[pct-l] Re: stove pros and cons

[jwillis at viclink.com (Jay Willis)]

Richard Woods wrote:
> 
> A few more things to consider I think:
> control:
> heat control can be a big decision factor.
> Can stoves, Wood, and Esbit are either hot or not, although you can
> control a wood stove by how much fuel you feed it.

Richard, there are a few techniques out there for controlling the flame
of an alcohol stove. The Trangia comes with a simmer ring that also
functions as a snuffer. A few sites (Brawny's being one that I can think
of) show how to make simmer rings for other home-made alcohol stoves.
Each function (simmer and flame-control - same thing, I guess) works for
me every time. I've never had a problem putting out the flame of my cat
food can stove, just by putting my pot directly over the hole and
sometimes weighing it down. Also, with a little experience one can judge
how much fuel would be needed for whatever it is that you're heating.

 If your goal is to
> boil water, one of these will do. If you want to cook gourmet foods,
> heat control is a must.  

I wouldn't call sesame seed muffins "gourmet," but they're easy to bake
with an alcohol stove when you can control the flame. And, with a cuppa
joe, makes a great way to start the day. 

Thanks for your comments and suggestions, Richard :-)
Jay