Gel fuel cooker

[jamie18thmo]

Hi All,
I found an old mini cooker in the loft the other day. I'd attach a pic if I knew how!
I remember using it in the '80's with a gel type fuel that came in a toothpaste type tube.
I don't suppose you can get that now, so I was wondering what alternatives there might be or should I get some of this stuff:

http://store.securehosting.com/stores/SH205601/shophome.php?itemprcd=gh1

It's a pretty nifty little item, about the size of a small bean tin.

What do you reckon?
Cheers,
J

 

[david1317]

hi i have used the greenheat gel with my crusader mug and stand but it dose not burn that hot and leaves a sticky mess as it dose not burn away completely

 

[cyclist]

I´ve "tested" all sorts of fuels and concluded that gel fuel and Hexamine/Esbit is far too expensive in relation to it´s value compared to alc. (meth. spirits)

 

[bikething]

You used to be able to get something similar to a greenheat cooker that used jellied petrol (napalm??) as a fuel - similar method - fuel in a small round tin with a lid, and a clip on potstand.
They used to be great as a 'pocket cooker' but i haven't seen them on sale for about 15 years now.

 

[Tadpole]

You used to be able to get something similar to a greenheat cooker that used jellied petrol (napalm??) as a fuel - similar method - fuel in a small round tin with a lid, and a clip on potstand.
They used to be great as a 'pocket cooker' but i haven't seen them on sale for about 15 years now.

strange you should say that, I saw some for sale in TKmaxx only the other week, likethis or this but not the same brand, it was about £6.99

 

[rik_uk3]

Hi All,
I found an old mini cooker in the loft the other day. I'd attach a pic if I knew how!
I remember using it in the '80's with a gel type fuel that came in a toothpaste type tube.
I don't suppose you can get that now, so I was wondering what alternatives there might be or should I get some of this stuff:

http://store.securehosting.com/stores/SH205601/shophome.php?itemprcd=gh1

It's a pretty nifty little item, about the size of a small bean tin.

What do you reckon?
Cheers,
J

Go to Tesco and buy some scent free alcohol hand gel, its cheap, but like all the gels, burns poorly, stick to meths in liquid form if you can, it burns hotter

 

[bikething]

strange you should say that, I saw some for sale in TKmaxx only the other week, likethis or this but not the same brand, it was about £6.99

It looked like the "Greenheat Camping Cooker" in your second link, which i've also tried, and it's not a patch on the old jellied petrol variety. I've only seen the eco-friendly stuff lately.. but i don't rate it much. I think the petrol one was mentioned in one of the Len Calcutt books.. I'll try and find the photo..but that will have to wait until tomorrow...

cheers
Steve

 

[addyb]

I believe that you can gel methylated spirits by adding egg whites to them.

Adam

 

[cyclist]

yes, indeed egg whites
http://zenstoves.net/Sterno.htm sroll down and you find how to do it

only advantage over pure alc. is it doesn´t drop, everything else is worse. As if I pedal uphill with aplied brakes.
Kind of "better than nothing" stuff. Hexi/Esbit might be a fragment better

 

[addyb]

Honestly, for a pocket "brew up" cooker nothing beats Hexy. Period. Sure, it's got a lot of disadvantages but if you compare it all the other types of pocket cooker fuel out there, there's simply no comparison.

I've fooled around with gel fuel. It's #$%%^^& terrible! It doesn't burn near hot enough, and leaves a gooey mess in your cooket that's a heckuva lot worse than what Hexy leaves behind. And it's expensive.

Trioxane fuel is nice because it's dirt cheap and lights in an instant. You can even get it going with a firesteel. But it doesn't burn very hot and burns far too fast. I can't even bring water to a proper boil with it.

Hexy stinks like rotting fish. And it's hard to light. And it leaves a mess in the bottom of your cooker. But it burns hot and long enough to cook a meal on and you can blow out a half used tablet and use it again later.

For a pocket cooker, hexy wins hands down in my opinion.

But that's only my two cents.

Adam

 

[spamel]

You're right, hexi does stink like rotting fish! I don't remember it always smelling like that though, I wonder if they changed the recipe?

 

[addyb]

That depends. Actual Esbit fuel isn't so bad but the army issue stuff is just awful.

It works though.

 

[cyclist]

are you sure the army has a different type of Esbit?

Probanly the coastal style smell is indicating the actual age of Esbit