View Full Version : Cooking with sterno
jessicacomp
01-19-2008, 20:54
I had ruled out the idea of even taking sterno after I had read over and over how inefficient it is and how long it takes to even boil a cup of water. Last night, however, I found a can of sterno that I owned (from having fondue parties) and forgot about. Out of curiosity, I boiled some water in the pot I plan on taking on my thru hike, and then I cooked some pasta. It took the same amount of time as if I was using my stove. The pasta actually cooked in the same amount of time the bag said it would.
So- am I missing something here? Do I just have a magical sterno can that is unlike any other?
:-?
I had ruled out the idea of even taking sterno after I had read over and over how inefficient it is and how long it takes to even boil a cup of water. Last night, however, I found a can of sterno that I owned (from having fondue parties) and forgot about. Out of curiosity, I boiled some water in the pot I plan on taking on my thru hike, and then I cooked some pasta. It took the same amount of time as if I was using my stove. The pasta actually cooked in the same amount of time the bag said it would.
So- am I missing something here? Do I just have a magical sterno can that is unlike any other?
:-?
How windy is your kitchen?
jessicacomp
01-19-2008, 21:02
ah, that is a wonderful point, and I dont know why I did not think of it. I will try boiling water with it outside tomorrow and see how that goes. thank you!
Yes they do work no wind and when can is full . After can of sterno half way down not so good.
Bulldawg
01-19-2008, 22:08
Our coleman stove once broke down on a car camping/fishing trip. I had brought alone a can of sterno (just in case, this was before I got into backpacking and all the wonderful homemade alcohol stoves) Anyway, I tried cooking mac and cheese with the sterno, HORRIBLE experience, even in the summer. Needless to say I cooked IN the fire the rest of the weekend.
Lanthar Mandragoran
01-29-2008, 17:07
Hrm... might work with those nifty primus eta pots... well, that and a windscreen...
Wise Old Owl
01-30-2008, 13:33
I had ruled out the idea of even taking sterno after I had read over and over how inefficient it is and how long it takes to even boil a cup of water. So- am I missing something here? Do I just have a magical sterno can that is unlike any other?
:-?
I played around with it just like you did, between the fumes and lack luster heat, a alcohol stove makes a better choice. I think that is because it pressurizes within the can. I leave the sterno at home.
I have taken some steron out of the can put some alcohol in mix up get better burn. Also if you re cap it it last tell ready to use
SunnyWalker
01-30-2008, 23:49
Try an Esbitt stove. -SunnyWalker
disquegolfer
02-18-2008, 10:49
As an aside, depending on the recipes I plan, I take one or two of the gold-colored square collapsible sterno stoves with me on my overnights and weekend trips. I saute, sear, pan fry, heat, boil, simmer. The stoves provide quite adequate wind protection and are exceptionally sturdy. With both stoves humming, I typically use about two half cans of sterno for a complicated dinner plan ... say, start with sauteing some green onions and shallot and then browning ground Italian sausage. Add tomato and basil, oregano, thyme and cut up veggies. Boil water for pasta on the other stove. When the pasta is cooked, I typically reserve the hot, salted water and use it to "preheat" my cocoa/washing water by putting a .6 liter Sigg bottle in.
In the morning, I combine the remainder of the sterno in the two cans from the previous night into one can for breakfast cooking. For a weekend trip I always pack six cans and always bring back two cans (sometimes three) untouched.
It isn't for everyone. It is slower than almost any other type of stove (though not as dramatically slower as some would have you believe). But I have been using this as my primary method since the early 70s. I am intrigued by many of the homemade alcohol stoves. I think the future is there, but I am not going to switch until I see a slightly better mousetrap.
Everyone will make their own choice, but for me the two HUGE factors that matter more than anything else are:
1) noise ... the Sterno allows me to enjoy my surroundings ... (I am also the kind of guy who would rather use a sling blade than a lawnmower, a saw than a chainsaw, a shovel than a snowblower, a broom or rake than a leafblower ... you get the point).
