The Best Single Burner Gas Stove for Car Camping Under $50
Struggling to choose a camping stove for your car camping road trip?
Getting the wrong stove can be a BIG mistake and make your road trip stressful.
At least, that was my experience after trying out a two-burner stove and realizing it just wasn’t cut out for life on the road.
The gas stove I ended up using for 2 years of full-time travel in my SUV was:
Read on to hear about a couple “kitchen” mistakes I made while car camping, why I love the Gas One stove, why I got it instead of others, and how it could be better.
Cooking your own food is a huge part of a fun road trip – and the right stove can make a huge difference in remembering it fondly… or as a total pain.
When I set out with Lala on our long-term road trip, getting a stove was one of our top priorities.
We ended up making the right one eventually, but it wasn’t without a few mistakes along the way.
Though the Gas One single-burner was the stove we used most, we actually had 2 stoves. If you’re deciding between a few options, here’s my full breakdown of the best stoves for car camping!
Types of Stoves for Camping
The best stoves for camping can be categorized into three groups: ultra-compact stove, single burner stoves, and two-burner stoves.
- The smallest ones, like the pocket rocket, fit in your hand. They’re super portable and heat things up EXTREMELY fast. Hence the “rocket.”
- Single burner gas stoves tend to fit a 10-inch pan perfectly. They’re obviously bigger, but the come in a nice and portable briefcase.
- Two burner gas stoves also come in a briefcase, but a much bigger one. They usually fit two 10-inch pans, although it’s a tight fit. They’re hard to store but are better for complex meals.
My 2 “Kitchen” Mistakes While Car Camping
My first mistake the first few days of my 2-year car camping road trip was to try a two-burner stove.
But it wasn’t just any two-burner, it was a Walmart brand stove – so it was CHEAP.
And it was BAD.
The flame was super inconsistent, the wind flaps worked but made it so you couldn’t put a 10-inch pan on the stove, and it was janky.
Trying to use it was a pain, and it completely turned me away from two-burner gas stoves.
That’s why I bought my single-burner gas stove, and my first mistake with that one was on NIGHT ONE of using it!
That video documents that fateful first night.
To summarize it, Lala and I drove way into Monongahela National Forest ready to cook a meal.
We ACTUALLY:
- Chopped veggies
- Chopped raw chicken
- Made rice and lentils
The worst part… it was BROWN RICE!!
No, the worst part was cleaning everything with no source of water.
It all took about 2 hours, in the dark, and we almost ran out of fuel.
What I learned in this moment was that I made the right decision getting a single-burner gas stove because I HATED cooking outdoors.
So, from then on, we made it our mission to learn how to make simple, but delicious meals on the road.
So, what’s the best single-burner gas stove?
The answer to all our needs was the Gas One Stove and we’ve LOVED having it.
We used it every day for 2 years and made a bunch of delicious meals.
It was better than all the other gas camping stoves we researched, and it has proven to be durable, versatile and efficient in SO many ways.
But, I will be honest, it’s the only single-burner gas stove I’ve used.
So, let me tell you why I got the Gas One stove instead of others, and why it’s the only one I’ve cared to use!
1. Fewer Dishes, Less Cleaning
Yes, the main reason I love my single burner gas stove is laziness.
But let me tell you, the worst part of living in my SUV and cooking all my food on the road is washing dishes.
It’s different if you live in a van or an RV and have a water source. But living in an SUV, there really is no way to wash dishes.
Having a single-burner gas stove for SUV camping is a cycle of positivity:
- You make more simple meals because you only have one burner. You have to be creative, but it pays off by requiring less work.
- You own less dishes and cookware because you’re always making simple meals.
- And finally, you have to clean less dishes because you make simple meals and own less equipment. All of that thanks to the stove!
We became masters of making one-pot meals!
2. Dual Fuel Feature
This is something I took for granted, but I’m now realizing most single-burner stoves don’t have.
The Gas One one-burner gas stove has a compartment where you connect your gas cannister.
But you can use two different types of fuel!
The small 8 oz butane canister pops into the compartment extremely quickly. It’s by far the fastest and easiest way to use the stove, but the gas runs out faster.
It also comes with components to connect a bigger 16 oz propane canister. These canisters last longer and, in my experience, give you a more dependable flame.
