Top 10 Best Camping Stoves 2023

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Camping is a very British way of spending a holiday. For the enthusiast, there is nothing to beat a night under canvas or in a caravan, and for kids it is a great adventure. If you are a serious camper you will no doubt have your kit sorted, but you might be looking to invest in some new equipment. Even if you just go camping occasionally – once a year, perhaps – you will need to have some of the essentials to hand.

A camping stove is a vital part of your kit, but we’ll come back to that in a bit! The great thing about camping is that it allows you to get up close and personal with the outdoor world. It might mean leaving some of your creature comforts behind – you’re not likely to find a king-sized bed in a tent, for example – but that’s a large part of the deal.

However basic you go – and there are many who favour the more luxurious glamping experience, which is a half-way house between a tent and a lodge – you will enjoy your camping experience, and it can be a very romantic way of spending time as a couple.

The range of equipment you can buy to enhance your camping experience these days is comprehensive; you can find anything from very capable stoves to showers and more. These are inexpensive items that are usually designed to be portable and compact, so will not take up too much space in a car.

So, before we go on to look at the top 10 best camping stoves, let’s talk a little more about what they are, how they work and why you need one.

Best Camping Stoves

1: Campingaz Chef Double Burner

Our first example is an entirely typical camping stove that is affordable, capable and very portable. This one is designed to fold flat into a case that can easily be carried around – it has handles for added convenience – and is very simple to use. It is powered by the usual readily available gas bottle, the regulator and hose don’t come with the package, and is simple to light with matchless ignition.

This one has two burners for standard, cooking. These are 1.5Kw burners so are perfectly capable of cooking a nice lunch. There is also a downward-facing burner that can be used as a grill or toaster, which is also 1.5Kw. folded, it measures approx. 60x32x9cm, and it weighs a little more than 4kg. Finished in blue, it is a durable device that is well-made and very usable, and we reckon it is a very decent price, too.

2: Parkland Portable Single Burner

There are some stoves that are entirely suitable for occasional use, or perhaps for a single person or a couple, and this is one. It is a truly portable device, and comes in a nice and very easy to handle case, and is light, too. This one is not going to take up much space in your luggage. However, it is only a single burner model, but that may well be adequate for what you are planning. It has auto-shut off for safety, too, which is a nice touch.

This one also comes with electric matchless ignition – this method is known as Piezo for future reference – and comes with full flame adjustment. It works from small gas bottles that are attached directly to the device, so no hose is required. It also features wind protection so is always safe. With it, you get eight bottles of gas; customer reviews say that one bottle will last well over an hour, so that’s plenty of cooking! A good model, if single-burner is enough.

3: Lixada 3500W Big Power

This model takes the portable aspect to the extreme. What it is, in effect, is a burner with a hose attached and control knob for the heat adjustment. In fact, it’s a very clever design that folds down into am extremely compact package, and that is easy to set up and use. It comes with a bag into which it can be put when carrying around, and it measures just 7cmx6.5cm when folded. It weighs just 227g, too, so you’ll hardly know it’s there.

When ready for use – simply unfold the legs and attach the hose (which with the regulator, is supplied) and hook up a butane or propane gas bottle, flick the Piezo ignition and you have an instant, single burner stove that is able to cook whatever you need. It’s made from high quality materials, is surprisingly sturdy for such a small item, and would be perfect for camping or hiking at a very cheap price.

4: Kingfisher Portable Gas-Powered Stove

Fourth on our list is this practical little portable gas stove from Kingfisher. Perfectly sized for picnics, camping, festivals and BBQs. It can even be used as a back-up hob if you have trouble with your oven or kitchen electrics. As it measures at just 33 x 28.5 x 8.8cm, it’s undeniable compact. Despite its size though, the functionality is not compromised on and you benefit from features such as the auto cut-off mechanism and a built-in electronic lighter making it much easier to use, wherever you are.

With this Kingfisher stove, you also have control over the intensity of the flame, meaning you have control over your cooking. This provides you with a measure of versatility with regards to the kinds of food and dishes you can prepare. Durable and robust materials have been used throughout the construction of the stove, with aluminium for the burner, so you are guaranteed a long life out of it. To keep it safe and make it easier to transport, it comes with its very own lightweight storage case.