2) error free ... I cleave with the homemade alcohol stove folks here ... there is just a whole bunch of peace of mind in knowing nothing will ever go wrong with your cooking arrangement. I wish I had a hot cup of cocoa in the gathering darkness for every time I have seen a fellow hiker cursing his or her stove, starting inadvertent fires or eating gorp for supper ... oh, wait ... I DID have a hot cup of cocoa (and if I liked 'em, so did they).
mkmangold
02-19-2008, 00:54
I appreciate this thread. I have access to literally dozens of new and partially used Sterno cans (the kinds used in portable buffets as food warmers). Let's deconstruct this: how can we make Sterno a kinder, better burner? Can we "pressurize" it? Assuming a windscreen is easy, what else could we do to increase its efficiency and ease of use, if anything?
kayak karl
02-19-2008, 08:08
I appreciate this thread. I have access to literally dozens of new and partially used Sterno cans (the kinds used in portable buffets as food warmers). Let's deconstruct this: how can we make Sterno a kinder, better burner? Can we "pressurize" it? Assuming a windscreen is easy, what else could we do to increase its efficiency and ease of use, if anything?
sterno burns at a lower temp. they are great for heating bakebeans in a soda can stove setup. eazyier then a simmer ring. i take sterno on day hikes. just easier.
I have done this take some sterno out put in some alcohol mix up burns better
Hrm... might work with those nifty primus eta pots... well, that and a windscreen...There's no "might work" to it. I began backpacking in 1969 and we used sterno cans exclusively for cooking for several years (until we "advanced" to trioxane fuel tabs), along with cheap tarps, military surplus canvas knapsacks, and lightweight bedrolls. We kept our pack weight to around 25 lbs or less and felt well-equipped.
So I know from experience that sterno will work. I can recall cooking some elaborate meals over sterno. But there are more efficient alternatives these days, so I don't recommend it.
When I first started backpacking I used the large Sterno cans for the first couple of years before moving up to the MSR Firefly white gas stove. I have a Sterno "stove" that sits on the top of the Sterno can and makes the Sterno more heat efficient. I still use it for day hikes as it is so simple, no moving parts to fail. They are at their hottest the first couple of times they are used. As the fluid part is used up it leaves a semi-solid gelatin part behinds that still burns but not very hot at all.
Panzer
Survivor Dave
07-05-2008, 20:48
Sterno turns everything black!:eek:
4eyedbuzzard
07-05-2008, 20:58
I started backpacking back in the late 60's. Never used sterno even back then. Most of us used white gas stoves imported from Europe. The two most popular back then were the Svea 123 and Optimus 8R.
Sterno has too much gelatin and is terrible in any wind. Best used to keep trays of food wam at picnics.
Bulldawg
07-05-2008, 21:28
Like I said, I have used it, but I don't like it.
Wise Old Owl
07-05-2008, 21:29
I played around with it just like you did, between the fumes and lack luster heat, a alcohol stove makes a better choice. I think that is because it pressurizes within the can. I leave the sterno at home.
Oh then I discovered different alcohols work at different temps - Iso has 25 % water, Heet Wood Alcohol "appears" to generate a deeper blue - so I think it might be hotter... Still - leave the Sterno at home.
I use the smaller steno cans sometimes when car-camping, I use them to keep things warm when a group of us camp and have any food we would like to keep warm. I put the can under a fondue pot I bought at a garage sale for a few bucks. But other then this, I don’t feel it generates enough heat to be very useful.
Appalachian Tater
07-05-2008, 23:37
As an aside, depending on the recipes I plan, I take one or two of the gold-colored square collapsible sterno stoves with me on my overnights and weekend trips. I saute, sear, pan fry, heat, boil, simmer. The stoves provide quite adequate wind protection and are exceptionally sturdy. With both stoves humming, I typically use about two half cans of sterno for a complicated dinner plan ... say, start with sauteing some green onions and shallot and then browning ground Italian sausage. Add tomato and basil, oregano, thyme and cut up veggies. Boil water for pasta on the other stove. When the pasta is cooked, I typically reserve the hot, salted water and use it to "preheat" my cocoa/washing water by putting a .6 liter Sigg bottle in.
