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May 30, 2023

Best Camping Stoves of 2023

We turned up the heat on stoves from all of the top brands to determine the best camping stoves for 2023. Whether you're a car camping pro or just getting started, we've got you covered. Camping and

We turned up the heat on stoves from all of the top brands to determine the best camping stoves for 2023. Whether you're a car camping pro or just getting started, we've got you covered.

Camping and food go hand in hand, especially when car camping affords you the luxury of a two-burner stove. This year, we tested a few new stoves and retested many previous top picks. With years of combined experience with camp cooking, we used our collective knowledge to narrow down the best camping stoves available today.

A good camp stove should fire up quickly, provide a steady stream of heat to get things rolling, and be able to dial it back for precision work like simmering or sauteing. There are other details about your camp cuisine to consider as well, such as the number of hungry hikers you’re looking to feed, and whether you’ll only need a raw flame or the sizzle of a griddle to whip up some chow.

For each stove in this comprehensive review, we considered design, ease of use, BTUs, windy weather performance, simmer control, weight, cost, and boil time. On the surface, these stoves all have a lot in common, but each has unique features that stand out for specific uses.

Scroll through to see all our recommended buys or jump to the category you’re looking for. At the end of our list, be sure to check out our comprehensive buyer’s guide. We have also assembled a list of frequently asked questions and a comparison chart that can help guide your decision.

The Camp Chef Everest 2X ($190) replaced the older Mountain Series Summit model from this brand. The Everest is definitely as high-powered as its predecessor (if not more so), with two 20,000-BTU burners, an auto-igniter, and a redesigned burner area and exterior.

Although the Camp Chef Everest has some of the strongest burners we tested, it still simmers well. And with the new burner and surface design, you get a few more cubic inches of cooking space for the same weight.

Gear Editor Mallory Paige lives in an off-grid cabin and has been using the Everest 2X as her family’s primary stove. After cooking up to three meals a day on it for over a year, the stove has held up impressively well.

The striker still works, and the mix of high output settings and good simmer control meets the demands of any cook. From quickly boiling water at high altitudes to carefully toasting pine nuts, it does it all. This stove roars to life for heavy-duty use, but is delicate enough for finer cooking. The only negative we could rustle up was the weight and bulk.

The previous contender for the best overall stove, the Camp Chef Summit 2-Burner Camp Stove model, also had impressive heat output, but we had issues with the striker (and the price tag). This year, we found the auto-igniter on the Everest 2X to be much more consistent, and the redesign adds features that make it our overall best camping stove.

The simplest option on the list is also one of our favorites. As a tried and true model that meets the basic demands of car camping, it’s been a go-to choice for our staff over the years.

The Coleman Cascade Classic Camp Stove ($100) might not have all the fancy features of the others on the list, but it’s hands down the most bang for your buck out of all camp stoves on the market. The windscreens do the job, and the flame pattern can be set from a simmer to a roar. It weighs just under 12 pounds, which isn’t much more than most more expensive options.

For as low as $75 on sale, you get two 10,000-BTU burners in a classic, trusted design. We cooked up plenty of meals on the Coleman Cascade Classic and appreciate how simple it is. The simmer control knob is a bit rough, which was one of the few downsides we could sniff out.

If you’re camping on a budget, or want an extra two burners for large meals, the Coleman Cascade Classic would be a great addition to your outdoor kitchen setup.

This stove impressed us from the get-go for two main reasons: the compact design and functionality. The Kovea Slim Twin ($145) was almost completely redesigned a few years back, with two 10,500-BTU burners, short and sturdy legs that work well on a variety of surfaces, adjustable windscreens, and an incorporated piezo igniter.

When we tested an older model of the Kovea Slim stove, we had issues with the leg supports — they were thin and wobbly. Additionally, the burner design required two separate propane cans. The simmer control wasn’t ideal for delicate dishes, and the price was a bit high for a camping stove with that many issues.

