Honey Stove

[bikerta]

Thanks to a recommendation by Rualexander, I have just taken delivery of a Honey Stove complete with Trangia Burner.

Whilst I like the convenience of a gas stove, I have been caught out before where I have been unable to find a new canister when I needed to. I also have around 12 canisters in the garage that have a bit left in the bottom. It's not worth taking the canister with you on a trip as there is not enough to warrant the space the canister takes up, but when do you ever use these little bits up? There is also the problem of the canisters all ending up in landfill and the cost of them seems to be suddenly soaring.

I had considered a petrol stove, but they just don't seem to appeal. Whilst looking around I came across the honey stove and liked the idea, then when Rualexander also recommended his, I thought I would give it a try. I have spent a lovely hour this evening trying it out. It is very fiddly to put together the first time as the fittings are very tight and with the sections being so thin, it's hard to put any real pressure on as it hurts your hands. However, after spending half an hour or so of putting it together, then taking it apart and starting again, it is now much easier.

I put 330ml of cold water into my aluminium pot and used the honey stove in it's small square configuration with the Trangia Burner and found it took around 5 minutes to come to the boil. I then set the stove up in it's hexagonal configuration and used it as a wood burner and then again put 330ml of cold water into the pan and set it to boil. This literally only took just over 2 minutes which I was well pleased with. I found the stove easy to light with a cotton wall ball dipped in vaseline along with a few tiny twigs, gradually building up the size to the thickness of my thumb. I then cooked scrambled egg over the fire after letting it die down just a little bit as when it was fully burning I was worried the egg would stick to the pan too much. I then did toast on the rack over the hot embers and it was gorgeous. This was all washed down with another coffee, as it was pretty easy to re-start the fire from the hot embers.

All in all I was very impressed with the stove and will definitely be taking it on my trip. I will try to use it in wood burning mode as much as possible, but I will have the Trangia to fall back on when I can't. The only downside I can find with the stove is the blackening of the pans. Using the Trangia, I added a little bit of water to the meths and there wasn't too much soot on the pan, but in the wood burning mode the pan was very black. With a little scrubbing, it did all come off. I did find putting away the stove was a bit of a messy business though, but am willing to put up with this for the enjoyment I got out of sitting and cooking by a mini camp fire.     

[Andre Jute]

Fascinating, especially the bit about cooking eggs on a tiny open fire; most intermittent cooks, and some housewives, have trouble getting a fixed stove in their kitchen to just the right temperature for eggs cooked various ways, especially now that eggs (and even a cooked breakfast) is no longer a regular thing in so many households.

We had a thread once about washing stuff without putting too much soap into streams, scrubbing pots with sand and so on. Can't remember what it was called, but it was full of tips about eco-touring. Maybe one of the campers can remember the name of the thread.

[triaesthete]

Andre I think you speak of our absent leaders provocative thread:  Dish Soap rinse or leave?    http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=3917.0  But don't call me camp.

I am finding Ru's recommendation compelling as well having given up petrol.  Thanks for the report bikerta. Did you plump for titanium or stainless?

Happy cooking
Ian

[triaesthete]

Which Wood Burns Best?  I found this on http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/wood-as-fuel.html  Trouble is you'll now need to carry the Ladybird book of trees as well, but you could burn it in an emergency 

There are a myriad of wood types to choose from, all of which have their own burning qualities and properties however for the most efficient and effective burn in your wood burning stove only very dry wood should be used. Never use green or 'live' wood as this is damaging the environment and produces excess smoke and gases. We have listed below a brief but by no means comprehensive guide.

Alder:  Produces poor heat output and it does not last well.   Poor

Apple:  A very good wood that burns slow and steady when dry, it has small flame size, and does not produce sparking or spitting.    Good

Ash:  Reckoned by many to be one of best woods for burning. It produces a steady flame and good heat output. It can be burnt when green but like all woods, it burns best when dry.   Very Good

Beech:  Burns very much like ash, but does not burn well when green.   Very Good

Birch:  Produces good heat output but it does burn quickly. It can be burnt unseasoned, however the sap can cause deposits to form in the flue with prolonged use.     Good

