Thanks for repeating the test. You're a good man. Yeah, I didn't realize how little heat that Sterno and Esbit tablets put out. Lesson learned. Although, to be fair, many people aren't interested in bringing their water to a rolling boil. In order to sterilize water it just has to come up through 160 degrees if I'm not mistaken. The only reason that people recommend a rolling boil is that, in the absence of a thermometer, the boil gives visual proof that the water has indeed been sterilized. Hey, thanks for the video.
The small bottle of alcohol doesn't add much weight to your pack, and as a bonus, your pot doesn't get sooty ;-) That was a great test. Good information. Thanks for sharing. Looks like spring has finally arrived.
Thanks for the video. When I need to get the water to a rolling boil I put the Sterno in the cup just like the liquid alcohol to give it a larger surface area for the flame. I get similar results to alcohol and it seems safer.
Yea know I was thinking about that the other day aka putting the jelly in the pan. It does sound like a good idea and might give it a go as still have some Sterno left. Thanks for watching!
I'm gonna pickup a couple of these come payday. They're so cheap. Bought the large Toaks last payday. Haven't done a burn in yet. I'm a bit enamored with wood pellets and the burn time you get. Walmart in my area sells 20 lb bags of food grade pellets for 12 dollars. No, don't eat em. You know what I mean. Kevin, had no idea you had so many vids, like 800-900. Wow, great resource. Lot of useful info. Didn't know what chaga was, much less light a fire with it. Glad this is your hobby!
I think the whole concept of this wood gas stove is that it is designed for burning, er, wood type fuel (as the name indeed suggests!), and the alcohols and other tested fuels do not benefit from the main design feature of the cooker, which is designed to burn the wood gases 'boiled' out of the wood fuel, as well as the carbonised wood material (charcoal) thereafter. This latter part of the fuel can be encouraged to fully burn out once the woodgases have burned off (the yellow flames) by giving them a little stir around in the perforated cup, which permits extra air to fuel their burning (blue flame). As we know, barbecue charcoal gives off lots of heat even after there are no visible flames; by burning off the woodgases, it is charcoal that we are left with thereafter. We also recognise that given good airflow, the charcoal in the barbecue also burns hotter. In my experience, the shallow cup (if taken along at all) is best used as a cinder catch when located on the ground, wholly below the perforated cup insert, and best results are obtained when using wood fuel type pellets, which are relatively energy dense and not overly heavy to carry; less than a quarter pound of these will boil your water in short order, and bigger quantities for even longer, just don't over fill the cup and chamber, you do need to have that airflow from both the inner wall and out through the inner vent ways, and also through the fuel from the perforated base cup. I'd respectfully suggest the alcohol is squirted sparingly onto the top layer of wood pellets, then light and let it burn from the top down, as I believe is the way the stove is designed to work best. Personally I start mine with waxed paper tinder placed on and in among the topmost layer of pellets, or place a home made waxed cotton pad on the top to start the pellets offs, and leave the alcohol at home. Good luck!
Thoroughly agree with all you are saying. As a starter I use wood shavings mixed in melted wax prepared beforehand. I have unlimited access to both, just a coffee spoon ontop of the pellets lights it up perfectly.
Those tables we use those just to keep the cooked food warmed ,like under a chaffing dish . or mainly to start a fire when you don't have dry material about . I just use mine with twigs or small sticks . boils 2 cup of water in 3.5 minutes . It's the best little stove i have bought . & i like how it's small ,doesn't take up to much room or heavy to lug around . great video thanks.
I just came across some info on Esbit fuel which might be helpful...there are different sizes. 4 gram, 5 gram, and a much larger.. 14 gram cube. I was able to order 36 pieces of the 14 gram size for $21.63 on Amazon. I wouldn't use them all the time, but for certain situations they might be very useful. A review said it boils 500ml of water in about 8 min. It did not mention what stove was used. Thanks for all your tests my friend.
You need to check out the Solo Stove Lite. I take the stove out of the stuff sack , flip the top ring over , add some alcohol , light it and cook when I DO NOT use wood. In my Solo Stove Lite I put about 3/4 of a ounce of denatured alcohol in the ash pan in the bottom of the stove. Light it and turn the Solo Stove Lite into a alcohol stove for a quick pot of boiling water. This way I do NOT have to carry an additional alcohol burner to use in the stove. 3/4 of a ounce will boil two cups of water in a few minutes. I'm sure the manufacture does not suggest / recommend / authorize doing this but it works really well.
The solo stove is a superior product, and is made in the USA. That's not to say the Chinese stoves aren't a good value, though. It depends on your preferences.
All three fuels are forms of alcohol so I think it's a matter of burning area of the combustible surface area. If you put as much esbit fuel surface area as your liquid fuel, your boil time would probably be close to the same. Similar with the sterno. Thanks for the video; food for thought. I use this gasifier stove to cook by taking a bunch of glowing wood coals from my campfire and putting them in the stove in "wood" mode. Pretty clean burn, very hot, but still soots up my cook pots a wee bit. If I don't have a campfire, I just fuel it with dry twigs/pine cones or fine cut wood. Slightly more soot, but very hot. Love the stove for its pack small profile and room for stuff inside when packed.
Yup but the test was asked for in the last video so did it. Thanks for watching! Edit to add. I think maybe in 10 or so more minutes it might have actually boiled (or not LOL!) in the first attempt but agree it's not a good option here.
I transfer Sterno ethanol fuel into Swiss M71 and place a windscreen around BCB cup, and it boils 500ml in 7 min. I use it in BCB Crusader I and II, they work great with virtually no soot buildup.
Sterno is for keeping stuff warm on the buffett. I like the tabs for fire starters. You can do a small boil with a tab sitting open. You gotta have the tab really close. I now lean toward 200 proof vodka. Great fuel and not too bad in coffee. Great POV and close framing. Really felt like I was sitting in camp with you. I want a wing.
