Kovea Slim Twin Review

We were impressed with how the Kovea Slim performed in nearly every metric. With well-designed windscreens and burners situated close to the cooktop, this compact stove produces a consistent flame whether you need to simmer or boil.

Performance Comparison

Time to Boil

In our water boiling test — where we record how long it takes for each stove to boil one liter of water in our windless garage lab — the Slim Twin clocked in at 4 minutes 36 seconds, which is an average boil time in our very competitive lineup.

The reason for the slower boil time is likely that the Kovea Slim features burners with 10,500 BTUs when our highest-scoring models have 20,000 or more. That said, the lower BTUs and slower boil time should not necessarily deter you from choosing this stove. When we used the stove in the "real world," the Slim quickly boiled water for coffee and cooked two pot meals as efficiently as the stove in our home kitchen.

Wind Resistance

Our review team was thoroughly impressed by the performance of the Slim Twin in this metric. Besides cooking on windy days out in the field, we measured how well each stove performs with the wind in our garage "lab" by subjecting the stoves to 2-4 mph of wind from a box fan. This test tends to really separate the well-designed stoves from the mediocre ones.

To boil 1 liter of water in our wind test, the Slim clocked in at 5 minutes 20 seconds, only 40 seconds longer than it took to boil the same amount in the absence of wind. We credit the tight design of the stove for its excellent wind resistance. The rectangular windscreens provide an excellent seal on three sides of the stove, and the burners sit close enough to the cooktop to maximize the heating potential of the flames. These design advantages coalesce to give this stove above average wind resistance.

To help you save money and produce less canister waste, we also evaluate each stove for its fuel efficiency. In the wind test, the Slim was among the more fuel-efficient tabletop models — burning just 26g (0.92 oz) of fuel or 5.8% of the fuel in a canister. In the windless test, it burned 21g (0.74 oz) or 4.69% of a fuel canister.

Simmering Ability

This is another metric where the Slim Twin shines. Tests for this metric included cooking more delicate foods, such as rice, where maintaining an even and low flame is essential for a quality finished dish.

This stove made nearly perfect rice, impressing even our most discerning camp foodie. Here again, the design lent to excellent performance. The tight control knobs enable you to turn the burners down low, and the well-sealed windscreens protect the flames from inconsistently heating your cookware.

Ease of Set Up

Like many other two-burner stoves in our review, the Slim Twin has a straightforward setup process. Simply push the open button, secure the windscreens, connect the regulator to the fuel source, turn on the cooking knob, and use the Piezo ignition to light the stove.

Among other design features that lent to an easy setup, our review team was especially impressed by how easily the regulator threaded onto the stove and how well the Piezo igniters worked for lighting the burners. Initially, the windscreens were a little fickle to secure, but once we learned how to properly seat the windscreen tabs into the slots on the stove, even this proved straightforward. Owing to a quirk of the testing process, we tested two of these stoves. The first one had a tight overall seal and tight hinge, however, we had to bend one of the hinges to ensure a tight seal on the second stove. This was not a big deal at all, but something to be aware of if you find your stove doesn't open and close properly.

One design feature that we love with the Slim Twin and wish was a standard across all the stoves is that the lid has two tabs for securing the windscreens flush against the lid. This makes it easy to close the stove without the windscreens getting in the way or worrying that you will deform the windscreens. A real bonus in our eyes.

Ease of Care

The process for cleaning the Kovea Slim is a straightforward affair, as is the case with most simple two-burner tabletop models.

Simply remove the cooking grate to scrub the drip pan. There aren't any sneaky holes in the drip pan for food to fall into, which makes it a breeze to clean the stove after each use (or on the rare occasion when you want to give your camp cooking kit a deep clean.)

Portability

The slim design and plastic carrying handle on the Slim make this stove an exceptionally portable option.

With a scant weight of 9.94 pounds and packed dimensions of 23.4" x 14.7" x 3.3", the Slim is compact and easy to carry. Despite boasting a premium level of portability, we didn't give it a perfect score in this category for two reasons. The first is that the regulator does not fit inside the stove for storage. There is a plastic clip to hold it on the bottom of the stove, but using this clip increases the volume, negating the stove's slim stowability. If you decide to go with this stove, we recommend stashing the regulator in your camp kitchen bin to avoid losing it. Additionally, there are two rubber feet on the bottom that unnecessarily increase the stove's vertical volume when you store it. These two concerns aside, this stove is compact, decently lightweight, and easy to carry.

Value

While the Slim Twin is not the cheapest model in our review, it certainly packs a punch for the price. It performed well in nearly every metric, proving to be a competent stove with a slim footprint and excellent wind resistance. If you are looking for something with a high value to performance ratio, you will not be disappointed with this stove.

Conclusion

With a slim design and great protection from the wind, the Kovea Slim Twin is an easy stove to recommend. It simmers well, takes up minimal space, and provides enough power to meet all your camp culinary needs. We wish you could stash the regulator in the stove while not in use, but if you keep it in your kitchen bin, you should be able to avoid losing it. Overall, it is a great stove at a reasonable price.