Here's an important tip about using alcohol fuels, especially the HEET and methanol based fuels. Get yourself one of those good little metal liquid fuel bottles for backpackers and camping. Because once you break the foil seal on the HEET bottle, it starts pulling moisture from the air, and those bottles aren't made to reseal, they are made to use the whole contents, and throw the bottle away. If you live in a cold, wet place like I do, that fuel will be watery and weak in no time at all if you don't store it in a good tightly sealing fuel bottle. Same with the pharmacy and drugstore bottles of 91% and 99% isopropyl. They are made for rubdowns, light cleanings, etc. and their bottles aren't designed for keeping the moisture out of your stove fuel! It is very frustrating when it's -10F and the alcohol you bought a week ago, and only used a smidge of is already too weak to light your stove again!!! it has happened to me with that yellow HEET, it took forever to light, the fuel was noticeably weaker and there was an orange color to the flames as well...that means water got in it....grrr -should be pure blue flames with good, fresh alcohol.
The heat is used to dissipate water in you're glass tank. So how would it form water? Just doesn't make sense of what you're insinuating . I've left my heet in a plastic bottle for months and never experienced any such thing that you have mentioned. My heat in the yellow bottle lights first time every time and still burns with a blue flame . the heet in the red bottle is crap !
@@geneo3654 Hi and thanks for the reply! -I'm in North Dakota, USA and we have high humidity as well as sub zero temperatures here, which combine to make moisture attracted to just about anything that's hygroscopic. This is why HEET sells so well up here, because water condenses into people's fuel and brake fluid, etc. so easily. HEET is designed to grab that water and evaporate it away with the isopropyl alcohol it contains...and once that foil seal is broken on the bottle it begins vigorously doing it's job and it doesn't know the difference between that bottle it comes in and your brake lines or fuel lines, etc. I haven't had any issues with the SEALED new bottles, only ones I've opened the foil seal on then closed back up and stored for awhile. YES it WILL still usually light right up if there's water contaminating it, but the quality of the flame goes down and so does the heat output. My penny stoves will burn more orange sometimes sputter with HEET that's pulled water from the atmosphere. I don't know where you are located but just the other day for example here it was around -20F and 100% humidity. There was ice fog everywhere, too cold to evaporate it or even let it get away from the ground very much so it just hangs there. I hope this helps explain, thanks again. Peace
@@geneo3654 And YES the HEET in the red bottle IS crap! I think there's some kind of a proprietary lubricant or wax in it or something? I just know left a residue in one of my stoves that baked on hard as a rock and made a sizzling sound when the stove got nearly empty. I'm really glad I didn't use it in my old antique Mark Turm backpacker's stove from the 1950's that my dad gave to me, I'm sure it would've clogged it up and required a tear down to clean it all out...
@@econoroller What about using a large plastic ziplock type bag, push out the air best you can, and then using one of those small compact bag sealers? Could also try saving up some of those silica moisture things that are in vitamins and such, and putting that in the bag before sealing. Not sure if the plastic would have moisture on the inside once sealed after it's been opened. Just some other ideas that may work??
PART II: I'm not a physician but I am a former EMT and I have a Master's in Epidemiology. DO NOT use alcohol on any open wound. The word "tincture" means alcohol-based so DO NOT use tincture of iodine, tincture of merthiolate, or mercurochrome on an open wound. They're okay for skin prep but not for wound treatment. When iodine is used in a modern clinical or surgical environment it's in a water solution. Alcohol will kill MOST bacteria. But it also KILLS and DEVITALIZES living tissue. Do you know what's one of the best growth media for bacteria? Dead or damaged human tissue. You dump on the alcohol, kill most of the bacteria, and simultaneously kill and damage tissue. Congratulations! You just established the perfect environment for the bugs you didn't kill to thrive and be happy! Avoid hydrogen peroxide for similar reasons. To treat open wounds irrigate with plenty of clean water, normal saline, or a weak water solution of iodine (Betadine). This hasn't much to do with stoves, but far too many comments mentioned the utility of alcohol in wound treatment. Bad practice.
Im Iranian and use to climb and spend some nights and days on summits, -35 to -40 Centigrade demands to warm my Tent but still have not found non-risky method, Alcoholic Stoves that are used in Labs are suitable or not? I know candle is Dangerous, but how about very small Alcoholic Stoves with a out let leads Gas out of the tent.
Good info. For iodine I use betadyne with glycerine. Good stuff, no burn, no alcohol. I'm thinking about just using the water based polar pure iodine for wounds because it is multipurpose for water purification.
Oh! What has it got to do with stoves? I could tell you that it is good to erase permanent marker, So what? It's got many, many recommended uses and as many not recomended. Out of topic!
If you have the time, you can make your own 99% alcohol from a cheaper solution. All you have to do is put it in a container, add salt, and shake well then let it sit for a few minutes. Salt bonds to water, but not alcohol, so it will make the water drop out of solution and sink to the bottom, leaving you with almost completely pure alcohol. And, you can save the saline solution for surface wound care.
@@YIO777 Dang, I'd forgotten about this video. XD If you try to pour it out normally, they will both probably come out together, because liquids tend to work like that. (Try putting water and oil in a container and pour off the oil while leaving the water) I recommend mixing the salt and alcohol in a clear plastic bottle with a lid that has a hole in it. Once it's shaken up, flip the bottle so the lid is pointing down and let the water settle, then unplug the hole and let the water drain out. You will be able to see the line separating the two liquids as the alcohol sits on top of the now-heavier water and salt solution, as the salt will make the water slightly cloudy, but won't affect the alcohol as it can't bond with it.
@@BlazingSun39 wow, thanks so much for the detailed and well thought answer! Often the solutions (pun intended) are simple. Great idea. Glad I got to remind you of an old video. An oldie, but a goodie.
So adding water to gasoline with ethanol mixed in, will cause the ethanol to mix/combine in a solution and drop out (one to one with the water), then add salt to the liquid that dropped out of the gas/water mix to separate the ethanol from the salt water... sounds easy enough.
Fantastic demonstration comparing 6 different fuels for the Trangia stove. You broke it down to both cost and time elements and showed that overall, the yellow Heet was the winner, with 99% Isopropyl alcohol coming in a close 2nd. Well done, guys!
By far the best test I've seen. Comprehensive and thorough as possible without going to a laboratory setting. TY for the time and effort that you folks put into this comparison.
Great test guys! It seems the denatured burned the cleanest. Personally, I trade a minute or two of boil time to save a minute or five of cleaning soot, but that's just me. Thanks again. I definitely learned something.
WOW! This is by far one of the best comparison vids I've ever seen. I made it thru the entire 17+ minutes which means I found it interesting. Thanks for your time and effort. Great video! :-)
Nice video! Here in Brazil we can buy 97% Ethanol at any gas station for less than a dolar per liter, as it is widely used since the 70's as car fuels. The cars that works with gasoline or alcohol or both are very common. I did some tests and found that it works very nice with alcohol stoves. Just hope this information helps someone else.
You're lucky to live in the land of the free. The US government doesn't trust us with ethanol. You need to document having an approved industrial use for it, then you can apply for a license that costs a few hundred dollars a year that will let you buy it.
Great video with solid methods. For me, cost and time to boil are not that important (they were all adequate). What matters most to me is weight. I want to carry less fuel weight, so I want the fuel that can do the job with least weight. While the yellow Heet bottle was the fastest, it needed 1.1 oz of fuel to boil the water in the first test. The 99% isopropyl alcohol used only 0.6oz to boil the water in the first test (tied for first place with the Ever Clear, and second fastest to boot). Therefore, the winner for me is the 99% isopropyl alcohol. If you need to boil 2 cups of water 3 times a day for a week long trip (21 boils), you need 23.1oz of yellow Heet, and only 12.6oz of 99% isopropyl alcohol. That means using the 99% isopropyl alcohol over the yellow Heet saves a pack weight of 10.5 oz, more than 1/2 pound!
Agreed, priority is: Safety, Energy-density, Cost. Safest is: Everclear (Ethanol), Isopropyl, Methanol. Highest Energy-density: Isopropyl-26, Ethanol-23, Methanol-18. But, alcohols are hygroscopic, they suck moisture out of the air and once opened, quickly gain non-energetic weight. Data is scarce, but 10% may be typical? While one might purchase 99%, it becomes 91% before the second meal's cooked? (more...) It's been suggested 10% camp-fuel (38-energy) added to 90% alcohol might produce the highest energy density at an acceptable safety-level? Regardless, Isopropyl seems like the clear winner?
Everclear is the obvious winner. A little for the stove, a little for the person watching the stove boil water. Win-Win! Should have tried 70% iso, has been said it works better than the 91 or 99
All of the fuel reviews were great. Thankyou for taking the time. The location of your fuel supply stock behind the open flames was a suspense thriller! :) Great little stoves.
I really like the accuracy you were able to achieve with the control of variability. One bottle per pot, exact weight of the fuel, this really allowed for an accurate test and that's something I think is really important, thanks for uploading this comparison! Very helpful guys.