People forget Esbitt was designed for military use when field kitchens were not available. So to boil up a cup of water for 1 or 2 cups of coffee or heat an MRE. I would have used 2 tabs for the amount of water you put in the pot or if conserving Esbitt, 1 tab with a few twigs thrown on top. They're fine for light usage and if in a wet environment they can be the thing that gets your fire going when nothing else will.
Maybe Sterno has changed but I used to go camping a couple of times a month back in the 70's and used Sterno often to boil water and cook. I had the rinky-dink folding Sterno stove and it worked just fine. The only difference is that I had larger Sterno cans. Last time I used it was about 10 years ago and no problem. We just got a new truck and next month I'm putting a camper on it and building storage/kitchen area in it. I will probably be taking my Sterno stove with me but I will be using a Swedish alcohol stove with it.
I have one of those those too. The thing you have to keep in mind is that the Sterno canister that you have isn't actually for cooking. They made the little ones for catering. It was meant to do was to keep food warm. That looks like the ones that you have. The ones that are made for camping or hard to find nowadays. That's why you can't find the actual stoves anymore.
I use an alcohol burner in my truck to heat water for noodles. I use a lixada nano size folding little wood stove with a commercial alcohol burner as a heat source. There is a sweet spot for alcohol burners about an inch and a half above the burner where the heat really gets useful . Which you found out.
I have been using Sterno with my Ohuhu. You have to set the bottom basket as you would if you were using wood. Do not put in the dish. You need the draft to come in from the bottom basket. Add the Sterno can. light the can and then add the top ring. Place your pot on top. Works great. I am able to boil water that way.
I use the small plate to light up the stove, from the underneath, using alcohol. I believe the plate is designed for that. It takes around 2-3 mins to light up the wood that way. The only downside is that, in this way (in those 2-3 mins), it will produce a lot of smoke. You have to give it a try, if you haven't done it already.
The little bowl is an ash pan to go under your fuel cage and protect ground. Esbit will boil 8 to 10 ounce water for brew. I use it a lot but love the alcohol. I have that same stove for 2 years
The manufacture says its for fuel but I will try the ash idea. www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-Wood-Burning-Stove-Picnic-Burner-Backpacking-Camping-Survival-Cooking-/253305757947?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10#viTabs_0 Thanks for watching.
The instructions clearly label it for fuel. There is nothing in the kit listed as an ash try. I found a small toaster oven cooking tray which is just big enough for the stove to fit into as a base tray to catch ashes.
Your video was another good one. I greatly enjoyed it. While I have found off brands of hexamine tablets useful I have a very low opinion of the Esbit brand. They are WAY overpriced. As for Sterno? This denatured and jellied alcohol fuel is fine so long as they are simply used as a warmer under a chafing dish. OR: If one owns a Nascar racing team looking for creative ways to cheat! In 2007, NASCAR owner/driver Michael Waltrip and his team had severe penalties handed down by officials. Team Vice-President Bobby Kennedy and Crew Chief David Hyder of Waltrip's No. 55 were ejected from the Daytona International Speedway. Hyder was fined $100,000 for his involvement with lining fuel tanks and intake valves with Sterno. NASCAR also docked Waltrip 100 owner points and disqualified his qualifying speed for the Daytona 500. Mid-week, NASCAR determined that the then unknown substance was Sterno. When the highly regulated NASCAR fuel was added, the Sterno would liquefy, giving the car an added octane boost.[6] As a cooking fuel? Sterno stinks! Nevertheless thank you once more for producing an informative entertaining video. Well done, sir.
Buddy this was an awesome video. I think I enjoyed your positive attitude More than the stove test itself! Thumb's up, have a great God blessed day brother. Thumb's up~John
You have to be patient with gel fuels like Sterno. 30 minutes or more is quite common, especially in the cold. As for the Esbit, I won't use them because they are extremely toxic. However, I understand that other smaller gasifiers will boil on them, like the Bush Buddy Mini, Four Dog Stove or Goshawk Eddy systems. Good work and merry Christmas 🎄
Next test the feeding of super dry leaves from the ground rather than those modern fuels you have to buy, a few handul dry leaves will boil over that amount of water in a few minutes.
With an Esbit stove actually designed for the tablets, I find 1 tablet will boil about 10oz-12oz of water and it helped to break the tablet in quarters to generate more heat at once. To boil 20oz-24oz of water it takes 2 Esbit tablets in this Esbit stove. Your milage may vary.
Great test. I like my alcohol stove for those last minute you just never know situations. Do not like the esbit tabs at all. We do lots of catering and family parties and sterno great for warming only and that is about all.
The one thing we hate is when someone does a video and they just ramble on , great video but slow down the commentary kinda make it minimalistic and more to your test! But thanks you did a great job! I'm not nocking your video i enjoyed tge video just to let ya know you did a good job!
This is not conducive to your test but I use Esbit cubes basically as an extended fire starter in conjunction with sticks. Another fun video! Keep em coming!
As far as the tablets u are gonna need 2. The sterno has been reformulated to be less flammable. This is for use with chafing dishes to keep good warm. To work in your test you would need to scoop some out of the can and put it in the spirit burning dish. This should increase the surface area exposed and create a hotter burn. It still might not work since reformulation. I hauled a load of it and it wasn't even hazmat. I thought it would have been a flammable 3 load but it wasn't since reformulation. Good test. Keep going.....
Your experience with Esbit and sterno are like my own. They don't release enough heat to be of much use (even with equipment designed for them) on the trail. Alcohol is great (more ways than one lol) and trioxide tabs are good too but the reason I bought a "twig stove" (probably from the same manufacturer as you) was so I could use fuel I found around me. I use alcohol as a backup for when everything is too wet and if you spend the extra money for Ever Clear or PGA there are several uses for it besides cooking (sanitation, relaxation, etc.). Another great video, I hope you have better weather next time but it's neat to find a spring. BTW, I've liked what you've posted well enough that I subscribed to your channel. Keep up the good work and maybe we'll run into each other on a trail sometime.
