Stansport Outfitter Series 3-Burner Review

Are you the type of person who likes to roast veggies and scramble your eggs at the same time as you make coffee in the morning? If so, this could be the stove for you. The Stansport 3-Burner features two high-powered 25,000 BTU burners and a third 10,000 BTU burner in the middle. Beyond the potential to have three burners going simultaneously, this stove boils water fast, is easy to set up, and has solid wind resistance. If this isn't enough, this stove is still fairly trim, so it won't command too much space in your car camping kitchen kit.

Performance Comparison

Boil Time

To evaluate stove performance, we do two water boiling tests in our garage “lab” at 5,000 feet. The 3-Burner had an average between the windy and wind-less tests of 5 minutes and 52 seconds, and this score positioned it right in the middle of the pack.

We measure how long it takes for each stove to boil 1 liter of 58°F water in the absence and presence of 2-4 mph of “wind” generated by a box fan. For the windy test (which we do first), the 3-Burner boiled 1 liter of water in 7 minutes 55 seconds, which is a slightly below-average performance. By contrast, in our wind-less boil test, it was one of the leaders of the pack, taking just 3 minutes 49 seconds to boil 1 liter of water. In the wind-less test, this stove outperformed all but one of the tabletop stoves in our lineup, impressing even the most skeptical reviewers.

The reason we simulate constant wind with a box fan is to test the effectiveness of the stove's wind resistance. As such, this test is only a rough approximation of high wind in the backcountry. When testing the 3-Burner in the field, we found the windscreens worked well enough to keep a breeze from ruining our dinner plans. Our reviewers appreciated the tight and secure fit of the windscreen. Some of the stoves with a similar design are a bit more finicky and less secure, thus providing less reliable wind protection. While our test suggests that other stoves provide better wind resistance overall, this one gets the job done without too much of an issue.

Fuel Efficiency

In addition to evaluating the power and wind resistance of each stove, we also consider fuel efficiency. The 3-Burner was one of the least fuel-efficient stoves in our review, consuming an average of 1.45 ounces of a Coleman propane canister or 9% of a fuel bottle per boil test.

To determine fuel efficiency, we start each series of boil tests with a fresh propane canister. We then weigh it before and after each of the boil tests. We assume that stoves will be less fuel efficient during the wind test, and we do this test first because fuel efficiency diminishes as the fuel bottle empties. For the windy test, the 3-Burner consumed 1.94 ounces or 12.36% of the fuel in the canister. By contrast, during the wind-less test, it used 0.96 ounces or 6.11% of a fuel canister. In both tests, it consumed more fuel than nearly all other stoves in our review. Our review team was somewhat baffled by the poor performance on fuel efficiency with this stove. We think it could be due to it having two 20,000 BTU burners (which are higher output than some others in its class) coupled with a minimal windscreen and the burners sitting farther away from the cooking grate than other models.

Simmering Ability

To test simmering ability, we made curry and rice, as well as a slow-cooked veggie and egg scramble. In each instance, the Stansport 3-Burner simmered like a champion. We were impressed with how you can finesse the knobs down low for minimal heat, even on the higher output outer burners. In fact, the Stansport 3-Burner cooked rice better than some electric stoves in our home kitchens. Despite the high power output of the outer burners, it was able to cook at a low enough temperature to simmer consistently. If you need an even lower temp, the middle burner provides a lower amount of heat to keep something simmering without constant monitoring. If you want to cook slow and low rather than raging on boxed mac and cheese, then this stove may be an ideal option for you.

Ease of Use

To evaluate ease of care, we consider how easy it is to both set up and clean a stove. The 3-Burner fared well in this category because it is easy and straightforward to set up, use, and clean — performing comparably well as the other propane models in our review.

Propane camping stoves require a few more steps to set up than butane stoves, but this shouldn't necessarily be a dealbreaker for you. If you've ever used a car camping stove, the setup for the 3-Burner is likely the same. Simply open the lid, slide the windscreen tabs into the t-slots on the lid, screw the regulator and the propane into the stove — and you're ready to go. While we like to keep a lighter in our kitchen kit, the Piezo ignitor worked like a boss for each of the three burners, making stove lighting as easy as turning a knob.

With three removable cooking grates and a stainless steel drip pan, cleaning and caring for the Stansport 3-Burner is fairly easy. The stainless steel drip pan is easy to scrub with a scouring pad once you remove each of the three cooking grates. The only reason this stove didn't earn higher marks in this metric is that you have three grates to install or remove each time you want to clean the stove. This can be a definite perk in the backcountry if you scrub the grates in a dish tub with your other dishes. However, we found the middle cooking grate somewhat challenging to seat in its footprint after removal.

Portability

Weighing in at 7.77 lbs and with relatively trim dimensions (12.75" x 23" x 4.3"), the Stansport 3-Burner scored fairly well in terms of portability. The Stansport 3-Burner is easy to carry and trim enough to tuck into most kitchen kits. It would have scored higher for its slim design and light weight, however the handle on the bottom of the stove is situated so that you have to carry the stove vertically rather than horizontally — which is awkward. Additionally, the handle digs into your skin when you transport the stove, making it not only awkward but a little painful as well. Our reviewers maintain that this should not be a dealbreaker, as you can always carry the stove like a pizza tray; it is just one minor design flaw on an otherwise great stove.

Should You Buy the Stansport Outfitter Series 3-Burner?

Our reviewers were consistently impressed with the high power output and simmering ability of this stove. It is relatively easy to set up and clean and is also easy to transport. However, relative to other stoves in our review, we feel the price is a little steep given its poor performance in our fuel efficiency and wind resistance tests. That said, the stove still performed well in the field, even in the presence of a crosswind. Furthermore, you get three burners for the price of many two-burners, which could knock your breakfast and coffee routine out of the park.

What Other Camping Stoves Should You Consider?

We recommend checking out the Eureka Ignite Plus, which is in the same price range but more fuel efficient and faster at boiling water in the wind. If you don't mind spending a little more money, check out the Camp Chef Everest 2X — it's a higher-powered stove that boils quickly, is fuel efficient, and performs well across all our metrics.