The White Box Stove Review

[Ashley Cawley]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Hk--iGVnI
The White Box Stove is an alcohol or meths burning stove, ideal for the lightweight backpacker this stove is a powerful & quick cook system perfect for quick brews on the trail.

[bigzee]

Nice one Ash!
Bit of a difference on boil times eh? 8.55 has to be an unacceptable boil time for a stove that is essentially the same type (meths) as the recycled one. It has the same inherant problem as the trangia ie: it takes forever to warm-up relative to these thin ali ones. The traditional ones have a nice burn when they get going, but this difference in start-up time has much significance to consider when packing.

The weight and size wins hands down! Nice to see someone else using those bottles - I bought 3 for a quid at the car boot and soon swigged them for meths storage. you can keep them strategically placed in glove box/bum bag/rucksack/pocket for all occassions.

[Ashley Cawley]

... It has the same inherant problem as the trangia ie: it takes forever to warm-up relative to these thin ali ones. The traditional ones have a nice burn when they get going, but this difference in start-up time has much significance to consider when packing...
Oh!... you'll never believe it, I didn't mention but for each stove that I tested I let each one fully warm up and prime, the Tatonka one was full primed before I put the kettle on and started the timer, so that almost 9 minute time doesn't even count the prime-time. As much as a like the Tatonka Stainless Steel meths burner it isn't the fastest, although it does have it's benifits that you can store fuel in it and it can have an incredible burn time when full and shielded; I've used it numerous times in the shed as a shed-heater! - Had over an hour burn time out of it I think it was!

As for the white box stove - burns a lot quicker and with more power but obviously goes through it's fuel quicker, not a problem if what you are after is a speedy brew.

I do like those little bottles, mine are from those energy-drink shots, not the expensive brand ones but you can get dirt cheap supermarket own-brand ones, I just poured away the drink and used them for meths :) Thanks for watching.

[ElementOwl]

A quick question for you please Ash.

It looks a great bit of kit but are there any sharp edges to the wind shield or other edges to be careful of (I am one of those accident prone sorts with an unfortunate ability to find anything sharp the hard way, especially if I try and pack in a hurry)?

[JohnLTM]

White Box rocks! Durable, light, and fast. No need for a separate pot stand, but the fact that you balance your pot on the top of the burner makes it a bit tippy so care is needed. All in all, my favorite EtOH stove.

[Jack Russell]

As a stove nerd whose built every design on the zenstove site on far too many occasions to confess, let me just play devil's advocate here........ sideburners like the whitebox are quick and powerful but fuel hungry in order to give that heat, don't worry about sharp bits in the kit if you're accident prone, worry more about balancing tall pots for food cooking (like a zebra) if one of these goes over you can kiss your trousers and at least your leg hair goodbye! That said, if your target is mega lightweight the mere fact that you stand the pot (at a perfect height from the flame) and employ a minimalist windshield, sideburners indeed "rock" (no pun intended). Downside number 2 on sideburners is heat control, it's very difficult to come up with a simmer option on these designs -as the song title says "it's all or nothing". All the aluminium recycled container stoves prime their jets quicker than brass or stainless trangias so whilst I have a couple of side burners that I use out for day hikes for a brew, I still go with a pepsi can trangia and simmer ring with a kitchen utensil stainless drainer potstand/windshield and pegs to set the burn height for my different sized billy's for the fuel efficiency and adjustable heat. As with all things bushy, this one is a trade off between overall weight, fuel carry, main uses, kettle/pot/billy configuration. Great vid Ash, covers the bases nicely - thanks. Jack

[Ashley Cawley]

A quick question for you please Ash.

It looks a great bit of kit but are there any sharp edges to the wind shield or other edges to be careful of (I am one of those accident prone sorts with an unfortunate ability to find anything sharp the hard way, especially if I try and pack in a hurry)?
Good question - no there aren't any sharp edges at all, this has been thought about and the edges of both the shield & base plate have been bent over & crimped to it gives a smooth edge all round :)

[Ashley Cawley]

White Box rocks! Durable, light, and fast. No need for a separate pot stand, but the fact that you balance your pot on the top of the burner makes it a bit tippy so care is needed. All in all, my favorite EtOH stove.Your right and in hindsight I wish I mentioned that, having used the stove for months the balancing of pots on it is just something I've got used to doing without thinking.

[Proventurer]

Great review Ashley, I agree the white box stove is all you said it is, but then again I'm probably biased, as I sell them out here in SA, with your typical temperatures
I was expecting a slower burn time, but I've found 3 - 4 mins as average over the course of a South African year, for interested parties the stove comes in two sizes,
Normal & Solo, I find the differences however, to be marginal.
For Elementowl, you would have to be extremely determined to sustain a wound from the wind shield, it is very pliable and comes with folded edges.

[Ashley Cawley]

... worry more about balancing tall pots for food cooking (like a zebra) if one of these goes over you can kiss your trousers and at least your leg hair goodbye! ...
A very valid point, again in hindsight I wish I'd mentioned this now; I don't see this stove as a big cooking stove, but more of a boil-water fast stove for either brews, noodles, boil-in-bag meals etc. RE Cooking on this stove it's not really ideal for something that you'll want to be moving about cooking pasta or something in a pot.

I have done boil-in-the-bag meals on it (no need to touch it whilst it's on) and love this stove for brews.



...Downside number 2 on sideburners is heat control, it's very difficult to come up with a simmer option on these designs -as the song title says "it's all or nothing"...kYour right, again I wish I mentioned this; this isn't a stove that's versatile in the sense of controlling the heat - it's a furious, fast burn, again ideal for boiling water quick but maybe not for cooking directly on.