Esbit and the similar Hexamine tablets will work better if they are broken up a bit and that gives more burning surface area and burns hotter, however breaking it up also means quicker burn rate so with that amount of water two tablets broken at least into half would probably do the trick Hexamine tablets do have a longer burn time.. as for the stuff in the tin dont know never used it. (PS...I spent practically a life time using Hexamine tablets) good field test.....regards Maff
Greetings M.W., another great video. Clearly, alcohol was the big winner. Curious to see a race of alcohol and wood, in your two stoves. It looks like esbit may work, using 2 or 3 cubes at pace once. It's just lower on BTU output .Sterno, well, sterno just sucks...
I use alcohol gel in the top tray. Then for the gaswood burn I fill with cat wood litter, put some alcohol gel on top to light. Burns for over 2 hours. I boil water in just under 4 mins.
If you turn the dish upside down and set the esbit tab in that little depression it might be closer to your pot and boil it. Not sure if that will work but just an idea
These stoves work exactly how they're supposed to, wood, wood pellets, and alcohol. I think if you had a grill that fit without the top on on the stove it would work well with 2 or 3 esbit cubes, as for the sterno no clue maybe it doesn't burn real hot I don't know because when you changed the position on it the flame was right under the pot at least that's what it looked like from my end. In the end though, wood and those wood pellets seem to me like the best choices to get the full benefits from these stoves.
You need to use the esbit in the normal stove configuration to take advantage of the wood gas properties of the stove and get a more efficient burn. That reverse configuration is only for alcohol. And don't use the alcohol dish with the esbit
Maybe using a pot that is smaller in diameter. The nesbit tablet doesnt spread out fire in the same diameter., so onlyva small part of the pan bottom gets well heated. In addition, the area of the pan bottom that isnt getting heated well serves as a radiator and disperses heat from the water oit into the atmosphere. Smaller pot for nesbit and sterno required.
Sterno has been a joke for years and while it has its uses is not good on the trail. Esbit will boil water but with a lesser volume of water like a cup. Also water temperature is a factor. 45F water will take longer to boil and consule more fuel. Enjoyed the vid.
Megawoodswalker First of all I'd like to say the area you're in Beautiful especially with that Running Brook.To bad about the weather. I've used the tablet and I used to use it in a little burner I used to cook Jiffy Pop with two tablets smaller than the ones that you used. So you might try two or three tablets for cooking that much water or food. On the Sterno I would take the sternal out of the and put it in the little pan for the alcohol. This way it would be a bigger fire. Just a thought, I've never use Sterno but it'd be interesting to see how long it would burn. Would it burn at the same rate as alcohol? Once again Great Video
I dislike Esbit but agree more tables would of been better. I think Sterno burns slower and longer than alky just based on observation but never did a side by side test. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the field test and very important information. I never thought of Sterno as anything but a food warmer and never considered trying it anyway. But good to know that Esbit wasn't working either. I have an Esbit stove and tabs, haven't tried them out yet, maybe they work better with the stove they were designed for?? I also have a Trangia alcohol stove. Was thinking of getting some type of stove where you can burn wood (twigs). Thanks for sharing. Also, I noticed you are using the GI Mess kit, is that your go-to cookset usually? I've been banging my head on what the ideal compact cook kit would be.
Thanks, I have an old GI Mess Kit I bought at a surplus store many years ago, not sure if they were always made of stainless steel? the one I have, the metal seemed to bubble on it (weird). Would like to get a new one. I would use it mostly for the frying pan along with a pot or canteen cup. But like you said titanium would be a lighter option, have to see how expensive that is. Thank you for replying.
For those who think steno is only for warming food, I've been cooking with it for some time. I have no problem cooking eggs, sausages, hamburger, soup, heating water for tea and other hot drinks, and so on. Sterno works fine for general all around cooking. Getting water to a boil is possible, it just takes longer, but it will be hot enough to burn your lips. I use the Sterno folding stove from Walmart. I also use my Trangia in the folding stove. I don't know about other methods using Sterno, but in the folding stove, it works great.
I bet it would work great eggs. Lower heat would make it harder to burn the eggs. I have a Trangia in a wind screen setup probably much like yours. It's nice. Thanks for the info and watching!
As a chicken wing fanatic, I approve this video! Do you find alcohol is a good fuel for multi day excursions? Seems like it burns a lot of fuel, might get heavy. Cheers
It's actually not so bad. Does not have the BTUs of White gas but gets the job done. I had even better results when putting a dedicated alcohol burner inside the wood gas stove rather than using the supplied pan. I like to use alky as a backup for wood or during a short outing but don't use it for longer duration outings.
Connor Flynn I've been doing multi day hikes for years & years, only recently tried using different cooking options, I have a great foldable woodstove which I love, a second option is good and you can have a contained campfire, but I always take my gas stove, it's the only option you can actually rely on
Maybe put some some organic stuff in the alcohol but little bit higher like the fuel for better absorbtion. And maybe is possible to use oil fuel for better results . I like the place where you walk .
I liked this video so much I came back for a second viewing. This time I noticed the mention of making Hemlock tea. Hemlock tea? Food for thought. “The most infamous poisoning by hemlock is attributed to the Greek philosopher Socrates, who chose a hemlock drink as his preferred means of death-most sources say that he drank it mixed with water or as a tea. In the Phaedo, Plato claims that Socrates first felt a numbing in his limbs, after which the sensation overtook his entire body. Socrates maintained full awareness throughout his poisoning and even continued to speak to those around who witnessed his death. His last words reportedly were: “Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius. Please, don’t forget to pay the debt.” Socrates willingly drank the poison after being sentenced to death for his speeches and for his belief in humanistic and democratic principles. When he was ordered to publicly deny his ideas or die, he chose death. However, as a respected gentleman, the court gave him the right to pick the manner in which he wished to have his death sentence carried out. Hemlock tea was his first .” Perhaps it was a good thing you never got around to making the Hemlock tea.
