Portable stove
A portable stove is a cooking stove specially designed to be portable and lightweight, used in
Since the invention of the portable stove in the 19th century, a wide variety of designs and models have seen use in a number of different applications. Portable stoves can be broken down into several broad categories based on the type of fuel used and stove design: unpressurized stoves that use solid or liquid fuel placed in the burner before ignition; stoves that use a volatile liquid fuel in a pressurized burner; bottled gas stoves; and gravity-fed "spirit" stoves.
History
Early examples
The shichirin, a lightweight charcoal stove, has been used in Japan in much the same form since at least the Edo period (1603-1868).[3] Old shichirin are mainly ceramic and many can be found in old houses. Most modern Shichirin are made by heating diatomaceous earth, but the raw materials are not uniform.[4] There are also shichirin such as those made with a double inside and outside ceramic structure. The shape is mainly cylindrical, square, or rectangular, and the size also varies. Many varieties of shichirin are made for different uses. In North America, they are also known as "hibachi" or "hibachi-style".[5]
Early European portable stoves burned animal fat and polar explorers continued to use blubber as a supplement for cooking fuel into the early 20th Century.
Modern era
Modern portable stoves emerged from the mid-19th century. French-born chef, Alexis Soyer, became chef de cuisine at the Reform Club in London from 1837. He instituted many innovations, including cooking with gas, refrigerators cooled by cold water, and ovens with adjustable temperatures. In 1849 Soyer began to market his portable "magic stove" which allowed people to cook food wherever they were. The design of Soyer's "Magic Stove" was based on the same principle as a kerosene lamp, in which a wick is used to draw fuel from a tank or reservoir to a burner.[6]
During the Crimean War, Soyer joined the troops at his own expense to advise the army on cooking. Later he was paid his expenses and wages equivalent to those of a Brigadier-General. He designed his own field stove, the Soyer Stove, and trained and installed in every regiment the "Regimental cook" so that soldiers would get an adequate meal and not suffer from malnutrition or die of food poisoning. Catering standards within the British Army would remain inconsistent, however, and there would not be a single Army Catering Corps until 1945. This is now part of the Royal Logistic Corps, whose catering HQ is called Soyer's House. His stove, or adaptions of it, remained in British military service into the late 20th century.
In the 1850s, the famous
Fridtjof Nansen also developed an alcohol stove in the 1880s based on the work of Adolphus Greely. This improved on early designs and later became the basis for the Trangia cooker.[10]
The use of single burner alcohol stoves for camping, similar to the contemporary
The use of lightweight portable stoves for camping became commonplace in Britain and Europe in the latter half of the 19th Century. The practice gained acceptance later in North America, and coincided with increased awareness of the environmental impact that campers and backpackers had on the areas where they travelled.
Prior to their use, the usual practice when backpacking was to build an open fire for cooking from available materials such as fallen branches. The fire scar left on the ground would remain for two or three years before the vegetation recovered. The accumulation of fire scars in heavily travelled areas detracted from the pristine appearance that backpackers expected, leading to more widespread use of portable stoves.
Uses
Stoves differ widely in their size and portability. The smallest models are generally termed backpacking stoves. They are designed for use in
Camping stoves are designed for use by people travelling by
Unpressurized liquid-fuel stoves
Single burner alcohol stoves
The simplest type of stove is an unpressurized single burner design, in which the burner contains the fuel and which once lit burns until it is either extinguished or the fuel is exhausted. There are both liquid- and solid-fuel stoves of this variety. Because they are extremely small and lightweight, this type of stove tends to be favored by ultralight backpackers as well as those seeking to minimize weight and bulk, particularly for extended backpacking trips. Solid-fuel stoves are also commonly used in emergency kits both because they are compact and the fuel is very stable over time.[18] These simple stoves are also commonly used when serving fondue.
The
Gravity-fed spirit stoves
The traditional "spirit stove" (alcohol or
Lighting a gravity-fed spirit stove is similar to lighting a traditional Primus stove. Around each burner is a priming pan used to preheat the burner. To light the stove, the burner is first turned on to allow a small amount of fuel to pass through the burner and collect as a liquid in the priming pan. The burner is then turned off, and the fuel ignited to preheat the burner. When the fuel in the pan is almost all gone, the burner is turned on again, and fuel passes into the burner where it is vaporized and passes through the jets.
These stoves look and even sound a bit like pressurized burner stoves, but the fuel tank is under no pressure. They remain popular for small boats owing to the minimal fire risk they pose in a confined space.
Wicking stoves
Wicking stoves are typically fueled by alcohol or kerosene.