In the morning, I combine the remainder of the sterno in the two cans from the previous night into one can for breakfast cooking. For a weekend trip I always pack six cans and always bring back two cans (sometimes three) untouched.
It isn't for everyone. It is slower than almost any other type of stove (though not as dramatically slower as some would have you believe). But I have been using this as my primary method since the early 70s. I am intrigued by many of the homemade alcohol stoves. I think the future is there, but I am not going to switch until I see a slightly better mousetrap.
Everyone will make their own choice, but for me the two HUGE factors that matter more than anything else are:
1) noise ... the Sterno allows me to enjoy my surroundings ... (I am also the kind of guy who would rather use a sling blade than a lawnmower, a saw than a chainsaw, a shovel than a snowblower, a broom or rake than a leafblower ... you get the point).
2) error free ... I cleave with the homemade alcohol stove folks here ... there is just a whole bunch of peace of mind in knowing nothing will ever go wrong with your cooking arrangement. I wish I had a hot cup of cocoa in the gathering darkness for every time I have seen a fellow hiker cursing his or her stove, starting inadvertent fires or eating gorp for supper ... oh, wait ... I DID have a hot cup of cocoa (and if I liked 'em, so did they).Why don't you try pouring denatured alcohol in an empty Sterno can and see how it works. You have nothing to risk except the price of the alcohol and no time or effort other than going to buy it. It should work fine. Then if you want you can make a SuperCat in about five minutes or less. No big investment in money, time or trouble there, either. Sterno is just jellied alcohol much like the hand cleaning gels.
Sterno is like any stove a good windscreen.It get hot for coffee and do freeze bag cooking with a cozy. I get mine at the dollar store 2 for dollar so i can wast it i also made a heater with it. not real sterno a coply but almost the same
I appreciate this thread. I have access to literally dozens of new and partially used Sterno cans (the kinds used in portable buffets as food warmers). Let's deconstruct this: how can we make Sterno a kinder, better burner? Can we "pressurize" it? Assuming a windscreen is easy, what else could we do to increase its efficiency and ease of use, if anything?
Hi there mkmangold:)
Empty the partial cans into a pliable squeeze bottle that has a secure snap lid. Use an empty shoe polish tin. squirt whatever amount you'll need all around the diameter of the tin. Expose the max amount of gel to get the max amount of heat out of it. Want more heat increase the diameter of the tin. Always use a shallow tin.
Use a golfball size piece of stainless steel pot scrubber. Dip it into a can of sterno gel, set it down on a can lid or whatever, put your pot support over it and lite it up.
Want more?:banana
mkmangold
07-16-2008, 01:01
Zelph!
I'll give it a try with the Sterno. Gonna do southern Kettle Moraine with us soon?
Since nobody has said it, I will.
Sterno IS an alcohol stove.
The alcohol is jellied via mixing with some other chemicals. There is a recipe/ formula available somewhere on the net. (Probably zenstoves). I remember that it is easy to make.
I suppose. logically, it would burn a little cooler because of the additives. In fact, I don't even know which type of alcohol it uses.
Grinder/ Tom
Since nobody has said it, I will.
Sterno IS an alcohol stove.
The alcohol is jellied via mixing with some other chemicals. There is a recipe/ formula available somewhere on the net. (Probably zenstoves). I remember that it is easy to make.
I suppose. logically, it would burn a little cooler because of the additives. In fact, I don't even know which type of alcohol it uses.
Grinder/ Tom
here you go how to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTPBlvNmbCM
Wise Old Owl
07-17-2008, 11:41
Since nobody has said it, I will.
Sterno IS an alcohol stove.
The alcohol is jellied via mixing with some other chemicals. There is a recipe/ formula available somewhere on the net. (Probably zenstoves). I remember that it is easy to make.
I suppose. logically, it would burn a little cooler because of the additives. In fact, I don't even know which type of alcohol it uses.
Grinder/ Tom
Don't forget in a enclosed space it's quite noxious. (tent)