Overall, Kovea made tons of great updates, and the effort shows. When folded up, the stove itself is a scant 2.5″ thick, which is a very impressive metric. The lid is also completely removable, which allows for many different sizes of pans and skillets to be used.

The only downside would be that a propane adapter doesn’t fit inside the stove for storage. Weighing in at less than 10 pounds, the Twin Slim is a fantastic improvement on the old model, making it one of the best compact camping stoves of 2023.

This camping stove comes with not one but two cast iron attachments for grilling and cooking on a griddle. Trust us, the Coleman 3-in-1 ($210) aspect is awesome. Thanks to the versatility, you can use two burners like any other camp stove, or one burner and a grill, or one burner and a griddle.

What we loved most about this stove in testing was its durability, heat output, and simmer control. The windscreens were even adequate for 20-30 mph winds. All of the features offer a quality feel, and it can cook just about anything.

The quality of the cast iron was also on par with more expensive options (though the cast iron components do make the stove fairly heavy). Still, the Coleman 3-in-1 (a two-burner stove, grill top, and griddle) weighs less than the only other camp griddle we tested, the Camp Chef Versatop.

One somewhat glaring error was the short windscreens that this stove incorporates. Not only do taller windscreens limit heat loss, but they also cut down on the grease splatter that a griddle can emit. Build up those walls, Coleman!

If you’re a fan of cast iron, or simply want an all-in-one option that performs well in every category, the 3-in-1 is one of the best camping stoves you can buy.

Read Review: The Classic Camp Stove Gets a Modern Makeover: Coleman 1900 3-in-1 Review

While full-fledged stove systems might get all the glory, counting out a good single burner would be foolish, and the Eureka SPRK+ Camp Stove ($65) is just that: one heckuva good single burner.

The utility of a single burner is that it can be used as either a cooking solution for a couple of campers, or added into a camp kitchen as an additional burner for more dishes. During our testing we did this often, and to great applause — nothing is better than having all your food come out hot at the same time.

The SPRK+ is a slightly souped-up version of the SPRK Camp Stove ($48), and bumps up the BTUs to 11,500 over the standard 10,000. We found this to be more than enough to heat up even our burliest cast iron pans, and easily stir-fried veggies or cooked steaks.

It is important to note that the SPRK+ is a butane stove, which while not quite as popular as propane, is still available in outdoor stores or online. It’s also lighter weight than propane. The canister slots into an integrated space on one side of the square stove body, with no screwing in required. We found in practice that a single canister will net about an hour of run time.

The stove has a three-sided wall that’s perforated and reaches a couple of inches high, which is meant for wind protection. But in testing, we found the screen to lack influence, and an impromptu shield was needed. This is unsurprisingly given the lean design, but something that did need to be addressed to make it through dinner. Perfect for a quick and simple dish, or whipping up another side, the Eureka SPRK+ Camp Stove adds a lot of versatility to your camp kitchen.

Suitable for your next tailgating event (or family reunion), the Camp Chef Explorer 14 ($150) sports a generous cooking surface area — a full 14 x 32 inches — and has the heat to back it up. The two burners put out a cumulative 60,000 BTUs, easily the highest of any stove we tested.

Not a lightweight by any means, the Explorer 14 is the cookout battle station of choice for anyone looking to feed a lot of people. The twin burners are fueled by a propane canister that you’re unlikely to want to carry in a backpack, so best to think of this as a close-to-the-vehicle cooking setup.

We will note that the stove packs down smaller than expected, with all legs and windscreens detaching for travel. Likely the most exciting component of this stove is its family of cooking surface accessories — spanning from griddle tops to BBQ boxes to pizza ovens. This flexibility greatly increases the dishes on the menu, and will also cost you some extra cheddar.

We first tested our Explorer 14 at a family-style Dungeness crab boil, and this is exactly the type of stove for an event that aims to feed many. If you’re looking to set up the full mobile kitchen, this stove is up to the task.

