Gas One GS-3000 Review

As a camping stove, we came across the Gas One by accident. A family member bought it to cook a meal in the middle of the dining room table, and it worked perfectly (however, the instructions say not to do this because of carbon monoxide hazards, so please don't try this at home)! This stove is portable, surprisingly inexpensive, easy to use and clean, and it works great as a supplemental burner to a larger system.

Performance Comparison

Boil Time

To measure boil time for camping stoves, we do two tests — one with wind and one without — in our gear “lab” (aka our home garage), and then use the average between the two scores to rank the stove's performance. The Gas One had a somewhat unimpressive average boil time of 8 minutes 45 seconds, placing it near the bottom of the pack.

To evaluate how well each stove will perform in windy environments, we situate the stoves adjacent to a box fan on the low setting. We use a pocket anemometer to ensure a constant 2-4 mph of wind and then test how long it takes for the stove to boil 1 liter of 58°F water. The Gas One boiled 1 liter of water in 13 minutes in our windy test, which was one of the slowest boil times. One factor contributing to the sluggish boil time is that this stove does not offer any protection from the wind. If you need to use it in a breeze, we recommend looking for natural protection from rocks or using your car to shield it from the wind.

In the wind-less test, it took 4 minutes and 30 seconds to boil 1 liter of water, which was a fairly average test score. In past tests, the brand of butane canister mattered, with Gas One branded canisters boiling water quicker than other brands. For the sake of this test, we used a new Kovea butane canister, and it registered similar results to past tests, so it is possible that brand matters less than the temperature of the canister before you use it.

Fuel Efficiency

In addition to testing boil times, we also measure fuel efficiency across our water boiling tests. The Gas One was among the two least fuel-efficient stoves in our review.

The Gas One consumed 12.07% of the fuel in a butane canister in the windy test and 5% in the wind-less test, for an average of 8.62% per use. Part of the reason this stove was so fuel inefficient is the lack of a windscreen. Without a windscreen, it took much longer for this lower-powered (9,000 BTU) stove to boil 1 liter of water. Fuel efficiency matters from an environmental perspective, as well as a financial perspective, but low fuel efficiency shouldn't be an absolute deal breaker. For starters, our test — which entails blasting the stove with constant “wind” — doesn't approximate real-world conditions where the wind is often inconsistent and irregular. Secondly, you can also make (an aluminum cooking tray would work well and be cheap) or buy a windscreen to increase fuel efficiency (and boil times) in breezy environs. Additionally, you can choose to cook in more sheltered locations adjacent to a boulder or your car. Protecting your stove from wind will dramatically increase fuel and boil-time efficiency.

Simmering Ability

We love the auto-igniter dial and simmer control on this stove. The instant start is built into the dial, which means you don't have to press an extra button and brace your hand against a potentially hot stove as with most other camp stoves. The dial is very accurate concerning the flame size, allowing you to simmer or keep your food warm, which is a luxury while camping. Many other camp stoves may boil water fast but don't always keep a small flame, resulting in burnt eggs and over-crisped bacon.

For its price, the flame control on this stove is fantastic. Folks who tend to cook on the lower end of the flame spectrum will not be disappointed in this department. The Gas One cooked perfect eggs, popped popcorn, and fried bacon on par with much more expensive models.

Ease of Use

This is one of the easiest stoves in our test suite to use. Just remove the stove from the case, flip over the drip pan, insert the fuel canister, press the safety lever to engage the can, and turn the dial. There is no propane regulator to attach, an extra step that almost all the other contenders require.

Of course, setting up this stove is so easy because it's highly simplistic. Models with windscreens, legs, and propane tanks do take more time to get running, but they also provide better wind protection and fuel efficiency.

This stove is also pretty easy to clean. The drip pan lifts off the stove for quick and thorough cleanings. The only challenge, comes with trying to clean the internal parts, should your cooking excitement get a little out of hand.

Portability

The small size of this stove is awesome — it's compact and comes with a little suitcase-like carrying case for transport. The case is somewhat flimsy when open but does a fine job of protecting everything when closed. This is the lightest-weight and one of the smallest stoves we tested, so obviously it scores high in this category. There are smaller stoves available, but they tend to be less durable.

Despite being inexpensive, the design team did a good job with the Gas One. To fit inside the case, the drip pan needs to be flipped upside down. Then, the fuel canister must be disengaged for it to rest on top of the stove. The result is that you cannot store this model in its case with the butane canister engaged, which is an excellent safety feature.

Should You Buy the Gas One GS-3000?

If you're keeping it simple, you might as well keep it cheap. This model is the cheapest stove in our review. It is incredibly lightweight, very compact, and it boils water fast enough for what it is. This burner represents the best value of all the single-burner models we reviewed.

What Other Camping Stoves Should You Consider?

If you plan to cook for more than two people over more than a few days, we would recommend a propane model, to avoid burning through a small mountain of butane canisters. If you want to keep it affordable, you might want to check out the Coleman Cascade Classic. It certainly costs more, but you get an extra burner, it's more fuel efficient, boils a bit quicker, and you could get a larger propane tank to save money and produce less waste over the long haul.