Butane vs Propane vs IsoButane Stoves

What are the differences between butane, propane and isobutane camping stoves?

The difference is the type of fuel used by the camping stoves.  Each fuel has its own characteristics that work better in certain situations.  The size of the fuel canisters also plays a role to determine the best type of camping stove for the situation.

Butane:

Butane fuel canisters

Most commonly available in 8 oz canisters, the butane canisters are long and narrow.  They look like cans of spray paint.  Due to the size, most butane portable stoves are in the small to medium size range.  Portable butane stoves are also popular in Asian hot pot restaurants to keep a pot of boiling water at the table.  Butane fuel canisters are readily available and affordable.  These fuel canisters are not refillable and have issues operating in colder temperatures.  An example of camping stoves that use butane fuel is the Gas ONE Portable Butane Gas Stove.

Propane:

Propane fuel canister

Propane is a fuel that can be used for more than camping stoves.  Propane fuel can be used to power engines and large grills.  The biggest benefit to propane is that the canisters are refillable and available almost everywhere.  The biggest drawback is that the smallest common size for camping stoves are 16 oz.  These fuel canisters are larger, heavier and less portable, making it less than ideal for backpackers. Examples of camping stoves that use propane fuel are the Camp Chef Tahoe Deluxe 3 Burner Grill and the Coleman 2 Burner Gas Camping Stove.

Isobutane:

Isobutane fuel canister

Isobutane is a fuel mix that is blended from butane and propane.  Isobutane fuel canisters are available in 4 oz and 8 oz sizes, allowing the camper to choose from portability or longevity.  As a mix, isobutane improves on normal butane fuel; isobutane works well in colder temperatures and has a higher energy output per weight than propane fuel.  Most of the smaller, ultra portable camping stoves are designed to work with isobutane fuel.  Examples of camping stoves that use isobutane fuel are the Jetboil Flash Personal Cooking System and the MalloMe Portable Camping Stove.

What to use:

The ideal fuel type depends on the activity.

ActivityButanePropaneIsobutane
BBQ at the beachxx
Backpacking in the mountainsx
Camping in a national park
x
Backyard cookingxx
Indoor cooking (power outage)x
Block party BBQ
x

Sources:

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