Hemlock the toxic weed would kill me. Hemlock the conifer tree needle tea is a good. I make it all the time on my channel. Think more in terms of pine needle tea rather than a nasty killer weed. Thanks for watching!
In my Out-D solid fuel tablet stove, I can get a boil from one Esbit Tablet on only 8 oz. of water in a GSI cup. For more water, it takes a series of tablets. Add one just as the first one begins to wind down. Repeat as necessary.
9 bucks for 12 so that's almost $2.25 just to boil a backpacking kettle of water. I would go broke with all the water I boil. Odds are that's why people are stingy with um. It was on my mind. Thanks for watching!
I just don't like those alcohol trays/bowls. There's several ounces of burning, and highly flammable, liquid just waiting for a klutz like me to tip over and set the camp site on fire.
working in a catering hall many years I found out one thing, Sterno is meant to keep items at 147 degrees (F) not cook on,,,,the larger cans just last longer, but don't get hotter,,,,I use sterno as fire starter, keeping my coffee in a kettle warm, or keeping a large pot of stew warm,,,,,I also use it for washing, etc....not a cooking fuel,,,,esbit I use for heating canteen cup water,,what I mean is pour the water you want to make coffee with into your canteen cup ,cover the cup and use the Large esbit tablet,,,,Check out www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/crusader-cooking-system-with-the-issue-58-pattern-osprey-bottle-114-p.asp Great job on the videos,,,,are you in NY State????
Just read the instructions. ! ESBIT tablet is not made to boil that amount of water. I use it all the time. I boil and cook with it. You cant say that ESBIT failed on boil test just because you decided that 1 tablet should be enough for the amount of water that you decided.
Yup. One down side to working a camera and doing stuff is occasionally I forget things like grabbing the right platy as there is too much going through my mind though wasn't going to drink it without boiling as the water was for the test. Thanks for watching.
truth seeker its mostly used indeed to keep things warm,but I use them to boil my water mainly because there is a open Fire ban here,you see IT in some of my video's
Fat wood & a lighter ! Keep your cooking gear smaller. You normally would only need 16 oz's of water if cooking for 2 !!!! Too much gear, not enough wood my friend.
Thanks for repeating the test. You're a good man. Yeah, I didn't realize how little heat that Sterno and Esbit tablets put out. Lesson learned. Although, to be fair, many people aren't interested in bringing their water to a rolling boil. In order to sterilize water it just has to come up through 160 degrees if I'm not mistaken. The only reason that people recommend a rolling boil is that, in the absence of a thermometer, the boil gives visual proof that the water has indeed been sterilized. Hey, thanks for the video.
It was fun and thank for watching!
Unless you’re boiling for drinking water b
I believe it's 180-185 degrees. But like you said, lacking a thermometer, bring it to a boil.
Happy to see your video ! made my day haha I dont usually watch these videos but your cheerfulness really bring in the audience
That comment made my day! Thanks for watching.
The small bottle of alcohol doesn't add much weight to your pack, and as a bonus, your pot doesn't get sooty ;-)
That was a great test. Good information. Thanks for sharing. Looks like spring has finally arrived.
It worked good. The snow is gone and rain is here so yup. We got Spring! Thanks for watching.
Don't use isopropyl. Denatured only has no soot
Thanks for the video. When I need to get the water to a rolling boil I put the Sterno in the cup just like the liquid alcohol to give it a larger surface area for the flame. I get similar results to alcohol and it seems safer.
Yea know I was thinking about that the other day aka putting the jelly in the pan. It does sound like a good idea and might give it a go as still have some Sterno left. Thanks for watching!
I'm gonna pickup a couple of these come payday. They're so cheap. Bought the large Toaks last payday. Haven't done a burn in yet. I'm a bit enamored with wood pellets and the burn time you get. Walmart in my area sells 20 lb bags of food grade pellets for 12 dollars. No, don't eat em. You know what I mean.
Kevin, had no idea you had so many vids, like 800-900. Wow, great resource. Lot of useful info. Didn't know what chaga was, much less light a fire with it. Glad this is your hobby!
Burns wood pellets really nicely. Thanks for watching!
Edit: 800-900 liked videos, Big difference! lol
I think the whole concept of this wood gas stove is that it is designed for burning, er, wood type fuel (as the name indeed suggests!), and the alcohols and other tested fuels do not benefit from the main design feature of the cooker, which is designed to burn the wood gases 'boiled' out of the wood fuel, as well as the carbonised wood material (charcoal) thereafter.
This latter part of the fuel can be encouraged to fully burn out once the woodgases have burned off (the yellow flames) by giving them a little stir around in the perforated cup, which permits extra air to fuel their burning (blue flame). As we know, barbecue charcoal gives off lots of heat even after there are no visible flames; by burning off the woodgases, it is charcoal that we are left with thereafter. We also recognise that given good airflow, the charcoal in the barbecue also burns hotter.
In my experience, the shallow cup (if taken along at all) is best used as a cinder catch when located on the ground, wholly below the perforated cup insert, and best results are obtained when using wood fuel type pellets, which are relatively energy dense and not overly heavy to carry; less than a quarter pound of these will boil your water in short order, and bigger quantities for even longer, just don't over fill the cup and chamber, you do need to have that airflow from both the inner wall and out through the inner vent ways, and also through the fuel from the perforated base cup.
I'd respectfully suggest the alcohol is squirted sparingly onto the top layer of wood pellets, then light and let it burn from the top down, as I believe is the way the stove is designed to work best. Personally I start mine with waxed paper tinder placed on and in among the topmost layer of pellets, or place a home made waxed cotton pad on the top to start the pellets offs, and leave the alcohol at home. Good luck!
