Quote:
Outside magazine has a nice overview of stove options…

http://outside.away.com/outside/outsidestore/goverview/BG_STOVE.html

…along with comments by the “Gear Guy” on alcohol stoves in particular:

http://outside.away.com/outside/gear/gearguy/200208/20020805.html

http://outside.away.com/outside/gear/gearguy/200303/20030331.html

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That guy does not know ANYTHING about alcohol stoves!!!
He says that they are not presurized... Well some aren't and some are... And some are 'sort' of presurized...
He also makes it sound like the coke can stoves are just a container, that you fill with alcohol and light!!!
Well, some are, but most have at least two chambers, where you light the open one, but as soon as it heats up, the alcohol starts boiling in the second chamber, and the vapor rushes through a lot of little holes(or slits) either around the open portion, or around the outside of the stove, while the center goes out... This produces a burner that looks exactally like the one one a natural gas stove...
You can make one with NOTHING but a knife and a coke can!!!
We made some at work one day, and they work great!
Some of the instructions you will find on the internet are very involved, but they are usually for ones that look like a commercial stove, when you are finished.