bowl and found mixed results including a warping of the steel base due to the heat … a minor problem .
This one seemed to heat the water best whilst using the solid fuel tablet held in the fluid bowl , no doubt due to the proximity of fuel to the cooking surface . As a wood burner the Lixada works reasonably well
The third and perhaps most impressive test was that of a stainless-steel round convection stove . Numerous manufacturers make these and generally they all do the same thing , the heat source sits inside , air is drawn up through the bottom vents fueling the fire and drawing the heat toward the cooking surface … and it works , it works well . With three main cylinders this kit , and the many variations , can be adapted to allow for different fuels .
Due to the design the cylindrical convection stove is the bulkiest although does fit perfectly inside the billy . Packed the stove has an overall size of around 12x12x12cm and weighs 260gm , still perfect for those with limited space . The downside is that this design is often the most expensive , around AU $ 50.00 for the kit web tested .
Using the fuels as with the previous tests we came up with impressive results . Using it as designed , with small pieces of wood and forest debris the cylindrical convection stove was easily the most efficient and brought the water to a boil with a comparable time to that of gas burners . In fact we found that using this burner with wood was the only way that the water was brought to a rolling boil , others came close yet could quite get the water to reach
100 o .
Whilst these stoves are no match for gas burners , they offer a level of simplicity , compactness , and options that perhaps many wouldn ’ t normally consider . In their own right they are efficient and certainly not limited to what fuel can be used , gas burners are just that , gas burners .
The greatest downside of the solid fuel burner is the mess created by the fuel source . Wood creates a soot that sticks to the burner and cooking implement , although a little water or sand soon deals with the mess .
Hexamine , and similar solid fuels , also create a degree of soot and more concerning an odor or smoke that can be considered repugnant however , most modern forms of solid fuels have dealt with this issue and the smell is negligible .
There is of course liquid based fuels , a white spirit such as methylated spirits works best and easy to transport in a small bottle . We tested with 30ml of fuel in four differing versions of beer can burners however , for the sake of this article we concentrate on just the most efficient and simplest to create . Liquid fuel burners are available however , we feel that enjoying a beer while contemplating
the creation of a stove has a special significance .
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