I think the alcohol is more of a fall back option.
Like in wet weather where nothing will burn.
Thoroughly agree with all you are saying. As a starter I use wood shavings mixed in melted wax prepared beforehand. I have unlimited access to both, just a coffee spoon ontop of the pellets lights it up perfectly.
@@tonyperone3242 Correct, and even if you get ill and have to stay in camp/tent/shelter.
I have been using hand sanitizer as a fuel. Set up as if I was using alcohol. Even baked with it ( hand sanitizer) and it did a great job.
I used that as a fire starter once. Thanks for posting!
Coolest damn nut case on TH-cam! Keep it up.
Thanks bother!
no mate, your thinking of a Jockstrap (nut case) as we say in england land
👉🤣
"Hey everybody, it's the Walker. "
I like the sound of that.
LOL! Thanks brother!
Can't get enough of that. Salute from NYC.
Those tables we use those just to keep the cooked food warmed ,like under a chaffing dish . or mainly to start a fire when you don't have dry material about . I just use mine with twigs or small sticks . boils 2 cup of water in 3.5 minutes . It's the best little stove i have bought . & i like how it's small ,doesn't take up to much room or heavy to lug around . great video thanks.
Another great video. Glad you tried the sterno. I learned from your tests.Good looking wings! Bon Appetite!
It was no problem. Alky was way better! Thanks for watching!
You need to use 2 esbit tablets at once to boil that much water.
You’ve probably right. I really don’t like um but that’s just me. Thanks for watching.
I just came across some info on Esbit fuel which might be helpful...there are different sizes. 4 gram, 5 gram, and a much larger.. 14 gram cube.
I was able to order 36 pieces of the 14 gram size for $21.63 on Amazon.
I wouldn't use them all the time, but for certain situations they might be very useful.
A review said it boils 500ml of water in about 8 min. It did not mention what stove was used.
Thanks for all your tests my friend.
Thanks for watching! I will check out those larger sized tabs.
My experience with esbit is that pot was too big and too much water. I can usually get a boil from one tab with a 750 ml pot (smaller surface area)
I am not a big fan of Esbit. Truth be told I prefer it as an ER firestarter. Thanks for the info and watching!
You need to check out the Solo Stove Lite. I take the stove out of the stuff sack , flip the top ring over , add some alcohol , light it and cook when I DO NOT use wood. In my Solo Stove Lite I put about 3/4 of a ounce of denatured alcohol in the ash pan in the bottom of the stove. Light it and turn the Solo Stove Lite into a alcohol stove for a quick pot of boiling water. This way I do NOT have to carry an additional alcohol burner to use in the stove. 3/4 of a ounce will boil two cups of water in a few minutes.
I'm sure the manufacture does not suggest / recommend / authorize doing this but it works really well.
Thanks for the suggestion. I have a solo stove campfire and like it!
The Solo Stove lite is like $70, these are less than $20 stoves, is the Solo worth the extra money?
The solo stove is a superior product, and is made in the USA. That's not to say the Chinese stoves aren't a good value, though. It depends on your preferences.
This video just came up in my suggestions. I miss you, Kevin. RIP
All three fuels are forms of alcohol so I think it's a matter of burning area of the combustible surface area. If you put as much esbit fuel surface area as your liquid fuel, your boil time would probably be close to the same. Similar with the sterno. Thanks for the video; food for thought. I use this gasifier stove to cook by taking a bunch of glowing wood coals from my campfire and putting them in the stove in "wood" mode. Pretty clean burn, very hot, but still soots up my cook pots a wee bit. If I don't have a campfire, I just fuel it with dry twigs/pine cones or fine cut wood. Slightly more soot, but very hot. Love the stove for its pack small profile and room for stuff inside when packed.
sterno is meant purely as a warming fuel for buffet lines where foods need to be kept warm when another heat source is not available
Yup but the test was asked for in the last video so did it. Thanks for watching! Edit to add. I think maybe in 10 or so more minutes it might have actually boiled (or not LOL!) in the first attempt but agree it's not a good option here.
YET YOU CAN COOK OVER IT....
I transfer Sterno ethanol fuel into Swiss M71 and place a windscreen around BCB cup, and it boils 500ml in 7 min. I use it in BCB Crusader I and II, they work great with virtually no soot buildup.
Sterno is for keeping stuff warm on the buffett. I like the tabs for fire starters. You can do a small boil with a tab sitting open. You gotta have the tab really close. I now lean toward 200 proof vodka. Great fuel and not too bad in coffee.
Great POV and close framing. Really felt like I was sitting in camp with you. I want a wing.
What no sacred bacon!! With the Wings lol... Great video keep up the good work..👍🏻👍🏻
Don't worry. Just experimenting. The bacon will be back! Thanks for watching.
Wrap the wings with the bacon.
As far as strno goes take church key bottle opener make 3 holes around rim of lid take is the best way to use can strno good video !!
I will give that a try and thanks for watching!
People forget Esbitt was designed for military use when field kitchens were not available. So to boil up a cup of water for 1 or 2 cups of coffee or heat an MRE. I would have used 2 tabs for the amount of water you put in the pot or if conserving Esbitt, 1 tab with a few twigs thrown on top. They're fine for light usage and if in a wet environment they can be the thing that gets your fire going when nothing else will.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the demonstration great tips Have a great day 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thanks for watching!
Maybe Sterno has changed but I used to go camping a couple of times a month back in the 70's and used Sterno often to boil water and cook. I had the rinky-dink folding Sterno stove and it worked just fine. The only difference is that I had larger Sterno cans. Last time I used it was about 10 years ago and no problem. We just got a new truck and next month I'm putting a camper on it and building storage/kitchen area in it. I will probably be taking my Sterno stove with me but I will be using a Swedish alcohol stove with it.
Thanks for watching!