But sometimes you just want to get started cooking immediately and get it over with.
We always kept both types of canisters and used them depending on the day!
3. Portability is Key
The Gas One single burner gas stove is practical and convenient.
After trying out the two-burner stove and realizing it wasn’t convenient at all, we got the single-burner.
It came in a small briefcase, which made it easy to carry.
But the best part is that we were able to store the briefcase perfectly under the front seats of out Subaru Forester.
It’s like these one-burner gas stoves were made for SUV camping because they’re so compact.
After all, that’s the reason we got it. With two people living in an SUV, saving space was SO important. And this camping stove was perfect for that.
4. A Complete No-brainer
If you’ve read this blog before, you know I’m all about budget travel and I spent less than $40 a day traveling all over the US for 2 years.
When you’re on a budget, the best combination is finding cheap things that last forever.
To be honest, I chose the Gas One stove over all others because it was cheap!
And I was worried it was going to be janky and get damaged quickly because it was so cheap.
Then it lasted 2 straight years of everyday use and is still working perfectly.
And that’s why I’ve never used another single-burner gas stove. The Gas One was that small, dependable and inexpensive camping stove we needed.
Two-burner gas stoves start at about $100 and the pocket rocket starts at about $50.
Meanwhile, single-burner gas stoves cost between $30-$60. The Gas One stove is on the lower end of that range.
After all our research, getting the Gas One camping stove was a no-brainer. Now, after 2 years using it, even more!
Two Things that Could be Better
Though I absolutely loved the Gas One stove, there are 2 things that occasionally frustrated me about it.
- The flame does NOT do well in the wind. That’s true of any stove, which is why two-burner stoves have wind flaps. But single-burner gas stoves just can’t have wind flaps, which means it’s up to you to figure out what to do. On windy days, we ended up either cooking in the back of our SUV or building huge contraptions that rarely worked to keep the wind off.
- The flame gets weak when you’re almost out of fuel. At some point when you’re almost out of gas, the flame gets weak because there isn’t much pressure in the canister. This isn’t necessarily the Gas One stove’s fault, but it sure is frustrating when you want to eat after a hike.
Camping Gas Stove FAQ
The best single-burner propane stove is the Gas One stove because it works well, lasts forever, and is the most affordable option.
The best thing about it is that it’s also compatible with the small butane canisters, which are even easier to put into the stove.
That way, you can use whichever you prefer – propane for longer-lasting fuel, and butane for when you want to cook food quickly!
In my experience, the best and most affordable stoves are on Amazon. For some reason, the same stoves are always way more expensive on other online retailers.
You can also find them at REI and Bass Pro Shops, but they’re also more expensive.
And definitely DON’T buy your stove at Walmart. My first two-burner gas stove was from Walmart and it was SO bad!
Coleman is an amazing brand, and I usually vouch for it, but I have to vouch for the Gas One stove in this case.
Coleman has a variety of single-burners ranging from $40 to $110, and they are high quality stoves. The only thing is that they only run on butane, and those canisters are smaller and not as reliable.
Meanwhile, the Gas One stove isn’t as well-known of a brand, but I got it and it lasted me 2 years of using it every day. Plus, it works with butane AND propane, which is a huge plus for me.
You really can’t go wrong with either one, but the Gas One single-burner stove is just more convenient and adaptable.
No, and you shouldn’t use any camping stoves indoors unless you have REALLY good ventilation.
These gas stoves can release carbon monoxide, which can be lethal if it builds up too much is a badly ventilated space like a tent, a closed car or even a home.
While car camping, always make sure you have your car windows or trunk open while you’re cooking in the car. Otherwise, just find a flat area or table to cook!
To sum it up, the Gas One stove is the best choice because…
- It makes for fewer dishes to wash
- It’s super dependable, even in freezing temps
- It’s the most stable type of stove
- It’s the most versatile
- It’s cheaper
I’ve been super happy with my Gas One stove and HIGHLY recommend it if you’re looking for camping stoves.
So look no further! Buy your Gas One Stove here and go on a road trip!
And if you’re hooked on car camping by now and want to learn more, read the blog post about my FULL car camping kitchen setup here!
