

    The first is that I’m a wildlife rehabilitator and (don’t laugh) when I have baby birds, I cover countertop electric stove with towels and newspapers and set up my nest incubators there: it’s conveniently where the washable floor, sink and hot water, and fridge are, and their diet is perishable. So I can’t use the stove and, although I use the microwave to cook rice and pasta, some things can’t be done in it: long spaghetti, fried foods, etc. I doubt the wiring can handle the juice a fifth burner pulls, but I’ll be further researching that.

    Secondly: Though I like fried foods, I hate the smell that lingers afterwards for days and the mess. I won’t use toxic spray chemicals, and can’t even use vinegar (which does work chemically) because it’s too caustic for your parrots’ lungs and air sacs. I’ve always dreamed of solving it by cooking outdoors. Either a burner, or even a small barbecue that runs consistently on demand, propane or butane.

    I’ve seen videos of cooks in Asia commonly using these, and just started looking into it. It will need to be safe with precise heat levels. As a vegetarian, I’d never considered a charcoal barbecue, lots of prep and stink, changing heat levels, all the rituals. So butane seems to be the way to go, unless I find out my wiring can handle something like a smooth magnetic cooktop.

    Thanks for the information.

27. Mary:

    From yours: “As a vegetarian, I’d never considered a charcoal barbecue,”…… and then there were two… (cue the suspense music). It must be a relief to not have to worry too much about scarcity and cost of a well-balanced diet, either now or in tougher times. Glad to meet you.

    Yes an outdoor propane fired burner is an excellent way to either deep fry or pan fry dishes outdoors, without fouling your living space. You can by the burners for various applications from most Asian grocery stores, example – 99 Ranch. Surely they are available online too. It’s an excellent solution and nature takes care of the clean up.

28. Ken,
    Sorry, I cannot agree with you , i.e. “Burning butane does not normally produce carbon monoxide”. All atmospheric burner hydrocarbon stoves produce CO. Even if the amounts are small, they still produce it. “Theoretical combustion” does not exist in the real world with this type of burner. Not even those with catalytic element. They still produce some CO.
    Sorry, I just do not want anyone to get the idea that burning butane ( or any hydrocarbon fuel) is inherently safe. It is not. Yes, you have the caveats- “Well ventilated room with a Carbon Monoxide detector”. How many will forget that in an emergency situation? Especially those that usually use electric for cooking and heating. I’ve seen that.
    Again, sorry. I am just an old miner that has lost too many friends to Carbon Monoxide. I don’t want anyone to let their guard down.

    1. Minerjim,
       Tell that to the millions (billions?) of Asians who regularly cook indoors with a butane burner stove.

       And I am NOT saying or implying the cooking with a butane stove inside a “closet” is safe (for example) (very small cubic space).

       I regularly cook with a propane stove indoors. All the time. Have for many, many years. I’m still alive. Butane is apparently even more “safe” with regards to CO emissions than propane.

       I believe that there are millions upon millions upon millions of Americans who regularly cook with propane indoors.

       So, I don’t understand your comment regarding butane stove.

       What do you cook with? (just curious)

       1. Ken,
          sorry, I guess I was being a bit nit picky about ‘complete combustion’. Generally, the higher the carbon number for the fuel, the dirtier it burns. Methane with one carbon atom burns the cleanest, propane with 3 carbon atoms next, butane with 4 carbons, up to heptane with 7 carbons, which is liquid gasoline, burns dirtiest of the bunch. Burning any of them with an atmospheric burner like this will produce some level of CO, even if slight. There are many factors to take into account for ‘clean burning’. For instance at 11,000′ elevation of the Rockies, none of them will really burn ‘clean” and will produce CO to the point of being an issue. some even at 6000’ burn dirty.
          Again, I am sorry. did not want to start an argument. It is just people become complacent about hydrocarbon fuel burning appliances when people say they don’t normally produce CO. They get complacent, they forget to have them checked. then things like flues get blocked, and they die of CO. yeah.
          For the record, I use propane to cook with, but have both a CO/smoke detector and a separate Hydrocarbon gas sensor in the kitchen. Still scares the crap out of me. Ok, call me a chicken. but I do not want to wake up dead some morning because someone left the burner turn on just a bit.

    2. Count me among those who was raised in homes using both natural gas and propane/butane for both cooking and heating (open flame Dearborn heaters). When we built our present retirement home, I insisted on a propane kitchen range and a propane wall heater for supplemental heat in power outages (our central heat and air is electric).

       I’ve reached the age of 70 with no known effects of all those years of propane use. I did install a carbon monoxide monitor in the hallway about 10 feet from the wall heater. The monitor, which records daily maximum levels, has never indicated any reading even close to giving concern, even when heater ran full time for extended outages.

       Not saying that faulty appliances can’t malfunction and pose dangers, but I’ve never experienced any ill effects. I would suspect that the anecdotal deaths and sickness traced to heaters and cookstoves are the result of folks trying to run units intended for natural gas on propane/butane (or vice versa)

29. DW recently bought one to replace the one that her son ripped off. Found canisters on Amazon but they don’t ship to California for the previously mentioned reasons. We do have an address in Oregon to ship to but DW found them in another hardware store in Oregon.

    I recently sold an older gas camp stove by MSR. While searching for information on it I came across a site that some of you might find interesting classiccampstoves . com. they have an affiliated site for old kerosene lanterns.

    On the CO issue having treated patients with CO poisoning. I doubt that the stove is in use long enough to be an issue for a typical meal. Sustained cooking in a small tightly sealed cabin should probably be avoided.

30. I brought 2 of the cheap Chinese stoves as back up (i am all electric ) some years ago tried 1 out and my electric hobs have not been used since ! with the use of my electric pressure cooker and my thermal cooker i find the gas more controllable and enjoyable than the electric stove. costs are very low a canister of gas last on average a week I buy the canisters in winter off amazon by the 24 . and have diversified the storage . have had no issues with co2 build up but i do run the extractor fan when the stove is in use

31. The Gas One butane stone was a good choice for us because it is just about idiot proof. That means any household member should be able to set it up quickly and cook with it. It is currently used, so familiarity. And, since it was sent to ex DIL to feed kids in emergencies and has been used multiple times without us their to instruct she was able to figure it out by herself and feed our grands. My son and his wife, who live in NYC also have this unit for use. Because it is so easy to store and use, both kids have used it when needed.

    For long term use, we have the cast iron wood (stick) burner unit (Zoom Versa) that can be used for canning if needed. The Preparedness Pro did a full demonstration of one of these at one point. This unit is HEAVY and would require assistance to set up for most women who are not used to lifting much.

32. Safety Tip: Make sure the pot or pan you use is not large enough that it sits over the butane canister, as the pot (or pan) can possibly get hot enough that it has been known to cause the canisters to explode.

    1. CL,good advice. I posted a few months back about one blowing up on a train in Pakistan. Apparently they cook on the trains all the time there. If I remember ,over 70 people died from the explosion. Took them miles to stop the train,cars on fire,people jumped to their deaths getting away from the inferno.
       So yeah,those canisters blowing up from misuse will ruin your whole day…

33. Are butane canisters not marked CRV safe to use?

    1. Niecie:

       So far as I know, ‘CRV’ in this context means “Cash Redemption Value”; which is a form of illegal taxation; not a safety certification. Regular butane cans from Asian markets or camp supply stores have been used by billions of people for at least the past 70 years. Used as directed, they are quite safe.

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