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. 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 affordable at $31 (often found online at a discount), more transportable than any other model we tested, and super easy to use and clean.
Performance Comparison
The cast-iron skillet weighs almost twice that of the stove underneath, yet the Gas One remains sturdy and cooks single-pan dishes well.
Time to Boil
The time to boil varied depending on which fuel canister was used and how full it was. With a full Gas One butane can, it boiled fast. But as the can reached about halfway, the boil time decreased dramatically. Then we switched butane cans and the boiling time got even slower. These variations aside, two other stoves in our test suite boiled water at an even slower pace.
This stove averaged 4.5 minutes to boil a liter of water in windless conditions. This is 30 seconds faster than our other single burner, the Coleman Butane Instastart, but far from the front-runners. The Editors' Choice Camp Chef Everest boiled one liter of water in 2.5 minutes flat.
This model doesn't break any speed-boil records but still gets it done when there isn't much wind.
Keep in mind that Butane canisters struggle in freezing temps. If you find yourself cooking in these conditions, steer your purchase decision toward a propane burning stove.
Wind Resistance
It's too bad you can't use this stove inside its case. The safety lever will not allow you to, and we cracked the case trying to force it. You can take the case off, turn it sideways and make a wind block, but you then will have to keep the case from blowing away. Without any wind block, this stove does not work well in a breeze.
Standing two feet from a fan, it took the Gas One 13 minutes to boil. This is not a terrible time and beats several of our other tested models. Still, it's not ideal for windy weather and we would recommend getting an aluminum windscreen like the kind that comes with backpacking stoves. They are light, flexible, and easy to use.
Simmering
We loved the auto-igniter dial and simmer control on this stove. The instant start (Piezo igniter) 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 little heater 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.
The GS-3000 flame output is tameable for a breakfast fry-up.
Ease of Set Up
The Gas One is by far the easiest stove to set up. 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. Like the Coleman Butane Instastart, there is no propane regulator to attach. All the other contenders require that extra step.
Of course, its simplicity is why setup takes merely a few seconds. Models with windscreens, legs, and propane tanks do take more time to set up, but also provide the ability for more nuanced and controlled cooking. While the Camp Chef Pro 60X, our Top Pick for Group Cooking, is the biggest pain to set up, its deluxe design allows you to really chef it up.
The butane canister tucks into the side compartment of the Gas One for quick, easy, and fast setup. Engage the can, ignite the gas, and you're cooking in seconds.
Ease of Care
This stove is easy to clean. The drip pan lifts off the stove for quick and thorough cleanings, as well as easier access to the internal parts, should your cooking excitement get a little out of hand. This is a significant advantage over the Coleman Butane Instastart, and another reason we like the Gas One better.
What's tricky for many people is finding the butane cartridges. They are available at Asian food stores and cooking supply stores. However, many camping stores may not carry them. The canisters are inexpensive, but they don't last for more than a few hours of heavy use, so you'll probably want to stock up before a big cooking extravaganza.
A removable drip pan makes it easier to clean the surface and internal parts of the stove as necessary.
Portability
The small size of this stove is awesome — it's super compact and comes with a little suitcase-like carrying case for transport. The case is a little flimsy when open, but when closed it does a fine job of protecting everything. This is the smallest stove we tested, so obviously it scored high in this category. There are smaller stoves available, but they tend to be more flimsy.
We noticed a small detail that results in a nice safety feature when storing this model. To fit inside its 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 we consider a good thing. This isn't the case with the Coleman Butane InstaStart.
As long as the Fuel Lock is engaged, this stove cannot be packed into its carry case. We like this safety feature that prevents gas leakage during storage.
Best Application
This stove is best suited for a couple of different scenarios. By itself, it is ideal for people that eat simply when they camp — one-pot foodies that love oatmeal and soup or stir fry or mac and cheese. Many of these meals are budget meal options, and this is a fantastic stove for someone on a tight budget. Another scenario where this stove shines is as a supplement to another larger stove.
It's a competent extra burner that you can bring when you need it or leave home when you don't, providing nice flexibility in your options. It would also be a great sidekick for a JetBoil Flash since by itself it doesn't boil water very quickly. Depending on your style of cooking, this stove is best suited for 1-3 people, perhaps four if you're crafty and happen to have something large like a wok.
Is it the stove or the chef? Both. We cooked a perfect batch of popcorn with this stove, popping almost every kernel and no burnt ones.
Value
At $31, this model is only one dollar more than the cheapest model in our review, the Coleman Butane InstaStart. We chose the Gas One as our Best Buy Award winner because you get a few nice extra touches for that buck. It's more lightweight, packs smaller, and boils water faster. This model represents the best value of all the models we reviewed.
Keep your expenditures low with this affordable and capable single-burner. The price to performance ratio here is super.
Conclusion
If you're keeping it simple, you might as well keep it cheap. And for that, there isn't a better stove in this review. The Gas One GS-3000 is a functional single-burner stove that makes set up and cleaning a breeze. For anyone cooking for larger groups or more complex delicacies, consider using this little gem as an additional piece for your camp cooking equipment.
