If your camp cheffing needs are simple, or you are searching for a car camping stove that won’t break the bank, this is a good model to explore. The cooking controls were delicate enough that we could crank up the Coleman Classic to boil water and fry bacon or turn it down to poach an egg and create golden-edged pancakes. With 10,000 Btu of heat emanating from each burner on high, this stove should allow you to cook almost anything you can imagine—from burgers to a creamy chicken braise to a vegetable stir-fry.
No. 10 stove stands also are found painted brown and green. Model 454 is an instant lighting Utility Burner that is similar to the 456 Soldering Furnace, and dates to the late 1920’s – early coleman camp stove 1930’s. The utility burner is finished in brown Colac paint; the collar has the original brown paint. The upper parts of the utility burner were painted with high temperature black paint.
We recommend using a wand lighter to fire up the burners on this stove, as the flames can singe off all your hair if you’re not careful. This stove also requires the least maintenance because it has fewer parts to contend with and is black (the most filth-friendly color), making care and cleaning super straightforward. Secondly, the burners are the only obstacle between food and the ground. The freestanding bottomless design ensures food or grease buildup is a thing of the past. However, when using this stove, you have to be extra vigilant in picking up any food that falls on the ground to ensure you aren’t leaving a food trail to attract critters, bugs, or bears.
Portability won’t matter for some, but for folks with smaller cars or space constraints in a built-out van or truck, this is a critical element to consider. Storage space is an important factor, but you also want to keep in mind usable burner space, which will ensure you have enough space to use your favorite pots, skillets, or other accessories. Interestingly, the stoves with the best fuel efficiency ratings in our windy test were all tabletop stoves with relatively low BTUs.
It certainly isn’t winning awards for the fastest boil times. While we enjoy many features of this model, it is not the best we tested. However, it does provide everything you might want out of a camping stove without breaking the bank. The heavy-gauge, all-aluminum Camp Chef Mountaineer is built like the tough, classic camping equipment you hear salty old-timers or vintage-equipment nerds talk about.