[FlutterDash]

Which one should I get? A portable butane or propane burner? Pluses, and minuses of each one.

EDIT: Also what about Sterno burners? I will be using this to cook stockpiled food and any game that I hunt.

 

[SCPigpen]

I have a propane burner I used this morning since we had no power. I like sterno for camping since its a little more compact. Around the house, for emergencies like for making coffee when the power is out, I like propane.

 

[franklin]

What would you use it for? Backpacking, camping, emergencies? Are you cooking for one person? Two? More?

 

[FlutterDash]

It'd be for 2 or more and for emergencies.

 

[Nucky]

I'm stockpiling butane for emergency indoor cooking. Seems safer for indoor cooking.

 

[Goodwrench708]

Which one should I get? A portable butane or propane burner? Pluses, and minuses of each one.

EDIT: Also what about Sterno burners? I will be using this to cook stockpiled food and any game that I hunt.

I have a butane stove for camping and shtf. The stoves are around 20 dollars at Asian stores...and the can butane is around 6 dollars for 4 cans at Asian stores....works great

 

[FlutterDash]

No Asian stores here so that is a problem I might have to go with propane since it is easier to find here.

 

[bassguy]

Coleman stove with the adapter to go to 5 gal or 10 gal tank is what I have used and it's actually nicer than cooking with my electric house stove.

 

[messiah]

I use propane mainly out of convenience. I have propane stoves, lanterns, and heaters. I also have duel fuel lanterns and other means of cooking and lighting of course, but propane sure is easy, cheap, and versatile!!!!

 

[Tanya]

i have a small butane stove and a small stock pile of butane for emergency situations,or for cooking outside in the heat of summer when i don't want the house to be to hot.

 

[showpare]

not bashing butane, but propane is easier to get...

I don't know much about butane, other than it has similar property's to propane. I have only seen butane bottles at an Asian store and at a restaurant supply store.

Propane bottles are at Walmart, Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Menards, CVS, Walgreens, Publix, & any sporting goods store. You can use the propane bottle for lanterns, camp stoves, camp ovens, heaters, coffee makers, & crock pots. Plus, with adapters, a 1 lb bottle can be used on your home grill, to power an RV fridge, and to refill from a 20 lb BBQ tank. Plus, any of the appliances noted above can be used from a 20 lb BBQ tank with an adapter.

The 1 lb propane bottle is more versatile and easier to get and refill than it's butane cousin.

 

[minitruck83]

Butane is about useless when ambient temps reach +32f, propane gasses well below 0f, (I think somewhere around -40f ?) s'why your Bic won't light in northern winters.

 

[Copper93]

I had a butane stove. We tried using it while camping in the mountains during winter. It was cold but not horribly so. The stove would not light. We had to put the can of butane in our jackets to warm them up. Butane will not vaporize when it's cold. Go with propane, never had that problem with them.

 

[Happy Joe]

I keep hearing stories about cold-butane problems ... I also hear that there is a gas mixture that is supposed to work better in the cold, in butane stoves (never tried it).
I have a number of propane burners, as long as you are not backpacking they are a good way to go around here; I use mine with a 10 pound refillable tank, for extended trips... sometimes a 20 pounder. those one pound canisters are excessively expensive and don't last all that long if you do much cooking/heating.

Mostly though I cook on the campfire, when there is not a fire ban.
For backpacking I use either the old Svea 123 (fire bans) or a found fuel stove (lighter and no fuel to carry/run out).

Enjoy!

 

[Old Soldier]

Butane boils at 34F, propane at -44F. If it's going to be cold go with Propane.

 

[Wombat]

I have a butane stove that i can use indoors. Propane seems to be an outdoor or WELL ventilated cooking gas. I guess it really depends on where.

 

[LickSkillet]

I have used both. Decided sticking with one fuel type was much easier to manage. I liked having a small butane stove (with small canisters) when motorcycle camping, though I used propane everywhere else. Well, when I found that I could refill the coleman 1 pounders from a 20lb propane my problem was solved.

Adapter
http://www.sears.com/gascru-brass-propane-one-pound-tank-refill-adapter/p-SPM2241187721?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

Instructions
http://www.instructables.com/id/Refill-Disposable-Propane-Tank-from-a-Standard-BBQ/

 

[Pearl]

For around the house when the power is out or erratic I use a butane burner and a thermal cooker (think of it as a slow cooker that you only heat up once and leave it alone.)
Of course, I can use charcoal and cast iron or the dual fuel Coleman stoves and lanterns or the fire pit or wood stove ........

Mostly keep the propane for heating or during canning season when I set up my outdoor kitchen.

 

[gallon]

Butane boils at 34F, propane at -44F. If it's going to be cold go with Propane.

I can certify that. It approached -30 on four different occasions so far in my location in Northern Wisconsin. -20 was fairly common. In fact, it has reached 32 degrees, barely, only twice this winter. But the propane was never a problem.

The propane heating and cooking never faltered. We did have some problems with freezing water lines, indoors, while the heat was working. We worked that out though.

 

[yelruh]

I've use a lot of different emergency burners when the power was out. If it is not too cold I really like the butane burner. It's cheap and so is the fuel... and it is really easy to use. I used it last week when the house was in the forties and there was no problem, except I couldn't get it to go to a low simmer without shutting down.

I got mine at a rest. supply store and the stove was about $12 and the fuel was $14 for a dozen cans.

Current prices and links in another post on the next page.