Small but powerful — the Primus Kinjia Camping Stove ($210) brings a light footprint to your camp kitchen and is perfect for those who want a capable stove but don’t want to renovate their campsite in the process.

With a base area of 19” x 12”, the Kinjia slides into spots where other stoves in our testing simply couldn’t, and isn’t much the lesser of a stove for it. The twin 10,200 BTU burner heads are sized more similarly to those on backpacking stoves but still performed admirably in our cooking tests.

Where the Kinjia really shines, we found, was in the detail work. Simmering is a breeze with this stove, and making more delicate dishes like omelets, fish, or crepes can be whipped up with ease. There’s no ignoring that this is just one good-looking stove, too. The black stove body is accented with brass rivets and topped off with a wood-trimmed handle that adds a bit of class to your next cookout.

When it comes to fueling, the Kinjia takes an interesting approach with a metal propane canister stand that stands alone from the rest of the stove. This holds the fuel bottle at what we imagine is the optimal angle, but in reality, it was just another loose piece we feared losing track of. We also lamented over the lack of windscreens, but have gotten pretty good at building up DIY walls instead.

Perfect for van build-outs, car camping, and those who are looking for a little more simplicity in their camp cookouts, the Primus Kinjia is an excellent solution.

Read Review: Smaller Than the Best, Lighter Than the Rest: Primus Kinjia Camp Stove Review

Newly updated, the GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540+ Camp Stove ($150) bumps up the BTUs from an original 10,000 to 14,000, greatly improving this stove’s performance in our cooking tests.

While it doesn’t blow any other stove out of the water, the Selkirk 540+ does its job admirably – easily boiling water or sautéing veggies for any camp meal you can dream up. Twin metering knobs provide a smooth output and twist a full 720 degrees, offering up great fidelity to fine-tuning your perfect stirfry, and the piezo ignition was strong right out of the box.

We also greatly appreciated the stainless steel stove basin and easy-to-remove grate for when the time came to clean up. After a few quick swipes, our stove was clean and ready to be put away. Some stoves harbor more nooks and crannies, but there’s no such issue here.

The windscreens, while of ample height, unfortunately leave a bit of a gap between the base of the stove and the grill supports, meaning that wind had a pesky tendency to skirt around these walls and interfere with the flame pattern. Careful setup can help alleviate this, and it’s something to be mindful of when arranging your camp kitchen.

A jack-of-all-trades type of stove, the GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540+ hit the high points in our testing, and would make an excellent stove for anyone who needs a stove that just plain works.

While not technically a stove, a griddle can bring a lot of joy and simplicity to outdoor cooking. The Camp Chef VersaTop ($190) has a nonstick cooking surface with a wide 18,000-BTU burner underneath, plus a grill accessory.

The unique part about the VersaTop is its versatile design. With separate attachments, you can cook on a flat top, grill, or even bake bread inside. You just pull off the cooking surface, place it on another, and start cooking.

While quite heavy (24 pounds), the size and weight make you feel like a real chef. During a previous GearJunkie campout, our editors had a blast cooking breakfasts, sandwiches, and large helpings of stir fry on the VersaTop.

If you’re a griddle savant and don’t mind the extra weight in your rig, the Versa Top might be the best camping stove for you.

One-burner stoves serve a lot of cool purposes. They’re great for those short on space, ideal for solo campers, and work great for building out vans or off-road vehicles. And as the name implies, they also work for home cooking.

Snow Peak’s Home & Camp burner ($120) has all the compactness and intricacy of origami, with the durability of a two-burner camp stove. Snow Peak is known for its minimal, highly compact designs, and this burner is no different — it completely folds into itself (to about the size of a 32-ounce Nalgene).

Simply open the top, slide out the legs, and engage the locking pin to swivel the burner out onto any surface. Then slide in a butane gas canister. While minimal, we didn’t experience any durability issues, and would expect this stove to hold up well to extensive use.

This is one of the only butane-fueled stoves on our list (the other being the Eureka SPRK+), which highlights the relative supremacy that propane has on the camping stove scene. While it’s not difficult to get, it may not be as universal as going with a propane stove.

