5 Best Camping Stoves of 2024, Tested by Experts
Happy belly, happy camper.
Tested by Nicole PapantoniouKitchen Appliances Lab Director
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Though there's nothing like cooking dinner over a campfire, consider bringing a camping stove with you on your next adventure if you want to get dinner on the table faster (and avoid having to gather wood and build a fire)! Not only are most camping stoves portable and compact so you can easily pack them up, but they're user-friendly, powerful and designed to withstand some wind. Best of all, owning a camping stove means you'll be able to easily enjoy warm meals and freshly brewed coffee from the great outdoors.
Below you’ll find our recommendations for the best camping stoves, according to testing.
Our top picks:
From grills to firepits and outdoor griddles, the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab have tested everything you need to cook outdoors during the summer months. We’ve also evaluated the best camping gear to help you narrow down essentials like food storage containers, portable coffee makers and coolers for your next trip. To find the best camping stoves, we reviewed each model for its ease of use, portability, performance and efficiency, taking into account any extra features or accessories.
After our reviews below, continue reading to learn what to look for when shopping for a camping stove — and don’t forget to check out our picks for the best camping cookware sets, too.
Pros
- Compact design
- Features built-in handle
- Easy set up
- Ideal for larger and smaller pans
Cons
- Knobs could be larger
The Eureka Ignite is a two-burner tabletop camping stove that's an all around great pick for its versatility. At 10 pounds, it's compact and comes with a built-in handle to make transporting it from the car to your camping site a breeze, though it's a bit too heavy to take backpacking.
In our tests, it was a joy to cook on (and look at!) and felt both sturdy and secure. We loved that the grates aren't quite as wide as some other models, meaning the stove can accommodate both smaller and larger pans. The stove also has plenty of convenience features campers will love, like automatic push-button ignition for easy setup and two-turn simmer control for flame adjustment.
Wind guards worked as intended during our water boil and egg frying test, and we found the stove's performance very efficient. “It’s easy to use and works without any drama,” says one tester. “It’s a great way to heat up multiple things at once. The igniter worked despite a pretty stiff breeze."
Though we wish the knobs on the stove were a bit larger, they remained easy to use and connecting to the propane fuel was a seamless process. While this stove should be suitable for most couples or families, if you need an even larger cooking area, our pros also recommend the Eureka Ignite Plus.
| Burners | 2 |
| BTU | 10,000 BTU per burner |
| Weight | 10 lbs. |
Pros
- Affordable
- Features built-in handle
- Includes storage space for propane adapter
Cons
- Wind guards may not withstand heavy breeze
If you're an occasional camper or don't need a fancy setup, look no further than this budget-friendly camping stove from Coleman that you can snag for under $50.
With two 10,000 BTU burners, it's perfect for routine cooking tasks like warming up soup or frying bacon. The grates are wider so our pros did notice smaller pans were unbalanced while cooking, but we found that the stove was sturdy overall and performed well in our egg frying and water boil tests.
We also like that there's a space in the stove to store the propane adapter so it doesn't get lost among your other gear, and a propane canister was easy to connect. Just keep in mind that this stove may not be the best pick for very windy days as we did witness the sides dislodge on a few occasions.
| Burners | 2 |
| BTUs | 10,000 BTUs per burner |
| Weight | 11.9 lbs. |
Pros
- Powerful and highly efficient
- Can accomodate larger, heavier cookware
- Sturdy design and secure wind guards
- Features built-in handle
Cons
- Pricey
- Heavy
This rugged, aluminum camping stove was made for the great outdoors (and serious campers). It's heavy at 16 pounds, but we found that it remains surprisingly portable with a built-in handle. Our pros recommend this stove for larger groups or families as it's the most efficient and powerful on this list with a total output of 40,000 BTUs.
In our tests, 50 ounces of water came to a boil super quickly (in just four minutes compared to an average seven to nine minutes like others) and the thick grates should be able to handle heavier, larger pans such as cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens for a variety of meal options. We also found that the wind guards were super secure once they were latched on.
Our testers did point out, however, that this model is best for car camping and can only support a larger propane tank, which may be convenient for extended stays but takes up extra space.
| Burners | 2 |
| BTUs | 20,000 BTUS per burner |
| Weight | 16 lbs. |
Pros
- Extremely lightweight
- Portable
- Easy to operate
Cons
- Small cooking area
Whether you’re a backpacker or a minimalist, JetBoil is the perfect solution for a solo traveler or couple. This rapid cooking system has an efficient design that directs all of the heat into the cup so that very little heat escapes around the sides.