I have one of those those too. The thing you have to keep in mind is that the Sterno canister that you have isn't actually for cooking. They made the little ones for catering. It was meant to do was to keep food warm. That looks like the ones that you have. The ones that are made for camping or hard to find nowadays. That's why you can't find the actual stoves anymore.
I use an alcohol burner in my truck to heat water for noodles. I use a lixada nano size folding little wood stove with a commercial alcohol burner as a heat source. There is a sweet spot for alcohol burners about an inch and a half above the burner where the heat really gets useful . Which you found out.
I have been using Sterno with my Ohuhu. You have to set the bottom basket as you would if you were using wood. Do not put in the dish. You need the draft to come in from the bottom basket. Add the Sterno can. light the can and then add the top ring. Place your pot on top. Works great. I am able to boil water that way.
I use the small plate to light up the stove, from the underneath, using alcohol. I believe the plate is designed for that. It takes around 2-3 mins to light up the wood that way. The only downside is that, in this way (in those 2-3 mins), it will produce a lot of smoke. You have to give it a try, if you haven't done it already.
I will give that a try! Thanks for watching!
Cool. Maybe you make a video on that. :)
The little bowl is an ash pan to go under your fuel cage and protect ground. Esbit will boil 8 to 10 ounce water for brew. I use it a lot but love the alcohol. I have that same stove for 2 years
The manufacture says its for fuel but I will try the ash idea. www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-Wood-Burning-Stove-Picnic-Burner-Backpacking-Camping-Survival-Cooking-/253305757947?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10#viTabs_0 Thanks for watching.
The instructions clearly label it for fuel. There is nothing in the kit listed as an ash try. I found a small toaster oven cooking tray which is just big enough for the stove to fit into as a base tray to catch ashes.
Your video was another good one. I greatly enjoyed it.
While I have found off brands of hexamine tablets useful I have a very low opinion of the Esbit brand. They are WAY overpriced.
As for Sterno? This denatured and jellied alcohol fuel is fine so long as they are simply used as a warmer under a chafing dish.
OR: If one owns a Nascar racing team looking for creative ways to cheat!
In 2007, NASCAR owner/driver Michael Waltrip and his team had severe penalties handed down by officials. Team Vice-President Bobby Kennedy and Crew Chief David Hyder of Waltrip's No. 55 were ejected from the Daytona International Speedway. Hyder was fined $100,000 for his involvement with lining fuel tanks and intake valves with Sterno. NASCAR also docked Waltrip 100 owner points and disqualified his qualifying speed for the Daytona 500. Mid-week, NASCAR determined that the then unknown substance was Sterno. When the highly regulated NASCAR fuel was added, the Sterno would liquefy, giving the car an added octane boost.[6]
As a cooking fuel? Sterno stinks!
Nevertheless thank you once more for producing an informative entertaining video. Well done, sir.
Thanks for watching!
Buddy this was an awesome video. I think I enjoyed your positive attitude More than the stove test itself! Thumb's up, have a great God blessed day brother. Thumb's up~John
Thanks for watching brother!
MegaWoodswalker subbed!
You have to be patient with gel fuels like Sterno. 30 minutes or more is quite common, especially in the cold. As for the Esbit, I won't use them because they are extremely toxic. However, I understand that other smaller gasifiers will boil on them, like the Bush Buddy Mini, Four Dog Stove or Goshawk Eddy systems. Good work and merry Christmas 🎄
lol, you had me at chicken wings.
Wings were good and my first made over a little camp stove. Thanks for watching.
Next test the feeding of super dry leaves from the ground rather than those modern fuels you have to buy, a few handul dry leaves will boil over that amount of water in a few minutes.
😂 thanks for watching!
With an Esbit stove actually designed for the tablets, I find 1 tablet will boil about 10oz-12oz of water and it helped to break the tablet in quarters to generate more heat at once. To boil 20oz-24oz of water it takes 2 Esbit tablets in this Esbit stove. Your milage may vary.
Thanks for the info and watching!
Great test. I like my alcohol stove for those last minute you just never know situations. Do not like the esbit tabs at all. We do lots of catering and family parties and sterno great for warming only and that is about all.
I agree.
The one thing we hate is when someone does a video and they just ramble on , great video but slow down the commentary kinda make it minimalistic and more to your test! But thanks you did a great job! I'm not nocking your video i enjoyed tge video just to let ya know you did a good job!
Thanks for watching!
This is not conducive to your test but I use Esbit cubes basically as an extended fire starter in conjunction with sticks. Another fun video! Keep em coming!
As far as the tablets u are gonna need 2. The sterno has been reformulated to be less flammable. This is for use with chafing dishes to keep good warm. To work in your test you would need to scoop some out of the can and put it in the spirit burning dish. This should increase the surface area exposed and create a hotter burn. It still might not work since reformulation. I hauled a load of it and it wasn't even hazmat. I thought it would have been a flammable 3 load but it wasn't since reformulation. Good test. Keep going.....
Your experience with Esbit and sterno are like my own. They don't release enough heat to be of much use (even with equipment designed for them) on the trail. Alcohol is great (more ways than one lol) and trioxide tabs are good too but the reason I bought a "twig stove" (probably from the same manufacturer as you) was so I could use fuel I found around me. I use alcohol as a backup for when everything is too wet and if you spend the extra money for Ever Clear or PGA there are several uses for it besides cooking (sanitation, relaxation, etc.). Another great video, I hope you have better weather next time but it's neat to find a spring. BTW, I've liked what you've posted well enough that I subscribed to your channel. Keep up the good work and maybe we'll run into each other on a trail sometime.
Esbit and the similar Hexamine tablets will work better if they are broken up a bit and that gives more burning surface area and burns hotter, however breaking it up also means quicker burn rate so with that amount of water two tablets broken at least into half would probably do the trick Hexamine tablets do have a longer burn time.. as for the stuff in the tin dont know never used it. (PS...I spent practically a life time using Hexamine tablets) good field test.....regards Maff
Thanks for the info and watching!
