Australian Hiker

Rating

Trangia Storm Cooker 27-1 Stove Review

This larger sized Trangia cook set is not the smallest stove set that you will buy but this set isn’t trying to fill that role. Like the Trangia Mini this stove uses methylated spirits (Heet in the USA) in a small fuel burner built in into a combined stand/windshield that allows the pot to sit on top. Up until recently Trangia stoves would have been the most widely sold stove on the Australian market and while they still have a huge following they are rapidly being replaced by many hikers with either gas stoves, or integrated gas stoves. In a social media survey we conducted 26% of hikers identified they use this spirit burning stoves as their main stove for their hiking adventures compared to 60% using either the gas stove or integrated stoves.

The kit comes with an two 1 litre pots as well as a 180mm fry pan that doubles for a pot lid. As this stove set is metal don’t be tempted to handle hot pots by hand but instead use the pot grip that comes with the kit. I would advise some practice sessions with full pots of cold water  as there is  a bit of skill required to manage this process however this robust pot grip is easier to use than the one that comes with the Trangia Mini set.

This stove can be used for cooking as well as boiling water for rehydration and they manage to do this well however their main drawback is speed taking just under seven(7) minutes to boil 500ml of water. We don’t cook on the trail as we find that it adds to much weight to the pack and it’s just plain fiddly, instead I prefer to eat cold, or to just rehydrate. We tend to have two hot drinks/day along with a dehydrated meal and every second night we will have a dessert. In total this requires 1.5-1.8 litres of boiled water so this stove set for our uses is very much overkill. While the cooking process is slow the grand total for our fuel usage using Trangia stoves is approximately 14 cents for the approximately 40 ml of methylated spirits that I need so this would be hands down, the cheapest stove type to run. In addition the slow speed is what makes then suitable for cooking but does mean you will use more fuel. But hey at this fuel price it not going to break the bank.

For simple overnight trips this is not the best option unless you plan on whipping up a gourmet meal as they do take up a bit of space in the pack and with the addition of the fuel container and fuel you are likely to be approaching 1kg in weight so they are one of the heavier stove sets.

The Trangia fuel bottle weights in at 115 grams but is extremely reliable and robust which will almost rule out any chance of accidental spill of methylated spirits into your pack which can cause some serious damage to your equipment. A 500ml bottle of methylated spirits will last the two of us for 10 days but this will depend on your cooking style. If you do full on cooking when you camp your fuel requirements could be double or triple what I have discussed.

There is no one perfect stove on the market with each having its own advantages. In addition to the speed of cooking this Trangia stove has other disadvantages. One disadvantage, which you will eventually learn to eliminate is that you need to accurately estimate the amount of fuel that you need to add to the burner. If you don’t add enough and the burner runs out mid cooking then you need to wait until it has cooled off otherwise you run the risk of injuring yourself adding fuel to a hot container. I managed as an 11-year-old to set my hand on fire cooking with methylated spirits which thankfully caused no permanent damage.

In addition this stove is prone to wind and even with the integrated windshield/burner holder this will only do so much so try to set up the stove in a protected area. Ensure that the surrounding ground is cleared of any flammable material such as leaves or pine needles as I have also seen the fuel spilled at camp sites causing fire on the surrounding ground. This is not something you want to do in times of high fire danger when the types of fires can quickly get out of control. As such, this is a stove for ‘adult’s only’ or older kids under strict supervision. In many Australian parks and reserves if there is a total fire ban you cannot use a naked flame so these stoves then become a ‘no go’. Some of the wilderness areas that I camp in also prohibit open flames at any time so you need to be aware of your local regulation. If in doubt check with the local rangers.

This Trangia 27-1 stove set is very versatile and provides the ability to do real cooking and the bulkiness in your pack is the price you pay.  I also own the smaller Trangia Mini which is great for solo hikers or couples that only really rehydrate rather than cook.

So why would you use the Trangia 27-1 stove set? This is a comprehensive kit for couples or groups that are into full on cooking and who aren’t fussed about the speed of cooking and want something that is cheap to run. This unit is also easy to use providing you follow a few simple safety rules in regard to fuel handling.

We Like

• Fuel is readily available worldwide meaning that you can travel widely with this kit and be confident that you can keep on cooking
• Very cheap to run. For my usage as described in the review about my fuel expense is 14 cents/day
• Simple construction so there’s not much to go wrong
• Easily able to gauge fuel use
• The units come as kits so there is nothing more to add
• Mid-range as far as purchase prices go for cooking systems and this includes the pots. The kits also include ‘pot grips’ to handle the hot pots
• This model is designed for full cooking and comes with two pots so you don’t have to empty and clean a pot between courses

We Don't like

• Knock one of these over and spill the fuel and you run the risk of setting fire to the surrounding landscape. Always remove leaf litter from the cooking area and ensure that you the stove is stable
• Can create sooting on the pot. However, Trangia recommends diluting the fuel with 10-15% water to resolve this issue
• Long cooking times even just to boil water- just under 7 minutes to boil 500ml of water
• During the daytime, it can be hard to see if the fuel is lit
• These stove types can’t be used in most Australian states/territories in times of total fire bans; Check before you go
• The fuel weight add up for long trips

Best Uses

This is a great  kit for couples or groups who want to prepare and cook on the trail, aren’t fussed about the speed of cooking, and want something that is cheap to run

Trangia 27-1 kit packed as it comes out of the box

Trangia 27-1 kit unpacked

• Two X1 litre saucepans
• One 180mm frypan
• Base to hold spirit burner/windshield 
• Spirit Burner including the lid to seal the burner when finished as well as an adjustable lid to control the flame
• Pan grip
• Strap to hold the uni together during transport

Trangia 27-1 kit set up and ready to use

Trangia Fuel Burner, use with methylated spirits

Trangia 500ml fuel bottle. This bottle is heavy at 115 grams but I would strongly advise that you use either this commercial product or something similar as leakage of methylated spirits into you backpack can be very expensive as it will easily damage most other equipment.

 

This Generic video by the manufacturer shows how to use Trangia stoves from start to finish

Buy One

You can purchase the Trangia Storm Cooker 27-1 Stove from Macpac or from Snowys, or from Wild Earth

Disclosure: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD $154.99 RRP

Other Versions

Trangia produces a large range of stoves of stoves available to suit just about any hikers needs

• Trangia Mini

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased from a retail store by Australian Hiker

Last updated

14/12/2023

Shares

Related articles