Sunday, March 2, 2008

Stove Experiment

I did an experiment this weekend to see how fast different stoves can boil a half liter of cold water.
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My alcohol stove can boil cold water in a 4.5 inch diameter pot in 30F weather with fairly strong winds in about 8 minutes using about 2 ounces of fuel. A white gas stove can boil cold water in the same pot in about 6 minutes.
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The white gas stove weighs more than a pound not including the assessories, which add at least another half pound. I was not able to measure the volume of fuel it burned, but have read that white gas stoves take more fuel than alcohol stoves. I'm not sure I believe that, though. I need more data. My alcohol stove weighs about 2 ounces, costs nothing to make, and fits inside my cooking pot.
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I noticed that my alcohol stove will burn about 2 ounces of fuel for 30 minutes or more when there is no wind, but will burn for only 15 minutes or less when there is wind.

1 comment:

Hotdogs said...

Stove Shhmove, I was thinking we could have Baby Bear carry the microwave. Nothing cooks faster.

Tarzanna, Queen of Nacho Picchu