A Cheaper Alternative to Cooking Gas

Table of contents

A Saving of Almost 75%

I decided against buying a gas stove because it wouldn’t fit in my backpack.

I didn’t want to spend money on something I’d have to get rid of soon. So, I relied on wood for cooking and occasionally switched to ethanol when I needed to prepare meals faster or with less effort. Ethanol indeed gave me some flexibility when time was short, but I still faced some issues: the windy condition at my dwelling place, uneven heat distribution, short cooking times, inefficient fuel consumption, etc.

I needed a solution that was more practical, efficient, and cost-effective.

It was under these circumstances that I decided to invest in a multi-fuel pressure stove.

Switching from a simple metal bowl to a pressure stove for burning ethanol (or other fuels) made the burning process much more efficient and improved fuel conservation. However, I had no idea how much money it could actually save me. I assumed this upgrade would only result in a slight reduction in the cost of cooking with ethanol.

However, this time, reality proved to be way more interesting.

Is Ethanol a Cheaper Alternative to Cooking Gas?

“How much could this actually save me?”

To find out, I conducted an experiment. I wrote down that the pressure stove used 60 ml of ethanol over 30 minutes. With ethanol priced at approximately BRL 3.90 per liter in Rio de Janeiro, 60 ml costs about BRL 0.24. In comparison, cooking with LPG for the same half-hour period costs me BRL 0.95.

While this seems promising, is cooking with ethanol in a pressure stove truly a cheaper alternative to cooking gas?

The Calorific Value

“Maybe ethanol has a much lower calorific value than LPG,” I pondered. “If that’s the case, LPG would heat the food faster—requiring much less fuel.”

Cooking with ethanol requires more fuel than cooking with LPG because ethanol has a lower calorific value. This means that, despite ethanol being cheaper, it can actually end up costing more due to higher fuel consumption. On the other hand, LPG, while more expensive, has a higher calorific value, so you use less of it and turn off the heat earlier.

I went on DuckDuckGo and searched for the calorific values to make the comparison:

Ethanol: 7.1 kcal/g
LPG: 11,058 kcal/kg

But here’s the thing to consider:

Although LPG has a higher calorific value, cooking with ethanol can still be more cost-effective. It is very likely that the calorific value of ethanol is measured when it is in its liquid state, but when you use a pressure stove, you’re actually burning ethanol vapor. This vapor burns hotter and more efficiently, producing a blue flame similar to LPG. This blue flame is more efficient than a regular ethanol flame, leading to shorter cooking times and reduced fuel consumption.

These benefits, which are characteristic of LPG, come at a much lower cost with ethanol.

So, using ethanol in a pressure stove could indeed be a cheaper alternative to cooking gas.

Empirically

But now it’s time to see it in practice!

Well, since I don’t have a stove, I went to a friend’s house to conduct this very important experiment.

First, I heated 200 ml of water using LPG and observed that the water began to boil in 1 minute and 43 seconds.
Then, I heated the same amount of water using ethanol in the pressure stove, and the outcome was impressive: it began to boil in 1 minute and 52 seconds.

So, the calorific value of ethanol in the pressure stove is nearly equivalent to that of LPG, with practically no difference.

Therefore, cooking with ethanol in a pressure stove proves to be a cheaper alternative to cooking gas.

I save almost 75% on cooking gas expenses!

That’s a lot of savings!

Costs May Vary Based on Location

I calculated the costs using prices from Rio de Janeiro.

Maybe you live in a region where this type of fuel is significantly more expensive and cooking gas is cheaper. It’s a good idea to do the math yourself to determine which option is best for you. Given that using a pressure stove can save me 75% on cooking gas, it’s definitely worth considering.

You could even save more than I do.

I also looked into other types of pressure stoves (I’ll explain why later in this post).

But the thing is, in a demo video I watched, the operator said something that reinforces the idea that cooking with a pressure stove can be a cheaper alternative to cooking gas. If you don’t understand Japanese, turn on the English subtitles and check what he says at 10:23 in the video below.

He expressed gratitude for the fact that cooking gas costs could be reduced by 50%.

This shows that switching from a conventional stove to a pressure stove can lead to substantial savings—he saves 50% on cooking gas, while I save 75%.

Two-Burner Pressure Stove

If you don’t live alone or need to cook using at least two burners, a two-burner pressure stove could be a great option. It is portable and operates on the same principle as a single-burner model, just with two burners.

