My old Coleman stove finally gave out after 12 years, tried a cheap butane camp stove and was surprised

I've been using this beat up Coleman white gas stove since 2012. Last month the pump finally broke and I didn't feel like fixing it. Grabbed a $25 butane stove from the hardware store on a whim, fully expecting to hate it. Honestly the thing boils water faster than my old setup ever did. Has anyone else made the switch from white gas and stuck with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

henderson.kim3mo ago

Yeah, "boils water faster" really hit home for me. I had a similar experience with one of those little butane stoves when I was out camping last fall. My old white gas stove always felt like a project to get going, with the priming and pumping and all that. The butane one, you just click it and it's roaring in seconds. I ended up leaving my white gas stove at home on the last couple trips because the convenience was just too good to pass up.

ivanl761mo ago

@the_robin brings up a good point about the canisters, but have any of you tried the isobutane mix canisters instead of pure butane? They work WAY better in cold weather and you get more consistent burn time compared to the cheap ones. I made the full switch last year and I'm actually selling my old white gas setup now because the convenience just wins for me.

the_robin3mo ago

@henderson.kim makes a fair point about convenience, but I wouldn't toss my white gas stove just yet. Sure, a butane stove starts fast and boils water quick, but those little canisters run out on you real fast if you're cooking for more than one person. Plus, the canisters are wasteful and hard to recycle. I'll stick with the old Coleman for serious trips and keep the butane one for short car camping.