The best camping stoves in 2025, tested by editors

CNN

6 hours ago

The best camping stoves we tested
Best camping stove: Coleman Cascade Classic
Best large camping stove: Camp Chef Mountain Series Everest 2X Cooking while on a camping trip is one of the best ways to enjoy your time in the great outdoors. But camping 101 says if your camping stove is hard to light and has a weak flame that keeps getting blown out by the wind, frying those burgers can quickly turn into a nightmare.
That's why I tested six of the most popular camping stoves on the market to see which ones are easy to use, powerful and fuel efficient, so you'll never have to camp with an empty stomach again. Here's what I found.
Coleman Cascade Classic Camp Stove
The Coleman Cascade Classic won me over with great flame control, smart details and an affordable price. It's the best camp stove for basically everyone.
Camp Chef Mountain Series Everest 2X Camp Stove
If you're cooking for large groups or in especially windy environments, the Camp Chef Everest 2X is for you. It has double the power and more space, so you can cook elaborate meals for large groups. From frying up eggs to boiling water for coffee and pasta, the Coleman Cascade Classic was the best camping stove I tested. It strikes the perfect balance of portability and flame control, all without breaking the bank.
The Coleman Cascade Classic stove had to beat out quite a competitive pool during my testing. Most stoves had similar designs and power output, so the details truly mattered when it came to picking a winner. The biggest reason the Coleman Cascade Classic bested the other stoves is simple: flame control. When cooking eggs, bacon and pancakes on each of the stoves, I was incredibly impressed with how much adjustability I was able to get from the Coleman Cascade Classic. Medium was enough to fry bacon in just a few minutes, and since camp stoves typically run hot, I turned the burner down to nearly as low as it could go in preparation for frying up some eggs. I was shocked to see the eggs needed more heat, meaning the range of heat the flame could output was quite wide.
This burner control is critical because if you want to cook meals more intense than a burger, dialing in the temperature is incredibly important. The Coleman Cascade easily has enough range to simmer chilis and soups on low without burning the ingredients at the bottom, but it can also sear a steak on high in seconds.
While the burners were the difference makers for the Coleman Cascade, there were a few other features I appreciated too. First is the wind shield. Three stoves I tested had wind shields that were so ineffective (or nonexistent) that a kettle of water didn't boil after 20 minutes when I placed a fan next to the stove. The Cascade Classic was still able to boil under that time limit at 18 minutes and 30 seconds. It just barely beat the mark, but after examining the windscreens, I could easily see why. The Cascade Classic's blockers were larger and more adjustable than most others, which helped with keeping the stove's heat alive.
Of the small stoves I tested, the GSI Outdoors Selkirk 460+ boiled water in the wind the fastest at 12 minutes 10 seconds, most likely thanks to its strong burners of 14,000 British Thermal Units (BTU) each. However, it didn't have quite as much burner control as the Cascade Classic and has a smaller cooking space, which is why it didn't earn a top spot.
The wind shields of the Cascade Classic were also adjustable, which I thought was a clever detail. The stove has thin metal arms that go into holes on the sides of the unit to attach the screens. These arms have several ridges on them, so you can move the shields closer or farther away. This not only lets you protect the flame a little better but it means the shields can hang off the sides of the stove, giving you more room to cook. It was a tight fit, but I was even able to fit a 10-inch pan next to a 12-inch pan on this stove, with the burners more or less centered on both pans.
The Coleman Cascade Classic is a stove you've probably seen if you've ever gone camping before, and there's a reason it's so popular. This stove has fantastic burner control — especially for its output of 10,000 BTU — is lightweight and has small details like adjustable wind screens and a dedicated spot to store the regulator. It's a little small if you're hoping to cook with multiple pieces of normal cookware or you need to feed a large group, but for most people, the Coleman Cascade Classic is the perfect stove for frying up simple meals at the campsite.
If you're cooking for the whole family or a large group of friends, the output of a normal camp stove just isn't going to cut it. That's why, if you're trying to heat a huge pot of chili for the whole campground, the Camp Chef Everest 2X is the only stove for you.
Let me get this out of the way first: The Camp Chef Everest 2X is huge. If your regular camping group consists of four people or fewer and you only want to cook simple meals, you probably don't need this stove. It weighs roughly 15 pounds, is 27 inches wide and is double the thickness of all the other camping stoves I tested, meaning it's not nearly as portable or easy to pack. However, once it's at camp, its big footprint translates to an enormous cooking surface that can fit full-size pots and pans to create epic meals.
