When you’re heading out to the outdoors for camping, you may be stocked with all the gear. But food is as much a part of it as is anything else. Ensuring you’re well hydrated and nourished adds onto the fun and excitement that lies ahead of you on your trip. You’ll need something to deliver sustenance and warmth wherever your outdoor pursuits take you. In this list of lightweight camping stoves, we’ll have a look at different models and you can choose what’s best suits your need!
What to Look For
Size
You need to consider how many people are you cooking for here? Generally there are two sizes to pick from- tabletop and larger free-standing stoves. Small groups that are camping only for a few days would suffice with a compact two-burner stove which is lightweight and fits in the car easily. Groups of 8+ will need more than two burners or a large free-standing model with legs.
Stove
Camping or Backpacking - which one of the two you need depends on the space and weight restrictions as well as what’s cooking. The backpacking ones are designed to be efficient with their size, weight and fuel usage. There are again more specifications with the backpacking ones as some are merely for boiling water and some can cook food.
Fuel
Propane or liquid fuel? Propane is cheaper, easy to use and easily accessible. It lights instantly and does not need any pumping. However, liquid fuel is reliable in colder weathers and performs better until it’s gone. You can also place cast iron grill/griddle plate over both burners to provide a large surface. Larger groups may need a dedicated grilling stove to your quiver of cooking supplies.
Grill
Stove or plate? A good quality cast iron grill/griddle plate allows the two burner stove to boil and simmer when needed and convert to a full-width grilling surface
Top 5 Lightweight Camping Stoves
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| Etekcity Ultralight Portable Camping Stove with Piezo Ignition | 
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Etekcity Ultralight Portable Camping Stove with Piezo Ignition
This is a winner when it comes to the price ($9.99) and size. It can tightly tuck away into any hiking or ultralight backpack without being noticed. If you’re a beginner with backpacking or a pro, this little stove can do wonders. It has 4 stainless steel arms for balanced support.
Give the matchbox a rest as the push button spark produced by the Piezo igniter under cold or high altitude conditions. You will be surprised at how quickly it can boil water, sometimes less than a minute! It has a refined flame control that lets you choose between a slow simmer and a rapid boil.
Pros
- Zero setup
- No risk of fuel spillage
- Lightweight- combination of Stainless Steel and Aluminum alloy
- No priming
- Instant ignition
- Controlled flame adjustment
- Use it all year round - great in winter and cold temperatures
Cons
- Small arms for larger pots
- Sometimes the piezo element may not work, so have a lighter as a backup
Overall, Etekcity Ultralight Portable Camping Stove seems like a win among all the other lightweight camping stoves, reasonably well built for price. It’s strong but light making it an easy companion and fuel efficient.
Jetboil MiniMo Personal Cooking System
This stove is extremely light weight, durable and a pure joy to use! This stove has a new valve technology with a regulator that’s got great simmer control. It also comes in a redesigned cooking up which makes it very easy to eat- you can eat right from the cup with the new lower spoon angle. This stove comes with an insulating drink-through lid and measuring cup. If a canister stove is what you were looking for, stop looking and buy this one! Priced $100-$135
Pros
- Built-in push button piezo igniter is dependable
- Pot size being shorter and wider makes it stable and easy to use
- Better Simmer control due to the regulator/valve
- Handles are removable
- Sideways burner storage helps in minimizing pack space
Cons
- Lid can be hard to remove and comes in the way of pouring
- Connection points are exposed and may cause skin burn
This Jetboil MiniMo Personal Cooking System is a great buy for those spur-of -the-moment excursions you might take. It’s the best upright canister systems on the market and very easy to eat out of and easily compatible with various accessories.
MSR PocketRocket Stove
You might not even notice this is your pack! It’s Ultralight and Ultra-Compact, convenient and perfect for two. It weighs all of 3 oz. (85g) and needs no priming, pressurizing, or maintenance. It provides full-cooking function very efficiently. The Wind Clip wind shield promotes efficiency even in windy conditions. One of the main features to mention is that it will boil a liter of water within 3.5 minutes. It uses clean burning MSR IsoPro premium fuel. It’s priced at $33.95 on Amazon.
Pros
- Easy to ignite with no priming required
- Lightweight and very compact
- Easy to use flame control
- Comes with a case
Cons
- Pot support
- Performance issue when the canister is very cold
The MSR PocketRocket Stove is a top contender if you’re looking for real, usable performance, with maximum weight and space saver.
Primus ETA Lite High Efficiency Stove
This would be the lightest and quietest stove on the list. It’s great for camping and includes outdoor cooking accessory. It is perfect for solo adventures and has an all-in-one stove. The lid also serves as cup and this stove has also got the Piezo Igniter – and that means no matches needed. It features a built-in heat exchanger and windscreen for low fuel consumption. It comes with a Triangular joint connection that secures the pot.
Pros
- Lightweight and easy to use
- Piezo igniter
- Options for use (surface or hanging)
Cons
- Stand does not lock onto canister
The Primus ETA Lite High Efficiency Stove is wonderful at basic operation of boiling and cooking , however slightly misses on fine design details.
Housweety Lightweight Large Burner
This weighs all of 3.9 oz. and is a sturdy, durable, ultralight canister stove. Priced at $9.99 only, this one is a steal. It has a large burner which is perfect for frying pans & can easily be broken down for storage. It comes with a case. These stoves work with any screw top iso-butane / propane canisters.
Pros
- Used both iso-butane/propane canisters
- Ultralight
- Fully adjustable flame
- Stoves arms measure 7" x 7"
Cons
- - - -
This one is a best seller and no wonder is out-of-stock quite a few times. So make sure you keep a look out for this stove!
Conclusion
Having learnt about the best lightweight camping stoves be sure to head out to the great outdoors with one of them! All the above featured reviews have stoves that are great for camping due to their lightweight nature and fuel efficiency.