Kind of sort of back to the original topic. Here in Korea I've been cooking on an electric hot plate. Its pretty terrible at its job. It has a temperature control on the front which only seems to regulate how quickly it cycles between very hot and off. The problem with that becomes readily apparent when you try to cook an omelet or fry bacon on low heat. However, I just noticed the Koreans have a much better solution: a gas hot plate. Its pretty much a camp stove, except they use them for everyday cooking. Its also bulkier than all except for the big coleman stoves. Its also relatively flatter, heavier and thus more stable then most camp stoves. As soon as I get a chance to buy one, I think I'm going to relieve my electric hotplate of duty, except for boiling water and other sledge hammer cooking jobs.

Of course the added benefit is that if the power goes off for an extended period, I could still cook. Does anyone know if they're available in the states? They might be a good option for people who want to be ready for power outages, but aren't into camping.