Whether you’re making your way out to camp for the first time this year, or your tenth, there’s a good chance you’re looking to get in a few good meals. We know that taking pre-packed campsite foods isn’t always ideal, though getting down to business in the bush kitchen isn’t very easy without a stove.

That in mind, we understand not everyone is as comfortable as cooking on the fire as some of our favourite camping YouTubers, and in this article we’ll take a look at the best camping stoves in 2021 for our readers.

All of the stoves we’ll be taking a look at on our list are designed for those who either camp with a tent and rather ‘professional and prepared’ camping set up, or those who like to make their way out to camp with a trailer.

If you’re in a camper van or a caravan, these stoves will still be worth a look at, however they might not be exactly what you’re looking for. With a design primarily focused on the outdoors, there’s the potential for a mess to be made, and oil and other food-related spills so keep this in mind.

That said, keeping these ones outdoors is a little more effective.

Choosing a Stove

As you might already know from taking a look online, there are a tonne of different camping stoves on the market today, with a range of different features. A lot of which are rather niche and a little complicated to use.

You’ll have spotted there are single, dual and multi-burner stoves out there, models that come with dual fuel inlets as well as stoves that have been designed for portability, compactness or to be set up and left at camp for a day or two.

This buying guide, with that in mind, is going to go over all of these different features in a camping stove for 2021 and let you know a little more information about how to choose one for your next camping trip.

We’ll take a look at everything from wind protection, burner output, compactness, durability, safety and more so continue reading if you want everything you need to know about camping stoves.

Our TL;DR

For our readers who want the best of the best and to make their way out to the stores, we have our favourite and arguably the best camping stove on the market outlined right here for you.

Our winner comes in the form of the Companion 2 Burner Stove and you’ll be able to rely on this stove to cover all the essentials you’ll need in a camping stove. Whether it be wind protection, easy ignition and more, the Companion 2 is your best bet.

We’d also stand by this camping stove as the model that will last for decades to come given that it’s offering somewhat of a no-frills design, which means less points of failure to worry about.

It’s a durable, robust and reliable camping stove and it’s taking out the top spot on our list of the best camping stoves in Australia this year.

Essential Specs

• Ideal Wind Protection
• Two High Efficiency Burners
• A Piezo Ignition
• Stainless Still Trays and Drip Catchers
• A 3-year Warranty
• An Oversized Cooking Space
• Comes in at 5kg

All that said, if you’re looking for the best camping stove for your trips into the outback this year, then the Companion 2 is the model for you.

What We Looked At in a Camping Stove

Before we delve into our list of all the best Australian camping stoves, we have a few points to go over.

These are all essential to understand how we chose the best stove, but also what you should take a look at in a stove if you’re going to make your way to buying a model on your own — without the help of our list.

We suggest either jotting down the points below, or making a mental note of these to ensure you’re investing in a stove that’s going to be a reliable and safe companion when you’re out camping.

And with all that said, let’s take a look at what to consider in a camping stove.

Protection from the Wind

Off the top, the most important factor to consider is the wind protection capability of your chosen camping stove.

As you’ll agree, there’s nothing worse than having your stove continually going out because of a slight breeze hitting the burners. You’ll want to make sure that you choose a camping stove that offers a design to protect the burners from the wind – especially if it’s a gas model.

It’s always good to keep in mind that no matter how powerful or how fantastic the burners are advertised to be, they do become entirely useless if the wind gets to them.

From us, our biggest tip here is to take a look at camping stoves with a design that features operable flaps or ‘shields’ that you can lift up or pull out of the stove when it gets a little windy.

With these, you’ll be able to continue cooking through the evening and not need to worry about your burners blowing out.

The Output of the Burner

A second key consideration is the burner output.

You want your camping stove to offer out plenty of heat for those times you need to boil water or get something warmed up quite quickly. As you’ll agree, a slow burner when trying to boil or heat up a meal is one of the most frustrating things that can happen at a campsite.

That in mind, if you’re heating water for a bath, for example, you’re not going to want to sit and wait for hours on end for your water to become warm enough to bath in.

On top of this, your burner should be able to offer enough heat to sustain boiling water when the wind does pick up. A lot of poorly designed camping stoves allow for the transfer of heat right out into the air, which means you’re essentially heating nothing at all.

To understand burner output a little better, most camping stoves do have a BTU measurement or number — and this number equates to the heat output by the burner.

You’re going to want to select a burner with a higher BTU to ensure you’re getting a good output of heat. However you will have to factor in that a higher BTU also means higher fuel consumption, so bringing along an extra tank of gas might be a requirement for you.

To end, a BTU with 500gm/hr will mean that you’re going to need to refill a 1KG tank of gas after two hours of use.

The Portability of the Stove

Another key point of design feature to consider in a camping stove is the product’s ability to be easily transported and moved around.