5: Popamazing Dual Burner

Among the most popular camping stoves are those made to this design; it’s another dual-burner model that uses a gas bottle rather than the cartridge type, and it folds down into a handy case for carrying around. Folded, it measures 57cmx30cmx7cm, and it weighs a little less than 5kg. It is a substantial stove, then, but is not too heavy to move around easily. It’s also very simple to set up and use, although you do need to buy your own regulator and hose.

This one features three burners, two standard and one grill-type, each of which has an adequate output of 1.5Kw. It has easy to adjust heat settings, and will happily do toast in the grill section. It comes with handy toast rack and tray – nice accessories – and is made from durable stainless steel, and you also get the much-appreciated electric ignition with this one. In short, a handy and easy to use twin-burner camping stove that can be yours for a very competitive price.

6: Bright Spark Toaster

If buying a camping device that is specifically for toast seems a bit frivolous to you, this is not one for your shortlist. However, at the price – and it is very cheap – we see no reason why this handy and compact device shouldn’t be added to your cooking tools. What it is is very simple: it’s a tray, a rack if you like, made from lightweight aluminium, with a handle that can be folded down or detached for storage.

Be aware: there is no burner with this – you use it on top of your existing stove, whether that is a double or single burner version, and it provides you with excellent toast. Thus, the pictures of it can be quite misleading, so make sure you know what you are getting. Is it worth buying? We see no reason why not as it does allow you to convert any stove into an efficient and effective toaster, so if that’s your breakfast choice, why not!

7: Yellowstone Portable Gas Stove

This model, from Yellowstone – a brand with a wide range of camping appliances and accessories – is another of the single-burner type that are favoured by people who need to carry their gear around. So, if you are hiking from place to place with overnight camping stops, this is one to consider. It uses the very convenient cartridge gas supply – no hose or regulator or heavy gas bottle required – and it clips in safely and easily.

It is made from durable stainless steel yet is still very light – at a little more than 2kg it is one of the lightest here – and comes with a nice carry case for added convenience. You get the desired Piezo ignition so it will fire up straight away with no need for matches or a lighter, and it measures around 40x30cm so is surprisingly compact. If a portable, single-burner stove is what you are looking for, you really can’t go wrong with this one at a very sensible price.

8: Lixada Stainless Steel Wood Stove

So far, we’ve looked at gas-fuelled stoves, either by conventional bottles or cartridges, but this one is something very different indeed. In fact, it’s a clever idea and we like it a lot, but whether it is actually a practical solution is another story. It is a small, foldable metal construction that erects into a square stove, into which you put wood – in the shape of sticks and twigs that you collect yourself – as the fuel source.

There are two sides to this: it’s eco-friendly and therefore very acceptable, but it doesn’t have the instant action of a gas-powered stove. Nevertheless, users give it a high rating, and it is very small indeed; when not in use, it actually folds flat as all the sides are hinged. It’s made from stainless steel so will last a long time, it takes up next to no space in your luggage, and it’s a great talking point. You can set it up, send the kids off to forage for twigs, and you have a little stove to cook on!

9: Lixada Stainless Steel Solidified Fuel Stove

Staying with the Lixada brand for this one, it’s another that doesn’t use gas, so will appeal to those who don’t want to be carrying gas bottles or canisters around. It differs in design from the above in that it is a tall cylindrical shape, into which you put the fuel of your choice. This can be wood, but it can also use solidified alcohol fuel, which is readily available from your camping shop or even hardware stores in most towns.

It is a very rugged design, quite trendy in an industrial fashion, and made from very durable stainless steel. It doesn’t fold flat as the above model, but comes with a handy mesh bag for ease of transport, and it measures just 14x14x11cm, and weighs 640g. That’s all good, and it is recommended by many satisfied users. If you want something that doesn’t need gas, and are happy with the hit and miss possibility of lighting wood, this could be the one for you, although that above – despite being smaller – might be more convenient.