This test is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Very glad you did this test, not just of the boiling times but also the price per ounce comparison along with the price to boil comparison too! A great informative test that saves me from buying all of this and doing it myself. You guys doing this test and posting it here on RUclips has me looking into your product to buy. Job well done!!
No question. 91% wins. Based on price vs. rationalizing all other factors. SIX CENTS. Also considering you can buy 91% most everywhere including the dollar store, it makes a better emergency choice.
I bought some denatured alcohol today at Home Depot. The quart was $7.50 and the gallon was $15. If you buy it by the gallon it would cut the price per ounce down to $0.11.
I've been dealing with this for years in the Marine alcohol stove in my sailboat. For convenience I've got several quart cans that I fill from gallon cans I buy. It's just easier to fill the stove from the quart cans than the gallon. To this day the cost is cut in half by doing so.
I'm assuming you're using an Origo 3000, right? Which fuel do you think is best? I don't want to buy bulk and find out it spots up my pants or stinks up the main cabin. :)
Haven't read all the comments but your video didn't mention that although EverClear was most expensive to purchase it is the only one suited for human consumption. Handy for a late nite toddy. Great video! Very useful!
Despite being 6 years late to the party, I wanted to say this is a great video which clearly demonstrates the differences between these fuels! 5 stars.
Thanks for the comparison, guys! Even though Everclear costs more, it is my choice because it doesn't contain cancer-causing ingredients, like Heet does. I wouldn't worry too much if some spilled in my pack because it would just evaporate. It can also be used for cleaning wounds, just like isopropyl alcohol. And unlike any other fuel, you can use it for mixing an after-dinner cocktail, if you'd like :)
Worth it to note that the Yellow Heet and Denatured alcohol burn a lot cleaner than the others. Certainly worth more to me when I'm packing my cook pot away. Surprised that the Yellow Heet was consistently faster than the rest...it ran away with it.
One thing to consider is fuel to air mixtures. If something is burning very dirty and yellow like the red heat to me that demonstrates that the fuel is more energetic and needs a stove setup that provides more oxygen. With the proper set up those more energetic and dirty burning fuels could boil water quicker and burn cleanly giving enough air. For example if you burn kerosene in a stove that was design for a less energetic fuel it would burn dirty and poorly but has the potential for a much quicker boil Thank you
@@ruserious9577 Not necessarily. Air flow was restricted by both the box around the burner and the burner itself. I think even just removing the box would cause an increase in available oxygen and a cleaner burn for the fuels that burned yellow or orange and adding vent holes into the side of the burner would also help but would eliminate the utility since it would reduce fuel capacity and make it more prone to leakage. Think about actual camp fires or fire pits. When you blow air to where the fire is consuming the wood or onto hot coals it usually will burn better/hotter/light up momentarily. Commercially available fire pits almost always have mesh around the sides for just this reason. Better air flow means a better and more complete burn. If you block off the sides you also reduce air flow which in turn results in less available oxygen for the fire to burn. I also don't know what elevation they are at in this video which will also effect available oxygen.
Another consideration is to limit the available fuel in a setup and achieve a more efficient burn when oxygen flow cannot be increased. Much of the heat was flowing around the pot and being lost.
🙏THANK YOU Sir!! I’m going to get that Firebox stove. Young people today are lost without people like you to help us. My daddy died but he always take care of this stuff. At least now I won’t blow myself up. Daddy always had the answers to my questions and I could always count on him. RIP Daddy.🙏😭😢 Thank you for helping us daddy-less daughters out here!! 🤗💞🤗
With my early trials making penny stoves etc I used 99% iso alcohol which was way too sooty for my liking. Now I use a Trangia 27 kit with denatured alcohol and it is perfect. Denatured from wally world does a fast and clean job. Really great video, best on youtube for this topic, thanks.
The reason your last test (for fuel burned) was better for the yellow heet is that it continued to burn after you put it out through the hole in the lid. It probably wasn't visible in person, but it definitely was visible in the video. If you watch the hole at 6:23 you can see it still burning. It continues to burn with a tiny flame until you blow out the isopropol 91% around 6:47.
Personally, I prefer to use the grain alcohol, Ever Clear in your test. It is more expensive, but not near as poisonous as any of the other options. My border collies are most often with me, so I go for the grain alcohol. I figure they wouldn't have the opportunity imbibe enough to kill them. Plus, it isn't toxic via your, or their, skin contact. Another option for the grain alcohol is that since I haven't have a drink of alcohol since 1981, but if the catching away happened and I was left behind it might come in handy to have a snort or two available.
+OlTrailDog The hairs on your head are numbered by God. You will not get left behind. Our God Reigns. He is the Good Shepard and will leave the 99 to go out and find the one sheep that was lost.
+OlTrailDog as a man who stopped drinking 20 years ago, I'd add that another benefit of the grain alcohol in a WROL context is that it will be valuable for barter.
Have a look at "ventless fireplace fuel". It's 100% ethanol with a bittering agent to prevent people from drinking it, and only about $7/liter in quantities more than 6 liter.
I tested heet and dn alcohol last night. Same temp of water same exact canteen cup. Used heavy foil for a lid. 8oz of water straight from the tap. Boil time was right at 7 mins. For the both of them. (Used crown brand dn alc.) Still have my sterno folding stove but this takes first place. Only been having it for a week and its one of the best things I ever bought. Great video guys.
For cooking, I can agree with your choice of winner, but it might be wise to take the isopropyl as part of a first aid kit instead of peroxide. Dual use equals weight savings, as long as you can wait an extra minute or two for your coffee. Great video!
Yeah, never see booze in anyone's pack list. Also works well for cleaning wounds. A little nipper at the end of the day, puts a nice warm fuzzy feeling for a cold night on the trail.
Note to others: 180 proof everclear is not readily available in some jurisdictions. Just because you see Everclear or grain alcohol, that doesn't mean it is 180 proof. In my state, liquor stores only carry up to 151 proof (I think), which is not really suitable for a stove. I've never seen 99% isopropyl here, either. Another tip: Heet (icluding the yellow bottle) often goes on sale/clearance in the Spring, because it sells best as a Fall/Winter item.
Part III: Yes, pure (actually 95%) ethanol does have an essential, critical role in outdoor (and prepping) activities. Plus you can use it for stove fuel. But if you take that alcohol and add approximately 10% methanol to poison it, you have "denatured alcohol," also used as stove fuel. Therefore there should be no noticeable performance difference between Everclear and denatured alcohol since they're 90% the same. As an aside, there's a potable grain alcohol brand around called "Diesel," not to be confused with the hydrocarbon of the same name. I like mine with powdered Hawaiian Punch (the alcohol, not the hydrocarbon). Anyway, HEET isn't readily available this far south. For decades I simply used Boat Stove (denatured) Alcohol with a small lacquered aluminum bottle of Everclear for entertainment and backup fuel...alcohol doesn't get along well with raw aluminum. Finally, I'm amused by those who complain about the cost of Everclear as fuel. I'd understand if someone used it three times per day, every day. But a total of a few weeks each year? I find it humorous that someone who would plunk down $60 for a teacup-sized titanium pot would scream like a cheated prostitute over $10 worth of dual use stove juice. In any case I've switched to hexamine fuel tablets. Mindless operation and nothing to spill. Anyone want to buy a Trangia?
+paul rogers Thanks Paul. I have been using Yellow HEET also for my alcohol Stove projects. I buy the 4 bottle pak at Walmart for $5.87 and i have never seen it reduced in price at different time of the year. Where have you been finding yours at such great prices?
Ever clear would have been my #1 pick because of its versatility. Sadly my nanny state of Maryland bans it from sale. 91% works for me. Not sutty and can be used as an antiseptic, easier to find than 99% too.
Have a look at "ventless fireplace fuel". It's 100% ethanol with a bittering agent to prevent people from drinking it, and only about $7/liter in quantities more than 6 liter.
I have used ‘‘this system for years. I carry almost 6 or 8 bottles of yellow heat. Let me tell you guys. If this is your major source of cooking you are on your last resort. I use it the night I’m setting up my base camp. Maybe the cecond night. After that I’ve got a proper cook fire going on it I can cook anything from a stuffed rabbit to a full set of deer trips.
Another thought to consider with HEET vs. EVERCLEAR is contamination. If the bottle was to rupture in your pack which one would you prefer? I would think the EVERCLEAR would be better especially if it was spilled on my food bag. Just another “pro” to add to the EVERCLEAR column IMO.
I not being one to use alcohol for fuel in my outings was surprised at how dirty the alcohol burned. Back in my High School days I had a time to remember thanks to Everclear.
in a survival situation where you are hoofing it you want lighter and more efficient fuel weight and fuel efficiency are more important than volume however it would affect the cost analysis somewhat the effect is not going to be that significant as they are all alcohol based products I would have liked to see a fuel efficiency ranking as well but the information you need to figure it out has been presented in this video.