- ORIGO alcohol stove
- Project Gaia§The CleanCook Stove
- Butterfly 16-Wick Kerosene Cook Stove
Platinum Catalysis stove
Humphry Davy discovered the use of platinum in catalysis.[20][21] In which a catalytic body is interposed in the path of a combustible vapor and is heated upon its passage through the catalytic body sufficiently to unite with the air upon egress from the catalytic body and then to burn upon the surface of the catalytic body. These stoves are typically described as wind-resistant, infrared, or radiant.
- Rechauds Catalytiques (1920, wicking)[22]
- Therm'x Explorer 57C (1965, wicking)[23]
- MSR Reactor (2007, pressurized)[24]
- Rechaud A Catalytise Trek 270 (2010, pressurized)[25]
Pressurized liquid fuel stoves
Primus stoves
The introduction of the first pressurized burner portable stove is generally credited to Frans Wilhelm Lindqvist, in 1892. Lindqvist's stove was based on the pressurized blowtorch but fitted with an upturned burner assembly of his own design. Together with partner J.V. Svensson, Lindqvist established the Primus brand of stove, which quickly developed into a worldwide market leader.
The kerosene burning
Compact camping and hiking stoves
Smaller, more compact stoves were developed in the early 20th century that used
In the early 1970s Mountain Safety Research (MSR) designed a pressurized burner stove intended to address performance shortcomings of white gas stoves in cold or adverse conditions, in particular for mountaineering use.[28] First introduced in 1973 and designated the Model 9 (and later as the XGK Expedition), the MSR stove had four main parts: a free-standing burner assembly with integrated pot supports; the fuel bottle, which doubles as the stove's fuel tank; a pump that screws into the bottle; and a flexible tube or pipeline connecting the pump/bottle assembly to the burner assembly.[29] This type of stove design, with the "outboard" fuel tank held away from the burner, is primed in the same manner as other white gas stoves; however, because the tank is not self-pressurizing, the tank must periodically be pumped to maintain pressure to the burner. Most commercial liquid fuel camping stoves on the market today are of this design.
Pressurized burner stoves are now available that can burn several different fuels or volatile liquids, including alcohol, gasoline or other motor fuels, kerosene, and jet propellant. Little or no modification is needed; due to variability of the volatility of different fuels, the jets of multi-fuel stoves may need to be changed for the different fuels,[30] and many others.
Coiled burner stoves
The "coiled burner" stove is a variant on the pressurized burner design, in which the burner assembly consists of a coiled loop with a small hole in the lower part, through which the vaporized fuel exits and combusts. Generally small, lightweight and cheaply made, these were sold under the brand name "Stesco", "Tay-Kit",[31] "Handy Camper" and others. A more substantial version of the coiled burner stove is the Swiss-made Josef Borde stove.
Gas cartridge stoves
The design of most portable gas cartridge stoves is similar to that of many pressurized burner stoves, except the fuel tank or cartridge contains a liquefied gas – typically butane, propane or a mixture of hydrocarbons – that is held under pressure. While the gas in the cartridge is in a liquid state when stored under pressure, it vaporizes immediately as it leaves the storage bottle (i.e., without priming), arriving at the burner as a gas. The principal advantage of gas cartridge stoves is convenience: no priming is required, they are generally maintenance-free and capable of immediate high heat output, the flame is easily adjusted and they are generally considered simpler to operate.[32] There are two basic designs for most gas cartridge stoves used for camping: the burner assembly is fitted into the top of the gas cartridge, which serves as the stove's base, or the stove is free-standing and the cartridge is separated from the burner and connected by means of a small hose or pipe.[33] Single burner propane stoves commonly used in food service have the gas container integrated into the body of the stove. Butane cartridges are almost exclusively manufactured in South Korea with the only exception being one manufacturer in Houston, Texas. Butane canisters manufactured in South Korea contain butane from Saudi Arabia, while the American manufacturer fills canisters with domestic butane.[34]
Gas cartridges for camping stoves tend to be costly and usually are not refillable. Single-use cartridges are considered objectionable by some on environmental grounds. They perform poorly in cold weather.[35] Until the approval of EN 417-specification Lindal valve cartridges of 1992 there was little compatibility between different makers and systems, and cartridges for older cartridge stoves were often unobtainable. Outside of camping, single-burner stoves using cans of compressed butane gas are used for catering and other food service applications.[36]
Refillable gas bottles are heavier, and tend to be used on larger stoves intended for car camping, expedition base camps, and residential use (as for barbecues).
Multiple burner stoves
Stoves with two or more burners that may be operated together or separately are common for use in base camp, car camping and other situations involving cooking for larger groups. The folding "suitcase" style by
Solid-fuel stoves
A solid-fuel stove may consist of no more than a metal base plate and container to hold the fuel, a set of legs to keep this assembly out of contact with the ground, and some supports for a
Manufactured fuel
Among compact commercial models, the
Outside of America, metaldehyde is used as a solid fuel in small portable stoves.[40] It is a lightweight fuel with little smell that burns leaving no residue. It is however toxic to animals including humans if ingested[41] and metaldehyde fuel tablets need to be handled with care to avoid inadvertent ingestion.