10: ASAB Portable Camping Gas Cooker

The final product on our list is this great ASAB portable camping cooker. With dimensions of 31 x 36 x 9cm and a weight of just 1.8kg, it’s not especially bulky or heavy. So, it is compact, portable and travel-friendly. That is not the only thing that we want to praise about it though, as it has been designed for hassle-free use, thanks to the inclusion of the auto ignition system. This also makes it a lot safer than others on the market. In general, ASAB have made it easy to use as possible.

Safety is always something you should consider when investing in portable cookers that use gas and ASAB have included a number of features to ensure this stove is as safe as it is easy to use. In addition to the auto ignition, it also has a locking system that ensures the gas canisters always stay securely in the correct place. So, you are unlikely to have any unfortunate accidents. Like many on our list, it comes with a tough carry case and the nice bonus of four gas canisters.

That’s our list of the top 10 best camping stoves, and we reckon we have covered all possible varieties, so there is bound to be one that suits your needs and budget. Which one you choose will be influenced by what you intend to use it for, so before we give you our verdict, let’s recap some of the important features you need to look for.

How It Works

Camping is about getting back to basics, but how far back to basics you want to go is up to you. You don’t have to do without everything, and when cooking is concerned, you want to be able to rustle up a decent meal. The option – eating out – can be very expensive, especially when you have a family with you, and you’re in a holiday resort.

To be honest, there’s little more romantic than having a meal al fresco under the night sky, with your cosy tent to go back to, and a camping stove means you can do just that. If you think back, you may remember those basic stoves that were simply a solo gas ring attached to the top of a small bottle of gas. Those are still around, and are very useful if you want to boil water, for example, or cook a can of beans (a reminder: always pack a tin opener).

The stoves we are reviewing here are more sophisticated than that, and make your life a lot easier too. They are usually powered by readily available gas bottles – you’ll certainly find a shop at or near an organised campsite that sells them, and hardware shops in most towns will do also – and are easy to set up and use. Some come with electric ignition for ease of use, others are designed to fold away in to a handy package for moving around, and you can choose from any number of cooking rings.

You’ll find some that are for toast, others that are for multiple uses, and some that are more sophisticated than others, so to help you choose the one for you, here’s our review of the 10 best on the market today.

Important Features to Consider

There are certain important factors to consider when choosing the best camping stove, so let’s have a look at a few that you should be thinking about:

One or Two Burner – if you are camping alone you may only need a single burner stove, and there are many excellent examples to choose from on the list. If there is more than one of you, or you are a family, then one of the two burner stoves with a grill may be the best choice for you.

Bottle or Cartridge – the traditional gas bottle design is still very popular, but there is no getting away from the fact that the cartridge models are more convenient and also more compact. Choose which one you want carefully.

Ignition – apart from the two wood-burning stoves, all those featured have electric ignition so are ready to go as and when you need.

Eco-Friendly – if you want, you can choose from two wood or alcohol – or indeed anything combustible – stoves on our list, and they are very neat designs indeed.

Size – if you want compact there are some excellent choices, and even the two-burner models fold down to a handy case-sized package.

That’s really about it for our list, so which is for you? Let’s have a look!

Let’s Sum It Up!

You’re looking for a new best camping stove, you’ve read our reviews, and you want to know what we think you should buy. The factors listed above will all have an impact on your choice, so here’s what we think.

If you are happy with a single burner stove, you have plenty of choice, but for the sheer convenience and because it is a very good deal, we would recommend number 2 on the list, the Parkland Portable model. It offers all the usual features, and is a clip-in cartridge design plus it comes with eight bottles of gas at a very good price.

If you want eco-friendly, both of the very clever Lixada models are worth a look, and they are trendy and stylish designs that need no external fuel source. We like number 8, if only because it folds down into a handy flat pack.

For a twin-burner model, we suggest you check out the Elitezotec model, number 4 on the list. The reason this one comes recommended – although we should say all the twin-burners are very good – is that it uses the cartridge system, and has 2Kw burners. This makes it both powerful and convenient, and it is a neat and clever design that does not take up much space at a sensible price.

So, there you go, take our advice on the best  camping stoves if you wish or choose your own, and happy camping!