Blackthorn: Has a slow burn, with good heat production.    Good

Cedar: Is a good burning wood that produces a consistent and long heat output. It burns with a small flame, but does tend to crackle and spit and the sap can cause deposits to form in the flue with prolonged use.    Good

Cherry:  Is a slow to burn wood that produces a good heat output. Cherry needs to be seasoned well.    Good

Chestnut:  A poor burning wood that produces a small flame and poor heat output.    Poor

Douglas Fir:  A poor burning wood that produces a small flame and poor heat output and the sap can cause deposits to form in the flue with prolonged use.    Poor

Elder:  A poor burning wood that produces a small flame and poor heat output.    Poor

Elm:   Is a wood that can follow several burn patterns because of high moisture content, it should be dried for two years for best results. Elm is slow to get going and it may be necessary to use a better burning wood to start it off. Splitting of logs should be done early.     Medium

Eucalyptus:   Is a fast burning wood. The sap can cause deposits to form in the flue and can increase the risk of a chimney fire if burned unseasoned.     Poor

Hawthorn:   Is a good traditional firewood that has a slow burn with good heat output.     Very Good

Hazel:   Is a good but fast burning wood and produces best results when allowed to season.     Good

Holly:   Is a fast burning wood that produces good flame but poor heat output. Holly will burn green, but best dried for a minimum of a year.      Poor

Hornbeam:   A good burning wood that burns similar to beech, slow burn with a good heat output.  Good

Horse Chestnut: A good wood for burning in wood stoves but not for open fires as it does tend to spit a lot.  It does however produce a good flame and heat output.  Good (for Stoves)

Laburnum:   A very smokey wood with a poor burn.  Very Poor – Do not use.

Larch:   Produces a reasonable heat output, but it needs to be well seasoned. The sap can cause deposits to form in the flue with prolonged use.      Medium

Laurel:  Burns with a good flame but only reasonable heat output. It needs to be well seasoned.           Medium

Lilac:  Its smaller branches are good to use as kindling, the wood itself burns well with a good flame.      Good

Lime:   Not a good wood for burning as it produces very little flame or heat output.     Poor

Maple:   Is a good burning wood that produces good flame and heat output.     Good

Oak:   Because of its density, oak produces a small flame and very slow burn, it is best when seasoned for a minimum of two years as it is a wood that requires time to season well.    Good

Pear:   Burns well with good heat output, however it does need to be seasoned well.     Good

Pine Species:   (Including Leylandii) Burns with a good flame, but the resin sap can cause deposits to form in the flue and can increase the risk of a chimney fire must be well seasoned.      Good  (with caution)

Plum:   A good burning wood that produces good heat output.      Good

Poplar:   A very smokey wood with a poor burn.      Very Poor

Rowan: Is a good burning wood that has a slow burn with good heat output.     Very Good

Rhododendron: The older and thick stems can burn well.     Good

Robinia (Acacia):   Is a good burning wood that has a slow burn with good heat output. It does produce an acrid and dense smoke but this is of course not a problem in a stove.     Good (for Stoves)

Spruce:   Produces a poor heat output and it does not last well.    Poor

Sycamore:   Produces a good flame, but with only moderate heat output. Should only be used well-seasoned.     Medium

Sweet Chestnut: The wood burns ok when well-seasoned but it does tend to spit a lot. This is of course not a problem in a stove.      Medium (for Stoves)

Thorn:   One of the best woods for burning. It produces a steady flame and very good heat output, and produces very little smoke.     Very Good

Walnut:   is a moderate to good burning wood.     Medium

Willow:   A poor fire wood that does not burn well even when seasoned.       Poor

Yew:   A good burning wood as it has a slow burn, and produces a very good heat output.    Very Good

(Thanks to http://www.deanforge.co.uk    Wood Burning Stoves for this information)

[Andre Jute]

Andre I think you speak of our absent leaders provocative thread:  Dish Soap rinse or leave?    http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=3917.0  But don't call me camp.

Thanks, ducky.

[rualexander]

Good to hear you are enjoying your Honey stove bikerta.

I would pay little attention to the long list of different woods and their burning qualities listed above by triaethete from the Backpackinglight website. Interesting as it may be it's pretty useless in the real world where you just have to burn whatever wood is readily available at your camping spot on any particular day..