Everclear wins every time because it has multiple very, very important uses. I wish I could find it in plastic bottles, I hate having to decant it into different bottles for the trip. Don't want to be schlepping heavy breakable glass. I appreciate how you put time into helping us with these videos and it's not all about selling stuff. Very cool.
I found this video really useful. Also, It was short and to the point without a bunch of useless banter just to stretch it out. Thank you very much for taking the time to do this experiment. I make penny can stoves for my friends and from now on I will be directing them to your website for actual camping/prepping stoves. Well done & thanks again.
Pretty interesting test. Four concerns though - Can you eat food directly cooked over each one of these? It seems that the "looks like its boiling to me" results are not quite so reliable as actual temperature of the water. The wind and direction skewed results. Lastly....as a Firefighter and common sense kind of guy - GOOD LORD, don't ever have that stuff so close to open flame!!!!! Some yahoo is going to try to recreate this and burn their house down. Great idea for a test but I say redoo - zero breeze, temp based boil instead of looks, water on at the same time, caution with the open flame. Thanks
Yes, thermal probes in each pot, and a separate Timer per pot. The Grain Alcohol had a 10 second late start in both of it's tests. Not saying that made a huge difference. But it would make for a more accurate comparison. The difference in Burner could also play a role. So while it would take 3 times longer. Use the exact same burner and Pot for each test. eliminate all the variables.
I love home science. Nicely done. Probably all of these alcohols could be burned indoors. I always use the yellow bottle HEET based on my research and personal experience so I was gratified to see your results. I mostly motorcycle camp now that I'm old, and the yellow HEET is readily available at gas stations, etc.
Really great test but I noticed on the second run the yellow heet was contaminated with one of the other fuels. I only use yellow heet in my Trangia and it always burns only blue. At any rate great video. Thanks for comparing the fuels
Five stars for effort. Despite my minor complaints, I agree that the yellow Heet is the best fuel. I deleted the 412 word perspective that I wrote to help, because I am a retired MR&D lab rat. I made my living doing well, sort of what you did here. If you are interested, let me know and I will re-insert it as a comment so you can see what I recommended. Peace out.
My local Walmart has been selling the Yellow HEET for $1 per 12oz bottle lately. Its 99% menthol alcohol too. I bought a bunch up at that price. That's around .08¢ an oz roughly. Great deal. No sooting bonus. Usable indoors bonus. Can be used to rehydrate Sterno gel since its a menthol based alcohol gel. Bonus.
what is a little bit unusual is the boil time difference between the Everclear and the denatured alcohol, because chemically, they are essentially the same with the only difference being the rather small amount of chemical to denature it. This should not amount to a 2min boil time difference. Yellow heet is methanol, a toxic substance that is not easily available in many countries. You should use gloves handling it ;) I go with the Everclear - multi use. Cheers, chris
Denatured alcohol is not mostly ever clear. The different manufacturers of denatured alcohol mixes from 10% up to 50% methanol into various batches. And is not a fixed proprietary blend. They buy ethanol and methanol on the open market at the cheapest price available at any given time and mix batches according to availability. You could buy a can at 2 different locations, the same brand, and it will most likely not be the same percentage of each. That being said Heet in the yellow bottle is pure methanol every time, it never changes, and is the most high performance fuel I have ever used. Yes it is poisonous, so don't drink it or use it as after shave and you will be just fine.
+dmith smith the point is, in many countries like Germany, you can't even buy methanol easily. the purest ist everclear. all ethanol. any grain alcohol will do. denatured here ist ethanol as well, very predictable. very cheap. cheers. chris
+TheLicewine And then in some countries like Canada, everclear and denatured alcohol are both nearly impossible to buy, yet methanol is available for $10/4L in every hardware store in the country.
Thanks for the righteous comparison! It answered a question I have asked myself for some time now. HEET Yellow is what I've been using for years. Must have been intuition and experience .... now confirmed. Home distilled grain alcohol is next in line for emergencies. Homemade is cheaper than store bought btw.
Besides the results (thanks for doing all this setup), what I appreciated about this test was also showing which had most visibility, which appeals to me.
I was surprised by the performance of the denatured alcohol. I use it in a tuna can with small 1/4 inch metal mesh over the top as a catalyst, and it performs great for me with little soot. The flames are almost invisible (which is actually a little scarey). I have used the 91% Iso in it, and it was VERY sooty. I had heard about the yellow Heet, now I may need to try it.
I wouldn't recommend the brand I used in the video. It seemed substandard compared to other brands of de-natured alcohol I've used. Thanks for the feedback!
Ethyl alcohol that is meant for consumption is always good to have as a backup to ethyl/methyl alcohol that is poisoned and used for fuel or cleaning. Ethanol made for consumption can also be used as a pain reliever, as well as fuel and antiseptic.
I've been using yellow Heet as my go-to. I've been told that pure ethanol (grain alcohol) has more energy by mass than methanol, but it's the most expensive thanks to liquor taxes. Denatured alcohol with the most ethanol and least methanol is preferred, but Heet is generally the most cost-efficient. Isopropanol is just too sooty for me.
Awesome test. You just saved me some hassle on figuring out which one to buy. Thumbs up. I'm going to have to put that big firebox of yours in my wish list. Thanks again.
Excellent video, very thorough, thanks! You guys did a great job eliminating variables, but it was also interesting to see how slight changes in conditions could affect performance.
Great video guys. I'm looking at picking up my first alcohol stove and I declare everclear for the win! It might be the most expensive, but it is also the most multi-functional. It's the only one you can imbibe should the need arise. I can buy it in Texas where the HEET products aren't available as readily as in northern states. The rubbing alcohols are cheaper but evaporate more quickly.
thanks for the FYI. But I would have moved the bottles in the back much further away from the flame. And I was told never use the Red bottle of HEET. just wondering what about oil lamp for these stoves??
Thank you so much for this information I really like the comparisons of price and effectiveness of each of the fuels I really like the 91 percent for cost and as a wound cleaner and all purpose sterilization out in the woods my esbit stove recommended denatured alcohol but doesn't have as many applications once again thank you
This was great!! I would put a great deal of emphasis on the carbonization/efficiency of the fuels. Also the containment of the flame more than speed (not crazy about those wild flames on some of the burners. )
I used to sell hardware and lumber and matter of fuels. One thing on thermometers is the backyard types only buy one out of a batch of them on display. You buy the one that will show an average temperature of the lot. I don't know much about non-contact thermometers, but I suspect there may be some variances in the quality of readings from one to another of the same type and brand. Also when the thermometer was run from one sample to another the reading gradually rose which might be from exposure time to heated materials. The boiling is probably more accurate. Very informative, thank you.
Thanks for the comparison. I just heard about using Everclear this summer and thought it was a great idea since I have a three year old at home and hate the thought of having poison in my pack. Not to mention that the ocd-me always feels like washing my hands when ever I use heat. Although it is the most expensive, it seemed to work just as well as the others. Well worth it IMO to not be taking poison to the woods. I do like the fact that it could be used for medicinal purposes and really appreciate the comment about not using alcohol on open wounds - I will just take it internally from now on.
I don't think a few seconds difference in time to boil is critical, but if one creates a lot of soot and another creates none, then that is a significant benefit. In the UK I use Methylated Spirit which is denatured alcohol, (Ethanol with 10% Methanol added to ensure it cannot be consumed, and usually dyed with methyl violet), I can confirm that I have no issue using this indoors, although I have to add 5-8% water to stop sooting. If it matters to anyone... the brand I use is Barrettine, and it comes in around $20 for 5 litres.
Great vid thank you. I'm partial to the Everclear. It's a little more expensive but it's non-toxic, you can use it as an antiseptic, and of course you can use it for its intended purpose. Just don't drink all your fuel away. Cheers!
Thanks for your feedback Pete, I too use Everclear quite a bit depending on the situation. In a medical emergency it may make the difference between getting Gangrene or not. A serious injury could stretch a day trip into two or three, plenty of time for an infection to set in.
Have a look at "ventless fireplace fuel". It's 100% ethanol with a bittering agent to prevent people from drinking it, and only about $7/liter in quantities more than 6 liter.
Fuels which produced soot: Isopropyl alcohol 91% and 99%, Iso-HEET (Red, worst sooting). Fuels which did NOT produce soot: HEET (Yellow), grain alcohol, denatured alcohol.
I was surprised by how much soot was produced, even by the 99% Isopropyl, which that amount knocks those out of the running for me. Too much cleaning involved each time and less heat produced per unit.
Stoves that burn vapor, burn cleaner. The stoves used here are open mouthed. Is there away to close them of so only the small holes will produce jets of flame?
@@GreenJeepAdventures If you search on RUclips for "How to make an Arizona penny can alcohol stove", you'll find how to make one with just the holes around the rim. Don't know if it will burn, or as well. Maybe worth a try.
