Saturday School: Butane Stove

Saturday School:  How to use a butane stove

Alternative Cooking Method:  Butane Stove

PROS:  can be used indoors (if well-ventilated), small and storable, easy to set up and use

CONS:  hard to find--stoves & fuel aren’t usually lurking at your local stores--may have to go online; fuel will need to be rotated--will need to use and replace; flammable gas must be installed correctly to prevent leaks (some with any gas stove) or it WILL be a fire hazard; malfunctions of the equipment can cause a fire or explosion hazard

I suggest that you try any alternative cooking method outdoors first away from buildings or other flammable items--become familiar with how to use it, how and what to cook with it before an emergency, and in the case of indoor methods--before using indoors.

Butane stoves can be used safely indoors or outdoors (well-ventilated), whereas propane (camping) stoves CANNOT be used indoors safely--very dangerous.  If you are walking down the camping section of your local store, you are likely to see only propane stoves.  Butane stoves are available online, or on occasion in such places like Walgreens (at least during the beginning of hurricane season).  There are different versions--as butane stoves are used by catering companies as well as hikers--so the stove designs cater to who may be using them.  The type I am showing, is a simple stove top type of stove, nothing fancy.  Follow the directions for your own stove for setting up and using it safely.

Setting up the stove:  open the case if it has one & remove the plastic/packaging materials.  The grate will need to be turned over, simply lift it out and turn it over and put it back in.  

Open the fuel canister housing unit-the hole is for your finger to open it.  Take the lid off the butane fuel and insert it into the housing unit--be sure the nose of the fuel canister gets into the unit.

Once the fuel canister is secured, close the housing unit.  Flip the lock/unlock switch to lock and to light:  option 1:  turn the knob slightly to get the gas flowing.  Using a match light the pilot/grill area.  Cook away.  lighting 2 option:   turn knob past on, you should hear a click, it should light on its own.  turn knob back to lower flame and cook away.

Turning it off:  turn the knob to off, switch the lock/unlock switch to unlock.  Remove the fuel canister-it will be cool to the touch.  Put the lid back on the fuel canister, and return to its storage spot.  Let the grate cool before turning it back over to put back into the stove case.  Wipe off any spills, etc. before putting stove back into storage.

I hope this tutorial was helpful.  Butane stoves are one of the few alternative cooking stoves/methods that can be safely used indoors (well-ventilated), so a great addition to a family home storage program. 

UPDATE AUG 2012:  I recently discovered that in Dec 2010 some 37000 sterno butane stoves were recalled because the knob when turned to off wasn't functioning properly by completely stopping the butane gas flow, which allowed leakage and thereby fire hazard.  If your knob is allowing gas to flow in the OFF position, your stove is a fire hazard.  If yours is leaking gas while in the off position I highly suggest not using it unless you want to deal with a possible fire or explosion.  Believe me, a fire that you aren't planning on is not only surprising, it is scary.