Alcohol burners are simple, cheap, silent and have one safety characteristic that makes them genuinely dangerous if not respected.
The Invisible Flame
The most important thing about them. Denatured alcohol and methylated spirits burn with a flame that is nearly invisible in daylight.
A stove that appears to be out may be burning. People reach for it, pour more fuel into it, or pack it away, and serious burns result.
Always assume a stove is lit until proved otherwise. Check by holding a hand well above it to feel for heat rather than looking, or by putting the cover on and waiting.
Never Refuel a Hot Stove
- Pouring fuel into a burning or hot stove can flash back to the bottle
- That is a recognised cause of severe burns and fires
- Let it cool completely, which takes longer than it looks
- Move the fuel bottle well away before lighting
- Fill outside, on the ground, never on a lap
Where a stove design includes a sealed cover for storing unburned fuel, of the kind described at alocs-us.com, the cover is also the safest way to extinguish it: smothering rather than blowing.
What They Do Well
Simplicity, with no moving parts to fail. Silence, which is genuinely pleasant. Very low weight, since the stove itself can weigh almost nothing.
Fuel is available almost everywhere and can be carried in any quantity, unlike sealed canisters. It also works in cold weather where canister pressure drops.
What They Do Badly
Slow. Boil times are considerably longer than a canister stove, which matters when you are cold and hungry.
Poor in wind, which is why they need a windshield more than any other type.
Hard to control, since simmering is limited even with a simmer ring, and hard to extinguish precisely.
Fuel Types
Denatured alcohol, methylated spirits and bioethanol all work. Availability and naming differ by country, which matters when travelling.
Never use petrol, white spirit or any fuel not intended for the stove.
Fire Risk on the Ground
Spilled alcohol spreads and burns. On dry grass or leaf litter that is how wildfires start.
Bare earth, gravel or a stone slab, cleared of anything flammable, with water to hand.
Air Travel
Fuel cannot be flown. A stove that has held fuel may also be refused, so clean it thoroughly.
Carry a Backup
These are simple enough to be a good backup themselves.