Eureka SPRK+ Butane Review
Compare prices at 2 resellers Pros: Lightweight and compact, easy to use and set up, inexpensive
Cons: Minimal wind protection, slow boil time
Manufacturer: Eureka
Our Verdict
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Eureka SPRK+ Butane | |||||
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Price | $59.95 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $169.99 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $151 List $149.99 at Amazon | $30 List | $60 List |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Lightweight and compact, easy to use and set up, inexpensive | Large cook surface, powerful, burly, impressive wind resistance | Three burners, fast boil time, easy setup, powerful burners | Great simmering, inexpensive, lightweight, auto-ignition | Affordable, fuel adaptor threads on easier than other stoves, windscreens are adjustable, compact dimensions |
Cons | Minimal wind protection, slow boil time | Heavy, bulky, on the pricier side, closures not durable | Awkward and sharp carrying handle, below average wind resistance | Boils water slowly, can be hard to find butane canisters, no wind screen, you burn through lots of fuel cans (lots of waste) | No auto-ignition, lower BTUs, small burners prone to hot spots |
Bottom Line | This lightweight single burner butane stove is reasonably priced, portable, and easy to use | A wind-resistant stove that features powerful output but also impressive simmering abilities and easy maintenance | A well-designed and powerful 3-burner stove, with easy setup and a relatively trim design | Versatile and low cost, this single-burner stove cooks well, cleans up easily, and weighs the least of all the models we tested | This is a simple and straightforward two-burner that provides everything you need for basic meals at a very nice price |
Rating Categories | Eureka SPRK+ Butane | Camp Chef Everest 2X | Stansport Outfitter... | Gas One GS-3000 | Coleman Classic |
Time to Boil (20%) | |||||
Wind Resistance (20%) | |||||
Simmering Ability (20%) | |||||
Ease of Set Up (15%) | |||||
Ease of Care (15%) | |||||
Portability (10%) | |||||
Specs | Eureka SPRK+ Butane | Camp Chef Everest 2X | Stansport Outfitter... | Gas One GS-3000 | Coleman Classic |
Weight | 4.94 lbs w/case, 3.49 lbs stove alone | 13.97 lbs | 13.32 lbs | 4.1 lbs | 9.8 lbs |
BTU per Burner (from manufacturer) | 11,500 | 20,000 | Outer 2 burners are 25,000 each, inner burner is 10,000 | 9,000 | 10,.000 |
Boil Time (1 quart of water, wind from a box fan) | 13 min 10 sec | 3 min 25 sec | 7 min 55 sec | 13 min | 6 min 25 sec |
Boil Time (1 quart of water, no wind) | 4 min 36 sec | 3 min 17 sec | 3 min 39 sec | 4 min 30 sec | 4 min 45 sec |
Cooktop Material | Stainless steel | Nickel-coated steel | Stainless steel | Enamel Coated Steel | Aluminized steel |
Packed Size | 15.3" x 13" x 3.6" | 27" x 15.5" x 8.25" | 23" x 12.75" x 4.3" | 14" x 12" x 3.5" | 21" x 13" x 3.5" |
Cooking Surface Dimensions | 9.5" x 9.5" | 21" x 9.5" | 19.5" x 9.5" | 8.25" x 8.25" | 18.75" x 10.5" |
Burner/Flame Diameter | 3' | 4.75" | 4.75" (outer burners), 3.25" (middle burner) | 2.875" | 3.5" |
Distance Between Burners (center to center) | N/A | 12.25" | 7" (outer to middle), 14" (outer to outer) | N/A | 7.75" |
Windscreen? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Piezo Ignitor? | Rotary | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Number of Burners | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Type of Model | Tabletop | Tabletop | Tabletop | Tabletop | Tabletop |
Fuel Type | Butane | Propane | Propane | Butane | Propane |
Model Number | 2572201 | MS2HP | 212-300-50 | GS-3000 | 2000020943NP |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Eureka SPRK+ is a lightweight, single-burner butane stove that is easy to set up and easy to use. With a removable drip pan, it is also easy to maintain. It boasts a trim profile that takes up very little space in your kitchen kit and is a great single burner option if you're on a budget.
