REASONS TO BUY
Simmers well
Easy to set up
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Slow
Heavy
Fuel inefficient
Coleman Peak 1 Review
This inexpensive, heavy, and bulky stove takes a while to boil, but simmers reasonably well
Credit: Coleman
RELATED: Best Backpacking Stoves of 2024
Our Verdict
The Coleman Peak 1 is an inexpensive but bulky canister stove that does what it's supposed to — make water and food hot. However, it isn't very good at it. Simmering is what it does best. This is primarily because the resistance in the valve is perfect, making it easier to cook tricky stirring-intensive meals. But the plastic fuel control knob is more difficult to use than the long wires on other stoves, and this one lacks a piezoelectric igniter. The Peak 1 is also not very fuel-efficient, it's one of the heaviest small canister stoves, and it's the slowest to boil even without wind.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Coleman Peak 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Backpacking Stove |  High Value and Ultralight | Best on a Tight Budget | ||
| Price | $30 List $17.99 at Amazon | $69.95 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $50 List $49.95 at Amazon | $30 List $29.95 at Amazon | $17.00 List $16.95 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Inexpensive and decent at simmering, not so great at everything else | This lightweight stove is easy to use and will boil water when it's breezy | This canister stove is lightweight, compact, fuel efficient, and performs well in wind | A bulky small canister stove that's good at simmering but doesn't have a piezoelectric start | A mini stove with a mini price |
| Rating Categories | Coleman Peak 1 | Soto Windmaster | Soto Amicus | Primus Essential Trail | BRS-3000T |
| Fuel Efficiency (25%) | |||||
| Weight (25%) | |||||
| Simmering Ability (20%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
| Boil Time (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Coleman Peak 1 | Soto Windmaster | Soto Amicus | Primus Essential Trail | BRS-3000T |
| Category | Small Canister | Small Canister | Small Canister | Small Canister | Small Canister |
| Essential Weight (stove or stove + integrated pot only) | 6.5 oz | 3.0 oz | 2.79 oz | 4.5 oz | 0.9 oz |
| Trail Weight (stove, fuel, pot) | 18.63 oz | 15.63 oz | 14.92 oz | 16.63 oz | 12.63 oz |
| Wind Boil Time (1 liter, 2-4mph) | >15 min | 5:46 min:sec | 6:30 min:sec | 10:10 min | 14:45 min:sec |
| Boil Time (1 liter) | 7:08 min:sec | 4 min:sec | 3:52 min: sec | 5:30 min:sec | 5:13 min:sec |
| Packed Weight (stove + all accessories) | 6.5 oz | 3.5 oz | 3.5 oz | 4.5 oz | 1 oz |
| Dimensions | 5.1" x 5.5" x 4.3" | 4.7" x 3.9" x 3.6" | 3.9" × 0.7" × 6.5" | 4.3" x 2.4" | 2" x 1.2" x 1.3" |
| Fuel Type | Isobutane | Isobutane | Isobutane | Isobutane | Isobutane |
| Additional Included Items | None | Stuff sack, pot support | Stuff sack | None | Stuff sack |
| Piezo Igniter? | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
Coleman has been making outdoor gear forever, and many hikers have owned something by this brand at some point. The Peak 1 stove is classic Coleman: a “good enough” product at an affordable price. If you are looking to save money and prefer something more durable than the least expensive model in our review, then this slow burner might be a reasonable option for you.
Performance Comparison
The Peak 1 on a quick desert overnight.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Fuel Efficiency
The Peak 1 is near the bottom of the pack when it comes to fuel efficiency. It burned 0.46 ounces of fuel to boil 1 liter of water in the absence of wind. In front of our box fan generating 2-4 mph of wind, it burned 1.46 ounces of fuel and could not boil water within 15 minutes (which is our cut-off point to conserve fuel). At this point, most of the small canister stoves in our review can boil water within 15 minutes in our wind test.
We experienced a few flare-ups when using the Peak 1 with a brand new fuel canister. The flames aren't coming out of the perforations in the burner head. We think this has a negative impact on fuel efficiency.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Weight
The Peak 1 weighs 6.5 ounces. We weigh small canister stoves without any accessories, and that was easy with this stove because it doesn't come with any, not even a stuff sack! It is one of the heaviest small canister stoves in our test.
The Peak 1's bulky shape took up a lot of space in our 1-liter pot.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Simmering Ability
We were pleasantly surprised by the above-average simmering ability of the Peak 1. The burner head is on the wider end of average. While this adds some weight, it also helps distribute the flame, and thus heat, around the bottom of the pot more evenly.
We really like the resistance of the valve control knob. This let us have an easier time dialing in the precise amount of flame for a meal. Additionally, there is no “rebound” built into the valve — when you take your hand off of it, the flame stays exactly where it was. We were able to turn the stove down quite low before it went out.
The control knob has just the right amount of tension, which makes simmering easy.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Ease Of Use
Small canister stoves are fairly easy to use by design. Beyond this, several factors help us differentiate among models, and the Peak 1 had some strengths and weaknesses in this category. The red plastic parts under the burner head make attaching and detaching the canister a breeze, even with cold hands or when the rest of the unit is still hot. The pot supports aren't particularly wide, but they are fairly sturdy. Given that there are only three somewhat narrow pot supports, we found this stove to be among the least stable for supporting our 1.7-quart kettle during the boil and fuel efficiency tests. That said, as long as you use a 1-2 liter pot on the short end of the spectrum, it should be stable enough.
While we like the operation of the valve (see the simmering section), and the plastic knob is easy to grab, it is hidden under the pot, which makes it challenging to locate without removing the pot. Other models feature a wire fuel valve, which is much easier to use. A little metal flap offers the fingers some protection from the flames, but this won't help if the stove is boiling over and you have to turn it off. This stove also lacks a piezoelectric igniter. On a positive note, the Peak 1 doesn't come with any small parts or accessories, which is ideal, as this means there's nothing to lose or forget at home.
The red plastic base of this stove made attaching and detaching the fuel easy, even when the burner was hot.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Boil Time
The Peak 1 had the slowest boil time for a canister stove. It took 7 minutes and 8 seconds to boil a liter of water in our windless lab. When we subjected the stove to a constant 2-4mph wind from a box fan, it could not boil one liter of water in under 15 minutes.
The Peak 1 in our wind test. The fan is out of frame to the left.
Credit: Ian McEleney
Value
We don't think this stove is a great value. You can pay less for a stove that performs better in most categories, and you can pay only a bit more for a model that is better all around. If you want to save money and are looking for a burly model that simmers well, this is a decent option, but for a little bit more cash, you can get an excellent stove that performs well in every metric.
Conclusion
The Coleman Peak 1 makes water hot. Beyond this, its performance is uninspiring. While simmering is what it does best, it didn't knock our socks off at that either. It's fairly easy to use, but it's quite heavy and bulky (for a small canister stove), very fuel inefficient, and slow to boil.
Fixing a late breakfast with the Peak 1.
Credit: Ian McEleney
—
Mary Witlacil and Ian McEleney
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