They all burn vapor, liquids don't burn. Ever. The difference is as you say, the orifice, making the efficiency of the burn variable. Different fuels will be better or worse with different burner types. This video is less about which fuel is best overall, and more about which fuel is best in that particular application.
That is great if all you want to do is boil water. For cooking a low steady long-lasting flame is better! That way you cook the food through with out burning the outside.
YES, I love it too! When fixing our washing machine I found a step by step video that made the job a breeze! Great community too! Thanks for the comment.
"HEET contains a 'special' additive", which is not otherwise specified on the packaging label and is therefor NOT an alcohol stove fuel but is, however, a flammable methanol solution designed for combustion when mixed with gasoline. The 'special' additive in HEET may be tailor made for a cleaner burn to comply with emission standards when properly used. (ie. when mixed into gasoline). Denatured alcohol is definitely the appropriate choice for the alcohol stove.
Denatured alcohol contains additives that are intended to make the alcohol unfit/unsafe for consumption, the chemicals used vary by brand and the additives in some brands cause the alcohol to burn sooty.
What really matters for hikers is BTU per unit weight and the ability to light the stuff in cold temps. Depending on conditions, one may matter more than the others. Personally, I'm carrying the stuff based on volume, not weight. And the difference in weight of, say, 8 oz of fuel will be nigh on negligible. So it comes down to BTU content per unit volume and lightability. If one assumes all else is equal then BTU density and vapor pressure are the two most important properties - for heat content and lightability, respectively. When comparing alcohols, isopropyl has about 13,000 BTU/lb vs 11,500 and 8400 BTU/lb, respectively, for ethyl and methyl. So assuming complete combustion across all three and ignoring "lightability" and assuming all else is equal, it makes perfect thermodynamic sense (is that a thing?) that 99% isopropyl would boil first. It's releasing more BTUs per ounce than the others. For ease of lighting, the higher the vapor pressure the more volatile the alcohol is and in that category methanol wins. Denatured alcohol is usually some unknowable mix of methyl and ethyl alcohols and other stuff. But get one gallon that works well and it will last you a very long time. Everclear is supposed to be close to 100% ethanol but is taxed, and thus quite expensive in the USA, and yellow heet is close to 100% methanol. Of all these, I think 100% isopropyl is probably the hardest to find in the USA. But if you can find it you don't require your alcohol to boil (as with a fancy feast wick stove) then isopro will pack the most heat per ounce.
Good points, all. I would stress that shoppers should look at the % alcohol to water, regardless of the chemical type. 50% might just barely burn with a cool yellow sooty flame, 70% might sputter and smoke as it burns with a medium warm flame, 90% or higher burns with a blue hot flame.
Love your stoves, gave mine to my cousin last summer, buying two more this spring, and going to buy one of the minis now too! I've only used 91% C3H80. I just never tried anything else. The cleanest pans are nice for me. Good to know that yellow heet works in a hurry. Never needed to shave minutes in the bush. Anybody ever use yellow heet in the in the Vargo triad TI?
One thing too that I like about the yellow heat, is it's spout. Pouring it into my little stove made it much less of a mess. Less waist and conserves on time spent useing a funnel for the dentured alcohal that I began with originally! Thank you for sharing this video. It just confirmed my choice !
dN doesnt leave soot! Well, Never has for me, and dN also is designed for marine stoves, duh, indoors on a sealed up boat.....Just buy the gallon sized cans of it, save money and dont huff it. Anything with water in it will leave soot, MESSY!!! JUST BUY DENATURED ALCOHOL MARINE STOVE FUEL. I pay like 14 dollars after tax in Seattle (one of the highest priced cities in the lower 48) for a gallon of it, just shop aroumd all the paint stores as they will vary wildly in costs....
Idea a small alcohol rocket stove made out of titanium that Will glow red hot that has a cooking surface with the ability to stack rocks around it to absorb the heat generated by the stove that has a air intake vent you can place under ground to draw air from outside a shelter with an exhaust flute to vent spent toxic air out of shelter leaving fresh warmed air within a shelter? How does this idea sound?
Here's an important tip about using alcohol fuels, especially the HEET and methanol based fuels. Get yourself one of those good little metal liquid fuel bottles for backpackers and camping. Because once you break the foil seal on the HEET bottle, it starts pulling moisture from the air, and those bottles aren't made to reseal, they are made to use the whole contents, and throw the bottle away. If you live in a cold, wet place like I do, that fuel will be watery and weak in no time at all if you don't store it in a good tightly sealing fuel bottle. Same with the pharmacy and drugstore bottles of 91% and 99% isopropyl. They are made for rubdowns, light cleanings, etc. and their bottles aren't designed for keeping the moisture out of your stove fuel! It is very frustrating when it's -10F and the alcohol you bought a week ago, and only used a smidge of is already too weak to light your stove again!!! it has happened to me with that yellow HEET, it took forever to light, the fuel was noticeably weaker and there was an orange color to the flames as well...that means water got in it....grrr -should be pure blue flames with good, fresh alcohol.
Thank you so much for your valuable feedback I'm sure others will appreciate it as much as I do!
The heat is used to dissipate water in you're glass tank. So how would it form water? Just doesn't make sense of what you're insinuating . I've left my heet in a plastic bottle for months and never experienced any such thing that you have mentioned. My heat in the yellow bottle lights first time every time and still burns with a blue flame . the heet in the red bottle is crap !
@@geneo3654 Hi and thanks for the reply! -I'm in North Dakota, USA and we have high humidity as well as sub zero temperatures here, which combine to make moisture attracted to just about anything that's hygroscopic. This is why HEET sells so well up here, because water condenses into people's fuel and brake fluid, etc. so easily. HEET is designed to grab that water and evaporate it away with the isopropyl alcohol it contains...and once that foil seal is broken on the bottle it begins vigorously doing it's job and it doesn't know the difference between that bottle it comes in and your brake lines or fuel lines, etc. I haven't had any issues with the SEALED new bottles, only ones I've opened the foil seal on then closed back up and stored for awhile. YES it WILL still usually light right up if there's water contaminating it, but the quality of the flame goes down and so does the heat output. My penny stoves will burn more orange sometimes sputter with HEET that's pulled water from the atmosphere. I don't know where you are located but just the other day for example here it was around -20F and 100% humidity. There was ice fog everywhere, too cold to evaporate it or even let it get away from the ground very much so it just hangs there. I hope this helps explain, thanks again. Peace
@@geneo3654 And YES the HEET in the red bottle IS crap! I think there's some kind of a proprietary lubricant or wax in it or something? I just know left a residue in one of my stoves that baked on hard as a rock and made a sizzling sound when the stove got nearly empty. I'm really glad I didn't use it in my old antique Mark Turm backpacker's stove from the 1950's that my dad gave to me, I'm sure it would've clogged it up and required a tear down to clean it all out...
@@econoroller What about using a large plastic ziplock type bag, push out the air best you can, and then using one of those small compact bag sealers? Could also try saving up some of those silica moisture things that are in vitamins and such, and putting that in the bag before sealing. Not sure if the plastic would have moisture on the inside once sealed after it's been opened. Just some other ideas that may work??
PART II: I'm not a physician but I am a former EMT and I have a Master's in Epidemiology. DO NOT use alcohol on any open wound. The word "tincture" means alcohol-based so DO NOT use tincture of iodine, tincture of merthiolate, or mercurochrome on an open wound. They're okay for skin prep but not for wound treatment. When iodine is used in a modern clinical or surgical environment it's in a water solution. Alcohol will kill MOST bacteria. But it also KILLS and DEVITALIZES living tissue. Do you know what's one of the best growth media for bacteria? Dead or damaged human tissue. You dump on the alcohol, kill most of the bacteria, and simultaneously kill and damage tissue. Congratulations! You just established the perfect environment for the bugs you didn't kill to thrive and be happy! Avoid hydrogen peroxide for similar reasons. To treat open wounds irrigate with plenty of clean water, normal saline, or a weak water solution of iodine (Betadine). This hasn't much to do with stoves, but far too many comments mentioned the utility of alcohol in wound treatment. Bad practice.
Threat_Dynamics Thanks so much for your informative post, good to know! :-)
Im Iranian and use to climb and spend some nights and days on summits, -35 to -40 Centigrade demands to warm my Tent but still have not found non-risky method, Alcoholic Stoves that are used in Labs are suitable or not? I know candle is Dangerous, but how about very small Alcoholic Stoves with a out let leads Gas out of the tent.
He said open wound. I think a small wound is ok so you both are correct.
Good info. For iodine I use betadyne with glycerine. Good stuff, no burn, no alcohol. I'm thinking about just using the water based polar pure iodine for wounds because it is multipurpose for water purification.
Oh! What has it got to do with stoves? I could tell you that it is good to erase permanent marker, So what? It's got many, many recommended uses and as many not recomended. Out of topic!
