Propane, Butane or Canister? The Best Camping Gas Stove

A camp stove is a restaurant’s back burner taken outdoors. It is the place a pot of frijoles simmers while the meat is on the fire, where a comal warms tortillas one after another, and where the coffee gets made at six in the morning before anyone wants to start charcoal. What matters is the same as on a kitchen range: steady heat you can turn down, room for the pans you own, and a flame that stays lit when the wind picks up.

This guide compares seven gas camping stoves sold on Amazon in the United States: four two-burner propane stoves for car camping, a single-burner dual-fuel stove and two backpacking stoves. For each we list the burners, stated BTU, fuel, ignition, wind protection, weight and warranty as the maker or Amazon listing gives them, and we write “Not stated” where neither does. Where OutdoorGearLab has published results for a stove, we say so and name the source.

Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a restaurant kitchen looks for, product specifications and verified buyer reports.

Quick verdict: which camping gas stove to buy

The table compares the five picks we would steer most campers toward, one for each kind of trip. All seven stoves are reviewed in full after it.

Five camp stoves at a glance

Burners, stated output, fuel and wind protection for our five standout picks, as each maker or Amazon listing states them.

Product images from Amazon. Specifications as stated by each maker or Amazon listing; SOTO figures come from its Amazon listing. Check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best camping gas stove

The seven stoves below run from a 2.3-ounce backpacking burner to a 40,000 BTU two-burner for a group site. Each pick explains who it suits, the specs that matter at camp, and one honest reason to skip it.

How to choose a camping stove for real cooking

Five things decide whether a gas stove will cook a proper meal at camp, not just boil water.

1. Two burners or one

Two burners is what a real meal needs: one for the pot, one for the pan or comal. Every two-burner stove here takes a 12-inch skillet. A single burner is fine for coffee, one-pot meals or as a second stove beside the grill.

2. BTU, and what it does not tell you

Stated output runs from 8,000 BTU for the Gas One single burner to 40,000 BTU for the two Camp Chef stoves. More BTU boils water faster, but a camp kitchen also needs a low, steady flame. OutdoorGearLab’s results show it: the Everest 2X scored high for both boil time and simmering, while the Triton, with less output, scored lowest for simmering.

3. Wind protection

Wind steals heat and can blow out a flame. OutdoorGearLab found that tight windscreens and recessed burners did best. Three-sided screens like the Camp Chef’s beat thin side flaps. On canister stoves, never wrap the canister in a homemade windscreen; MSR warns that trapped heat can make the canister leak or explode.

4. Ignition

Push-button and rotary igniters save fumbling with a lighter, but they can fail. Carry a lighter anyway.

5. Size, weight and what you cook

Car campers can carry a 14-pound two-burner; backpackers count ounces. If tortillas and fajitas are the plan, a griddle like the Cascade’s, or a comal on any two-burner, matters more than raw output. For bigger griddle cooking, see our guide to the best portable outdoor griddle.

The best gas for a camping stove

The stove decides the fuel, so check the listing first. Here is how the three common camp fuels compare, based on the makers’ own information.

• Propane in 1-pound (16-ounce) cylinders runs most two-burner stoves. Coleman rates the Triton+ and Cascade at up to one hour on high per cylinder. Propane handles cold weather better than butane, which is why it is the usual choice for car camping.
• Butane in 8-ounce cartridges runs flat single-burner stoves like the Gas One GS-3400P. It is compact and easy to load, but OutdoorGearLab notes that butane is not ideal in cold temperatures.
• Isobutane-propane canisters run backpacking stoves like the SOTO WindMaster and Jetboil MiniMo. SOTO says not to use 100 percent propane in the WindMaster, and MSR’s PocketRocket 2 manual calls for an 80/20 isobutane-propane canister certified to EN 417 and warns that O-rings can stiffen and leak below freezing.
• Bulk propane through a hose runs stoves like the Camp Chef Mountaineer. A refillable tank lasts longer and puts the fuel farther from the flame.