I actually bought this stove five years ago, right before I went on a week-long camping trip to Acadia National Park in Maine with six of my friends. Since we cooked most of our meals at camp, this huge stove was a true trip-saver, easily pumping out meals for our entire group.
The size of the Everest 2X means it can fit any standard pots and pans you have at home, making it a game changer for large meals. I was able to comfortably cook with a 10-inch pan on most other stoves in my testing pool, but the Everest could fit a 12-inch pan while still having room to use the other burner. In fact, I could quite comfortably cook with a 12-inch and a 10-inch pan at the same time (the Coleman Cascade Classic could also do this, thanks to its adjustable wind guards, but the pans were hanging off the edges). That means bacon has room to lie flat, you can whip up more pancakes and burgers in one batch and enormous steaks can be seared without feeling cramped.
While the size of the Everest 2X is the biggest difference from the other stoves I tested, the burners themselves were also fantastic. Each burner outputs 20,000 BTU, which is nearly double the power of every other stove I tested. This not only means the flame was hotter and more intense but it was much more wind-resistant. In my tests, the Camp Chef Everest 2X was able to boil a kettle of water in just over five minutes without any wind. And with wind? It also boiled in five minutes. The Everest 2X was the only stove I tested that was completely unaffected by wind, with others doubling their boil time or never boiling at all. To be fair, this wind-resistance was when the stove was on at full blast, so if you're cooking on low heat in a windy environment, you'll still need to monitor the flame.
After using this stove for years, I've found a few small things I don't like. The size can be a blessing or a curse, depending on what you're cooking. For big group trips, I love the stove, but when it's just my partner and me, I wish we had something more portable. Beyond that, though, I've found that the handle of the stove, which is a thin piece of metal, isn't super durable and has bent over time. This has also happened with the thin metal latches that keep the stove's cover closed. At first, everything felt sturdy and snug, but after years of use, the bends in the metal have made the clips looser and have warped the handle. These pieces can easily be bent back to their original positions, but they'll eventually bend back, which is why I wish these components were thicker.
The Camp Chef Everest 2X is a beast of a stove. If you want to create multicourse meals or use normal-sized cookware, or if you're cooking for a big group, no other camp stove I tested fits the bill better. It's big and bulky, but the burners are incredibly strong, wind-resistant and adjustable, which gave me the closest feeling to cooking at home out of all of the stoves in our testing pool. If you don't have to carry it far, you'll be thrilled with the Everest 2X.
To find the best camping stove, I ran six of the most popular options through a gauntlet of tests. From boiling water to cooking eggs, bacon and pancakes, I used each stove to see which one is better than the rest. Here are all the tests I ran.
Performance
Boil time: I filled a kettle with 50 ounces of cold water and set it on each stove to boil, then timed how long it took for the kettle to start whistling. I ran this test twice on each stove, once with a fan pointed at the stove to simulate wind and a second time without a fan.
Ease of use: I cooked with each stove and judged how easy it was to set up, take down, turn on and clean.
Adjustability: While cooking, I used the stove's different heat settings and considered how well it could be adjusted.
Wind-resistance: I pointed a fan at each stove to simulate wind and judged how well the stove worked despite the airflow.
Design
Fuel efficiency: During my two boil tests, I weighed a canister of propane before and after I boiled water with the fan next to the stove and after I boiled without the fan. This way, I was able to compare how much gas each stove consumed under different conditions.
Extras: I used and judged any extra features of the stoves I tried.
Warranty: I researched and ranked each stove's warranty.
Most camping stoves will get you by on a trip, but if you don't want to feel like you're fighting to cook the entire time, choosing the best camping stove can save you a lot of time and energy. The first thing to consider when picking a camping stove is what you want to cook. If you're fine with a trimmed-down menu of easy-to-cook meals, most stoves will suffice. However, if you want cooking to be a highlight of your trip and you want to create elaborate meals, a larger, more powerful stove might be right for you. Some stoves even only have a single burner, but all the ones I tested were two-burner designs.
The power of a stove's burner is measured in British Thermal Units (BTU). The higher the number, the more heat your stove can theoretically provide. Most basic, entry-level camping stoves we tested have burners that output 10,000 BTU; however, the Everest 2X's burners each clock in at 20,000 BTU.
Rather than a wood stove or an electric one, the camp stoves we tested all run on propane. Most stoves come with a regulator that you screw into the side of the stove; then you can screw on a canister of propane to start cooking.
Griddle stoves have become increasingly popular lately and can be a good option if you want more cooking space. But it's hard to boil water on them, and they're heavier than standard stoves.
