Review: Campmaster single burner stove

Carrying on in the series of camp cooking posts, let me bring to your attention the utilitarian Campmaster Single Butane Stove. This simple and straightforward single burner stove only weighs 1700g (3 3/4 lbs), without a fuel canister, and  folds down into a very portable 343mm(13 1/2") x 280mm(11") x 118mm (4 2/3"). I've seen similar burners set up in Korean BBQ joints for at-the-table cooking. I've often used it for exactly that purpose, inside at the dining table and on innumerate picnic tables. The blue enameled steel frame is both sturdy and easy to clean. 

The stove takes standardized 220g Campmaster CRV Butane Gas Cartridges 4 Pack (Countersink release vent) safety cans which are explosion proof and they fit into a compartment on the side of the strove. The cartridge locks into place with a latch in the lip of the bottle and a lever beside the adjustable flame control needs to be engaged in order to connect the cartridge to the stove. The compartment closes when the stove is in operation to protect it and the user. it is well vented in case of leakages. 

The stove has a peizo-electric sparker, triggered by the Flame control dial which is handy. The stove has strong heating power: (Gas Consumption: 160g/h (7.9Mj/hr)) at maximum setting, which is plenty for a number of serves of a meal, or several rounds of quick cooking meals. 

The hob itself is cast aluminium, and the stove-top comes out and when flipped provides a trivet for resting pots and pans on, small enough to hold up an enamel mug for singular brews, perfect for cold mornings in a tent vestibule. The hob head is recessed in the stove-top to shield it from winds Though it should be noted there is a manufactures not not for use below 0oC freezing, presumably because the butane freezes up in the canister or in the tubes.

The stove is lightweight enough that its easily hikeable, especially important if you're going to a fire-free area and want to cook, without hauling a whole BBQ and gas bottle. I have to admit I stocked up on the canisters during the Covid lockdowns, in case there were mains-gas shortages or disruptions as part of my  bug-in / bug-out preparations, thankfully un-necessary. We did have several pleasant summer night al-fresco dinner cookouts, and I've even used it for at-the-table teppanyaki  and hibachi type meals. ( Be sure to ensure it is used in well ventilated spaces and that the stove is set up on a heat-proof location as radiant heat can scorch surfaces. ) The canisters are self-sealing and can be stored for lengthy periods between uses.

Review: portable Campmaster dual-range stove

 Having a campfire cookout is a glorious thing: open flames, glowing coals, smokey flavors, but some times you want the surety and stability of a gas range, especially if feeding a family or in adverse conditions, something like this can really make a potentially miserable situation cheery again. 

The Campmaster Double Burner range is a collapsible unit that folds up into a 11cm (4 1/3" H) x 26cm (10 1/4" W) x 21cm (8 1/4"D) box weighing 3.1kg ( 4lbs 10 oz).It unfolds, with silver retention band folding underneath it to form legs. The adjustment knobs sit outside the frame, so you'll need to be careful of that when packing and transporting. 

When unfolded, the "lid" forms the splash-back and two wings fold up and "tab A into slot B" to secure the lid and form a windshield. The unit comes equipped with a detachable hose with a recessed port on the right hand side. the cylinder end of the hose fits 3/8" LHT gas cylinders, without requiring a regulator.

Unfolded and hooked up to a gas cylinder, the range has two burners each with independent control knobs, which throttle the fire from roaring fast-boil to gentle simmering. The burners are guarded by stainless steel wire grills much like  the retention bands/ legs. The base of the unit has a cut-out which serves as a drain spot for spills when in use, or as a handle to carry it when folded up. These are hefty enough to bear up under my biggest cast iron pots, though the wings and splash-back need to be folded back to make room, but certainly enough room for a good size skillet and a pot for full meal cooking.

 The unit can be used with Universal LPG from cylinders complying with AS2030.1 (or equivalent), which means it is compatible with Swap and Go cylinders

The stove doesn't feature a pizo-electric starter, so to ignite it you'd need a match, lighter or ferro-rod type system, that's not an issue for me as I carry multiple fire-starting options as part of my EDC. 

The wings and back form an effective wind-shield keeping the burners from blowing out and heat staying where you need, the blue enamel finish makes wiping down any cooking splatters or trail dust an easy task. Needing an LPG tank for fuel sort of restricts it to back-yard or tail-gate type events, unless you fancy hauling a cylinder about, but its reliable, powerful and super simple to use.

My parents gifted me this one, as they used it to cook on whilst having their kitchen renovated and are not big campers.

One final thing, the standard BBQ cylinders available to me don't have a 3/8ths" fitting,  so an after market adapter is required but these are easy to come by. 

I keep mine on the top shelf of my tucker-box /  chuck box which we built around this unit, where it not only stows nicely but can cook on, right in place.