Cool 😎 fuel ⛽️ testing video
Thanks for watching!
Greetings M.W., another great video. Clearly, alcohol was the big winner. Curious to see a race of alcohol and wood, in your two stoves. It looks like esbit may work, using 2 or 3 cubes at pace once. It's just lower on BTU output .Sterno, well, sterno just sucks...
Wood would win IMHO though wonder if that would be the case if using a real alky stove burner like I did for the last test Thanks for watching.
I use alcohol gel in the top tray. Then for the gaswood burn I fill with cat wood litter, put some alcohol gel on top to light. Burns for over 2 hours. I boil water in just under 4 mins.
If you turn the dish upside down and set the esbit tab in that little depression it might be closer to your pot and boil it. Not sure if that will work but just an idea
I have similar one and I don't use yet and I'm interested .
Use more than one tab, and or less water. Like the previous commenter said. Thanks and take care.
Thanks for watching!
these stoves fit perfectly inside the MSR seagull pot fyi. :)
Cool. Thanks for watching
These stoves work exactly how they're supposed to, wood, wood pellets, and alcohol. I think if you had a grill that fit without the top on on the stove it would work well with 2 or 3 esbit cubes, as for the sterno no clue maybe it doesn't burn real hot I don't know because when you changed the position on it the flame was right under the pot at least that's what it looked like from my end. In the end though, wood and those wood pellets seem to me like the best choices to get the full benefits from these stoves.
Thanks for watching1
I just bought one and mine came with a grill
So the test you did with the wood pellets , must say they looked like the best option for this stove ..
They burn great! Thanks for watching!
You need to use the esbit in the normal stove configuration to take advantage of the wood gas properties of the stove and get a more efficient burn. That reverse configuration is only for alcohol. And don't use the alcohol dish with the esbit
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for posting your awesome videos
Sterno is designed to simmer only... Great video
I agree and thanks for watching!
Maybe using a pot that is smaller in diameter. The nesbit tablet doesnt spread out fire in the same diameter., so onlyva small part of the pan bottom gets well heated.
In addition, the area of the pan bottom that isnt getting heated well serves as a radiator and disperses heat from the water oit into the
atmosphere. Smaller pot for nesbit and sterno required.
every video i'v watched so far it's been raining lol...
Rain or shine brother! Thanks for watching!
Sterno has been a joke for years and while it has its uses is not good on the trail.
Esbit will boil water but with a lesser volume of water like a cup.
Also water temperature is a factor.
45F water will take longer to boil and consule more fuel.
Enjoyed the vid.
Good test walker in my past experience sterno is a slow go
Thanks for watching!
Megawoodswalker
First of all I'd like to say the area you're in Beautiful especially with that Running Brook.To bad about the weather. I've used the tablet and I used to use it in a little burner I used to cook Jiffy Pop with two tablets smaller than the ones that you used. So you might try two or three tablets for cooking that much water or food. On the Sterno I would take the sternal out of the and put it in the little pan for the alcohol. This way it would be a bigger fire. Just a thought, I've never use Sterno but it'd be interesting to see how long it would burn. Would it burn at the same rate as alcohol? Once again Great Video
I dislike Esbit but agree more tables would of been better. I think Sterno burns slower and longer than alky just based on observation but never did a side by side test. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the field test and very important information. I never thought of Sterno as anything but a food warmer and never considered trying it anyway. But good to know that Esbit wasn't working either. I have an Esbit stove and tabs, haven't tried them out yet, maybe they work better with the stove they were designed for?? I also have a Trangia alcohol stove. Was thinking of getting some type of stove where you can burn wood (twigs). Thanks for sharing. Also, I noticed you are using the GI Mess kit, is that your go-to cookset usually? I've been banging my head on what the ideal compact cook kit would be.
I like it for short outings but use UL Ti for longer range hikes. Thanks for watching!
Thanks, I have an old GI Mess Kit I bought at a surplus store many years ago, not sure if they were always made of stainless steel? the one I have, the metal seemed to bubble on it (weird). Would like to get a new one. I would use it mostly for the frying pan along with a pot or canteen cup. But like you said titanium would be a lighter option, have to see how expensive that is. Thank you for replying.
Bushcraft 101: a watched pot never boils.
Very True, Thanks for watching!
For those who think steno is only for warming food, I've been cooking with it for some time. I have no problem cooking eggs, sausages, hamburger, soup, heating water for tea and other hot drinks, and so on. Sterno works fine for general all around cooking. Getting water to a boil is possible, it just takes longer, but it will be hot enough to burn your lips. I use the Sterno folding stove from Walmart. I also use my Trangia in the folding stove. I don't know about other methods using Sterno, but in the folding stove, it works great.
I bet it would work great eggs. Lower heat would make it harder to burn the eggs. I have a Trangia in a wind screen setup probably much like yours. It's nice. Thanks for the info and watching!
As a chicken wing fanatic, I approve this video! Do you find alcohol is a good fuel for multi day excursions? Seems like it burns a lot of fuel, might get heavy. Cheers
It's actually not so bad. Does not have the BTUs of White gas but gets the job done. I had even better results when putting a dedicated alcohol burner inside the wood gas stove rather than using the supplied pan. I like to use alky as a backup for wood or during a short outing but don't use it for longer duration outings.
Connor Flynn I've been doing multi day hikes for years & years, only recently tried using different cooking options, I have a great foldable woodstove which I love, a second option is good and you can have a contained campfire, but I always take my gas stove, it's the only option you can actually rely on
I have a core 4, Emberlite and a Firebox as well. Twig stove are really good! Thanks for watching.
What kind of kettle is that? And will the stove nest in it? I'm not a fan of the Esbit tablets or the sterno gel either, lol! Wings look great!
GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless 1 Qt. Tea Kettle However I am not sure it's made any more. It's really good.
I like ur style...
1st time viewer... I sub'd!