At such a small size, this stove is ideal for in-vehicle cooking. With no included attachments, you’ll need to add your own windscreen in blustery weather. If you ride solo often, or are looking for a quality camping stove that’s equally capable and compact, look no further.

The Eureka Ignite 2-Burner Camp Stove ($125) is an exceptionally well-rounded camp stove. It performs well time and time again. The classic, functional design packs up well, and it has acceptable heat regulation.

The wind panels block wind reasonably well (but not great if you notice the gaps), and it has excellent simmer control. It may look similar to cheaper options, but the materials feel more trustworthy than our bargain pick. On par with options higher on the list, it weighs just 10 pounds.

While perfectly functional, this stove simply doesn’t excel in any one particular area. It does all things a camp stove should do, but when compared to others, its performance just doesn’t stand out.

The Ignite has proven to be highly durable, with little to no lapse in function after extended use, and it looks great in action. Despite its lack of exceptional features, it’s still one of the best camping stoves for the price. And if you love everything about the Ignite, but find yourself needing a bit more cooking room, consider the Ignite Plus ($160), a plus-size range that accommodates large skillets.

The Primus Profile 2-Burner Stove ($140) has a clean design and classic appearance. With a moderate heat output of 12,000 BTUs per burner, it works great for almost any meal you can conjure.

The piezo ignition striker is easy to use, and it has a slightly larger cooking area than other stoves we tested. This allows you to get larger pans on it, though the larger the surface area, the longer it takes to generate adequate heat.

While it performs well in almost all facets of cooking, our flames blew out multiple times while testing, which means it’s not ideal for windy climates. The dials function well enough to simmer, and it’s also on the lighter side for two-burner stoves, weighing in at under 12 pounds.

This is another stove that works great, but simply doesn’t stand out in any specific category. The Profile is an all-around performer with no frills, and would work well for anyone who wants a little extra cooking space in a classic design.

The Genesis Basecamp Stove ($280) from Jetboil brings one of the more novel (if not genius) designs to the classic camping stove. It functions with a clamshell design that unfolds to display the cooking surface. And underneath each burner is a place to chain additional burners.

“Where the Genesis really shows through is its simmering ability. The burner knob can be spun in four full rotations from the lowest to the highest setting, and each slight movement of the knob makes fractional adjustments to the flame,” we wrote in our full-length Jetboil Genesis review.

This stove system packs up small, and with the ability to chain additional burners, you can turn this system into a full-fledged kitchen for large groups at a fraction of the packed size. It’s quite expensive, but the technology backs it up, and it also comes with a lightweight pot and pan.

If you’re cramped on space or want to tote a two-burner system into the backcountry, the Genesis could be the best camping stove for you. While the foldability isn’t necessary for the average car camper, it’s truly one of the most versatile setups we’ve tested.

Read Review: Jetboil Genesis Basecamp Stove System Review: The Benchmark of Car Camping Stoves

Besides just boiling water, we cooked meals on each of the camp stoves for this review (including mac and cheese, sautéed veggies, meats, rice, and more). We also conducted boil and simmer tests — a consistent way of comparing stove performance. We believe this provides a good understanding of each stove’s technical cooking capabilities.

Note: We tested these stoves over a period of several seasons, hence the absence of some from testing photos. However, we’ve reviewed all of the stoves on this list in depth. We’re confident these are the best camping stoves available today, and we’ll be sure to update the list with any new releases that rival the best.

We subjected each propane stove to a substantial boil test. We boiled 1 L of water with the same GSI pot and lid on each stove. Before each test, we made sure the pot and water were at the same temperatures as in prior tests. We also checked the water occasionally to note when it began to boil.

Different air temperatures and altitudes will boil water differently, so we tested all of these stoves at the same altitude. Don’t buy one of these stoves and expect it to boil water at these specific times; instead, use this as a rough guide as to which stove heats the most effectively and gets the hottest. Some stoves might have faster boiling times, and others might have better simmer capabilities.

