So, where can you get a cheap deal on a stove? Well, eBay of course. Some of the stoves on eBay are unbelievably cheap -- pretty much too good to be true. But are you really going to risk your trip (or your life) on a cheap, no-name stove? I wouldn't.

But maybe there's a better way. What if there were a good but relatively unknown brand available, a brand that would afford you some Cheap Deals on Good Stoves?

Please join me in today's post as we examine just such a brand.

HJ

i have several "copys/clones" of the Primus type stoves that were made in Korea.they are all of the highest quality with add-ons not found on the Swedish stoves like pre-heater blow torches and fuel gages.i would trust a Korean stove to perform too high standards with no problems at all.
any info you can come up with on Korean stoves made for general camping,canoe tripping,where light weight is not a issue would be a good subject.

Honestly, the Korean stoves, like the Lion Brand for example, are the nicest I've seen anywhere, and I've seen an awful lot of stoves.

Unfortunately, with the modernization of Korea, a lot (if not all) of the "classic" style stoves have gone by the wayside. Any info I get will be reported here.

HJ

I got an Esbit type stove on eBay for < $4 shipped. Came with fuel tabs. It had some rust but appeared unused. Maybe east German surplus. Have not tried it yet.

I saw a youtube video that showed a $2 Esbit type stove that th reviewer found in some kind of Canadian dollar store. If I had seen them I would have bought a handful.

There are a bunch of canister stoves on eBay for < $10 shipped with igniter that look interesting. I have not pulled the trigger on one yet. Not a big fan of canister stoves. Just do not like the canisters.

ESBIT type "stoves" are the most forgiving in terms of design. All you really need is a sheet of tinfoil or what-have-you thick enough to resist burning through. Or a rock if you don't mind making the rock ugly. The need for quality in the stove is much greater when working with pressurized appliances such as those that burn high BTU petroleum gas or liquid fuels.

Of course with an ESBIT type stove, the money you save on the stove is spent on fuel. ESBIT type fuel is the most expensive of all backpacking type stove fuels.

HJ

The Koreans seems to have a pretty big stove industry, ever notice how almost all the butane canisters are made there?

There are some exceptions, but yes I have noticed.

MSR, Brunton, and JetBoil are all made in Korea. I wouldn't be surprised if they were all made in the same plant. Look at the caps some time. They're all from the same mold.

HJ

Also those skinny canisters from asian stores, all the ones I've seen are Korean too.

Hmm. Now that you mention it, you're right. Interesting.

My brother, who is an English teacher in Korea, says that it's routine for Korean families to all have a portable gas burner. If company comes over, you pull out the spare gas burner to augment your kitchen range.

And I was serious about my earlier remarks that some of the nicest "classic" style liquid fueled stoves I've ever seen have been Korean made. The Koreans took the "classic" style developed and made famous by the Swedish (think Primus, Optimus, Lux, Radius, and Svea) and added wonderful practical details like a burner that would switch from roarer (for wind and bad weather) to silent (for normal weather but much nicer in terms of noise), things the Swedes never thought of.

I guess Koreans really like stoves.

HJ

I see an esbit stove as more of a pretty stable pot stand then anything else. My biggest gripe with most small stoves is that they are not real stable.