Sorry for the late reply, I just joined this forum. I am a big fan of alcohol stoves and I have made several. The pepsi can stove works well, as does the cat can stove. You can find instructions for these stoves and others by googling Wings: the homemade stove archive. If you wish to purchase, a mini-Trangia is a good bet if you can find one. The advantage of a mini-trangia over a homemade stove is having a compact kit that all fits in a nice little package. Alcohol stoves use cheap fuel which you can find in any hardware store. They light in cold weather, rainy weather and windy weather. Spilling in safe for the environment. No moving parts (KISS). In a pinch, you can make one with a bit of aluminum foil and the heel of your boot. I also recommend that you learn how to make and operate a hobo stove. Always good to be flexible. Use your alcohol stove for camping, hiking and emergency kit. Cooking with one is different from a gas stove. Control is by distance from the flame and how much alcohol you start with. Anything simple like boiling, simmering or frying you can do with an alcohol stove.
Downsides: alcohol has less heat capacity than other fuels such as esbit tablets, so it is more bulky.

Jerome Howard