Natural fuel, forest wood debris
Stoves that use natural solid fuel, e.g., wood and other forest debris, have an obvious advantage: the user need not carry any stove fuel on his or her back. This native fuel typically consists of twigs and small pine cones the user gathers at their campsite and places in the fuel chamber of their stove. This substitution of natural fuel for artificial fuel can amount to a savings of several ounces or pounds of fuel and their containers not carried in a traveler's pack, depending on length of trip. Issues of plumbing connections, fuel toxicity, leakage, spillage, and stove flareup are also nonexistent when using a solid-fuel portable stove. Contribution to climate change and dependence on fossil fuel is also minimized when using a portable stove powered by a local, renewable biomass resource (however, carbon dioxide is released no matter what source of fuel you use).
While simple, solid-fuel stoves have some disadvantages versus their liquid-fueled counterparts. In most cases, the burn rate may be controlled only by varying the amount of fuel placed on the fire, while fluid fuels may be controlled precisely with valves. In addition, no solid fuel burns completely. Solid-fuel stoves produce a small amount of ash, and they can coat the bottoms of cooking vessels with tars and soot. In addition, because some of the chemical energy of the fuel remains locked up in the smoke and soot, solid fuel releases less heat, gram for gram.
A simple
Another type of a solid fuel stove which has been becoming more common is what is called the
The single
Fuel comparison
Fuel type | Flash point | Advantages | Disadvantages[44][45] |
---|---|---|---|
Propane | −104 °C/−155 °F |
Readily available Boiling point: −42.2 °C/−44.1 °F |
High cost Canister disposal required Most airlines forbid transporting fuel by air Canisters are heavier than containers for other fuels |
Butane | −60 °C/−76 °F | Instant high heat output No priming required |
High cost
Boiling point: −1 °C/30 °F |
Unleaded automobile fuel
|
Inexpensive High heat output Readily available worldwide Spilled fuel evaporates quickly |
Priming required Fuel additives clog the stove, however the fuel can be purified via distillation with a Pot still | |
Petroleum spirits (known as benzine, benzoline, gasoline, naphtha, white spirit)[46] or White gas or Shellite. |
White gas )
<~∞~> 31 °C/87.8 °F (White spirit) |
High heat output Spilled fuel evaporates quickly |
May produce sooty smoke Spilled fuel highly flammable Priming sometimes required, depending on the type of stove |
Kerosene | Inexpensive High heat output |
Priming required May produce sooty smoke Spilled fuel evaporates very slowly | |
Alcohol | 16 °C/61 °F (Ethanol) | Quiet Clean burning Readily available |
Lower heat output Longer cooking time Must be pre-heated in cold weather (not required for jellied alcohol ("Sterno")) Fuel may contain toxic additives |
Chafing fuel (methanol, ethanol, or diethylene glycol) | Lightweight and burn time per gram of fuel weight is very high. Clean burning, quiet, safe indoors, and readily available. | Much lower heat output when compared to white gas and kerosene. Lower heat output when compared to Alcohol, dependent on how much water is mixed in to make it burn cooler so as not to burn/boil the food in a Chafing dish. | |
Wood (forest debris) | No carried fuel (weight) Free Readily available worldwide No toxic, spill, leakage issues |
May produce sooty smoke May require skill or additives to ignite when moist Environmental concerns about removing dead wood from forests[47] |
See also
References
- ^ S. Shiring, et al., "Introduction to Catering: Ingredients for Success", p. 33 (Cengage Learning 2001)
- ^ W. Keen, ed. "Surgery, Its Principles and Practice", p.122 (W.B. Saunders 1921)
- ^ 「大野城市歴史資料展示室解説シート民俗No.14 民具1(食生活にかかわる民具)」大野城市教育委員会 Archived 2011-10-02 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ 深川江戸資料館
- ^ 英語の「Hibachi」は火鉢じゃなかった exciteニュース 2005年6月2日
- ^ A. Soyer, "The Modern Housewife Or Ménagère: Comprising Nearly One Thousand Recipes for the Economic and Judicious Preparation of Every Meal of the Day, and Those for the Nursery and Sick Room: with Minute Directions for Family Management in All Its Branches", pp. 451-52 (Simpkin, Marshall & Co. 1851)
- ^ Alexis Soyer (1851). The Modern Housewife: Or, Ménagère. Comprising Nearly One Thousand Receipts... Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.
