Two-burners have been the dominant camp stove marketplace for many years, and why shouldn’t they? It’s easy to cook bacon, eggs, and other food items with chickpea hash while you boil water for your morning coffee. Of course, single-burner stoves are the best option for those trying to reduce the space in their vehicles and don’t have a vast food plan.
However, having many cooktops available is just one aspect to consider when selecting a cooktop. You might prefer the portability, size of the fuel source as well as the environmental footprint of the stove. That’s why this selection of grills and stoves available in the REI Co-op includes a variety of choices, from an open-air model that feels similar to the traditional campfire (without the cleaning) to a smokeless stove that produces less emissions. Check out our team’s top picks.
Coleman has been renowned for its long-lasting, well-tested stoves for camping outdoors, including this model Cascade 222, a sleek modernization of a classic. The cooker has two independent burners, each providing up to 11,000 British thermal heat units. This can be enough to quickly grill a salmon filet or make a camping stir-fry in a flash. Also, you don’t have to worry about gusts of wind ruining your delicious creations because this stove has built-in shields on both sides to protect flames from whirlwinds.
Coleman is a name that has been at the forefront of camping for a long time, and its gear can withstand decades of adventures. “My 2-burner Coleman liquid fuel stove that I still use is over 35 years old,” Steve Jackson, a Portland REI sales associate Steve Jackson, adds that he has a Coleman gas lantern that is over 60 years old.
Its Cascade 222 has a sturdy aluminum cooktop that can hold medium-sized pans and pots, and the lid is watchable, which keeps all the items safe when not being used. A reviewer from a customer says: “The stove is compact and very easy to take while traveling.” The stove can be powered by propane tanks (sold in separate packages) or connected to the 5- or 20-pound propane tank using Coleman’s High-Pressure 5ft Propane Gas Pipe. (If something goes wrong, such as the grill getting rusty or a component breaking, Snow Peak offers a lifetime guarantee).
It’s also mobile and foldable (making it easy to carry), and outdoor enthusiasts who want to finish their day eating meals over fire can bring it wherever they travel. “I love cooking over the fire when I’m camping instead of using stoves most of the time,” says Elizabeth Nguyen, a camp sales manager at REI. REI Store is located in Atlanta, Georgia. “This can handle a 10-inch cast iron and still has room for cooking burgers and vegetables.”
The kit includes five parts: a grill net, a grill bridge, a fireplace, the baseplate, and the carrying case. (If you’d like to use charcoal for cooking, you’ll need an additional Fireplace Coal Bed separately.) The modular design lets the person, the chef raise and lower the grill in three different positions while also adjusting the flame’s intensity from full scorch to a gentle simmer. The baseplate is designed to protect the surface from heat and ash, while this carrying bag makes it simple to transport and store.
One caution: Some online reviewers of customers have shared that they had difficulties burning large logs. You might have more success with smaller wood and twigs. Customers still love this charcoal and wood-powered grill for its portability, versatility, and design. It’s designed to make even the beginner camp cook feel like a professional chef out in the wild.BioLite sets the bar for camp kitchens using its camp stove 2+, which is a charcoal-burning stove that can cook everything from sizzle sirloins to charge your gadgets when you’re power-depleted. It’s also smoke-free due to a tiny heating fan that can feed the flames. It can result in significantly less emissions than traditional wood burning.
The central unit comes with 3200 milliamps of battery capacity, a tiny 100-lumen LED light, and an outlet for charging your mobile. “It’s for someone who needs to have their technology close by while camping,” Nguyen says. Nguyen.
REI Sales Representative Jackson states that this flexibility is a significant draw for far-flung adventurous types, like the journalist Jackson encountered who sailed down the Columbia River. Jackson reports that the journalist relied on the stove for cooking and to power his gadgets to document his trip. “He said that there was plenty of wood along the river and that, other than some rust, he was very happy with its performance.” The capability to generate electricity that can be used to charge small devices with green energy (from using wind power and biomass) makes this an ideal choice for long-distance camping trips or any person who needs to be able to charge their devices.