Best Camping Stoves Australia 2026: Tested in the Bush

A good camping stove is the difference between eating cold canned beans and cooking proper meals in the bush. After years of testing everything from ultralight backpacking burners to heavy-duty dual-burner setups, we've narrowed it down to the three stoves that cover every camping style in Australia.

We cooked over 100 meals — from simple boil-ups to full camp breakfasts with bacon, eggs, and pancakes — testing boil times, wind resistance, simmer control, and durability across every condition. Paired with a quality 12V fridge, a good stove is the backbone of any camp kitchen.

How We Tested

Every stove was used for real meal preparation across multiple trips:

• Boil time: Time to boil 1L of water from 20°C to rolling boil
• Wind resistance: Tested at exposed coastal and ridge-top campsites
• Simmer control: Can it hold a gentle simmer without flaring?
• Fuel efficiency: Gas consumption per litre boiled
• Durability: Assessed after 30+ uses per stove

Quick Comparison

Best for Car Camping: Camp Chef Everest 2X

The Camp Chef Everest 2X is in a different league to most camp stoves. Each burner puts out 20,000 BTU — double what you get from a Coleman. In real-world terms, it boils a litre of water in about 3.5 minutes and can sear a steak properly rather than just slowly warming it.

The simmer control is what elevates it from good to great. Most camp stoves go from off to inferno with nothing in between. The Everest 2X holds a gentle simmer reliably, which means you can actually cook a sauce or slowly fry eggs without burning them.

Best for Hiking: Jetboil Flash

The Jetboil Flash isn't really a stove — it's a boiling machine. It boils 500ml of water in about 100 seconds, which is absurdly fast. The integrated cup design means the whole system nests together into a package not much bigger than a water bottle.

For hikers and solo campers who mostly need boiling water for dehydrated meals, coffee, and cup noodles, nothing beats the Jetboil. For actual cooking though, you'll need something with more control.

Best Budget: Coleman Classic 2-Burner

The Coleman Classic has been a campsite staple for decades, and for good reason. It works, it's cheap, and when something eventually breaks, parts are available at every BCF and Anaconda in the country.

It won't boil water as fast as the Camp Chef, and the simmer control is more of a suggestion than a precision instrument. But at $89, it cooks perfectly acceptable camp meals and will last years with basic care. It's the stove we recommend in our budget camping setup guide.

Camp Stove Fuel Guide for Australia

LPG (propane) is the standard for car camping and 4WD touring. Refillable bottles from 468g to 9 kg are available everywhere. The most practical size for weekend trips is a 2 kg bottle — it lasts a full week of cooking for two people and fits in most camp kitchens.

Isobutane canisters are the go-to for hiking stoves. The 230g size is most common and available at outdoor stores. Performance drops below 5°C — in cold conditions, keep the canister warm in your sleeping bag overnight.

Methylated spirits stoves are ultralight but slow. They're popular with through-hikers but impractical for anyone wanting to cook proper meals.

Verdict

The Camp Chef Everest 2X is the best camping stove for most Australians who car camp or 4WD tour. Its power and simmer control make real bush cooking possible. Hikers should grab a Jetboil Flash — nothing else boils water faster in such a small package. And if you just need a reliable stove without spending much, the Coleman Classic has earned its place in campsites across the country. For the full list of camp kitchen essentials, see our camping checklist.