Thanks for watching!
Maybe put some some organic stuff in the alcohol but little bit higher like the fuel for better absorbtion. And maybe is possible to use oil fuel for better results . I like the place where you walk .
ive used the gel for heating up soups..enough to get it hot. not boil it like water
Thanks for watching!
These wood gas stove is good for alcohol and wood burning I also have 1
Would a trangia work or fit that stove? just wondering.
Yes. th-cam.com/video/xVWZ4sDyh3c/w-d-xo.html
I miss your videos I hope you are doing well…
I liked this video so much I came back for a second viewing. This time I noticed the mention of making Hemlock tea.
Hemlock tea?
Food for thought.
“The most infamous poisoning by hemlock is attributed to the Greek philosopher Socrates, who chose a hemlock drink as his preferred means of death-most sources say that he drank it mixed with water or as a tea. In the Phaedo, Plato claims that Socrates first felt a numbing in his limbs, after which the sensation overtook his entire body. Socrates maintained full awareness throughout his poisoning and even continued to speak to those around who witnessed his death. His last words reportedly were: “Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius. Please, don’t forget to pay the debt.” Socrates willingly drank the poison after being sentenced to death for his speeches and for his belief in humanistic and democratic principles. When he was ordered to publicly deny his ideas or die, he chose death. However, as a respected gentleman, the court gave him the right to pick the manner in which he wished to have his death sentence carried out. Hemlock tea was his first .”
Perhaps it was a good thing you never got around to making the Hemlock tea.
Hemlock the toxic weed would kill me. Hemlock the conifer tree needle tea is a good. I make it all the time on my channel. Think more in terms of pine needle tea rather than a nasty killer weed. Thanks for watching!
Have you had the toaks wood stove if so did you like it
Needed more than one esbit tablet, sterno would work better if you poured it into the burning dish
Thinking the sterno would be choice for low slow baked chicken wings, but to each there own.
thanks for watching!
They say you can use multiple tablets up to three at a time
great video
Thanks for watching!
Nesbit tablets burn time about 8 mins. I think if you use two, you would get a boil.
You know those sterno cans could be used for your alcohol storage maybe
Thanks for watching!
In my Out-D solid fuel tablet stove, I can get a boil from one Esbit Tablet on only 8 oz. of water in a GSI cup. For more water, it takes a series of tablets. Add one just as the first one begins to wind down. Repeat as necessary.
Thanks for watching!
why doe's everybody think they only need to use one esbit tab . use 2 1/2 to 3 tabs. I think it would do fine like that .
9 bucks for 12 so that's almost $2.25 just to boil a backpacking kettle of water. I would go broke with all the water I boil. Odds are that's why people are stingy with um. It was on my mind. Thanks for watching!
The alcohol looked a bit dangerous when you were moving it while lit.
Thanks for watching.
I just don't like those alcohol trays/bowls. There's several ounces of burning, and highly flammable, liquid just waiting for a klutz like me to tip over and set the camp site on fire.
Also during the day it burns clear so there is a risk in that. Thanks for watching.
Not a lot of umph in the Esbit tablets. You probably needed two in the pan to boil that amount of water.
I think you're right. Thanks for watching.
working in a catering hall many years I found out one thing, Sterno is meant to keep items at 147 degrees (F) not cook on,,,,the larger cans just last longer, but don't get hotter,,,,I use sterno as fire starter, keeping my coffee in a kettle warm, or keeping a large pot of stew warm,,,,,I also use it for washing, etc....not a cooking fuel,,,,esbit I use for heating canteen cup water,,what I mean is pour the water you want to make coffee with into your canteen cup ,cover the cup and use the Large esbit tablet,,,,Check out www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/crusader-cooking-system-with-the-issue-58-pattern-osprey-bottle-114-p.asp
Great job on the videos,,,,are you in NY State????
Thanks for watching!
Takes two esbit fuel tablets to boil above 16oz water
Thanks for watching!
Esbit wasn't designed for 2 cups of water (16 oz) it was designed for 8 oz
Just read the instructions. ! ESBIT tablet is not made to boil that amount of water. I use it all the time. I boil and cook with it. You cant say that ESBIT failed on boil test just because you decided that 1 tablet should be enough for the amount of water that you decided.
Is what it is. Thanks for watching.
The sterno will bring water to a boil. It takes time. 25 minutes. Patience.
Sterno wasn't made to boil..made to keep food warm in a chafing dish or use to reheat soup etc
I agree. It wasn't really good for that.
Thanks
spring water would have been a whole lot better
Thanks for watching!
thankyou 👍
Same amount of water, half the calories!
Thanks for watching!
You need to differentiate the hemlock tree for your tea, not the plant. Plant is poisonous.
you filled the clean bag with River water 😐
Yup. One down side to working a camera and doing stuff is occasionally I forget things like grabbing the right platy as there is too much going through my mind though wasn't going to drink it without boiling as the water was for the test. Thanks for watching.
use 2 esbit tabs
Thanks for the info and watching!
sterno is a fuel just to keep food warm, not to cook with. I guess you see that though.. lol
Yup. Some people asked me to do it after the last alcohol test video so agreed. I had a very low confidence in it working well. Thanks for watching.
truth seeker its mostly used indeed to keep things warm,but I use them to boil my water
mainly because there is a open Fire ban here,you see IT in some of my video's
Haha use two esbit tabs and don't use the little bowl.
Thanks for watching. I don’t really use them. Prefer wood or alcohol.
👍🏻
Sterno is meant to keep food and such warm not to cook food. That is why u only got a simmer.
Thanks for watching!
those " Esbit" tabs are useless and cost the Earth for the heat they give off which is NIL!!!
I agree. Thanks for watching!
Another stove
Fat wood & a lighter ! Keep your cooking gear smaller. You normally would only need 16 oz's of water if cooking for 2 !!!! Too much gear, not enough wood my friend.