pots and pans for butane single burner size versus weight versus cooking time
One of the issues with the butane canister stoves or the butane/propane multi fuel stove is they don't work for smaller sized pans. The inside diameter between the tips of the support burner bars are 4 inches apart. A 5 inch or small diameter base on a pot can lead to tip over. A 6 inch to 10-1/2" diameter pot works well.
Now you might think that heating that cup or so of water needed to make an Aeropress cup of coffee will be faster to do in a small diameter pot. But that is not true, the larger the surface area on the base of a wider diameter pot will heat the water much more quickly than using a narrow diameter pot.
The weight of a pot versus the weight of the handle on the pot is critical for safety reasons. Small lightweight pots with handles tip over too easily when sitting on the butane stove supports. When the pot is empty some of those pots won't even rest on the supports without falling off the stove. Even with food in the pot it could be an accident waiting to happen with just a small bump to the table or slight push against the handle. A camping pot with a removable handle would be safer but then you still have some risk of the pot moving when you attach the handle.
Heavier weight pots... Keeping things light weight is important but there are advantages to having a heavier pot. The first one is keeping the pot more securely in place on the stove as described handle versus weight of the pot for balance consideration. Of course cast iron is a nice option but what if you want non stick? Always remember one very important fact, high heat cooking is enemy #1 for destroying the non stick quality of the coatings. If you want to do high heat grilling, searing or frying go with cast iron or steel pans, those metals will hold up to those temperatures. But for the rest of the cooking which is done on medium high to low temperature opt for purchasing aluminum non stick pans made with a thicker base. The thicker base adds that extra weight to offset the weight of the handle, the extra weight makes the pans more stable up on those burner ring supports and best of all it distributes the heat more evenly across the bottom of the pans. The extra mass of the metal makes it easier to slow simmer foods with a low flame without having a hot spot in the middle that would burn the food if you were trying to simmer with a thin pan. If you have been frustrated with having a non stick pan go bad not that long after you own it, despite it having good reviews the issue could be that you are getting the pan too hot, remember high heat will destroy that non stick property of the coating even if it is not noticeably damaged. It is not just about scratching it or what you wash it with. It is the heat that does the most destruction to the non stick property. Don't let your pans boil dry, that would ruin them because they will get too hot when that happens. Of course if all you are doing with a pan is using it to heat water then you don't need a non stick interior in it, think tea kettle, but get one that is short and wide versus tall and narrow in width. The squat ones will be much more stable on your cooktop.
So after experimenting for a month of cooking on a butane stove I came to some changes in my thinking about cookware. I started out thinking my cookware should be light weight but then through experience and analysis I realized that I was better off having heavier pans in terms of the best cooking functionality for the small single burner propane/butane stove tops. One suggestion is if you like myself end up shopping for pots and pans at thrift stores take the burner ring top from the stove to the store with you. That way you can test the pots for diameter and also stability and avoid getting a pan that will be prone to tipping off the burner ring support because they are too small or have too heavy of a handle versus the weight of the pot.
I do have one small diameter skillet with a lid that I love for cooking a single egg, a hamburger or for making grilled sandwiches. It was too small of a diameter to rest securely on the burner ring. So I had been keeping an eye out at the thrift store for a circular, stainless steel support rack, the kind that is used inside of a pressure cooker. I found one yesterday that is perfect, at 7 inches for the outside diameter it sits just right on top of the burner ring, the inner diameter ring at 2-3/8" and the diagonal bars of the new support rack do not sit directly over any of the gas ports therefore it does not turn the metal of it into a glowing red (think forging metal). I did not have the stove at the store with me to test the fit to avoid that issue but fortunately it was just right. A $1.49 solution which lets me use a favorite little covered skillet for cooking for one. Some days you just get lucky with your thrift store finds.
Remember safety matters, it is not just the flame of these butane burners that is a safety issue, it is also the stability of the pans used on them.
One of the issues with the butane canister stoves or the butane/propane multi fuel stove is they don't work for smaller sized pans. The inside diameter between the tips of the support burner bars are 4 inches apart. A 5 inch or small diameter base on a pot can lead to tip over. A 6 inch to 10-1/2" diameter pot works well.
Now you might think that heating that cup or so of water needed to make an Aeropress cup of coffee will be faster to do in a small diameter pot. But that is not true, the larger the surface area on the base of a wider diameter pot will heat the water much more quickly than using a narrow diameter pot.
The weight of a pot versus the weight of the handle on the pot is critical for safety reasons. Small lightweight pots with handles tip over too easily when sitting on the butane stove supports. When the pot is empty some of those pots won't even rest on the supports without falling off the stove. Even with food in the pot it could be an accident waiting to happen with just a small bump to the table or slight push against the handle. A camping pot with a removable handle would be safer but then you still have some risk of the pot moving when you attach the handle.
Heavier weight pots... Keeping things light weight is important but there are advantages to having a heavier pot. The first one is keeping the pot more securely in place on the stove as described handle versus weight of the pot for balance consideration. Of course cast iron is a nice option but what if you want non stick? Always remember one very important fact, high heat cooking is enemy #1 for destroying the non stick quality of the coatings. If you want to do high heat grilling, searing or frying go with cast iron or steel pans, those metals will hold up to those temperatures. But for the rest of the cooking which is done on medium high to low temperature opt for purchasing aluminum non stick pans made with a thicker base. The thicker base adds that extra weight to offset the weight of the handle, the extra weight makes the pans more stable up on those burner ring supports and best of all it distributes the heat more evenly across the bottom of the pans. The extra mass of the metal makes it easier to slow simmer foods with a low flame without having a hot spot in the middle that would burn the food if you were trying to simmer with a thin pan. If you have been frustrated with having a non stick pan go bad not that long after you own it, despite it having good reviews the issue could be that you are getting the pan too hot, remember high heat will destroy that non stick property of the coating even if it is not noticeably damaged. It is not just about scratching it or what you wash it with. It is the heat that does the most destruction to the non stick property. Don't let your pans boil dry, that would ruin them because they will get too hot when that happens. Of course if all you are doing with a pan is using it to heat water then you don't need a non stick interior in it, think tea kettle, but get one that is short and wide versus tall and narrow in width. The squat ones will be much more stable on your cooktop.
So after experimenting for a month of cooking on a butane stove I came to some changes in my thinking about cookware. I started out thinking my cookware should be light weight but then through experience and analysis I realized that I was better off having heavier pans in terms of the best cooking functionality for the small single burner propane/butane stove tops. One suggestion is if you like myself end up shopping for pots and pans at thrift stores take the burner ring top from the stove to the store with you. That way you can test the pots for diameter and also stability and avoid getting a pan that will be prone to tipping off the burner ring support because they are too small or have too heavy of a handle versus the weight of the pot.
I do have one small diameter skillet with a lid that I love for cooking a single egg, a hamburger or for making grilled sandwiches. It was too small of a diameter to rest securely on the burner ring. So I had been keeping an eye out at the thrift store for a circular, stainless steel support rack, the kind that is used inside of a pressure cooker. I found one yesterday that is perfect, at 7 inches for the outside diameter it sits just right on top of the burner ring, the inner diameter ring at 2-3/8" and the diagonal bars of the new support rack do not sit directly over any of the gas ports therefore it does not turn the metal of it into a glowing red (think forging metal). I did not have the stove at the store with me to test the fit to avoid that issue but fortunately it was just right. A $1.49 solution which lets me use a favorite little covered skillet for cooking for one. Some days you just get lucky with your thrift store finds.
Remember safety matters, it is not just the flame of these butane burners that is a safety issue, it is also the stability of the pans used on them.
