OK I am new to the alcohol stove game so I bought the Caldera Cone 12/10 stove system and as well the Minibull Design Bios 5 stove to see which I liked better (both seemed to be top tiered alcohol stoves so I got em both!). I was not excited about the burn time for the Caldera Cone system with the included 12/10 stove (6 mins or so to boil 16 oz cold water) so I thought I would use the CC windscreen with the MBD-5. WOW what a difference - it boiled 16 oz of cold water in under 3 minutes. I used about 3/4 oz of Barr Kleen Strip Green denatured alcohol which is rated at 90-100% ethyl alcohol and less than 10% methyl alcohol.

Anyone else seen these type of results with an ultralight alcohol stove?

Chris,

What you have discovered is fairly typical. In fact ultralight stoves try to slow the burn down to be more efficient rather than fast. 1/2 once of alcohol put in a 12-10 stove, surround it with a Caldera Cone and two cups of water in your pot and then go do something while it slowly and efficiently boils your water. You can even slow it down further to bake or simmer.

Jason,
Yes you are correct. I was able to boil 16oz cold water with the CC 12-10 stove/screen system in just under 6 mins with 1/2oz alcohol. The same amount of alcohol was used up in 3.5 mins with the MBD-5 and only brought the water temp to 75 C.

But if you are only boiling water combining the CC windscreen with the MBD-5 stove and getting boiling water in under 3 mins is kinda nice, though it seemed to take a 1/4oz more fuel.

You can get an alcohol burner to boil fast, or you can get one to boil very efficiently on less fuel, or you can get one that weighs less. Take your pick.

You might be able to add in a cost factor, if that applies.

When you are looking at the weight of an alcohol burner, the fuel efficiency becomes a weight factor, so you end up having to estimate the total weight of burner+fuel for a given trip length.

It is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

--B.G.--