Best Camp Stoves: Reviews
Below is a list of the top camp stoves on the market. While we reviewed dozens of different stoves, we have kept the list intentionally short, highlighting just the best stove in its particular category. Hopefully, this will help you cut right to the chase and find the perfect stove for your next camping trip.
Best Overall
Camp Chef Everest 2x
MSRP: $190
Heat Output: 20,000 BTUs per burner
Fuel Type: Propane
Auto-Ignite: Yes
Pros: The Camp Chef Everest 2X is our favorite camp stove. We owned the predecessor to this stove, the now-discontinued Camp Chef Summit, and we’re very impressed with the improvements made for the Everest 2x.
The push-button ignition has been replaced with a more ergonomic twist ignitor, the plastic locking mechanisms have been replaced with rugged metal latches, and the short side windscreens have been replaced with much larger wedge-shaped windscreens.
But the thing we absolutely love about the Everest 2x is its two 20,000 BTU burners. This camping stove has a ton of power, allowing you to easily overcome variable outdoor conditions. The burners are also nicely recessed into the metal frame and surrounded by a protective sheath, allowing you to dial down the flame even in breezy weather.
Because of its excellent flame control, the Everest 2x is capable of cooking even the fussiest camp meals, letting you cook nearly anything that you would be able to cook on your stove at home. From searing steaks to simmering risotto, this stove great dynamic range.
Cons: The main drawback of the Everest 2x is its somewhat bulky size. It is slightly heavier than other briefcase-style stoves, but it is still very portable.
Bottom Line: The Everest 2X is the best 2-burner camping stove we tested. Its durable construction, sensible design, and a ton of extra power outperforms every other camp stove we’ve ever used.
Best Budget Stove
Coleman Cascade Classic
MSRP: $100
Heat Output: 10,000 BTUs per burner
Fuel Type: Propane
Auto-Ignite: Yes
Pros: The Coleman Cascade Classic is an update to Coleman’s original classic stove–while the color might be the most obvious change, what we’re most excited about is the improvement of the flame control dials. This stove gives you a much better ability to fine-tune the flame, giving you better simmer control than with the previous model.
So, why did this stove, which is $25 more expensive than the Coleman Classic (below), earn our top budget stove spot? We think the auto-ignition and improved flame control give this stove an overall better value despite the slightly higher sticker price.
Cons: While the flame control has been improved over the earlier model, it still doesn’t match the Everest 2x, so this stove is best suited for cooking simpler meals that don’t need precision heat.
Bottom Line: This is a solid, budget-friendly portable camping stove that’s perfect for couples or small families.
Pros: This isn’t your traditional two-burner camp stove, but hear us out! The Blackstone Adventure Ready Griddle is a propane-powered griddle that heats up evenly (no heat spots like you’d get using a cast iron griddle on a camp stove burner) and provides a huge cooking surface. In theory, you could cook your whole meal on the Blackstone–without being limited by two burners!
The Blackstone accepts the ubiquitous green camping propane bottles as well as larger, refillable tanks, so you don’t have to hunt for anything special to fire it up.
Cons: The cooking surface requires some care to maintain its non-stick quality—think of it like cast iron in that sense. This griddle is also heavy, so while it is portable (the carrying bag is helpful!), it does take a little bit of muscle to move it from your car to your camp kitchen.
Bottom Line: If you’re cooking for a family or a group of friends, you’ll love the large cooking surface and even heat of the Blackstone 22″ griddle!
Pros: The Coleman Classic was our first camp stove. It is a no-frills, basic tabletop stove that has proven very reliable over our many years of using it. What we love most about the Coleman Classic is the tremendous value it offers. It might not have all the new bells and whistles, but it’s a very serviceable 2-burner camp stove for under $100.
Cons: This stove has two major drawbacks. The first is the lack of an auto-ignition system. The second is the less-than-responsive valve, which can make dialing in the temperature difficult. This results in a flame that is more susceptible to being blown out, requiring it to be manually relit more often. It’s a vicious circle of irritation.
Additionally, as with many long-running product models, users have made allegations online of declining quality control and workmanship. However, personally speaking, our stove has continued to work very well over the years. Coleman still backs this camp stove with a 3-year warranty.
Bottom Line: If you’re shopping on a budget and looking for something simple and reliable, the Coleman Classic camping stove is an excellent choice.
Best One Burner
Gas ONE Dual Fuel
MSRP: $59
Heat Output: 15,000 BTU (single burner)
Fuel Type: Propane / Butane
Auto-Ignite: Yes
Pros: The Gas One Dual Fuel is a single-burner camp stove that runs off either propane or butane, allowing you to burn cheaper butane in the warm summer months and then switch to high-performance propane in the cooler shoulder seasons. It features an impressive broad 15,000 BTU burner, a responsive flame control valve, an auto-ignition system, and multiple layers of wind protection.
Cons: To get those extra features and increased performance, the Gas One is slightly larger and slightly more expensive than other single-burner stoves. In our opinion, though, the increase in size is well worth it.
Bottom Line: The Gas One Dual Fuel is a super versatile single burner stove that pairs high-end features with a high-performance burner. Great as a primary stove for one-pot meals or as a supplemental burner.
Pros: Unlike the other stoves on this list, the Camp Chef Explorer is free-standing and has adjustable height legs. This allows you to place it anywhere, without needing to have a camping table to set it on.
This really is a professional-quality cook system, with two broad 30,000 BTU burners, responsive flame control, a generous cooking area, and substantial wind protection (individual burner ring and cook surface wind shroud).
Cons: The major downside to this stove system is its size. While the legs do collapse down, it is still a 29” by 14” package weighing 36 pounds, which might be too unwieldy for space-conscious campers. Another thing to consider is that the Camp Chef Explorer is designed to use a large refillable canister (sold separately). This is not necessarily a con, but something to keep in mind.
Bottom Line: The Camp Chef Explorer is a professional-quality stove system that is probably better than the stove in your house. If you do a lot of cooking outdoors–especially for larger groups–and have a little extra space, then this is a great option.
Why trust us?
Our recommendations are based on extensive first hand experience, giving insights we never would have known had we just read marketing materials online. With years of outdoor cooking experience under our belts, we’ve made literally hundreds of meals on various camping stoves (check out the catalog of camping recipes that we’ve developed!).