Keep in mind that this feature needs to go beyond just moving it from your car to campsite, but actually moving the stove around your campsite during the evening if you’re someone who often changes cooking locations.

You don’t want to have a stove that has no handles or gets hot all-over to the point where you’re unable to move it for at least half an hour to let it cool off.

It’s also a good idea to consider the weight of the stove given that if you’re investing in a camping stove that’s too heavy, you’re going to struggle to carry it in a backpack or by hand on the way to camp.

Our last consideration here is to make sure you’re finding a camping stove that’s designed to be carried or at least comes with some sort of handle or carrying case. With this, you’re making sure that carrying and portability is a non-issue for you.

Material Durability of the Stove

As mentioned at the start of the article, you’re going to want a stove that’s a perfect partner when it comes to long-term use. Investing in a new camping stove each season because of your previous model breaking isn’t ideal.

That in mind, we suggest opting for models that are all-steel by design and don’t feature too many plastic materials for knobs or any other parts of the stove.

It’s also good to select a camping stove from a reputable manufacturer.

You can take a look at reviews online regarding durability and the robustness of camping stoves for more information. A lot of campers will often let their fellow trekkers know whether a camping stove is strong enough to handle the outdoors or not, and this is some great information that you shouldn’t overlook.

Included Warranties with the Stove

To go hand-in-hand with durability, you’ll also want to make sure you’re investing in a camping stove that’s covered by warranty should anything go wrong down the line.

In Australia, you’re already covered for the first 12-months by law, though anything beyond this is up to your manufacturer. That said, we suggest you stay on the look out for camping stoves that do offer at least 2 to 3 years warranty.

With this level of guarantee on your side, you’re going to be able to rest assured you’re getting something that will last — and if it doesn’t, you’ll be able to request a replacement.

Special Features with the Stove

Ending our list of all the things to consider in a camping stove, you should also take a look at any special features or technologies that are coming into play.

Some of these things could be an efficiency booster, a smart ignition, a safety-focused design or anything else. Essentially, the special features should make your stove easier to use, safer to use and easier to tidy and clean up.

With those features, you may find it’s a little easier to choose one model over the other, which is great when it comes to the rather confusing world of camping stoves.

Some Safety Considerations

We’ll take a look at our list of the best camping stoves in just a moment, though first we do have some quick notes about safety.

All of the camping stoves on our list have been designed for exactly that — camping. This means that keeping these products well-ventilated and outside when in use is essential as to reduce your risk of injury or exhaust fume inhalation.

Always take a look at your user manual and don’t attempt to use your stove in a way that wasn’t intended by the makers, or for something that it wasn’t designed to be used for.

That in mind, always take a look at the user guide, keep your stove outside and you’re all good to go!

Our List of the Best Camping Stoves in Australia

As we stated at the start of the article, there are a tonne of different camping stoves on the market today all offering their own unique set of features, but also a tonne of similar features.

This has made it quite difficult to choose one over the other, especially if you’re new to getting out into the bush to go camping and are buying your very first camping stove.

We’ve taken a deep dive into all of Australia’s best camping stoves for 2021 and assessed all of their features and perks and compiled a list of all our favourites so you’re not left in the lurch when choosing one of these.

That said, let’s take a look at the best camping stoves on offer this year.

The Companion 2 Camping Stove

The stove we outlined at the start of the article, the Companion 2 Camping Stove is our top choice for Aussie camping stoves overall.

You’ll find just about everything you need out of a stove in this model and that means a great high-quality design, good performance and plenty of BTU output to keep things heating up quickly.

There’s ideal wind protection here too along with some high-output burners that will have water boiling in no time at all. We’d also like to point out that the oversized cooking area also makes this camping stove one of the best for the family camping trips. You’re able to make use of the added space for extra cooking utensils and not need to worry about accidentally knocking something off.

A fuel consumption of 524 gm/hr comes into play here, which is rather efficient in our opinion and you’re going to find the intelligent use of stainless steel coming into play across this camping stove.

One thing to note is that the stove is a little hefty at 5kg which means carrying it may become burdensome quite quickly — depending on how far away your campsite is.

In all, this is our undisputed winner of the best camping stove in Australia for 2021.

Specifications

• A 25,000 BTU Burner
• Fuel Consumption of 524 gm/hr
• A Piezo Ignition
• Comes with a 3-year Warranty
• Weighs a Hefty 5kg

The Hyperflame FyreKnight by Coleman

Taking out second place for us is the Hyperflame from Coleman.

Previous models of this stove were incredible, however, Coleman has touted that this model has been redesigned with some excellent new technologies and a burner enhancement which enables more than twice the boil rate from the previous model.

That said, the burner this year has almost doubled in size and you’re getting additional jets integrated into the design.