If you have the time, you can make your own 99% alcohol from a cheaper solution. All you have to do is put it in a container, add salt, and shake well then let it sit for a few minutes. Salt bonds to water, but not alcohol, so it will make the water drop out of solution and sink to the bottom, leaving you with almost completely pure alcohol. And, you can save the saline solution for surface wound care.
And when you go to pour out the liquid, the salt water comes out first? How do you know when it's all out?
@@YIO777 Dang, I'd forgotten about this video. XD If you try to pour it out normally, they will both probably come out together, because liquids tend to work like that. (Try putting water and oil in a container and pour off the oil while leaving the water) I recommend mixing the salt and alcohol in a clear plastic bottle with a lid that has a hole in it. Once it's shaken up, flip the bottle so the lid is pointing down and let the water settle, then unplug the hole and let the water drain out. You will be able to see the line separating the two liquids as the alcohol sits on top of the now-heavier water and salt solution, as the salt will make the water slightly cloudy, but won't affect the alcohol as it can't bond with it.
@@BlazingSun39 wow, thanks so much for the detailed and well thought answer! Often the solutions (pun intended) are simple. Great idea. Glad I got to remind you of an old video. An oldie, but a goodie.
So adding water to gasoline with ethanol mixed in, will cause the ethanol to mix/combine in a solution and drop out (one to one with the water), then add salt to the liquid that dropped out of the gas/water mix to separate the ethanol from the salt water... sounds easy enough.
Fantastic demonstration comparing 6 different fuels for the Trangia stove. You broke it down to both cost and time elements and showed that overall, the yellow Heet was the winner, with 99% Isopropyl alcohol coming in a close 2nd. Well done, guys!
91% was the Most Cost Effective, so it produces the Most Heat per $ spent !
It is the clear winner.
By far the best test I've seen. Comprehensive and thorough as possible without going to a laboratory setting. TY for the time and effort that you folks put into this comparison.
Thanks so much! I did my best with what I had to work with. It's nice to know that it was helpful to you!
Great test guys! It seems the denatured burned the cleanest. Personally, I trade a minute or two of boil time to save a minute or five of cleaning soot, but that's just me. Thanks again. I definitely learned something.
WOW! This is by far one of the best comparison vids I've ever seen. I made it thru the entire 17+ minutes which means I found it interesting. Thanks for your time and effort. Great video! :-)
Thank you, I'm glad you found it useful. I appreciate the comment and the like.
The extent at which you guys went out of your way to be as controlled and scientific as possible makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Thanks, I did try to think of everything but there was just a bit too much air flowing through the warehouse which did have a small effect.
Lmao! Great review!
Lmao Great review
Nice video! Here in Brazil we can buy 97% Ethanol at any gas station for less than a dolar per liter, as it is widely used since the 70's as car fuels. The cars that works with gasoline or alcohol or both are very common. I did some tests and found that it works very nice with alcohol stoves. Just hope this information helps someone else.
Jonathan Araujo Thanks for the information!
You're lucky to live in the land of the free. The US government doesn't trust us with ethanol. You need to document having an approved industrial use for it, then you can apply for a license that costs a few hundred dollars a year that will let you buy it.
You are lucky in Brazil. Alcohol fuel is great because its cheap yet high octane and renewable.
I just distill my own. Govt can bite me.
Yea just don't sell the Alcohol and your fine.
Did anyone else notice how close the bottles of alcohol were to the flames?
Julian Pereira They weren't as close as they appear to be in the video.
FireboxStove That's good
Julian Pereira I was thinking that the whole time 😬
Never a problem.
Be careful of another Chernobyl disaster..
Great video with solid methods. For me, cost and time to boil are not that important (they were all adequate). What matters most to me is weight. I want to carry less fuel weight, so I want the fuel that can do the job with least weight. While the yellow Heet bottle was the fastest, it needed 1.1 oz of fuel to boil the water in the first test. The 99% isopropyl alcohol used only 0.6oz to boil the water in the first test (tied for first place with the Ever Clear, and second fastest to boot). Therefore, the winner for me is the 99% isopropyl alcohol. If you need to boil 2 cups of water 3 times a day for a week long trip (21 boils), you need 23.1oz of yellow Heet, and only 12.6oz of 99% isopropyl alcohol. That means using the 99% isopropyl alcohol over the yellow Heet saves a pack weight of 10.5 oz, more than 1/2 pound!
underrated post
Agreed, priority is: Safety, Energy-density, Cost. Safest is: Everclear (Ethanol), Isopropyl, Methanol. Highest Energy-density: Isopropyl-26, Ethanol-23, Methanol-18. But, alcohols are hygroscopic, they suck moisture out of the air and once opened, quickly gain non-energetic weight. Data is scarce, but 10% may be typical? While one might purchase 99%, it becomes 91% before the second meal's cooked? (more...)
It's been suggested 10% camp-fuel (38-energy) added to 90% alcohol might produce the highest energy density at an acceptable safety-level?
Regardless, Isopropyl seems like the clear winner?
Everclear is the obvious winner. A little for the stove, a little for the person watching the stove boil water. Win-Win! Should have tried 70% iso, has been said it works better than the 91 or 99
Ask yourself, why would an impure fuel be more efficient?
I have tested 70 and 91 percent alcohol and I saw that the 91 worked the best. I am still waiting to test heet.
Not possible the 70% burns better. The other 30% is water, duh!
All of the fuel reviews were great. Thankyou for taking the time. The location of your fuel supply stock behind the open flames was a suspense thriller! :) Great little stoves.
I really like the accuracy you were able to achieve with the control of variability. One bottle per pot, exact weight of the fuel, this really allowed for an accurate test and that's something I think is really important, thanks for uploading this comparison! Very helpful guys.
This test is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Very glad you did this test, not just of the boiling times but also the price per ounce comparison along with the price to boil comparison too! A great informative test that saves me from buying all of this and doing it myself.
You guys doing this test and posting it here on RUclips has me looking into your product to buy.
Job well done!!
Thank you for the comment, I appreciate it! I am glad the video helped as it was intended to help.
As a science teacher and a backpacker, I love this video. I found it very informative. Thank you for sharing!!!
No question. 91% wins. Based on price vs. rationalizing all other factors. SIX CENTS. Also considering you can buy 91% most everywhere including the dollar store, it makes a better emergency choice.
91% isn't as easy to find as you say. Most stored only carry 50% to 70%.
@@rickw7903 So let's do a test on using them...! :)
The 91% soots the pot which disqualifies it for me.
@@rickw7903
You can get 91% from Amazon, just like 99% and at appreciable better prices than quoted in the test, given equal amount buys.
Put that 50% in a freezer let it freeze. The leftover unfrozen liquid is 95%+
I just started to look for this information, figuring it would take me weeks to get a good answer... you're AWESOME! Thanks:)
Oh good! I'm glad you found it useful!
I bought some denatured alcohol today at Home Depot. The quart was $7.50 and the gallon was $15. If you buy it by the gallon it would cut the price per ounce down to $0.11.
Great tip. Thanks for the feedback.
Shop around or call small local hardware business's for a price check, i found a gallon of denatured for $13.50 just down the street.
I've been dealing with this for years in the Marine alcohol stove in my sailboat. For convenience I've got several quart cans that I fill from gallon cans I buy. It's just easier to fill the stove from the quart cans than the gallon. To this day the cost is cut in half by doing so.
I'm assuming you're using an Origo 3000, right?
Which fuel do you think is best? I don't want to buy bulk and find out it spots up my pants or stinks up the main cabin. :)
Haven't read all the comments but your video didn't mention that although EverClear was most expensive to purchase it is the only one suited for human consumption. Handy for a late nite toddy. Great video! Very useful!
Despite being 6 years late to the party, I wanted to say this is a great video which clearly demonstrates the differences between these fuels! 5 stars.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the comparison, guys! Even though Everclear costs more, it is my choice because it doesn't contain cancer-causing ingredients, like Heet does. I wouldn't worry too much if some spilled in my pack because it would just evaporate. It can also be used for cleaning wounds, just like isopropyl alcohol. And unlike any other fuel, you can use it for mixing an after-dinner cocktail, if you'd like :)
Kelly S Sound like good logic to me! ;)
Sorry to burst your bubble but ethanol is a carcinogen.
I've talked to a lot of hikers here in CO and they usually use HEET because Walmart has it.
Worth it to note that the Yellow Heet and Denatured alcohol burn a lot cleaner than the others. Certainly worth more to me when I'm packing my cook pot away. Surprised that the Yellow Heet was consistently faster than the rest...it ran away with it.
One thing to consider is fuel to air mixtures. If something is burning very dirty and yellow like the red heat to me that demonstrates that the fuel is more energetic and needs a stove setup that provides more oxygen. With the proper set up those more energetic and dirty burning fuels could boil water quicker and burn cleanly giving enough air. For example if you burn kerosene in a stove that was design for a less energetic fuel it would burn dirty and poorly but has the potential for a much quicker boil
Thank you
@@ruserious9577 Not necessarily. Air flow was restricted by both the box around the burner and the burner itself. I think even just removing the box would cause an increase in available oxygen and a cleaner burn for the fuels that burned yellow or orange and adding vent holes into the side of the burner would also help but would eliminate the utility since it would reduce fuel capacity and make it more prone to leakage.
