I used it for 3 days or so last summer during the first hurricane (Charlie). Power went out, and all my appliances are electric. Worked fine. All I tried, though, was oatmeal and different kinds of instant soup. I had no trouble boiling water. My biggest problem was over estimating how much fuel I'd need. A half inch or so of fuel will last 8-10 minutes, or longer. More than enough time to make soup.