For our campers who need something a little innovative and high-tech, you’re also going to love the fuel consumption control here which pulls gas use down to just 450 gm/hr, which is unheard of in a stove with this type of efficiency in heating.

There’s a design coming into play here that we love too, with some ideal ventilation but also plenty of wind barriers to ensure you’re not going to see any wind blowing out your stove during your time at camp.

However, the point of difference here is that the wind-blocking mechanisms are built into the stove’s burners themselves, which means you don’t have to sit and fiddle with pulling out an airflow blocker.

With that in mind — you’re also getting more cooktop area with no big ‘fins’ in the way.

Another major perk for the camping families is that this two-burner stove comes with single and double hotplates which increases the usefulness of the stove. You can get more done in less space.

To end, users will find that the burner is very easily adjusted and you’re able to go all the way down to a simmer and right up to a full boil without any issues here at all. There’s a 12,000 BTU rating per burner here and you’re certainly not going to have any issues when it comes to heat output.

Specifications

• A 12,000 BTU Burner
• Fuel Consumption of 450 gm/hr
• A Piezo Ignition
• Comes with a 3-year Warranty
• Weighs a Hefty 7.1kg

The Powerhouse Dual Fuel Stove by Coleman

Another one of our favourite stoves simply because of the 70s-inspired military design is the Powerhouse model, again from Coleman.

As you’d expect, this butane and unleaded dual fuel camping stove is one of the most durable and reliable on the market today and that’s primarily down to it’s heavy-duty, no-frills design.

You’re getting only the essentials in this stove, with regards to design, and that means there are far fewer points of failure for you to be concerned about. You can also make use of this stove in environments of all temperatures and that means you’re unrestricted with where you can head out.

For newbie campers, it’s good to keep in mind that if you’re camping in an ice-cold location, your gas simply won’t ignite. That’s where the unleaded fuel option comes in most handy. You’ll be able to use this stove with an unleaded fuel source and work to cook with this, rather than gas.

Thanks to the huge flaps on the back of the stove, you’re also getting optimal wind resistance here too, which means there’s little to no chance that you’ll see the stove blowing out when you’re getting dinner ready.

For the size of the camping stove, we’re happy to say that the oversized cooking space allows for larger pans and pots and other cooking utensils. This is ideal, again, for families or larger groups who need more food to be prepared in one go, rather than having separate cooking times.

One thing to note is that the Powerhouse model does have a rather low BTU count, though this isn’t typically an indication for heat output. With just 9,000 BTU the stove still outputs a similar level of heat and offers excellent boiling capability without much issue at all.

Seasoned campers have also outlined that the stove has worked for them for more than 20 years, making this certainly a tried and true model for the campers out there.

Our final point we’d like to make is that because these stoves do run on unleaded 91, you can see a build up of soot around the burner due to unleaded not being the most clean or high quality fuel out there. You will need to keep these stoves clean if you use unleaded, or you can choose the Shellite Fuel which is also supported.

Specifications

• An 8,000 and 9,000 BTU Burner
• Fuel Consumption of 1.6 to 2.5litres/hr
• A Manual Ignition
• Comes with a 5-year Warranty
• Weighs a Hefty 6.12kg

The Compact Gas Stove by Gasmate

To one of the more affordable options out there, and our top choice stove for the budget consumer, is the Compact Gas Stove by the team from Gasmate.

As you might expect, you are giving up some of the robustness and durability of the most costly versions, though if you’re not a routine camper, this won’t be too much of an issue.

This stove comes with all of the basics that you’ll need, as well as a powerful 10,000 BTU burner, which means you’re getting more than enough heat output to boil water or cook dinner in a flash.

When it comes to the design, you’re still getting excellent wind resistance here which means the lower cost doesn’t leave you out in the cold and without an operable stove if it gets a little too windy. That in mind, you can also fold up and down the side flaps for added wind resistance.

As we mentioned, the high BTU output of the cookers is also ideal in that you’re going to have plenty of heat with a rather low 439 gm/hr fuel consumption, which is excellent if you’re looking to make the most of your single gas canister when you’re out camping.

One thing to note is that you will need to light this stove manually as there isn’t a typical ignition switch — so a gas lighter or a nifty match is going to have to do the trick for you here.

Our favourite part of this stove is, of course, the ultra-low price point. You can find this stove for an incredible $50 and sometimes even less — and we’re still going to say you might get at least five years from this camping stove. So when value for money is concerned, you’re in very good hands here.

To end, the design or the style of this stove leaves a little to be desired. It is compact, though it’s also quite strange looking and very basic. Though, if this isn’t an issue for you, we’d certainly suggest this model for the budget camping stove shoppers out there.

Specifications

• A 10,426 BTU Burner
• Fuel Consumption of 439gm/hr
• A Manual Ignition
• Comes with a 1-year Warranty
• Weighs a Light 3.25kg

The Camping Grill Stove by Campmaster

For the campers out there who want to add a dash of the home kitchen to the campsite, then the Camping Grill by Campmaster is our top suggestion for you.