Think about actual camp fires or fire pits. When you blow air to where the fire is consuming the wood or onto hot coals it usually will burn better/hotter/light up momentarily. Commercially available fire pits almost always have mesh around the sides for just this reason. Better air flow means a better and more complete burn. If you block off the sides you also reduce air flow which in turn results in less available oxygen for the fire to burn. I also don't know what elevation they are at in this video which will also effect available oxygen.
Another consideration is to limit the available fuel in a setup and achieve a more efficient burn when oxygen flow cannot be increased. Much of the heat was flowing around the pot and being lost.
What i got from this video is there are options if the others aren't available.Thanks.
Yes and they will all get the job done. Thanks for chiming in!
I like everclear the best, it is dual purpose and the fumes it puts out would not be toxic.
Pretty sure the fumes would be just as toxic.
@@Shastavalleyoutdoorsman No fumes. Everclear burns ever clear. 🥴👍
@@tarasbulba3190 so does propane lock yourself in a room with one burning.
@@Shastavalleyoutdoorsman I think I'll try that. Thanks.
🙏THANK YOU Sir!! I’m going to get that Firebox stove. Young people today are lost without people like you to help us. My daddy died but he always take care of this stuff. At least now I won’t blow myself up. Daddy always had the answers to my questions and I could always count on him. RIP Daddy.🙏😭😢 Thank you for helping us daddy-less daughters out here!! 🤗💞🤗
So so sorry for your loss. I'm so glad my videos help a little 👍🙂
The yellow Heet looked like it also was the cleanest. Interesting video!
With my early trials making penny stoves etc I used 99% iso alcohol which was way too sooty for my liking. Now I use a Trangia 27 kit with denatured alcohol and it is perfect. Denatured from wally world does a fast and clean job. Really great video, best on youtube for this topic, thanks.
+Croaker Thanks Croaker!
Use ethanol
The reason your last test (for fuel burned) was better for the yellow heet is that it continued to burn after you put it out through the hole in the lid. It probably wasn't visible in person, but it definitely was visible in the video. If you watch the hole at 6:23 you can see it still burning. It continues to burn with a tiny flame until you blow out the isopropol 91% around 6:47.
Ah ha, interesting. Thanks for commenting!
Personally, I prefer to use the grain alcohol, Ever Clear in your test. It is more expensive, but not near as poisonous as any of the other options. My border collies are most often with me, so I go for the grain alcohol. I figure they wouldn't have the opportunity imbibe enough to kill them. Plus, it isn't toxic via your, or their, skin contact. Another option for the grain alcohol is that since I haven't have a drink of alcohol since 1981, but if the catching away happened and I was left behind it might come in handy to have a snort or two available.
+OlTrailDog
The hairs on your head are numbered by God. You will not get left behind.
Our God Reigns. He is the Good Shepard and will leave the 99 to go out and find
the one sheep that was lost.
Amen to that, I know it's hard to do in certain seasons, but trust. -In Jesus name
+OlTrailDog as a man who stopped drinking 20 years ago, I'd add that another benefit of the grain alcohol in a WROL context is that it will be valuable for barter.
Can't you just keep your dogs from drinking your stove fuel?
Have a look at "ventless fireplace fuel". It's 100% ethanol with a bittering agent to prevent people from drinking it, and only about $7/liter in quantities more than 6 liter.
For the "dual purpose" I will go with everclear for my fuel!
It will be worth it when you need it and when you don't you will have the peace of mind knowing you're prepared!
Yes Everclear is SAFE to use indoors or out and can be drank.The other fuels are toxic in and of themselves or have toxins added.
It’s also good to clean things with actually better than most cleaning products
I'd Definitely go with the everclear it's a fuel ,a disinfectant, and a really good pain reliever until the next morning 😂
My fishing buddy would have drank all the everclear and we wouldn't have coffee or hot food.. He quit drnking finally.
I tested heet and dn alcohol last night. Same temp of water same exact canteen cup. Used heavy foil for a lid. 8oz of water straight from the tap. Boil time was right at 7 mins. For the both of them. (Used crown brand dn alc.) Still have my sterno folding stove but this takes first place. Only been having it for a week and its one of the best things I ever bought. Great video guys.
Sounds like a good quality of denatured alcohol! Thanks for the information
the flame height determines how high the pot needs to be off the flame to get the greatest heat benefit.
The everclear can be used as a antiseptic a way to calm nerves and a painkiller. Considering its multi-use its a good investment.
For cooking, I can agree with your choice of winner, but it might be wise to take the isopropyl as part of a first aid kit instead of peroxide. Dual use equals weight savings, as long as you can wait an extra minute or two for your coffee. Great video!
+Jeremy Cote Thanks for your input Jeremy!
you could also get 200 proof grain alcohol and drink it too
# 3 the Everclear is 180 proof pure grain alcohol
It also can be consumed which adds a bonus on the trail. ;)
Multi purpose is always a good thing ;)
Yeah, never see booze in anyone's pack list.
Also works well for cleaning wounds. A little nipper at the end of the day, puts a nice warm fuzzy feeling for a cold night on the trail.
*Halfway into a backpacking trip*
"Shit! I drank all my stove fuel!"
Also used to treat antifreeze poisoning.
Note to others: 180 proof everclear is not readily available in some jurisdictions. Just because you see Everclear or grain alcohol, that doesn't mean it is 180 proof. In my state, liquor stores only carry up to 151 proof (I think), which is not really suitable for a stove. I've never seen 99% isopropyl here, either.
Another tip: Heet (icluding the yellow bottle) often goes on sale/clearance in the Spring, because it sells best as a Fall/Winter item.
Part III: Yes, pure (actually 95%) ethanol does have an essential, critical role in outdoor (and prepping) activities. Plus you can use it for stove fuel. But if you take that alcohol and add approximately 10% methanol to poison it, you have "denatured alcohol," also used as stove fuel. Therefore there should be no noticeable performance difference between Everclear and denatured alcohol since they're 90% the same. As an aside, there's a potable grain alcohol brand around called "Diesel," not to be confused with the hydrocarbon of the same name. I like mine with powdered Hawaiian Punch (the alcohol, not the hydrocarbon). Anyway, HEET isn't readily available this far south. For decades I simply used Boat Stove (denatured) Alcohol with a small lacquered aluminum bottle of Everclear for entertainment and backup fuel...alcohol doesn't get along well with raw aluminum. Finally, I'm amused by those who complain about the cost of Everclear as fuel. I'd understand if someone used it three times per day, every day. But a total of a few weeks each year? I find it humorous that someone who would plunk down $60 for a teacup-sized titanium pot would scream like a cheated prostitute over $10 worth of dual use stove juice. In any case I've switched to hexamine fuel tablets. Mindless operation and nothing to spill. Anyone want to buy a Trangia?
Finally, someone methodically testing the different fuels instead of spouting rhetoric. Thank you, FireboxStove!!
+Pete Aron My pleasure. I'm glad you found it useful
Sweet: primarily because I have a bunch of yellow bottles of Heet in the basement, & I got them for about 35 cents each on clearance :-)
If you want to buy Heet, the best time is march & april when winter is ending
+paul rogers
Thanks Paul. I have been using Yellow HEET also for my alcohol Stove projects. I buy the 4 bottle pak
at Walmart for $5.87 and i have never seen it reduced in price at different time of the year.
Where have you been finding yours at such great prices?
+paul rogers Any certain store?
unfortunate ly i have never seen HEET on clearance at my walmart. 4 pak of plastic bottle is $5.99
Thanks for the Tip!
Ever clear would have been my #1 pick because of its versatility. Sadly my nanny state of Maryland bans it from sale. 91% works for me. Not sutty and can be used as an antiseptic, easier to find than 99% too.
Yup. Im in California. Mine too. And now they've banned denatured alcohol.
Have a look at "ventless fireplace fuel". It's 100% ethanol with a bittering agent to prevent people from drinking it, and only about $7/liter in quantities more than 6 liter.
That's the great thing about grain alcohol if you're taking swigs of it *you don't really care how the tests turn out*
I have used ‘‘this system for years. I carry almost 6 or 8 bottles of yellow heat. Let me tell you guys. If this is your major source of cooking you are on your last resort. I use it the night I’m setting up my base camp. Maybe the cecond night. After that I’ve got a proper cook fire going on it I can cook anything from a stuffed rabbit to a full set of deer trips.
Another thought to consider with HEET vs. EVERCLEAR is contamination. If the bottle was to rupture in your pack which one would you prefer? I would think the EVERCLEAR would be better especially if it was spilled on my food bag. Just another “pro” to add to the EVERCLEAR column IMO.
A great consideration is altitude when selecting fuel. The higher you go the less oxygen to feed the fuel mix. So a purer denser fuel is needed.
thanks very much for doing this test, very informative ...ever-clear is a multi use fluid as well...