At just under a pound, you can use this super lightweight stove to make essentials like hot coffee or quick and easy meals like ramen or sauteed veggies. According to the brand, water should reach a boil in around two minutes and a push-button ignitor makes the stove easy to operate. Though we haven’t tested this model yet in the Lab, testers rave about JetBoil stoves' convenience and compact size.
We like how this model in particular allows for heat adjustments so you can regulate the temperature depending on what you’re making, though the cooking area remains much smaller than other picks on this list. “For a trip to Hawaii I packed the Minimo to get the most versatility out of all the stoves I have,” says one survey panelist. “I’ve never been worried about anything safety-related. The fact that it’s a fully integrated system is amazing — just turn on the gas and you’re good to go. The handle and neoprene protection around the canister also does a great job of protecting you from the heat.”
| Burners | 1 |
| BTUs | 6000 BTUs |
| Weight | 0.9 lbs. |
Pros
- Slim design
- Features built-in external handle
- Propane adapter is flexible
Cons
- Construction doesn't feel as premium
Tight on space? This camping stove is super slim and should easily fit into your car among your other camping gear. Not only do we love its compact design, but it also comes with a handy built-in external handle that makes carrying the stove more comfortable.
In tests, we noticed that the Kovea reached boiling point a bit faster than similar models, and our Kitchen Appliances experts found the one-touch ignition easy to use. While not as high end as other stoves, it felt sturdy and the narrow grates can accommodate smaller pans. Also unique to the Kovea is a flexible propane adapter that should make it easier to stuff into a daypack than stiffer adapters.
| Burners | 2 |
| BTU | 10,250 BTUs per burner |
| Weight | 9.7 lbs. |
How we tested the best camping stoves
Analysts and experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have tested outdoor cooking and grilling gear for decades. To find the best camping stoves, we reviewed several of the picks featured above and asked consumer testers to provide real-world feedback. Overall, our pros have reviewed more than a dozen in recent years and put the five in this story to the test.
In our tests, we first assessed each stove’s design, taking note of its size and weight, whether it included a built-in handle for easy portability and the quality and construction of metal grates. We took into account whether the stove felt easy to ignite as well as pack up for transportation. Next, we evaluated each camping stove's performance by calculating and comparing the time it takes for water to reach boiling point; likewise, we assessed each stove's efficiency at frying an egg.
To judge the flame's resistance to wind and the wind guard's effectiveness, we tested camping stoves on a windy day and evaluated their resilience.
What to look for when shopping for a camping stove
✔️ Style: There are two main types of camping stoves you’ll come across when shopping: freestanding and tabletop. Freestanding models tend to be larger and heavier, but often feature multiple burners that make them suitable for cooking a larger amount of food for family camping adventures. Tabletop models, on the other hand, are smaller, lighter and oftentimes more portable. While these stoves don't accommodate as much food, they're slightly more convenient, especially if you're backpacking or camping in a more remote location.
✔️ Portability: Don’t overlook the footprint and weight of your camping stove. A larger freestanding model is great for car camping, though it may be too cumbersome for backpacking. Conversely, a lightweight tabletop model is more suitable for longer treks.
✔️ Number of burners: Are you cooking for one or a larger group of friends or family? A single burner or a tabletop model will suit solo campers and couples. But if you need to feed a hungry crowd, we recommend opting for a two- or even three-burner stove.
✔️ Fuel type: Most camping stoves rely on small canisters of propane, but some models are solar-powered or wood-burning. Some specialty models (made for high-altitude and extremely cold weather camping) are powered by liquid fuel, like unleaded gasoline.
✔️ BTUs: For maximum efficiency, consider the camping stove's BTUs. The more BTUs, the more heat the burner releases. Look for models with at least 10,000 BTUs, though the more, the better.
✔️ Extra features: Your camping stove may come with handy add-ons to help improve your outdoor cooking experience. For convenience, look for things like automatic ignition, wind resistance, simmer control or included cooking accessories such as griddles, grates and pots.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she oversees all testing and content related to kitchen appliances, tools and more. Since she started in 2019, she's tested more than 40 outdoor grills alongside griddles, camping stoves, firepits and other outdoor kitchen gear.
GH Institute analyst and writer Olivia Lipski closely collaborated with Papantoniou to write this guide based on testing data and consumer tester feedback.
Nicole (she/her) is the senior director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab. She oversees all content and testing related to kitchen products, food, and recipes. She has worked at GH since 2019, and is a trained cook, published recipe developer, and seasoned product tester with nearly 15 years of experience. She has worked in test kitchens for national magazines and kitchen appliances brands, where she also helped develop products for the home cook. She earned a degree in journalism from SUNY New Paltz, graduated with a Grand Diplome in Classic Culinary Arts from the French Culinary Institute, and studied culinary nutrition at the Natural Gourmet Institute (both now part of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.)
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