Coffee Can Stove

There are a lot of coffee can stoves out there. Some are pretty high-tech, with fancy cutting needed. This one is something you can make in about 2 minutes with basic tools.
Also note that there are no sharp corners in the finished product. That is important.

This is about saving fuel, not time. Yes, you can boil water over an open fire, too. But you could never do it on so little fuel. The small handful of oak kindling shown here is easily enough to boil two (pint) cups as shown.


#1 Ready to load. Note bolt-eyes fastened with wing nuts as pot supports. Vent holes in bottom, made with church key can opener. (only 3 vents are visible, but there are 4). These vents are turned into the wind.

#2 Good dry fuel. This is red oak kindling from my kindling box, cut to assorted lengths with the lineman pliers. Dry twigs will work just as well. Smaller pieces in foreground are placed near the vent hole, to aid lighting.


#3 Loaded and ready to light. Note the fuel is stacked loosely. A bit of birch bark at a vent hole aids lighting.

#4 Light it through a vent hole. Adding fuel while heating may be required. Just drop it in.


#5 All done. Note the fuel left. The stove makes very efficient use of the fuel, even without a lid (which would normally be used)

Nice post, Mertell. Very simple and straightforward. looks like it' so easy a caveman could do it!

Nice, thanks for sharing

Nice post and pictures. Thanks.

Well done Mertell. Thanks for the pics.

Thank you Mertell,, Cool Cup too :)

Very nice job. One suggestion, if you use anything larger than the can you'll smother the flames. You might consider make holes around the top so the smoke and flame can exit the can. You can even keep 1/4 of the can solid to keep the heat off your hand when you pick up the pot. Of course, if you are only going to use the cup then that won't be an issue. Very nice job.

Very cool. I will definitely be making one of these! In fact I have smaller coffe can that just might become a part of my regular pack.

Nice! (and nice Kleines). :D

This is something I should be carrying out in the woods.

I made basically the same thing out of a paint can with two metal tent pegs as a pot holder. The paint can was one of the new ones you buy empty. So, for those who can't find a coffee can, you can still make this.

I put small holes in the side of the can at the top to allow the tent pegs to slide in. Placing them so that you can hold a pot or a small cup. But, in hind sight, I would just lay the pegs across the top.

Worked really well to boil water. Though, I can't remember how long it took. I just loaded it and boiled a couple of cups while waiting for the afternoon hunt. Definitely within 5 minutes using just twigs for fuel. I think it was more like 2 minutes.

aflineman:

Yes! The pliers are "Klein".

It seems we both have an eye for quality tools. I have NEVER been disappointed by Klein tools.

Sorry, I aint advertising, but that's how it is......

-Mert

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mertell

aflineman:

Yes! The pliers are "Klein".

It seems we both have an eye for quality tools. I have NEVER been disappointed by Klein tools.

Sorry, I aint advertising, but that's how it is......

-Mert

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Yeah, I can't find anything but the Journeyman series anymore. The grips slip on the needle nose. Haven't had that problem on the diags or the linesman pliers. But, I always liked the old heat up and slip on red insulating grips.

I've got a great pair of 9 inch Kleins with a small notch burned in the side cutters. A small Ooops moment.

Cool stove, and I for one, am agonizing over the demise of the lowly coffee can.

Hunter - As Batch said, you can pick up new paint cans at Home Depot or Lowes. I've even seen them at Ace Hardware. They do have a coating on the inside to keep paint from reacting with the metal. So you can't use it for cooking in but for a stove they are great.

Here's a trial I did using a paint can. You can see the blue/gray coating on the inside of the can. I just burned it out and it was fine.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ht=field+stove

That's a great little stove! I think it would make a neat emergency stove for the home too.

Probably not for the home, Winnie, unless you intend to use it outside. Lot's of smoke and CO2.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rick

Hunter - As Batch said, you can pick up new paint cans at Home Depot or Lowes. I've even seen them at Ace Hardware. They do have a coating on the inside to keep paint from reacting with the metal. So you can't use it for cooking in but for a stove they are great.

Here's a trial I did using a paint can. You can see the blue/gray coating on the inside of the can. I just burned it out and it was fine.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ht=field+stove

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LOL, I was trying to make a funny.

Yeah, I know, it's just that like a few other members, I don't like paying for cans, buckets, rocks, knowlage or making a special trips for them...........you know all the money, time, effort......

Yeah? Well, it's true. All the dang things are going plastic and it's getting harder to find a real metal coffee can.