Reader Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5

I have finally cracked the nut on an alcohol stove that I actually like! The penny stove (http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/waite_instruct.html) has consistently boiled 24 oz of water on 1 oz of fuel with lots of left over burn using an MSR titan kettle. I have found the 16 oz constraint that most stoves seem to have frustrating to say the least... considering that I'm a bit of a tea addict morning and evening.

What really got me going was that it boiled (and I mean a solid rolling boil with pleny of burn left) 2 full quarts on 2 oz.

Fuel used: 50/50 blend of standard s-l-x denatured and 91% isopropyl alchy. I'm also sold on this blend if for no other reason than you can see the flames.

Water temps +/- 45 degrees.

Air temps - mid50's

I modified the stove by drilling the jets in the center ring of the burner to concentrate the flame under the center of the pot... so far so good...

Edited by jackfl on 10/27/2007 14:51:07 MDT.

Rating: 4 / 5

I "geeked out" on DIY alcohol stoves and built probably 50 over 2 years.

The Penny performs well but in my tests it only beat an openjet Pepsi can stove by 30-35 seconds. I also played with burner location on several of these.

I ended up using JB Weld to get a perfect seal.

I consider the Penny to be among the easiest of these stoves to build so first timers would do well to start with one.

In field use I find it tricker to light than an openjet design, even with a primer pan.