A burner made from a drinks can presents a compact design idea with very little visible bulk. Its appeal lies in that economy of form. A short demonstration shows one use, while the choice of equipment for a camping trip involves the intended conditions and the complete cooking system.
A flame is not a complete equipment test
Stability, fuel handling, wind, cooking support and the intended environment all affect whether a stove is appropriate. A short build video cannot establish those conditions for another user.
Keep camping burners outdoors
Fuel-burning camping equipment must not be treated as an indoor cooking substitute; carbon monoxide and fire are serious concerns in enclosed spaces. For a camping trip, choose equipment designed for the conditions and follow its manufacturer’s fuel and ventilation guidance.
Explore more: practical winter preparation; another outdoor-fire claim that needs limits.
Video: How To Turn A Beer Can Into The Only Camping Stove You'll Ever Need (published by Tom Allen).
Further information: CDC carbon-monoxide prevention guidance.
A small burner still needs a complete cooking system
The appeal of the video is its transformation of a familiar disposable container into a working object. For a camper, however, the burner is only one component. The pot, support, fuel container and extinguishing arrangements all affect the finished setup. Comparing the weight of the empty can with a complete commercial stove therefore leaves out much of what must actually be carried.
Why an outdoor burner stays outdoors
A compact burner and a household emergency-cooking plan are different things. A power cut does not make an outdoor burner suitable for cooking inside a home. CDC guidance warns against portable gas camp stoves indoors because of carbon-monoxide risk. The demonstration is therefore best approached as a making project to examine, with the whole cooking system and its permitted environment considered separately. A small flame in a video does not establish an appropriate setup for a home.
Sources, photography and further reading
Original feature and image attributions:
- Real Farmacy
- That's Genius! How To Chop Wood Without Messing Around
- practical winter preparation
- another outdoor-fire claim that needs limits
- How To Turn A Beer Can Into The Only Camping Stove You'll Ever Need
- CDC carbon-monoxide prevention guidance
Current reference information, checked 15 September 2026:
Excellent.
ReplyDeleteDoes it work with Methylated Spirits?
Yes it would work
DeleteBravo...always nice to learn something new and such a great camping or road survival stove! Thanks and a wonderful video to boot!
DeleteBravo...always nice to learn something new and such a great camping or road survival stove! Thanks and a wonderful video to boot!
ReplyDeleteAlso if you have no pocket knife
ReplyDeletehttp://life.hackaday.com/three-ways-to-open-a-can-without-a-can-opener/
I've used a $15 alcohol SafeSport (or some such brand) stove for 20 years! This can stove is almost identical and looks amazing. I might suggest, in addition to a windscreen others have mentioned, that you buy or improvise a pot stand that the stove will fit into, rather than putting the pot directly on the can. One is often cooking on soft and/or uneven surfaces when outside, and the stove is inherently unstable with a pot on it. Spilling that last cup of cocoa or pot of hot food in the backcountry can be a real bummer!
ReplyDeleteOther advantages aside from cheapness and lightness: dependability (no pumps or valves to clog or leak, burns decently at altitude) and safety (no pressurized canisters, again no leaking valves or connectors). Also, alcohol burns comparatively cleanly and cool; I was cooking in my tent in a blizzard at 10-11,000 feet, and turned the stove over on my backpack. I was able to quickly beat out the flames with a glove, and no damage occurred to the nylon of the backpack or the glove. It does give off fumes, depending on what alcohols you are burning (methyl vs. ethyl vs. ispropyl vs. mixed), but the burn is much cleaner than that from petroleum.
Good luck. I hope to make one or two of these soon and cook up multiple water batches at once!
Perfect!!!!!
ReplyDeleteshared on my blog!
DeleteWhile fun to make, these are a waste of time when it comes to actual backpacking. They need to be primed and are not so reliable (or safe)- also you still have to carry liquid fuel that it's hard to judge how much you need.
ReplyDeleteYou can get a cheap ultralight (4oz or so) backpacking stove for under $20 that use small butane canisters that are only $5.
Bottom line: invest in a decent stove.