To test how well a stove could simmer, we tested the knobs and saw how low the flame could go while still remaining active. We also placed a hand above the flame and lowered it to see how close I could get before it got uncomfortable.

The closer the hand could comfortably get (measured in inches), the lower we found a burner could go. Why does this matter? You don’t just want a stove to have hot and very hot settings; sometimes you need less flame to cook on a low simmer.

We also tested each of the dials to see the range of control they allowed. The higher the degrees of rotation, the more you can turn the dial and change the heat output.

Generally, the higher the better, as this lets you clearly know if you’re cooking on low, medium, or high. Some knobs are also marked with high and low settings to indicate the range.

This list is for car camping stoves. If you want to eat hot food while hiking or backpacking, check out our review of the best backpacking stoves. Or, if a good char is your thing, our gear guide of the best portable grills. Otherwise, read on as we break down the nitty-gritty details of camping stoves.

If you spend more than 2-3 months out of the year camping — even if you are a single household — we’d recommend going for a two-burner camping stove. Two burners mean you always have the option of cooking with a pot and pan or, for instance, making one entrée alongside a vegetarian or kid-friendly option.

Not to mention, two-burner stoves are the standard. However, for those wanting something different, there are now many single-burner (and even a few three-burner) options on the market.

BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. Basically, it’s a measurement of energy and, in the case of camp stoves, heat. A gas range stove you’d find in a home has about 6,000-8,000 BTUs per burner (on average).

Lower BTUs generally mean lower-heat cooking (good for simmering and light cooking uses). While higher BTUs (anything above 10,000) indicate high-heat cooking (great for meals with longer cook times and essential for being able to quickly boil lots of water).

Usually, when you go camping, you’re there to enjoy the outdoors. And yes, that also means enjoying hanging around camp and eating good camp food. One of the most essential criteria for a camp stove is its ability to boil water.

Some stoves can boil in 3 minutes, while others take as long as 10 minutes. The stove that boils the fastest marks a great stove, but doesn’t necessarily make it the best. If you are looking for certain features, say a lightweight stove or one with an igniter, you may have to sacrifice some boil time.

All the stoves we reviewed were able to efficiently light/start, heat, and reach a rolling boil in 8 minutes or less.

We did a whole test on simmer control because, as we’ve mentioned, boiling water isn’t everything. In order to enjoy a good chef-quality camp meal, you want to be able to boil, but also bake, sauté, fry, simmer, grill, and more. We measured the simmering range on the flame of each burner/stove to see how they stacked up.

Think about how often and under what conditions (such as in cold weather) you’ll be using your stove. The more you expand your horizons to travel, the chances of harsh weather and wind will increase.

Knowing whether or not your stove can hold up in windy weather isn’t something you want to learn on a 10-day camping trip on the blustery New England coast. Check the specs, see if the stove has or offers a windscreen, and read up on customer reviews.

If you live somewhere windy, you can also ensure better stove performance in wind and cold by investing in more BTUs.

The majority of stoves on this list (as you can tell by the images) use one-pound propane canisters. However, a few, like the Snow Peak Home & Camp, use butane fuel. While it varies based on how long you take to cook your meals and what setting your burner is on, a one-pound canister generally lasts about three or four meals.

While traditional one-pound propane canisters are single-use, you may consider investing in a refillable propane tank like the Gas Growler from Ignik ($150), which will allow you to refill your camp canister from 20 lb. propane tanks. This can greatly simplify your camp cooking needs and keeps disposable tanks out of the landfill.

Weight is one of the biggest differentiators between the stoves on this list. However, these stoves are built for car camping, so you won’t really be carrying them too far. If you know you want a capable and strong two-burner, weight might not matter as much as other features.

What matters more is the packed size. There’s only so much space in your car or truck or at your campsite, so compact stoves like the Jetboil Genesis Basecamp Stove or the Primus Kinjia can make a difference.

