Easy 'disaster stove' - cat food can burner

[Gina]

In a couple of the recent disaster threads the subject of how to cook something if the power goes out. Here is an easy solution - the cat food can burner.

There are many homemade alcohol burners to be found on the internet. Some are complex, use various tools, and are sleek and come close to works of art. Others are simple and efficient - and cheap. To see many designs, do searches for catfood can burners, or pepsi can burners, etc. And you can see a several being made if you look around on youtube. Many people who hike use these because the are lightweight yet efficient.

This is the one I like. All you need is a simple small cat food can (fancy feast), and something to punch holes around the sides. And of course denatured alcohol for fuel. Denatured ethyl alcohol can be found at paint stores or homedepot. Rubbing isopropyl alcohol (at 70%) does nto have high enough alcohol %. You need about 90-95% to burn cleanly. Isopropyl also smells bad IMO. I beleive something called Heet would work too but I have never tried it.

The first one I made following something I saw on Utube was with a hole punch. While easy to make, and it burned well, I thought it might burn better with smaller holes, so I used an icepick, hammer over some thick newspaper, and made another. And indeed that one (on the right) burned much better IMO. That is the first picture - the two burners with holes. The second has a rough surface, but does not seem to be any problem. (I suppose in an emergency you could use that to grate cheese. )



To use the burner, put a tablespoon or two of denatured alchol into the bottom of the can. Light the alcohol. Becareful - the vapors are flamable. I prefer one of those longer bbq lighters. Just one spark will light it. Make sure the burner is placed on a non-flamable surface.

This is the burner 'warming up' with just the alcohol aflame.




Let it burn till it heats enough to not go out when you place your pan on top. 20-30 seconds? You are now ready to cook. Place (balance) your thin-walled pan (with lid) on top and cook. If the alcohol runs out and the flame goes out, refill carefully. To put out unused fuel, invert a larger can on top to extinguish the flames.

[bae]

Oooooh! That's a great idea.

[Tradd]

I use Sterno instead, with one of the little folding stoves. Sterno is available just about everywhere.

[WorldFoodie]

Thank you- love these simple solutions!
I'm thinking it would be a good idea to cook on a cement surface too.

[redfox]

And not let the cat near it...

[herbgeek]

I bought an alcohol stove, instead of making one, only because I was looking for one with a simmer ring. I'd found a number of recipes to "bake" things by using steam, and these required a less-than-full flame. I think mine was $12 (Trangia). I have a silicone egg poacher that can sit within a pan of simmering water that I've used to make cupcakes. Still waiting for a camping/backpacking trip to try this out in the field instead of my kitchen. While everyone else is eating their freeze dried food, I can be baking dessert or make coffeecake in the morning, albeit one serving at a time.

[puglogic]

WOW! Going to have to try that. How fun.

[Gina]

I bought an alcohol stove, instead of making one, only because I was looking for one with a simmer ring. ... I think mine was $12 (Trangia).

I've always wanted a Trangia. In fact one of those was what led me to experiment with the cat-can burners. I've seen trangias (new and used) on ebay, with all manner of accessories. In the distant past there was a really good price at some sort of surplus store too. Plus shipping of course.

The cat-can's do not allow for flame adjustment and just go full bore. They would be more for boiling water or oatmeal or other basic simple things - emergency cooking with light-weight pans, etc.

[Madsen]

I'm going to make one out of a soda can I think -- the idea of using a cat food container is just too weird.