If you’re like me and love to camp, then you know the importance of a good camp cooking device for like-home dinners. Whether you’re treating yourself after a long day of hiking or just making a basic breakfast in the wilderness, a backpacking stove is a luxury not to be overlooked in your pack. But finding the right camping stove depends on a few things, like weight for portability, sufficient size (to cook enough food for small or large groups), and the fuel source you’ll be using.
After researching specs and thousands of reviews online, these are some of the best camping stoves we’ve found—for any type of explorer and cooking area. And if you’re interested in camping, be sure to check out everything you need for your outdoor cooking surface, or the best camping utensils to pair with your stove.
Speaking from experience, this Coleman classic two-burner stove is super portable and easy to use. After sitting in the basement for who knows how long, our old Coleman two-burner turned on immediately and worked great on our first camping trip of the season.
We used this stove on a rainy, windy night without issue and cooked our whole meal in just minutes using two different-sized pans at the same time. Due to the two independently adjustable burners, you’ll have enough cooking power to handle vegetables and meat at the same time, making this stove super convenient—as well as easy to clean.
What’s even better is that it’s super portable, which is ideal when you’re lugging a bunch of things out to your campsite. While this camping stove is lightweight, it’ll definitely do the job and is a great starter option. It’s fueled by a small 16 oz. propane tank.
The Camp Chef EX60LW Explorer is a well-constructed camping stove that’s as easy to set up as it is to use. With 32-inch detachable, adjustable legs, this stove is easy transport and use on uneven ground. It’s great for camping as well as at-home use, and a lot of reviewers mention that they love this stove for canning projects. Reviewers also mention its high heat output, and people love the two cast iron burners, which make it easy to cook lots of food.
Light enough to transport but durable enough to last for years, the Camp Chef model is one of the top stoves on the market for long-term campsites, especially when you need a little bit of height.
The MSR PocketRocket 2 is a great choice for backpacking or when you need to pack light. Weighing in at just 2.6 ounces, this compact single-burner camping stove measures 2 by 2 by 3 inches at minimum—4.8 by 8 by 3.6 inches when in use—and can attach to any propane bottle tank. The little camping stove even comes with a protective case so you won’t have to worry about it getting damaged in your bag.
Reviewers mention that the PocketRocket is easy to set up and operate, with no priming, preheating, or pressurizing necessary. It’s got good wind protection, and cold temperatures shouldn’t affect efficiency, but you’ll want to have a lighter or some matches on hand since it isn’t self-igniting. We’d suggest this stove for campers in need of a lightweight, dependable option.
The Jetboil Zip’s no-frills, easy-to-use cooking system boils water in just over two minutes, with half the fuel consumption of traditional systems. Weighing a total of 12 ounces, the bottom cover of this unit doubles as a measuring cup as well as a bowl, saving tons of space in your pack. Additional accessories are available for this stove, but you’ll probably want to spend your money on a couple of fuel canisters; they’re really small and you might go through one pretty quickly.
For such a small unit, this camping stove is on the expensive side, and while it doesn’t come with a fuel canister, your purchase does include a one-year limited warranty. It’s also worth mentioning that this stove isn’t self-igniting, so you’ll need to bring a lighter or matches to light it.
Dual-fuel compatibility makes the Gas One stove a great option for just about anyone. Operating as either a single burner propane camp stove or on a butane cartridge, this budget-friendly camping stove has a propane converter regulator but doesn’t include any fuel. It also has a Piezo electric auto ignition—as well as a built-in pressure-sensor cartridge ejection system and gas-flow cutoff—so it’ll eject the cartridge once low pressure is detected, which is pretty cool.
This hybrid butane-and-propane stove has just a single burner, so you won’t be making meals for an army. But reviewers really like this product for its versatile dual-fuel system and durability.