Advantages

Safer Than LPG

Take into consideration that a pressure stove is designed for outdoor use and should not be used indoors or in enclosed spaces.

But does this limitation mean that liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is often burned indoors, is now a better choice?

Not necessarily. Gas and propane combustion from stoves emits benzene and increases indoor air pollution.

“Through combustion, gas stoves also emit toxic chemicals, including carbon monoxide (CO), which inhibits cellular respiration; formaldehyde (HCHO), a carcinogen; and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a respiratory irritant linked to asthma” (source: BioMed Central).

According to a report released by the Rocky Mountain Institute, the use of LPG can lead to indoor air pollution levels that are two to five times higher than the outside air.

Alex Huffman, an associate professor at the University of Denver and aerosol scientist, conducted an experiment in which he installed CO2 monitors in his home. He discovered that when he cooked, the CO2 levels quickly skyrocketed, not only in the kitchen but also in every room of the house.

Therefore, while cooking with a pressure stove should be done outdoors, cooking with LPG should be done outdoors as well.

Replacing the conventional stove with a pressure stove is not only a cheaper option but also makes it easier to cook outside due to the size and portability of the pressure stove.

You don’t need to take a gas stove and a gas bottle out of your house every time you cook.

For Emergency Situations

Another advantage is that if for some reason you are short of money, or if the gas ran out at the end of the month, you don’t need to buy fuel for three or four months at once (as is the case when buying a bottle of gas).

With just BRL 3.90, acquiring a single liter of ethanol allows you to sustain your cooking needs for more than a month and a half!

Useful for Campers and Travelers

I am not a traveler. I use a pressure stove just to save money and because of its portability.

But this type of stove is also very useful for campers and travelers.

Camping gas cartridges are not so easy to find here in Brazil. And if you do find them, they come with a hefty price tag!

(You might find them more easily online, but they’re still expensive there too.)

On the other hand, you can buy ethanol or gasoline almost anywhere, in any country, and at a much lower price. There’s always a gas station nearby, making it a practical choice not just for everyday life but also for camping and traveling.

It’s super important to have a dedicated liquid fuel bottle for safely carrying highly flammable fuel in your backpack.

Such bottles are designed to minimize the risk of leaks, spills, and accidents. They feature robust construction, reliable seals, and secure caps to ensure the safe containment of fuel and prevent ignition hazards.

The Trangia Fuel Bottle, manufactured by Trangia AB, a Swedish company renowned for its high-quality camping cookware and stoves, is a popular choice. It has garnered over 4650 reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 4.7 stars.

Choosing Between a Spirit Burner and a Pressure Stove

Using a spirit burner for cooking requires more time to reach the boiling point compared to using a pressure stove.

This is partly due to its lower power and also because the flames of a spirit burner tend to move more and can be easily affected by wind.

In contrast, a pressure stove offers more efficient combustion of ethanol and reduced cooking time.

Additionally, it produces less soot than a spirit burner.

Another advantage of using a pressure stove is its flame control valve, which allows you to adjust the intensity of the flame. Once the water starts boiling, you can lower the flame to a simmer, saving fuel.

While a pressure stove does occupy more space in your backpack compared to a small spirit burner, it offsets this by consuming significantly less fuel. This efficiency means you need to carry less fuel.

Moreover, the chamber of the pressure stove itself can be used as a fuel bottle, holding up to 450 ml. This capacity allows you to cook for approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes without needing to refill.

Choosing a Pressure Stove

I’ll receive a small commission if you buy anything through my link (at no extra cost to you).

I saw that the cloth insulator under the burner of that pressure stove seems to be chrysotile asbestos, a carcinogenic material.

Therefore, I recommend getting a Dual Fuel Coleman stove instead. Coleman stoves are renowned for their durability and quality, offering a reliable choice without the health risks associated with asbestos.

On Amazon, shipping to Brazil costs more than the actual product, but you may find the same product for a more affordable price on eBay:

During my search for pressure stoves that do not include asbestos, I came across a model that offers a convenient way to switch between fuel types: the iWalker AG53.

Simply turn the “screw” clockwise to switch from gasoline to ethanol, or counterclockwise to switch from ethanol to gasoline.

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Until next time, God willing.

Take care!