..bill
That's a good point Billy, I guess they all have at least two uses but the everclear is by far the most versatile. Thanks for the comment.
You can cook your brain with it too! LOL!
I not being one to use alcohol for fuel in my outings was surprised at how dirty the alcohol burned. Back in my High School days I had a time to remember thanks to Everclear.
2oz volume and 2oz weight are very different unless they carry the same density.
+1
in a survival situation where you are hoofing it you want lighter and more efficient fuel weight and fuel efficiency are more important than volume however it would affect the cost analysis somewhat the effect is not going to be that significant as they are all alcohol based products I would have liked to see a fuel efficiency ranking as well but the information you need to figure it out has been presented in this video.
Everclear wins every time because it has multiple very, very important uses. I wish I could find it in plastic bottles, I hate having to decant it into different bottles for the trip. Don't want to be schlepping heavy breakable glass. I appreciate how you put time into helping us with these videos and it's not all about selling stuff. Very cool.
HEET is very poisonous.
@@jimbabiarz3581 yeah that's why i opt for everclear. Although if I remember last time I partook it's only slightly less poisonous lol
I found this video really useful. Also, It was short and to the point without a bunch of useless banter just to stretch it out. Thank you very much for taking the time to do this experiment. I make penny can stoves for my friends and from now on I will be directing them to your website for actual camping/prepping stoves. Well done & thanks again.
Thanks very much Hoobajooba! I'm glad you found it useful
I would go for the Everclear because it’s the only one you can drink while waiting for your boil. Thanks for the video 👍🏽😁
Good choice! 😁
Pretty interesting test. Four concerns though - Can you eat food directly cooked over each one of these? It seems that the "looks like its boiling to me" results are not quite so reliable as actual temperature of the water. The wind and direction skewed results. Lastly....as a Firefighter and common sense kind of guy - GOOD LORD, don't ever have that stuff so close to open flame!!!!! Some yahoo is going to try to recreate this and burn their house down. Great idea for a test but I say redoo - zero breeze, temp based boil instead of looks, water on at the same time, caution with the open flame. Thanks
Yes, thermal probes in each pot, and a separate Timer per pot.
The Grain Alcohol had a 10 second late start in both of it's tests.
Not saying that made a huge difference.
But it would make for a more accurate comparison.
The difference in Burner could also play a role.
So while it would take 3 times longer.
Use the exact same burner and Pot for each test.
eliminate all the variables.
I love home science. Nicely done. Probably all of these alcohols could be burned indoors. I always use the yellow bottle HEET based on my research and personal experience so I was gratified to see your results. I mostly motorcycle camp now that I'm old, and the yellow HEET is readily available at gas stations, etc.
I would have second thoughts about burning these fuels indoors especially the ISO. The yellow heat is perfect for Moto camping 👍
Really great test but I noticed on the second run the yellow heet was contaminated with one of the other fuels. I only use yellow heet in my Trangia and it always burns only blue. At any rate great video. Thanks for comparing the fuels
I have ran dozens of tests over the years and yellow HEET is the most consistent. Pure ethyl alcohol being the second on consistency and safest.
Five stars for effort. Despite my minor complaints, I agree that the yellow Heet is the best fuel. I deleted the 412 word perspective that I wrote to help, because I am a retired MR&D lab rat. I made my living doing well, sort of what you did here. If you are interested, let me know and I will re-insert it as a comment so you can see what I recommended. Peace out.
+John L Bales Yes! Please insert what you've learned. The more info the better!
Yes, please add what you didn’t say!
My local Walmart has been selling the Yellow HEET for $1 per 12oz bottle lately. Its 99% menthol alcohol too.
I bought a bunch up at that price.
That's around .08¢ an oz roughly. Great deal.
No sooting bonus. Usable indoors bonus.
Can be used to rehydrate Sterno gel since its a menthol based alcohol gel. Bonus.
Very cool!
The one that makes the least amount of soot is the one I would use.
Just add 10% of water to the spirit and you won't have soot.
Which one was that?
Products you sell are expensive. I'll have to stick to the homemade ones. Thanks for the comparisons for the fuel. That is helpful.
We are having our Black Friday sale right now 👍 here's a link: www.fireboxstove.com/sale
what is a little bit unusual is the boil time difference between the Everclear and the denatured alcohol, because chemically, they are essentially the same with the only difference being the rather small amount of chemical to denature it. This should not amount to a 2min boil time difference. Yellow heet is methanol, a toxic substance that is not easily available in many countries. You should use gloves handling it ;)
I go with the Everclear - multi use. Cheers, chris
TheLicewine I guess we can chalk it up to quality and purity?
Agree, I would like to use ethanol 100% of the time.
Denatured alcohol is not mostly ever clear. The different manufacturers of denatured alcohol mixes from 10% up to 50% methanol into various batches. And is not a fixed proprietary blend. They buy ethanol and methanol on the open market at the cheapest price available at any given time and mix batches according to availability. You could buy a can at 2 different locations, the same brand, and it will most likely not be the same percentage of each. That being said Heet in the yellow bottle is pure methanol every time, it never changes, and is the most high performance fuel I have ever used. Yes it is poisonous, so don't drink it or use it as after shave and you will be just fine.
+dmith smith the point is, in many countries like Germany, you can't even buy methanol easily. the purest ist everclear. all ethanol. any grain alcohol will do. denatured here ist ethanol as well, very predictable. very cheap.
cheers. chris
+TheLicewine And then in some countries like Canada, everclear and denatured alcohol are both nearly impossible to buy, yet methanol is available for $10/4L in every hardware store in the country.
Thanks for the righteous comparison! It answered a question I have asked myself for some time now. HEET Yellow is what I've been using for years. Must have been intuition and experience .... now confirmed. Home distilled grain alcohol is next in line for emergencies. Homemade is cheaper than store bought btw.
Much appreciated these comparative tests. Well organized and informative. Thanks!
Besides the results (thanks for doing all this setup), what I appreciated about this test was also showing which had most visibility, which appeals to me.
I'm glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching
I was surprised by the performance of the denatured alcohol. I use it in a tuna can with small 1/4 inch metal mesh over the top as a catalyst, and it performs great for me with little soot. The flames are almost invisible (which is actually a little scarey). I have used the 91% Iso in it, and it was VERY sooty. I had heard about the yellow Heet, now I may need to try it.
I wouldn't recommend the brand I used in the video. It seemed substandard compared to other brands of de-natured alcohol I've used.
Thanks for the feedback!
Ethyl alcohol that is meant for consumption is always good to have as a backup to ethyl/methyl alcohol that is poisoned and used for fuel or cleaning.
Ethanol made for consumption can also be used as a pain reliever, as well as fuel and antiseptic.
I've been using yellow Heet as my go-to. I've been told that pure ethanol (grain alcohol) has more energy by mass than methanol, but it's the most expensive thanks to liquor taxes. Denatured alcohol with the most ethanol and least methanol is preferred, but Heet is generally the most cost-efficient. Isopropanol is just too sooty for me.
That sums it up nicely. Thanks!
I like the klean strip brand denatured alcohol fuel. Its very clean burning with minimal odor or soot.
One of the points that I love about your videos is how methodically you go about testing these things. Thank you!
Thank you for appreciating that! I am glad you enjoyed it.
The good thing about the everclear is you can drink it too!
This is one of if not the best comparison video I have seen. I appreciate the thoroughness, the chart in the comments, and attention to detail.
Thank you, I appreciate that!!
Awesome test. You just saved me some hassle on figuring out which one to buy. Thumbs up. I'm going to have to put that big firebox of yours in my wish list. Thanks again.
My pleasure, I'm glad you found it useful. Thanks to you.
Excellent video, very thorough, thanks! You guys did a great job eliminating variables, but it was also interesting to see how slight changes in conditions could affect performance.
Great video guys. I'm looking at picking up my first alcohol stove and I declare everclear for the win! It might be the most expensive, but it is also the most multi-functional. It's the only one you can imbibe should the need arise. I can buy it in Texas where the HEET products aren't available as readily as in northern states. The rubbing alcohols are cheaper but evaporate more quickly.
I have been stocking up on HEET. Great test you guys performed!
thanks for the FYI. But I would have moved the bottles in the back much further away from the flame. And I was told never use the Red bottle of HEET. just wondering what about oil lamp for these stoves??
Thank you so much for this information I really like the comparisons of price and effectiveness of each of the fuels I really like the 91 percent for cost and as a wound cleaner and all purpose sterilization out in the woods my esbit stove recommended denatured alcohol but doesn't have as many applications once again thank you
Makes a lot of sense Patrick. Thanks for chiming in!
This was great!! I would put a great deal of emphasis on the carbonization/efficiency of the fuels. Also the containment of the flame more than speed (not crazy about those wild flames on some of the burners. )
I used to sell hardware and lumber and matter of fuels. One thing on thermometers is the backyard types only buy one out of a batch of them on display. You buy the one that will show an average temperature of the lot.
