What cooking appliance to get?

[HardcoreLurker12]

I actually bought a yeti 400 so I have electricity to cook with. Would you recommend something like an instant pot? I really just want to make rice, bean and chicken.

 

[akrvbob]

Propane! That's not enough power for electric cooking
Bob

 

[HardcoreLurker12]

Propane! That's not enough power for electric cooking
Bob

Thanks. We'll this do? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009PUR5E?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00 [Coleman Bottle Top Propane Stove]

 

[LeeRevell]

I have a nearly identical stove by Century that works very well.  In some situations it may be a bit tall, but it is stable with that wide 'foot'.

 

[SternWake]

I also use only a single burner stove. I used to use a dual burner camp stove, but somebody gave me the single burner, and after using it once I put the other stove in storage.

Cooking via battery power, requires a lot more battery than 28AH, and a heck of a lot of solar to replenish.

 

[highdesertranger]

I would think it will get a little expensive cooking everyday with those disposable bottles. oh and welcome lurker. highdesertranger

 

[HardcoreLurker12]

I would think it will get a little expensive cooking everyday with those disposable bottles.  oh and welcome lurker.  highdesertranger

Wait they're disposable? I thought I can fill them up

 

[SternWake]

They can be partially refilled, they should not be, depending on who you talk to. It requires a larger tank and an adapter and perhaps putting the green bottle in the fridge first to get it 3/4 or more filled.

I usually get about 3 weeks per bottle.

I'd like to get a larger horizontally mounted tank at some point but have not worked out the logistics or finances to do so

 

[highdesertranger]

legally you can refill them, but it is illegal to transport them if they have ben refilled. you need a bulk tank to refill them, so why not just use a bulk tank to run your stove. highdesertranger

 

[akrvbob]

I couldn't make myself use that tall stove. Coleman makes a flat single burner that I highly recommend. See it here:
http://amzn.to/1LwXfQP

I cook inside my van often and cooking in that small a pace means you have to move around the stove quite a bit. I want my stove to be very, very stable!!
Bob

 

[LeeRevell]

The one pound bottles can indeed be refilled.  But some areas do have laws against transporting the refilled bottles.  I generally use my little one burner stove for just boiling water for coffee and Mountain House meals when camping.  For the van conversion I have a flat two-burner stove that connects to one pound bottle or 20 pound tank.

 

[ramblingvanman]

I rejected that little one burner and bought a 2 burner instead. It was only $40 and I can cook more than 1 thing at a time if desired. I also bought the adapter and got a free 20 pound bottle that I use to cook with. I found the 20 pound bottle on the side of the road in a grill that someone was throwing out. The bottle was still nearly full. I scrapped the grill for a couple bucks, but that bottle was the real find of the day.

 

[HardcoreLurker12]

I couldn't make myself use that tall stove. Coleman makes a flat single burner that I highly recommend. See it here:
http://amzn.to/1LwXfQP

I cook inside my van often and cooking in that small a pace means you have to move around the stove quite a bit. I want my stove to be very, very stable!!
Bob

So can this be refilled? I don't want to run into false economy where I'm wasting a lot more money buying 1 gallon tanks.

 

[Almost There]

So can this be refilled? I don't want to run into false economy where I'm wasting a lot more money buying 1 gallon tanks.

 The 1 lb (not 1 gallon) are not meant to be refillable. There is a system that can be purchased that refills the 1 lb bottles but it is not certified by any of the bottle manufacturers and several jurisdictions have banned transporting them.

Refillable tanks are available in  a wide range of sizes from 2 1/2 lbs on up. The decision on what size tank needs to be made based on how often you're willing to go have them refilled, how much use you foresee needing and how big a storage space you want to devote to propane storage. I also have to consider the weight of the tank when it's full for hoisting around but that might not be a concern for all.

No one has mentioned the use of an alcohol stove. Because I already have both a 2 burner propane stove and my Trangia alcohol stove I will be able to use either depending on where I'm cooking and what I'm doing or all 3 burners if I ever need that many.

 

[SternWake]

I do dislike the disposable nature of the green canisters. a while back they were sold with these little green plastic plugs one could insert after depletion to let out any remining propane and then safely throw them in the recycling bin, butI do not see that option anymore.

I always leave my stove assembled and find that the threaded output on the canisters can bend.

I would not trust refilling them over and over. I did buy some threaded brass caps. Apparently after refilling the danger is they they do not self seal as well as when new, and the brass caps will stop the leakage.

I have a refilling adapter, I have never used it.

I like the stove on top of bottle because the cannister can be adjusted in the base to level the stovetop as one does not always have a level parking spot.

I save the depleted canisters for a friend who likes to shoot them then recycle the steel.

When I would frequent Baja, running out of green canisters was not convenient. They are expensive down there and not easy to find. On Sundays I'd go around to other campers and ask to buy their unfinished canisters.

I have a MSR stove, much less convenient to use, but I could fill the bottle with gasoline and cook outside.

 

[johnny b]

The one pound bottles can indeed be refilled.  But some areas do have laws against transporting the refilled bottles. 

The anti transporting law is Federal--up to $500,000 fine and 5 years in the slammer.  (49 U.S.C. 5124)

[Hmmm, how to hide some refilled bottles in Hillery's Darth Vader Van & the Donald's jet??] :angel: :angel:

 

[compassrose]

About those little 1lb canisters...

Once upon a time, many years ago, David & I tent camped extensively. While the two burner cast iron Griswold cook top we used was hooked to a 20lb BBQ type tank with a pole that one of the gas lanterns was perched on top of, the other lantern was running on 1lb tanks because it was our "portable" lantern. That was the one we took fishing with us and would move it around the campsite as needed. Running these lanterns, we discovered a few things... silk mantles lasted longer than the cheaper one (I've had ashed mantles that lasted over a year with no damage) and those little canisters LEAK! We tended to go camping every other week for 2 - 7 days. The pole had the same valve (actually three of them) on it as the little throw away canisters. The rubber in the valves go bad. The rubber in the throwaway canisters go bad fast. Then my choice on the bad valves was to leave the appliance (stove/heater/lantern) attached at all times if there was any gas left in the canister. The pole on the propane tank was easy... turn the gas off at the tank. BUT I could not use the pole without the lantern attached to the top (where the bad valve was).

This is the reason that we added the two valves to our homemade "extend-a-stay" that was used on the Class C. The leaky valves made me a bit cautious... or paranoid, depending on how you want to look at it.

 

[highdesertranger]

like Johnny B said it's a federal DOT regulation about transporting refilled 1 lb bottles. it sounds to me like the original poster(Lurker) thought you could take those bottles and get them refilled, is this correct? the answer is no refilling station can refill those. you can do it yourself but you need a bigger bottle(bulk tank). well if you have a bulk tank why would you be using the disposable bottles. another point 1 gallon of propane cost less then one of those 1lb bottles and it takes more than 4lb bottles to make a gallon of propane. so if that 1lb bottle cost 3 bucks you are paying over 12 bucks a gallon for propane. highdesertranger

 

[SternWake]

Yep, I'm certainly paying more for the convenience of using the green bottles.

I accept that.

 

[highdesertranger]

I would think it would only come up if you were involved in an accident and one failed. or a leo pulled you over for something else and smelled propane. but the fact remains you need a large bulk tank to refill them, so if you have a bulk tank why are you using them in the first place. the seal on those disposable tend to fail after several connections and disconnections weather you refill them or not, at least that has been my experience. highdesertranger