Propane stoves and propane burners are a traditional and very reliable option for outdoor cooking. Throughout the market, propane burners are designed with safety and functionality in mind, although some brands are noticeably better than others.

Here at Outdoor Cooking Equipment Store, we do regular reviews of outdoor cooking equipment. In this review, we focus on using propane in cooking, and explain why these burners are the ideal choice for backpacking, hiking, camping, or backyard cooking.
As an introductory summary:

1. Propane stoves are safer than many other options because the fuel comes from the pressurized tank as vapor instead of liquid; and the tanks are sealed eliminating the risk of fire, spillage and odours;

2. Propane burners are often rated by their BTUs, [a traditional unit of energy]. This is a measure of the heating value of the unit of propane, measured in British thermal units. [BTU/hour]; for those more technically interested, 1 BTU = 1055.05585 joules; For those still racking their brains and remembering their physics lessons, 1 BTU is roughly the amount of energy needed to heat one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.

3. If a campground or inland area you’re staying in doesn’t allow open fires, these stoves are most likely allowed; in fact, most of the time, propane stoves are even allowed during fire bans.

4. Emissions from propane stoves are markedly lower than oil stoves;

5. They are a favorite heat source for brewers;

6. Propane stoves are much cleaner than wood burning alternatives and are an excellent source for cooking, but should never be used indoors;

7. They are popular for backpacking due to their ease of use, but are not as efficient in cooler temperatures or at high altitudes.

8. However, some say these stoves are too heavy to backpack because our safety regulations require that the pots be made of relatively thick and heavy steel;

9. Propane stoves are self-priming, which gives them a significant advantage over liquid fuel stoves; they are convenient in that preheating is not required but they lose their heating efficiency as the cartridge empties; Y

10. They are cheaper than liquid fuel stoves to buy initially, but their cost to run is higher because propane fuel is more expensive.

If you are thinking of purchasing a propane burner or stove, you will find that:

1. They are easy to light, the flame is highly adjustable;

2. do not require pumping of the tank;

3.they are portable and strong;

4. The simplest single stove propane burners are small and fit easily inside your backpack; although they can be a bit heavy;

5. are cheaper than liquid fuel stoves in general;

6. Being relatively simple, they require very little maintenance.

In conclusion, we here at Outdoor Cooking Equipment Store recommend buying Bayou Classic propane stoves and burners. These burners are the most powerful propane burners commercially manufactured. They are designed for strength, function and safety, while remaining one of the most efficient outdoor propane burners sold.

They come in a variety of different shapes with one, two and three burner options and a range of BTU outputs, from 55,000 BTU units that allow you to cook on the simplest levels to high output burners with 210,000 BTU units that can heat a 162-quart pot in just 20 minutes.