Emergency Gear: Alco-Brite Stove Kit

Make:  Alco-Brite
Model:  Gelled Alcohol Fuel Canister and Stove Kit


I have an old MSR backpacking stove that runs off IsoButane, but for emergency shelter-in-place scenarios, I needed a stove that could be used safely indoors and one that could sit unused on a shelf almost indefinitely.

I was going back and forth between the Alco-Brite and the Esbit pocket stove, but my impressions are that the Esbit is best suited when you need something extremely light and compact and are willing to trade some performance for portability.

The 16oz Alco-Brite canister has about the same size and weight as a can of soup, so while it's heavier and bulkier than the Esbit, it's still relatively portable if you need to pack it.  I was able to boil a cup of water in 8 minutes (which is exactly what their published figure states) and supposedly the fuel will last between 4-7 hours.  Other than a slight smell of "sterno", it was very clean-burning and absolutely no mess or residue.

I only wish that the canister had some sort of screw-on top instead of the lid that you have to pry off.  While it's easy to get the lid off with a screwdriver or knife, and it's easy to knock back into place, you'll probably be doing this over and over again I could see it potentially becoming a hassle.

But other than that, this little stove fits the bill for an emergency indoor stove so perfectly that it's hard to complain.

The "stove" is really nothing more than two metal pieces that snap onto the fuel canister.  It's simple but effective.



The piece that goes at the top of the stove has an additional metal damper that swings in and out, allowing you to adjust the heat.  Closing it completely will snuff out the flame.