Speaking of weight, outside of power, portability is the next biggest factor you'll want to consider. You want a lightweight stove that's easy to move around. That way, you'll actually want to bring it camping. You're already carrying enough heavy stuff around the campsite as it is.
GSI Outdoors Selkirk 460+ Camp Stove
If I had to name a runner-up, this would be it. It's smaller than the Coleman Cascade Classic, but it has a little more power. I really enjoyed this GSI Outdoors stove. It's more compact than the Coleman Cascade Classic, and its burners pump out 14,000 BTU compared to the Cascade Classic's 10,000 BTU. I felt the cooking space on this stove was a little bit too small, though, and its wind shields weren't adjustable like the Cascade Classic's. I also didn't have as much flame control on this stove as I did with our winner. But if you have small cookware and you want a more compact stove, this is a great option.
Coleman Cascade 222 2-Burner Camp Stove
This stove is very similar to the Cascade Classic, but its downfall was its smaller wind guards. Nearly identical to our winning stove, the Coleman Cascade 222 had smaller wind shields that dropped it out of the race. It was one of three stoves that couldn't boil a kettle of water after 20 minutes when I pointed a fan at it (the Cascade Classic came close at 18 minutes 30 seconds but still managed the feat). This stove also has slightly more powerful burners at 11,000 BTU, but I didn't notice the power difference during my testing. It has a better latch than the Cascade Classic, but there isn't any reason it should be almost double the price.
Camp Chef Mountain Series Kodiak Camp Stove
This sturdy stove couldn't boil water in the wind, and it's much heavier than the Cascade Classic. I was hopeful for the Kodiak since I've loved the Everest 2X for many years, but it fell a little short of the competition. The 10,000-BTU burners, which are the same strength as the Cascade Classic's, couldn't boil a kettle of water in the wind after 20 minutes. I like the simple design, but I still have hesitations about the long-term durability of the handle and latches, as the ones on my Everest 2X have slightly bent over the years. This stove is also heavier than the Cascade Classic, making it less portable.
Jetboil Genesis Basecamp System Camp Stove
I love the design of this stove, but without wind protection, I just can't recommend it. Jetboil's Genesis stove has an amazing, clam-shell design that makes it the most portable stove I tested. When I first unboxed it, I was shocked by how compact it was. I also loved the fact that you get a 10-inch pot and pan included, which, by the way, both fit on the stove at the same time.
However, this stove doesn't have any wind protection, so it wasn't able to boil water after 20 minutes next to a fan. That, along with the price, dropped it from the competition. You can buy the stove itself without the nesting pot and pan, but it's still $300, which is by far the most expensive stove I tested. If Jetboil could somehow integrate wind guards and offer the stove at a more reasonable price, this would quickly become one of the most exciting and enticing camping stoves on the market.
Can you use a camping stove indoors?
Can you use a camping stove indoors?
No, you cannot use a camping stove indoors. When cooking outdoors, there's enough ventilation to dissipate any potential carbon monoxide that leaks while using the stove, but indoors, that's not the case.
How to use a camping stove?
How to use a camping stove?
Cooking on a camping stove is similar to cooking on the stove you have at home. Find a flat area, like a picnic table or sturdy camping table, to place your stove on, open it, then hook up the propane canister using the regulator. Ensure there aren't any flammable materials nearby (even a low-hanging tree could be dangerous) and light it. Once lit, you can cook as you normal would.
How do you light a camp stove?
How do you light a camp stove?
Most camping stoves have a built-in igniter, which makes lighting easy. Once your propane tank is connected, turn the dial of the stove slowly until you hear gas coming out. Then press the igniter, which will light the gas. If your stove doesn't have an igniter (or if the igniter is broken), get a lighter or match, light it, then turn your stove's dial to turn on the gas. If the gas doesn't light in the first second or two, turn off your stove and let the gas dissipate a little before trying again.
Are camping stoves safe?
Are camping stoves safe?
Yes, camping stoves are generally safe, but you should still read and follow their directions carefully. Camping stoves can start fires, and by using propane canisters, there's a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if you use a stove in an enclosed space.
CNN Underscored thoroughly tests the products in our testing guides and provides full transparency about how we test them. We have a skilled team of writers and editors who have many years of testing experience and ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when relevant to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item.
For this article, outdoors, sustainable living and pets editor Kai Burkhardt actually tested each of the included six camping stoves to write this product review. He timed how long it took to boil water, and he cooked eggs, bacon and pancakes on each to judge how powerful and adjustable each stove was.