Top 5 compared
The best camping stoves
Pancakes for the whole campsite or a quick coffee halfway up a trail, on a portable gas stove.
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The top 5 at a glance
A camping stove is a small gas burner for the campsite, the trail, or the patio when the power’s out. Two-burner propane stoves cook breakfast for a campsite full of people; one-burner tabletop stoves take a slim butane can and suit picnics, tailgates and outages; and fast-boil systems screw onto a gas canister and pack inside their own cup for a backpack.
None of them comes with fuel, and they don’t all take the same kind: propane cylinders, butane cans or a backpacking canister. Cook in the open air, never inside a tent, car or camper: a gas stove gives off carbon monoxide, which can build up in an enclosed space without anyone noticing.
What matters
- High BTUs boil a big pot fast; a fine simmer saves eggs.
- A built-in igniter, so there’s no hunting for matches.
- Wind guards around the burner, for breezy campsites.
#1Coleman Triton 2-Burner Propane Stove
$75–$100
Breakfast for a campsite crowd on one stove: two independently adjustable burners with fine simmer control share 22,000 BTU, with room for a 12 in and a 10 in pan side by side. There’s a wind guard on each side, and a latch keeps it shut in the trunk.
What owners say: Owners take it car camping and keep it for power outages, praising the even heat and the way the knobs hold a low simmer with two big pans on; a few had one arrive damaged.
Heads up: There’s no igniter on this model, so pack a long lighter or matches; Coleman’s Triton+ adds push-button lighting.
A closer look: Open the wind guards out before lighting, then hold a long lighter at the burner and turn the knob just a little until it catches. After breakfast, give it a few minutes to cool before closing the lid and latching it for the drive home.
- Fine simmer control
- Two pans side by side
- Burners adjust independently
- Latch keeps it shut
- 3-year warranty
Best for: Cooking at camp or in a blackout
- Type
- Two-burner tabletop
- Power (maker’s figure)
- 22,000 BTU (2 burners)
- Fuel
- 16 oz propane cylinder
- Weight
- 10.6 lb
- Comes with
- Grate, two wind guards
- Ignition
- Matches or a lighter
#2Jetboil Flash 1.0L Fast Boil System (2025)
$100–$150
Boils 16 oz of water in about two minutes and weighs 13.1 oz, and the new turn-and-click igniter lights it like a kitchen stovetop. Jetboil began with two cousins in New Hampshire, who first showed their stove at a trade show in 2003.
What owners say: Owners are struck by the speed, one boiling enough water for a whole meal in under a minute, and like how everything packs into the cup; the one-step igniter wins praise, though some aren’t sure it’s worth the extra over a basic stove.
A closer look: Twist the cup onto the burner until all three lock indicators show, then turn the knob half a turn counterclockwise and it lights itself. It’s at its best boiling water for coffee, tea and freeze-dried meals for one or two, and the bottom cup doubles as a bowl or a measuring cup.
- Two-minute boil for 16 oz
- Color-changing heat indicator
- Cup locks onto the burner
- Fuel canister packs inside
- Lid with spout and strainer
Best for: Fast brews on the move
- Type
- Fast-boil pot system
- Power (maker’s figure)
- 5,300 BTU/h
- Fuel
- Jetpower canister
- Weight
- 0.8 lb
- Comes with
- 1L cup, lid, bowl, canister stand
- Ignition
- Turn-and-click auto
#3Gas One GS-3400P Dual Fuel Portable Stove
$20–$30
Runs on either an 8 oz butane can or a 16.4 oz propane cylinder through the regulator in the box, so it keeps cooking on whichever fuel the store has. Piezo ignition lights it without matches, and a pressure sensor ejects the butane can and cuts the gas if the pressure goes wrong.
What owners say: Owners find it copes well with wind and stores neatly in a camping box, and one brought a 2-gallon pot to a rolling boil on a cool day; some had the propane line fail.