I don't know much about non-contact thermometers, but I suspect there may be some variances in the quality of readings from one to another of the same type and brand. Also when the thermometer was run from one sample to another the reading gradually rose which might be from exposure time to heated materials. The boiling is probably more accurate.
Very informative, thank you.
+Wak Cackle Thanks for the info! There's no substitute for experience.
Thanks for the comparison. I just heard about using Everclear this summer and thought it was a great idea since I have a three year old at home and hate the thought of having poison in my pack. Not to mention that the ocd-me always feels like washing my hands when ever I use heat. Although it is the most expensive, it seemed to work just as well as the others. Well worth it IMO to not be taking poison to the woods. I do like the fact that it could be used for medicinal purposes and really appreciate the comment about not using alcohol on open wounds - I will just take it internally from now on.
Megan Rapelje I agree Megan grain alcohol is by far the most ideal choice when cost is not a consideration. thanks so much for watching!
Thanks Deborah.
I don't think a few seconds difference in time to boil is critical, but if one creates a lot of soot and another creates none, then that is a significant benefit.
In the UK I use Methylated Spirit which is denatured alcohol, (Ethanol with 10% Methanol added to ensure it cannot be consumed, and usually dyed with methyl violet), I can confirm that I have no issue using this indoors, although I have to add 5-8% water to stop sooting. If it matters to anyone... the brand I use is Barrettine, and it comes in around $20 for 5 litres.
I agree. And thanks for the info James!
Cheers, Steve
Great vid thank you. I'm partial to the Everclear. It's a little more expensive but it's non-toxic, you can use it as an antiseptic, and of course you can use it for its intended purpose. Just don't drink all your fuel away. Cheers!
Thanks for your feedback Pete, I too use Everclear quite a bit depending on the situation. In a medical emergency it may make the difference between getting Gangrene or not. A serious injury could stretch a day trip into two or three, plenty of time for an infection to set in.
Have a look at "ventless fireplace fuel". It's 100% ethanol with a bittering agent to prevent people from drinking it, and only about $7/liter in quantities more than 6 liter.
Fuels which produced soot: Isopropyl alcohol 91% and 99%, Iso-HEET (Red, worst sooting).
Fuels which did NOT produce soot: HEET (Yellow), grain alcohol, denatured alcohol.
I was surprised by how much soot was produced, even by the 99% Isopropyl, which that amount knocks those out of the running for me. Too much cleaning involved each time and less heat produced per unit.
Stoves that burn vapor, burn cleaner. The stoves used here are open mouthed. Is there away to close them of so only the small holes will produce jets of flame?
@@GreenJeepAdventures
If you search on RUclips for "How to make an Arizona penny can alcohol stove", you'll find how to make one with just the holes around the rim. Don't know if it will burn, or as well. Maybe worth a try.
They all burn vapor, liquids don't burn. Ever. The difference is as you say, the orifice, making the efficiency of the burn variable. Different fuels will be better or worse with different burner types. This video is less about which fuel is best overall, and more about which fuel is best in that particular application.
More like ethanol and methanol dont produce soot and isopropyl does
That is great if all you want to do is boil water. For cooking a low steady long-lasting flame is better! That way you cook the food through with out burning the outside.
I use a tuna can with 91%
denatured looks to be the cleanest but slow.
I think the 91% is the efficiency winner. It costs 40% of the Heet, and took only 4% more time.
This is one of the reasons I love RUclips. Great info on an obscure topic right at my finger tips. Great job guys, thanks!
YES, I love it too! When fixing our washing machine I found a step by step video that made the job a breeze! Great community too! Thanks for the comment.
"HEET contains a 'special' additive", which is not otherwise specified on the packaging label and is therefor NOT an alcohol stove fuel but is, however, a flammable methanol solution designed for combustion when mixed with gasoline. The 'special' additive in HEET may be tailor made for a cleaner burn to comply with emission standards when properly used. (ie. when mixed into gasoline). Denatured alcohol is definitely the appropriate choice for the alcohol stove.
Thanks for the valuable information!
Denatured alcohol contains additives that are intended to make the alcohol unfit/unsafe for consumption, the chemicals used vary by brand and the additives in some brands cause the alcohol to burn sooty.
Bill Campbell Thanks for contributing to the conversation Bill.
Mik Wri Thanks for the information!
Thanks for the testing. It gave me the confidence in choosing Wal-Mart 91% for both best cost and best fuel mileage.
What really matters for hikers is BTU per unit weight and the ability to light the stuff in cold temps. Depending on conditions, one may matter more than the others. Personally, I'm carrying the stuff based on volume, not weight. And the difference in weight of, say, 8 oz of fuel will be nigh on negligible. So it comes down to BTU content per unit volume and lightability.
If one assumes all else is equal then BTU density and vapor pressure are the two most important properties - for heat content and lightability, respectively. When comparing alcohols, isopropyl has about 13,000 BTU/lb vs 11,500 and 8400 BTU/lb, respectively, for ethyl and methyl. So assuming complete combustion across all three and ignoring "lightability" and assuming all else is equal, it makes perfect thermodynamic sense (is that a thing?) that 99% isopropyl would boil first. It's releasing more BTUs per ounce than the others.
For ease of lighting, the higher the vapor pressure the more volatile the alcohol is and in that category methanol wins. Denatured alcohol is usually some unknowable mix of methyl and ethyl alcohols and other stuff. But get one gallon that works well and it will last you a very long time.
Everclear is supposed to be close to 100% ethanol but is taxed, and thus quite expensive in the USA, and yellow heet is close to 100% methanol. Of all these, I think 100% isopropyl is probably the hardest to find in the USA. But if you can find it you don't require your alcohol to boil (as with a fancy feast wick stove) then isopro will pack the most heat per ounce.
isopropyl is at any drug store or grocery store. its with the first aid next to hydrogen peroxide
Isopropyl is probably the EASIEST to find in the USA. (Fixed that for you)
Good points, all. I would stress that shoppers should look at the % alcohol to water, regardless of the chemical type. 50% might just barely burn with a cool yellow sooty flame, 70% might sputter and smoke as it burns with a medium warm flame, 90% or higher burns with a blue hot flame.
Matt Miller he said 100% there bud. Ever seen 100% isopropyl at Walgreens?
BUCKSLAYER 😬
Love your stoves, gave mine to my cousin last summer, buying two more this spring, and going to buy one of the minis now too! I've only used 91% C3H80. I just never tried anything else. The cleanest pans are nice for me. Good to know that yellow heet works in a hurry. Never needed to shave minutes in the bush. Anybody ever use yellow heet in the in the Vargo triad TI?
+shugemery knows his stuff
One thing too that I like about the yellow heat, is it's spout. Pouring it into my little stove made it much less of a mess. Less waist and conserves on time spent useing a funnel for the dentured alcohal that I began with originally! Thank you for sharing this video. It just confirmed my choice !
I use this squirt bottle with denatured alcohol:
www.fireboxstove.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=330&search=Bottle
I think the heet was the best, it was fast and didn't cause such a big flame up around the pot it seems safer to cook with.
Alcohol battle royale! Methyl vs Ethyl vs Isopropyl! Lovely science happening here, thanks!
+Zee Cee I'm glad you liked it Zee!
dN doesnt leave soot! Well, Never has for me, and dN also is designed for marine stoves, duh, indoors on a sealed up boat.....Just buy the gallon sized cans of it, save money and dont huff it. Anything with water in it will leave soot, MESSY!!! JUST BUY DENATURED ALCOHOL MARINE STOVE FUEL.
I pay like 14 dollars after tax in Seattle (one of the highest priced cities in the lower 48) for a gallon of it, just shop aroumd all the paint stores as they will vary wildly in costs....
I'm with you JCB. The denatured Marine Alcohol is safe around food and VERY low soot. IT's my FIRST choice ... worth paying a bit more IMHO
Dual-use and then cost would win out over boil time. 91% and 99% would get my nod...Thanks for the vid!
Thanks for the feedback! Makes a lot of sense!
Idea a small alcohol rocket stove made out of titanium that Will glow red hot that has a cooking surface with the ability to stack rocks around it to absorb the heat generated by the stove that has a air intake vent you can place under ground to draw air from outside a shelter with an exhaust flute to vent spent toxic air out of shelter leaving fresh warmed air within a shelter? How does this idea sound?
I am impressed to how little soot was created with the yellow heat, I will be using that from now on
Did the denatured produce low soot as well, as soot is a pain if you have limited water.
Three of the alcohols I used in this test produced virtually zero soot denatured alcohol, ethanol and methanol which is the same as yellow heat 👍
This was a well thought-out test, I just wonder if the stoves were close enough together to give an unfair advantage to the pan in the center?
I't a possibility, an alcohol flame is very sensitive.
Thanks for commenting!
Good job on the measuring the different products efficiency.
Thanks Glen!