- ^ Invisible on Everest; Innovation and the Gear Makers, p.75
- ^ Alpine Journal Vo. 2, 1866, page 10
- ^ Invisible on Everest; Innovation and the Gear Makers, p.33
- ^ Invisible on Everest; Innovation and the Gear Makers, p.35
- ^ Sundbybergs Museum Archived 2008-05-29 at the Wayback Machine
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- ^ J. Smith, "Kitchen Afloat: Galley Management and Meal Preparation", pp.47-49 (Sheridan House 2002)
- ^ M. Mouland, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Camping and Hiking", p. 324 (Alpha Books 1999)
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- ^ B. McKeown, "Start Camping the Easy Way – By Car", in Popular Mechanics Magazine, at p. 102 (March 1976)
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- ^ G. Buehler, "The Troller Yacht Book", p. 99 (W. W. Norton & Co. 1999)
- ^ Bond, Alexander Russell (1921). Scientific American Monthly. Scientific American Publishing Company. pp. 251–.
Producing Heat by Catalysis (Translated for the Scientific American Monthly from La Nature (Paris), December 25, 1920. - Flameless Stove Used by the French Army During the War - By R. Villers
- ^ Sir Humphry Davy (1817) "Some new experiments and observations on the combustion of gaseous mixtures, with an account of a method of preserving a continued light in mixtures of inflammable gases and air without flame," Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 107 : 77-85.
- ^ United States. Patent Office (1920). Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office. U.S. Patent Office. pp. 632–.
Image of p. 632 at Google Books
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Therm'x Explorer 57C
- ^ Shedd, David (27 March 2010). "High-End Canister Stoves: Is the MSR Reactor or Jetboil Helios Right For You?". EasternSlopes.
- ^ "REF. POINTS GB DESIGNATIONS DESIGNATIONS F 10090 50 JET INJECTEUR 17321 50 CONNECTION KNOB PINCE D'ACCROCHAGE 39962 125 CERAMIC COVER COUVERCLE VITROCERAMIQUE TREK 270 CATALYTIC STOVE / RECHAUD A CATALYTISE TREK 270 MOD.97" (PDF).
- ^ Primus Catalog, p.8 (1903)
- ^ Primus Catalog No. 8126, p. 17 (undated; circa 1935)
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- ^ H. Manning, "Backpacking: One Step At A Time", p.274 (Vintage Books 1980)
- ^ K. Berger & R. Hildebrand, "Advanced Backpacking: A Trailside Guide", p. 183 (W. W. Norton & Co. 1998)
- ^ "Camp Stove Fits Pocket." Popular Science, August 1948, p. 107, right-top page
- ^ Backpacker Magazine, p. 56 (March 1994)
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- ^ Hinchliffe, Emma (June 20, 2016). "Entrepreneur overcame hardships of Chinese prison". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ C. Townsend, "The Advanced Backpacker: A Handbook of Year-Round, Long-Distance Hiking", p. 164 (McGraw-Hill 2000)
- ^ J. Weinberg, "The Everything Guide to Starting and Running a Catering Business: Insider's Advice on Turning Your Talent Into a Career", p. 144 (Everything Books 2007)
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- ^ G. Rottman & I. Palmer, "German Field Fortifications 1939-45", (Osprey Publishing 2004) p. 37
- ^ D. Ladigin & M. Clelland, "Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking", pp. 61-62 (Globe Pequot 2005)
- ^ "Metaldehyde". Cornell University. September 1993. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ "Treatment of Snail Bait Toxicity in Dogs - Literature Review". 1991. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ C. Jacobson & L. Levin, "Basic Illustrated Camping", (Globe Pequot 2008) p. 33
- ^ E. Garvey, The New Appalachian Trail", p. 67 (Menasha Ridge Press 1997)
- ^ M. Goldberg & B. Martin, "Hiking and Backpacking", p. 77 (Human Kinetics 2007)
- ^ L. Haney, "Camping in Comfort: A Guide to Roughing It with Ease and Style", p. 90 (McGraw-Hill 2007)
- ^ Chemical News and Journal of Industrial Science. Chemical news office. 1885. pp. 184–.
Those [liquids] which are classed as petroleum spirit (known as gasoline, benzine, benzoline, naphtha, japanners' spirit, &c.), and in regard to which there exist very special precautionary enactments, are, it need scarcely be said, of far more dangerous character than those classed as burning oils, which include the paraffin oils obtained from shale and the so-called flashing points of which range from 73 to above 140 F. The rapidity with which the vapours, evolved by the more volatile products on exposure to air, or by their leakage from casks or barrels, diffuse themselves through the air, producing with it more or less violent explosive mixtures, has been a fruitful source of disaster, sometimes of great magnitude.
- ^ "Removal of Dead Wood as a key threatening process — an overview" (PDF). Environment.NSW.gov.au.