Best stoves for cooking in a power cut (2026)

The step up from the PocketRocket 2: the same fast, reliable boil with a piezo igniter and a pressure regulator that copes better with a part-empty or cold canister. Like any gas burner it is for outdoor or fully ventilated use only, never inside a tent, home or garage, because of the carbon monoxide risk.

Best for A featherweight, dependable burner with instant piezo ignition for boiling water and simple cooking in a grab bag or camping kit.

• Piezo igniter means no separate lighter or matches to carry, on top of the same fast 3.3-minute litre boil (MSR's figure)
• Pressure regulator keeps performance steadier as the canister empties or in cold weather, where basic burners fade
• Still light and packs small, with MSR's usual robust build

• Pricier than the plain PocketRocket 2, for a stove most households use only occasionally
• Modest pot supports mean a wide family-size pan still wants a sturdier, wider-based stove

Who shouldn't buy it: You need to cook indoors or in an enclosed space — never use it inside a tent, home or garage due to carbon monoxide — or you want a genuinely wide, stable base for large pans, where a two-burner stove suits better.

The Ultimate 'Base Camp' Kit pairs Kelly Kettle's large 1.6-litre kettle with the maker's full set of accessories. The double-walled 'volcano' kettle boils in three to five minutes on sticks, pine cones or bark, the maker says, and a hobo stove, pot and pan, grill, cups, plates and pot support come in the same bag. It gives a family a backup way to boil water and cook a hot meal without gas, batteries or mains power. It is an open flame for outdoor use only: use it on a level, non-combustible surface away from buildings, and never indoors or in a tent or porch.

Best for A family or small group wanting one outdoor kit that boils a larger kettle and cooks a hot meal on sticks, with no gas or batteries to buy.

• Everything comes in one bag: a 1.6-litre kettle, hobo stove, pot and pan, grill, cups, plates and pot support, so beyond tinder and matches there is little else to buy
• Burns sticks, pine cones, bark or dry grass, so there is no gas, liquid fuel or battery to store or run out of
• The hobo stove turns the fire base into a stand-alone wood stove for any pot or pan, so it cooks a meal as well as boiling water

• Heavier and bulkier than the basic Scout kit or a gas stove: the whole kit is 2.26 kg against about 1.4-1.5 kg for the Scout, so it suits a car boot or shed better than a grab bag
• A fire has to be lit and fed, the kettle and fire base get very hot in use, and children must be kept well away while it is lit

Who shouldn't buy it: You want a light, instant stove for a grab bag, or you usually need just a mug of hot water, as the kettle must be full before it goes on the fire: a small gas stove is simpler for those jobs, and the smaller Scout kit is lighter if you want to stay with wood. If you have no safe outdoor space, none of these is for you: wood and gas stoves alike are for outdoor use only.

This is the basic Scout kit with extras: the same 1.2-litre double-walled kettle, which the maker says boils in three to five minutes on twigs, pine cones or scrunched paper, plus a hobo stove, two cups and two plates, all in one drawstring bag. The pot support lets the small pot cook on the chimney while the water heats. It is an open flame and for outdoor use only: set it on a level, non-flammable surface well away from buildings, fill the kettle before lighting and never let it boil dry, and never light it indoors or in a tent or porch.

Best for A household or small group that wants one wood-fired set to boil water, cook and serve from, with no gas, batteries or fuel to buy.

• Free, endless fuel: a handful of garden twigs or paper is enough, so there is no canister to run out of
• More complete than the basic kit: a hobo stove that turns the fire base into a small wood stove, plus two cups and two plates
• Stainless steel kettle and accessories, and the whole set packs into the kettle and its carry bag

• Heavier than the basic kit, at about 2.1 kg against 1.4 kg, so it suits a shed or car boot better than a grab bag
• Slower and messier than a gas stove, and you need dry kindling to hand; with only two cups and two plates, a larger household will want more

Who shouldn't buy it: You only need the kettle and cook set (the basic Scout kit is lighter and cheaper), or you want a quick, clean boil with no fire to light: a small gas stove is simpler there. If you have no safe outdoor space, neither is for you: wood and gas stoves alike are for outdoor use only.

The Trangia is the sensible-shoes choice for household resilience: the integrated windshield means it works in a stiff breeze where gas struggles, and there is almost nothing to break or go wrong. It burns fuel and must only ever be used outdoors or in a well-ventilated space, never inside a closed room, tent or garage, because of the carbon monoxide risk.

Best for A near-indestructible backup cooker for power cuts and camping, using cheap, widely-available meths.

• Exceptionally reliable and simple - no valves, jets or piezo to fail, and the burner is near-silent
• The built-in aluminium windshield shrugs off wind that would defeat an open gas burner
• Runs on methylated spirits, which is cheap, stores safely and is easy to source from hardware shops

• Slow to boil (around 8-10 minutes for a litre) and you cannot instantly cut the flame like a gas tap
• Spirit gives less heat per gram than gas, so it is less efficient for big or repeated meals

Who shouldn't buy it: You need fast boil times, cooking for a large group, or a stove you can safely run indoors - like all fuel-burning stoves this is strictly for outdoor or fully-ventilated use only, due to carbon monoxide.

A fast, fuel-efficient all-in-one that boils 500ml in about two minutes and packs into its own 1L cup, making it a tidy back-up for hot food and drinks in a power cut. Like any gas stove it burns fuel and produces carbon monoxide, so it is strictly for outdoor or well-ventilated use only.

Best for Boiling water fast for hot drinks and freeze-dried meals when the power's off or you're outdoors.

• Boils 500ml in roughly two minutes and stays efficient in wind thanks to the FluxRing heat exchanger
• Very frugal with fuel — one 100g canister boils around 10 litres, so a couple of spare canisters go a long way
• Compact and self-contained: burner, stabiliser and canister nest inside the 1L cup

• Built for boiling, not cooking — it's poor at simmering, so don't expect to make proper meals in it
• Standard isobutane canisters lose performance in near-freezing temperatures

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it expecting a stove you can safely run indoors during a power cut — like all fuel-burning stoves it must only be used outdoors or in a well-ventilated space because of carbon monoxide risk. Also skip it if you want to actually cook rather than just boil water, or if a basic £20–30 camping stove would do the job for less.