Check to see if the stove packs down into a case, has a cover, and how the fuel line and grill can be stored. Is it all stored together? Do accessories take up more space? These are all factors to consider for your unique preferences and needs.

Strikers, also sometimes known as auto-igniters or piezo igniters, are buttons that expel a spark using electricity to ignite a stove. (It’s a process similar to the button that ignites the pilot light on your stove at home.)

Other strikers that provide a spark can be flint or metal. We always opt for a camp stove that has an integrated igniter — as long as the igniter works consistently, this is the best option.

The last option for lighting your camp stove is the good ol’ fashioned match. However, matches can be wasteful and fragile, and are not all are waterproof or can stand up to harsh weather. You can always bring flint or some matches as a backup method.

Think about who you’re cooking for. Is your group size usually one to two people, three to four, or a larger family? Also, consider what you’re cooking.

Do you make a lot of one-pot meals, or do you like sautéing, simmering, slicing, dicing, and baking when outdoors? Do you want to invest in these features down the road? Or do you want a stove with a compatible grill top, or a stove big enough for say, a dutch oven?

Finally, consider your budget. If you see a stove on sale for less than the others, we recommend jumping on it.

Small can mean compact, or in the case of camp stoves, slimmer and lighter. Each of the stoves on this list is designed with some form of portability and compactness in mind.

If you are tight on space and looking for a truly small stove to stash away in your camp kit or vehicle, we’d recommend the Eureka SPRK+ (a one-burner option) or the Kovea Slim Twin (a slim and more budget-friendly two-burner).

By far, the best stove for families is the one that will fit your family’s needs. That being said, we’d recommend a stove that’s sturdy, versatile (can cook multiple meals), and easy to clean.

You can’t go wrong with any of our top picks, but the Camp Chef Everest 2X stands out for peak cooking performance and durability. The Coleman Cascade Classic Camp Stove, on the other hand, stands out for budget-friendly, simple, and durable use. Both are durable options that should last for years of family gatherings.

Both butane and propane have their pros and cons. Both are pressurized gasses — gas that is compressed and stored as a liquid. Butane tends to perform less well in colder weather. Propane canisters can come in all types of sizes (a better variety to suit a wider range of needs).

It’s important to take note of what climate you’ll be using your camp stove in most. Also, propane is fairly easy to access — you can find it in a big city, in rural towns, even in general stores near state or national parks.

Does the stove have a fuel line adaptor to accommodate different types of fuel? Only a few stoves on the market can run on multiple fuels (Coleman even makes one that runs on gasoline), but the majority are designed for solely butane or propane.

Backpacking stoves are very small single-burner units that can fit in a backpack (even the palm of your hand). Their weight is measured in ounces. Camping stoves, however, are used at “base camp” when you are car camping, truck camping, visiting National Parks, or traveling between.

Camp stoves are bigger and heavier (average 8-14 pounds), and they’re made to be set on a tabletop, truck bed, picnic, or camp table, converting your camp into a camp kitchen.

Now that you’ve got all the info, it’s time to go camping, get cooking, and enjoy the great outdoors!

First, consider how you plan on using your camping stove. Someone who is looking to make a near-fixture of their camp stove in a van build-out is likely to have different requirements over someone who only needs to boil water during weekend camping trips. If you are in the first camp, look into your more substantially built stoves, such as the Camp Chef Everest 2X. For more casual use, consider the Coleman Cascade Classic.

Then, think about the types of meals you are looking to brew up. More substantial or complicated meals will require more cooking space, as well as potentially more heat output. Look for a twin burner stove with at least 10,000-BTU output if you’re the camp chef of your friend group. We find the Coleman 3-in-1 to be a versatile stove that is ready for any type of meal.

Finally, consider if you might ever utilize your stove in a hike-in capacity. There are a number of lighter camp stoves on the market, such as the Snow Peak Home & Camp Burner or Jetboil Genesis Basecamp Stove, that make packing them into camp a much easier chore.

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