I would also recommend the Hive extension kit, no real benefit from the cooking point of view, except maybe if you want to have a charcoal barbecue with a few different items cooking at the same time, but definitely useful when keeping the thing going as a campfire after your meal. It can burn bigger bits of wood so less frequent feeding, I even burned lumps of peat and small chunks of coal on mine on my trip to the Hebrides in May..

Maybe shouldn't mention it now that you have bought the Honey stove but another wood burning stove that I like the look of is the Wild Woodgas stove, http://wildstoves.co.uk/wood-cooking-stoves/wood-gas-camping-stoves/wild-wood-gas-stove/
Maybe a more efficient cooker and maybe less pan blackening, but doesn't pack flat, trickier to feed with wood once the pan is on, and probably not as nice as a campfire.

[macspud]

The only downside I can find with the stove is the blackening of the pans.

Tip for keeping the pots from getting black:
http://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/wood-cooking-clean-up.html
I have not tied it but have heard about it before, worth a try.

[macspud]

Maybe shouldn't mention it now that you have bought the Honey stove but another wood burning stove that I like the look of is the Wild Woodgas stove, http://wildstoves.co.uk/wood-cooking-stoves/wood-gas-camping-stoves/wild-wood-gas-stove/
Maybe a more efficient cooker and maybe less pan blackening, but doesn't pack flat, trickier to feed with wood once the pan is on, and probably not as nice as a campfire.

This looks to be the same selling  on Ebay for £25

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Woodgas-Camping-Multifuel-Stove-NEW-Boxed-with-fuel-dish-and-instructions-/111408333650?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item19f0744352

[JimK]

nice stuff! Here are some comments on pros and cons:

http://sectionhiker.com/wood-gas-stoves-second-thoughts/

[rualexander]

This looks to be the same selling  on Ebay for £25

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Woodgas-Camping-Multifuel-Stove-NEW-Boxed-with-fuel-dish-and-instructions-/111408333650?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item19f0744352

I believe that is the mk1 version, so probably old stock being sold off. The only real difference is in the pan supports I think.
Good value.

[Andre Jute]

I believe that is the mk1 version, so probably old stock being sold off. The only real difference is in the pan supports I think.
Good value.

They're down to the last one, so get in quick if you want it.

[macspud]

They're down to the last one, so get in quick if you want it.

No rush there's more here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Woodgas-Multifuel-Stove-NEW-wood-gas-stove-bushcraft-camping-stove/191250439558?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D24061%26meid%3D8462908446275927640%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D10244%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D111408333650

[Slammin Sammy]

It's been mentioned here before, but the Biolite (http://biolitestove.com) is an interesting (if heavier and more expensive) alternative. It appeals to the gadget geek side of me, whilst the Honey Stove et al appeals to my minimalist streak.

Having these two alter egos can be frightfully distressing sometimes, which is why, when recently camped on the river at Molesworth, I walked the few hundred steps up to the pub, plugged my iPhone and iPad in and had the cook prepare my dinner. No blackened pots, fire risk or washing up! And ALL my devices were fully charged after a few pints! 

[Andre Jute]

Having these two alter egos can be frightfully distressing sometimes, which is why, when recently camped on the river at Molesworth, I walked the few hundred steps up to the pub, plugged my iPhone and iPad in and had the cook prepare my dinner. No blackened pots, fire risk or washing up! And ALL my devices were fully charged after a few pints! 

Only too right, Slammin Sammy. I'm a minimalist tourer too. "One phone to call a taxi if I get a flat, check, one credit card to pay for guest houses and meals, check, one bike, check, ready, ride." Sometimes I even remember to check the tyre pressures before I set out.

[jags]

It's been mentioned here before, but the Biolite (http://biolitestove.com) is an interesting (if heavier and more expensive) alternative. It appeals to the gadget geek side of me, whilst the Honey Stove et al appeals to my minimalist streak.

Having these two alter egos can be frightfully distressing sometimes, which is why, when recently camped on the river at Molesworth, I walked the few hundred steps up to the pub, plugged my iPhone and iPad in and had the cook prepare my dinner. No blackened pots, fire risk or washing up! And ALL my devices were fully charged after a few pints! 

  that brough a tear to my eye.