How we picked these seven stoves

We started from what a kitchen needs from a burner: enough heat to boil and sear, a low flame for beans and sauces, room for the pans you own, and a flame that holds in wind. We then looked at gas camping stoves sold on Amazon in the United States and in stock when we checked, and took each specification from the maker (Camp Chef, MSR) or the brand’s Amazon listing. Where neither gave a figure we wrote “Not stated.” For performance, we read OutdoorGearLab’s camping stove and backpacking stove roundups and the full Everest 2X review, and we cite their scores by name. We have not cooked on these stoves for this guide. We left out stoves showing very low stock, including the Camp Chef Explorer, a Eureka Ignite we could not find in stock, the Iwatani 35FW butane stove and the MSR PocketRocket 2, both back-ordered when we last checked. The safety rules below still draw on MSR’s PocketRocket 2 manual, which is clear and general.

Gas stove safety at camp

Read your stove’s manual before the trip. These rules come from MSR’s PocketRocket 2 manual, the National Fire Protection Association and the US Fire Administration:

• Never cook inside a tent, camper or car. MSR’s manual warns that its stove can produce carbon monoxide, which is poisonous and has no odor, and that using it in an enclosed space such as a camper, tent, car or home can kill you. It is marked for outdoor use only. Treat every camp stove the same way unless its maker’s manual says otherwise.
• Check for leaks with soapy water. MSR says to check for leaks using soapy water, never a flame. NFPA’s grilling safety tips give the same test for propane hoses: a leak releases bubbles.
• If the flame goes out, NFPA says to turn the gas off and wait at least five minutes before relighting. If you smell gas, MSR’s steps are to turn the stove off, put out nearby flames, disconnect the fuel and leave the area while it clears.
• Keep people back. MSR recommends keeping children at least 10 feet from the stove and fuel, and never leaving a lit stove unattended.
• Cook outside, away from things that burn. MSR’s manual says to keep combustibles at least 4 feet from the top and sides of a burning stove, and flammable liquids and vapors at least 25 feet away. The USFA says to use propane grills outside only and never walk away from a lit grill; the same habits apply to a camp stove.

Camp stove questions, answered

What is the best camping gas stove?

For most car campers, the Camp Chef Everest 2X: two 20,000 BTU burners, a three-sided windscreen and OutdoorGearLab’s best overall award. The Coleman Triton+ costs less and has a longer warranty.

What is the best gas for a camping stove?

Use whatever your stove is built for. Propane is the usual fuel for two-burner stoves and handles cold better; butane suits flat single-burner stoves in mild weather; isobutane-propane canisters run backpacking stoves.

Can I use a camping stove in my tent?

No. MSR’s manual warns that its stove produces carbon monoxide and that using it in a tent, camper, car or home can kill you. Cook outside, away from the tent.

Can I cook tortillas on a camp stove?

Yes. Set a comal or griddle over one burner on medium heat. A two-burner stove lets you keep beans on the other burner. Our guide to the best comal for tortillas covers the pan.

How long does a 1-pound propane cylinder last?

Coleman rates its Triton+ and Cascade at up to one hour on high per 16-ounce cylinder. On low it lasts longer, so pack spares for a weekend.

Our pick for the camp kitchen

Buy the Camp Chef Everest 2X if you want one camping gas stove that boils fast, simmers well and holds its flame in wind. Choose the Coleman Triton+ to save money, the Cascade 3-in-1 for a griddle, the Gas One for a single burner on butane or propane, and the SOTO WindMaster or Jetboil MiniMo when you carry everything on your back.

Need a surface to cook on? See our guide to the best camp kitchen tables.

Related guide: Best camping cookware set.

Related guide: Best camping oven.

For the rest of the camp kitchen, add a camp Dutch oven for a pot of beans, a camping charcoal grill for carne asada, and one of our cooler picks to keep the meat cold until it hits the fire. For the beans themselves, read charro beans vs refried beans. Or let us do the cooking: see the menu or call to order.