13 Things About Cheap Multi Fuel Stoves You May Never Have Known

Cheap Multi Fuel Stoves

Summary: These simple and light-weight stoves burn wood as well as hexamine tablets, gas canisters, and white fuel with a single nozzle. These stoves are popular during cold weather, but they can be noisy and lack simmer control.

Some best 5kw multi fuel stove-fuel stoves are hybrids capable of burning multiple types of liquid fuel. The MSR WhisperLite Universal can be used with both white and isobutane canisters for fuel.

Optimus Nova

The Optimus Nova is a cast iron multi fuel stove (Read the Full Posting)-fuel stove that can be used with various liquid fuels. It has a quick priming burner, a self-purging aluminium pump and precise simmer control. Its low center of gravity and wide spread legs make it a solid and solid stove. This makes it a perfect stove for group backpacking base camps, kayaking, and arctic camping.

The Optimus Nova is different from other stoves with liquid fuel that are plagued by fuel that is not burned remaining in the fuel line or nozzle. This can be resolved by flipping over the bottle. This removes intake hoses from the fuel, and forces them to absorb air, which stifles flames and depressurizes the bottles.

This is a clever solution to a long-standing problem and it's effective. The Nova can be used with a range of regular fuel bottles that seal with an o-ring. This includes MSR bottles. It also comes with a fully-featured stove bag with separate pockets for spare parts, tools as well as lubricant and the fuel pump.

This is an excellent backpacking stove that can be used in the UK. It is especially ideal for trips, where various fuels are required. The price is reasonable when compared to canister stoves of similar capability. The Optimus Nova is also easy to maintain and enjoyable to use.

Kovea Hydra

Since 2010, the Kovea Multi Fuel Stove has been a favorite among backpackers. The Hydra is not as popular with UK backpackers, perhaps because they have caught up to better-known brands or the newest lightweight offerings from China or Korea. But that doesn't make it any less useful.

It is a compact and lightweight stove that can burn all liquid fuels like propane butane, white gas, and white gas through one nozzle. It's a standard stove that has the burner mounted to a body, which is secured by three fold-out support legs. The pump is on the top of the fuel hose and the generator loop is positioned around the inlet, and the flame spreader is up above that. The burner is a low-velocity flame type. This means that it is not affected by the wind.

It is a very versatile little cooker since it can be used with either propane canisters or isobutane. It is easy to simmer using isobutane and propane and it burns all fuels at a decent rate. However, when using white gas the stove runs a bit slower.

The instructions for the Hydra are written in English however they were clearly not written by native users of the language. The instructions warn against using certain types of lighter fluid. If you don't follow the instructions correctly this could cause an accident and land Kovea in legal trouble. Any gas canister that is 7/16ths UNEF-threaded of a trusted brand will work perfectly.

Primus OmniLite Ti

The Primus Omnilite Ti is a great option for those who are looking for an all-fuel stove that can cook using a variety of fuels. It can operate on gas, petrol/gasoline or fuel oil, kerosene, and diesel fuel. It comes with separate controls for each fuel type and also adjust the flame size. The stove comes with an fuel pipe that sits flat on the floor and is connected to the tank quickly.

While the Primus Omnilite is a fantastic stove, it will require maintenance in order to ensure that it functions properly. Particularly it has a tendency to flare during priming, which could be risky. This is a problem that occurs with all stoves with liquid fuel that utilize a secondary spindle throttle on the stove's end to vaporize fuel, instead of a generator coil.

Another issue is that it requires different jets for every type of fuel. This means that if cooking on kerosene, the jet hole needs to be smaller than when cooking with gas. It's a minor inconvenience, but it's worth mentioning.

MSR Whisper Lite

The MSR Whisper Lite is one of the tiniest, lightest and cheapest multi fuel stoves. It is also easy to repair in the field. It is able to run on canister liquid gas or fuel and comes with attachments for both. The new design is lighter by 10% than its predecessor and the burner has been revamped to improve heat distribution. This is a great choice for backpackers with a limited budget or those who are just beginning.

The whistler Lite takes a little time to set up to prime and boil water, but it's an efficient stove that will not disappoint you. The flame is powerful when it is turned to its maximum and can boil one liter of water in two minutes or less. The only drawback is it's not as good for simmering as some other stoves.

MSR developed the Dragonfly to be a more capable burner. It has a similar design to the whistler but is more compact and provides better performance. However it's not as inexpensive as the whistler Lite. The Soto Amicus cookset and stove is an excellent alternative, providing the same setup at less than half the cost. Whisperlite International and Universal can be used with isobutane. The same design is used for both, however the Universal version can also be used with canister fuel as well.

Coleman Sportster II

Like many Coleman stoves, this one is a basic, rough and ready unit that gets the job done. It's solid compact and self-contained, with the tank at the bottom and the burner on at the top. This makes it simple to use and is a great choice for those who are new to backpacking, who want to cut weight, and for those of us who have spares in the van.

Designed to burn Coleman's own exclusive fuel (naptha gas, also known as white gas), this stove can be used with unleaded gasoline too. This can save you money since gasoline tanks can last longer than the conventional Coleman liquid fuel cylinder.

Liquid fuel stoves come with a learning curve since you'll need to properly pressurize and prime them before you can create a beautiful blue flame going. If you do it wrong, your fuel may be sprayed, pool, or splash over the burner or sputter. To master this do some practice outside before you go on your trip.

The stove will lose some performance and flame odor effectiveness if you use non-Coleman fuels, but this is a tradeoff for its versatility. Make sure to purchase unleaded gasoline and not something augmented with methanol or ethanol (alcohol). These kinds of fuels can cause the unit's performance to degrade and even explode.

ATG Jiko

The ATG Jiko multi fuel stove from South Africa (formerly known as the Jiko) is a lightweight multifuel stove built for harsh environments like Africa. It is a compact, reliable system that can burn solid fuel tabs, gels, and alcohol through a single nozzle. It is a minimalist, ultralight design that is priced lower than other multifuel stoves. It also costs less per liter when compared to gas canisters.

Other multifuel stoves have a separate nozzle per fuel type. This makes them difficult to change in cold weather or using gloves, and adds to their overall weight. The newest models of multifuel stoves have come up with ways to use the same nozzle for multiple fuels which is much easier. The newer models of these stoves are referred to as 'hybrid' or 'compressed multifuel stoves'. there are many names for them like isobutane canister fuel white gas, kerosene and unleaded gasoline/car petrol.

A multifuel stove kit can be bought to convert your Trangia burners into multifuel cookers. These are available at camping stores that specialize in outdoor equipment and are available internationally. They're a great option for Trangia enthusiasts and are capable of burning all liquid fuels with the exception of diesel. If equipped with the right accessories can even cook.