Performance Comparison
Time to Boil
To test the power and efficiency of our stoves, we boil one liter of water in our garage "lab" at 5,000 feet in elevation in Fort Collins, CO. In our water boiling test, the SPRK+ took 4 minutes 36 seconds to boil one liter of water in a wind-free environment. Our reviewers were pleasantly surprised as this stove had a more impressive performance than some of our high octane stoves with more BTUs, ranking it in the middle of the pack. To boil one liter of water, it burned through 5.17% of the fuel in a butane fuel canister. Despite the lower performance in this metric, the SPRK+ produces enough power to boil water or prepare one-pot meals — especially if you aren't trying to win any speed cooking contests. At 11,500 BTUs, this stove doesn't have the highest power output, but it does get the job done and will do it without burning your pots and pans.
Wind Resistance
To evaluate each stove's wind resistance, we conduct a wind test in our "lab" and also evaluate the stove's real-world performance. In the lab, we use a box fan to generate 2-4 mph of "wind" as measured by a pocket anemometer and then record how long it takes to bring one liter of water to boil. In this test, the SPRK+ took 13 minutes and 10 seconds to boil water and burned 13.83% of the fuel in a butane canister. This is the second slowest windy boil time of the stoves in our review fleet.
Part of the reason for the low performance in this category is that the SPRK+ has very little built-in wind protection. This doesn't have to be a deal-breaker, as you could make an inexpensive windscreen out of a disposable aluminum baking dish or even an aluminum to-go container — just make sure that your windscreen allows for air flow to prevent your canister from overheating. With a little more wind protection, this stove is sure to meet your car camping culinary needs.
Simmering Ability
Given the low power output of the SPRK+ and its dedicated simmer function, this stove simmers like a champion. The only concern when simmering is that you have to get the heat low enough that the flame can be inconsistent or even flicker out in the presence of wind.
Ease of Set Up
This is one of the metrics where the SPRK+ truly shines. Like other butane stoves, it is incredibly easy to get this stove ready to start cooking. After you take the stove out of its plastic carrying case, open the fuel compartment, properly align and seat the butane, lock it in place, and you're ready to fire it up! If the stove is off-level, you can adjust it by rotating the feet on the bottom of the stove.
Ease of Care
We were impressed with how easy it was to care for the SPRK+. To clean it, just remove the drip pan that is integrated with the pot stabilizers. This makes scrubbing your cook surface super easy and means you can more easily clean the burner and clean underneath the drip pan.
Portability
With its low weight and slim profile, the SPRK+ is highly portable. It comes with a plastic carrying case with an easy-to-use handle. Over time, we have found that the plastic carrying case is not the most durable, so you will want to be careful with how you pack this in your rig or kitchen bin. With the carrying case, the SPRK+ weighs 4.94 pounds, while the stove alone weighs 3.49 pounds. Beyond the ease of carrying the stove, it is also very compact (15.3" x 13" x 3.6"), commanding little space in your camp kitchen kit.
Value
Given the low price and quality construction of the SPRK+, we think this stove is a good value. Even though it is an average performer in our boil tests, it packs enough power to deliver a tasty meal quickly enough to satisfy a couple of hungry campers. If you're looking for a two-burner stove or for a stove with higher power output, you'll usually have to pay nearly double the price as you do for this one. It is easy to set up, easy to clean, lightweight, and very portable. Getting all of this at a reasonable price is hard to beat.
Conclusion
The Eureka SPRK+ is an affordable single-burner butane stove that is easy to clean, set up, and transport. If you're looking for an inexpensive but durable car camping option for cooking one-pot meals, this might just be the perfect model for you.
— Mary Witlacil
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