[Ashley Cawley]

..I was expecting a slower burn time, but I've found 3 - 4 mins as average over the course of a South African year ... bearing in mind the amount I was boiling (300ml) might be less than you normally put in your kettle, 300ml was about 1 mug full.

[ElementOwl]

Many thanks Ash, Jack & Proventurer. I have to admit I didn't consider the white box as a good cooking stove while I was watching the vid, the thought of balancing pans on it wouldn't thrill me, but as a quick brew kit it looks useful. Nice to know they have considered the edges. It may make me sound like a bit of a clot but I have given myself a few spectacular wounds over the years. Nearly always by rushing and complacency, so I try to avoid getting kit that increases the risk.

Cheers for taking the time to reply, much appreciated.

[Proventurer]

My times are based on +/- 450ml, as an aside to using the WBS with other units, I tried it with the Mkettle (Volcanoe), that's a pint (500ml) the flames roared through
the kettle like a jet engine, boiling time for the 500ml was 3.26 mins.

[happybonzo]

Have you done a "boil time" with a standard Trangia?

[Proventurer]

That's a negative, but if you have some info to share, I'm always willing to learn from my peers, I don't own a Trangia, if this is something I should have in my kit, your opion would be gratefully appreciated.

[Martin]

That's a negative, but if you have some info to share, I'm always willing to learn from my peers, I don't own a Trangia, if this is something I should have in my kit, your opion would be gratefully appreciated.

In my opinion, a Trangia is only something you should have if you own a time machine and regularly travel back 20 years or so. If not, the weight and inefficiency make it a non starter.

Martin

[Proventurer]

Thanks for that Martin!

[Martin]

Thanks for that Martin!

Always a pleasure. ;)

Martin

[Ashley Cawley]

Have you done a "boil time" with a standard Trangia?
I haven't as I don't own one, however I know the Tatonka Stainless Steel Meths burner featured in the video isn't too far away from the Trangia design. Whilst I kinda like the Tatonka one in some ways it is slow, but then like you say if your cooking food directly over it (using a pot-stand) the slower Tatonka stove will produce a less intense, slower burn which is probably better for cooking food on.

[happybonzo]

I've had my Trangia for more than 30 years and it's still going strong. I'll just have to give it a go and then I'll post on here - 300ml of water at tap temperature? ... that's providing I don't neck the Meths first :)

Just in case anyone is thinking of the gas conversion for their Trangia: I would have to say that it was one of the most disappointing bits of kit that I have bought. I didn't know much about Propane and Butane when I bought it but I soon found out.
The cylinders that are sold as mix of the two gases are a bit of a misnomer. The two gases do not mix and it is the Propane that burns off first leaving the Butane. As I found out, Butane does not like the cold at all. It took 25 minutes to burn some sausages while my Daughter and I sat there freezing and suffering from the raging munchies having just returned from a heavy session at the pub.

[treefrog]

Thanks for that review. For me it wasn't so much a review rather a tutorial as to what the heck an alcohol stove was. I've been on hundreds of camping trips
but never once seen anyone with one of these units. Maybe it's a regional thing; we either use a campfire or a pressurized naphtha burning stove (often both). They look
like a good unit for a solo one or two day trip.

[bushcraftboy]

An excellent review, but I think the recycled stove looks very flimsy. Although under 3 minutes is very good boiling time.

[David]

Good review and good critical replies. I like the speed for a quick brew. I guess for cooking I will stay with the Regular Trangia Alcohol burner inside the Ikea utensils strainer (or the woodfire).

I'll try to see how the brass trangia burners fares in the test.

[Dan XF]

I have a trangia microlite which comes as a small pot, a pot stand/windshield and the burner unit with a pot grabber. It is ok for cooking and aimed at adventure racers and real light weight campers. You can adjust the heat but I only ever boil water for noodles, tea or food pouches. The burner weighs a ton but the rest is very light. I have dumped the burner and put the white box in there instead. Hey Presto, light weight fast food on the go. I wouldn't want to try and cook sausages in a pan or fry an egg over it as it's too fierce but the 11p a pack noodles from ASDSA or the 90p a pouch curries are perfect for my needs.

[Ashley Cawley]

An excellent review, but I think the recycled stove looks very flimsy. Although under 3 minutes is very good boiling time.It's not flimsy, a DIY pop-can stove is a lot flimsier than the white-box. Don't get me wrong you wouldn't want to stand on it but then again you wouldn't want to stand on any stove! ;)


... I wouldn't want to try and cook sausages in a pan or fry an egg over it as it's too fierce but the 11p a pack noodles from ASDSA or the 90p a pouch curries are perfect for my needs.Thanks for sharing your experiences Dan. Whilst I agree thats the one thing the white box stove lacks is the control/speed factor I can assure you; you can infact cooking sausages or eggs over it in a frying pan no problem. I would use this stove for that primarily, but you could do it.

I use it more for that instant quick/easy brew.

[Dan XF]

That's the same as me, boil water as fast as you can for a brew. Drop the pouch of food in til it boils then take out the pouch and drop a tea bag in. Take out the tea bag and use it to clean the bottom of the pan. Easy.

[rich290185]

i had seen your vid on this before but having seen it again i had a go at making one out of a old .5l ali water bottle,

i need to crimp and smooth the top edge but on a test run seems quite good and very hot!!!

[Ashley Cawley]

i had seen your vid on this before but having seen it again i had a go at making one out of a old .5l ali water bottle,

i need to crimp and smooth the top edge but on a test run seems quite good and very hot!!!DIY job? Sounds good :) ... as long as you've still got both your eye-brows! :D