These grills or stoves, rather, are designed with a built-in casserole dish, which means you’re able to make use of these to cook things like bacon and eggs and other simple dishes with no trouble at all.

One of the better perks of these stoves are that you’re not going to need to worry about oil splattering everywhere or anything landing in your food either — like ashes from a nearby camp fire.

When you’re using this stove, you’re able to simply close the lid to speed up the heating inside and get cooking a little bit faster. Foods like sausages are also able to be easily cooked to perfection in here.

A second favourite perk of ours is the awesome pressure pack butane tanks here which are the small and compact aerosol-like containers you’ll find in stores. This means there’s no need to lug around large gas canisters here. You simply slot the small butane packs into the cook top and you’re all done.

There’s also an automatic Piezo ignition coming into play here too, so firing up the grill is effortless and takes just a second.

A few additional perks and features of this stove are the awesome non-stick glass lid we mentioned, the built-in grill and frypan combo and the easy push to ignite buttons.

For the newbie campers, or those looking to make cooking at camp a tonne easier this year, you’re in good hands here.

We would like to point out though, that when it comes to heat retention and wind, you will be losing a fair bit of heat should the wind pick up outside. This is down to the wind pulling heat from the glass and the pan itself, rather than the burners.

If you’re interested in investing in one of these cooktops, you will need to do a little research to find a good deal. They’re very popular, which means you’ll find them in a heap of different stores, though all these stores have priced them differently — which means you could pay anything from $80 through to $180 if you’re not careful.

Specifications

• A 7,000 BTU Burner
• Fuel Consumption of 160gm/hr
• A Piezo Ignition
• Comes with a 1-year Warranty
• Weighs a Hefty 5.8kg

The Gas Stove and Oven Combo by Companion

More of an honourable mention or a highlight, rather than a true suggestion for most of our readers is the stove and oven combo coming from Companion.

This is the model for those who are primary planning on cooking for an event at a campsite rather than simply whipping up dinner for the friend or family. It’s essentially a true kitchen-style oven and stovetop that just so happens to be portable enough to make its way to a campsite.

The product is quite heavy and large, however, if you’re looking for absolutely no restrictions at all when it comes to getting your cooking on out in the wilderness, then this is the model for you.

It’s also good to note that for the campsite where open fires are now no longer allowed, either due to bushfire risk or general safety, you’re going to be able to use this stove to cook with.

We would suggest that you only invest in one of these cooktops and ovens if you have either a large vehicle, an RV or a ute to slide it into the back of given that it’s 15KG and is quite tall. You certainly won’t be hiking with this model by your side.

When it comes to the foods you’ll be able to cook, as we mentioned, you’re generally unrestricted, and this means you’ll find that you can cook everything from puddings, roasts and more.

There’s a thermometer built into this oven too, so you’re also in the know about what’s going on inside and whether it’s time to slide a pizza on to the burner or into the oven or not.

In all, we will say that this is an incredible option for those who have the means to get it to camp, though a few downsides are the size and the weight as well as the rather low BTU count.

We would still stand by the oven and stove combo for most campers, though only if you have the space for it.

Specifications

• A 5,300 BTU Burner
• A 3,600 BTU Oven
• Fuel Consumption of 116gm/hr – Stove
• Fuel Consumption of 79gm/hr – Oven
• A Piezo Ignition
• Comes with a 1-year Warranty
• Weighs a Hefty 15kg

The 3 Burner Stove by Companion

Our final and second Companion model is the three-burner model of the camping stove we outlined above.

This is the model for our campers who need just a little more cooking space in a compact and foldable design. You’re getting some added room here, along with ideal wind protection and some pretty good heat output.

We’re happy to say that the stove does come with some good wind protection as well as a somewhat high BTU count, though it’s not going to blow you away here. The central burner does come with the higher BTU count of 8,600 whereas the other burners are a lower 6,400 BTU.

The price is reasonable here too, and there’s a 12-month warranty to make sure you’re covered if anything goes wrong with your stove top.

Specifications

• An 8,600 BTU Central Burner
• Fuel Consumption of 180gm/hr
• A Manual Ignition
• Comes with a 1-year Warranty
• Weighs a Hefty 5.6kg

Now that we’ve gone over all of our top camping stoves for 2021 we’re sure you’ll have all the information you need to choose one for yourself or your family. Be sure to keep in mind the practicality of the stove as well as the safety features and wind protection.

For those of our readers who do often use their stoves to boil water for showers or baths at camp, we suggest opting for a model with the highest BTU possible to make sure you’re getting that water warm as quickly as possible.

To end, always make sure to keep safety at the forefront and choose a stove that you find most comfortable and the safest to use when you’re out camping with friends and family.