I saw a video on Youtube ("How to make an alcohol stove!) that showed a "side Burner" alcohol stove made from three pop cans. It does NOT require a stand of any kind so I thought that was a good idea. Does anyone know if these are as efficient as the more common "penny" alcohol stoves? Since it is so cheap and easy to build I thought I might experiment with building one or the other. Now, later, I see there are two distinct different side-burner types. One is a simple can with holes, the other is more complex.

I have a "side burning" pepsi can stove, that I made, and it works pretty good. It can boil two cups of water (around 70F) in less than 5 minutes in temps as low as 35F. With the fastest time being 3 minutes and forty five seconds (3:45), at about 45F with a light wind. It was easy to make, and is fairly strong. It weighs less than .3oz. It works best with a short/fat pot. When I did my testing of it I used an aluminum pot+lid, a foil windscreen and 1oz. of heet. The stove doesn't need a priming pan to lite, but most all the other side burning stoves I have tested have needed one. I have never used a penny stove before so I have no idea how well they work compared to the side burning stoves. Hope this helps you out some.

Edited by DustinTSnyder on 03/09/2011 07:06:05 MST.

Your photo on the right shows a cat food can stove. It is unpressurized and is very simple to construct and to operate. Your photo on the left seems like a low pressure stove, although I use a completely different type (like a white box stove that is unsealed on top). It is slightly more complicated to build and to operate. Arguments go on and on as to which is better.

To be frank, I do not see a lot of difference in performance, fuel-wise or time-wise. The burner jet pattern tends to be a lot different. The low pressure burner tends to make a wider pattern (for a wider pot) and the cat food can stove tends to make a narrower pattern (for a narrow mug). However, there are many variations.

Some hikers like something that boils faster. Others like something that simmers longer. I built both, so I take one or the other depending on the cook pot that I am using. In the low pressure type, I made one larger to have more fuel capacity, and I made another one tiny to have less weight. There are a lot of "stovies" around here.

--B.G.--

I am not an alcohol stove user

But, I made a side burner and it required more fuel to boil a pint of water than a top burner

1 Tablespoon in top burner

2 Tablesoons in side burner

But it also varies from design to design

Try it and find out yourself

I made the Starburst at the bottom of http://sites.google.com/site/backpackingstove/

1 Tablespoon to boil 1 pint

someone from portlandhikers.org clued me onto that

For side burners you need a wider pot. They cover center 1-1/2" or so from heat. Not a good
choice unless you also have a 5"+ pot.

They also did the same thing to me when I first tried them, way back. They burned about twice the fuel to heat a cup. I picked up a wally world grease pot that worked well. Fuel usage went back to about the same. Later, these pots were longer available. Soo, I used the Kiddy mart ones for my daughters. Both are around 5-1/4" dia. I have two cups of coffee in the morning, soo, no harm done. Just throw in two fixings. The larger pot works better at night, anyway (boiling rice or orzo and putting it in my hat.)

Jerry: I assume you need a stand for the Starburst Stove. What do you use for a stand?

Some wally world stores have those pots again. Also, some dollar stores have them. They tend to have minor dents, but that is no big deal for the cheap price.

--B.G.--

I just put the stove on the ground, have an aluminum windscreen around it, put a couple wires on top of that, and set my pot on the wires a few inches above the alcohol flame.

There are so many similar setups on the internets

I am a canister / anti-alcohol bigot by the way, funny that I am describing an alcohol stove

"(boiling rice or orzo and putting it in my hat.)"

James,

Why do you put boiled rice or orzo in you hat?

To the above poster, he is using his hat (dual purpose) as a cozy on the pot with the heated food in it.

That would work. My bald head needs my hat for insulation. I tuck my freezer bag cozy inside my jacket. Helps warm me outside, before it goes inside.

Do you use your head heat to warm up the hat/cozy for the food, or do you use the food heat to warm up the hat/cozy for your head afterward?

--B.G.--

Not in bear territory...