A closer look: Butane struggles on a frosty morning, as the can loses pressure in the cold, so that’s when the propane hookup earns its keep. It also makes a backup burner for a power outage, set up outside on a patio or porch rather than indoors.
- Pressure sensor cuts the gas
- Propane hookup for frosty mornings
Best for: Butane one day, propane the next
- Type
- One-burner tabletop
- Power (maker’s figure)
- 8,000 BTU
- Fuel
- 8 oz butane or 16.4 oz propane
- Weight
- 3.1 lb
- Comes with
- Carry case, propane regulator
- Ignition
- Piezo
#4Coleman Classic 1-Burner Butane Stove
$30–$50
A one-burner tabletop stove in a hard carry case, lit with a push of the Instastart button: 7,650 BTU under a porcelain-coated grate that takes a 10 in pan, with a wind baffle and a wide base that stays steady while you stir.
What owners say: It gets hot quickly, owners say, one boiling a big pot of water for crawfish on it, and it goes in the car without a second thought; some had the case crack.
A closer look: It takes the slim 8.8 oz butane cans sold for tabletop stoves, each good for about an hour and a quarter on high, so pack two for a weekend. Everything goes back in the case after cooking, which keeps grease off the rest of the camping gear.
- Fits a 10 in pan
- Wind baffle
- Porcelain-coated grate lifts out
- Wide, steady base
- 3-year warranty
Best for: Picnics, tailgates and simple meals
- Type
- One-burner tabletop
- Power (maker’s figure)
- 7,650 BTU
- Fuel
- 8.8 oz butane can
- Weight
- 5.2 lb
- Comes with
- Hard carry case
- Ignition
- Push-button Instastart
#5Camp Chef Everest 2X 2-Burner Stove
$200–$300
Two 20,000 BTU cast-aluminum burners, nearly twice the Triton’s total, for boiling big pots fast or cooking for a crowd. The folding lid becomes a three-sided windscreen, the ignition is matchless, and 215 sq in of cooking area takes two large pans.
What owners say: Owners love the heat and the control, boiling big pots of water quickly and turning the flame right down, and the wide burners take two large pots; a few had the copper gas line break.
A closer look: Start each burner low and turn it up, especially with thin camp cookware, which scorches quickly at full output. The drip tray catches grease for an easy cleanup, and with the lid folded down and the carry handle up it’s one tidy box for the trunk.
- 215 sq in cooking area
- Cast-aluminum burners
- Fits two large pans
- Carry handle
Best for: Big groups and big pots
- Type
- Two-burner tabletop
- Power (maker’s figure)
- 40,000 BTU (2 burners)
- Fuel
- 16 oz propane cylinder
- Weight
- 12 lb
- Comes with
- Windscreen lid, drip tray
- Ignition
- Matchless
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Coleman Triton | #2Jetboil Flash | #3Gas One GS-3400P | #4Coleman Classic | #5Camp Chef Everest 2X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best for backpacking | Best budget | Most powerful | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $100–$150 | $20–$30 | $30–$50 | $200–$300 |
| Type | Two-burner tabletop | Fast-boil pot system | One-burner tabletop | One-burner tabletop | Two-burner tabletop |
| Power (maker’s figure) | 22,000 BTU (2 burners) | 5,300 BTU/h | 8,000 BTU | 7,650 BTU | 40,000 BTU (2 burners) |
| Fuel | 16 oz propane cylinder | Jetpower canister | 8 oz butane or 16.4 oz propane | 8.8 oz butane can | 16 oz propane cylinder |
| Weight | 10.6 lb | 0.8 lb | 3.1 lb | 5.2 lb | 12 lb |
| Comes with | Grate, two wind guards | 1L cup, lid, bowl, canister stand | Carry case, propane regulator | Hard carry case | Windscreen lid, drip tray |
| Ignition | Matches or a lighter | Turn-and-click auto | Piezo | Push-button Instastart | Matchless |
| Best for | Cooking at camp or in a blackout | Fast brews on the move | Butane one day, propane the next | Picnics, tailgates and simple meals | Big groups and big pots |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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