Comparison Primus OmniFuel vs Kovea TKL-N894

— Burner. This type includes classic burners - devices designed for cooking during hiking or cycling trips, when you have to carry all the equipment “on yourself”. Accordingly, they have relatively small dimensions and weight for maximum portability, and during operation they use an open fire, thus serving as a kind of replacement for a camp fire. This type is worth paying attention to if compactness is critical for you.

- Stove. Like classic burners, this type of device is intended primarily for cooking in conditions of “separation from civilization.” Their most noticeable difference is their larger dimensions and corresponding weight. Due to this, the plates are much less convenient for carrying over long distances. On the other hand, they are more powerful than burners and are better suited for large volumes of cooking (especially 2-burner models). As a result, the main purpose of the slabs is primarily the so-called. camping tourism, where there are no such strict weight restrictions as on long hiking trips; An example would be going out of town by car for several days. Another distinctive feature of the slabs is their design. While classic burners can differ significantly from each other, all stoves are similar: they have a characteristic flat shape and use cylinders exclusively with collet fastening (see “Attaching the cylinder”).

— Lamp. As the name suggests, burners of this type are not intended for cooking, but for lighting in the dark. Their main distinguishing feature is the presence of a special nozzle. Outwardly, it looks like a wick, but since the vast majority of lamps run on gas (see “Fuel”), the nozzle is more likely not a wick, but a divider: it expands the flame from the combustion of gas and thus provides the required amount of light. The attachments can be impregnated with special compounds that further increase brightness. In addition to all this, many lamps have a protective glass bulb: it protects surrounding objects from the flame, and the flame itself from wind, rain, etc. Some bulbs are made matte, making the light from the lamp more even. The dimensions and weight of the lamps are usually small; they, like classic burners, are mostly designed to be easy to carry.

— Heater. Devices designed for heating can have different purposes: from compact devices for heating palms, slightly larger than a lighter, to powerful models of the order of 1-2 kW (see “Power”), allowing you to create comfortable conditions in a tent or small room . At the same time, this is a rather rare type of burner, because... in most cases, the necessary thermal comfort is provided by other equipment (warm clothing, sleeping bags, etc.), and for the most part, heaters are designed more for lovers of simple “forays” into nature than for professional tourists.

— Stove-heater. “2-in-1” appliances designed both for heating food with a horizontal burner, and for heating a tent or small room in a vertical orientation. In order to be able to install cookware above the heating element, they are usually provided with a taganok grille that can support the weight of the cookware and its contents.

- Wood chipper. Solid fuel stoves that use small branches, wood chips, dry leaves and other “grazing” fuel as fuel. The body of the wood chipper usually consists of small steel sheets with slots at the bottom for air access. The design has a bottom, and the fuel slot of such stoves is slightly raised above the ground - this space allows you to use natural air circulation as a blower. The upper part of the walls in the structure is solid and serves as a wind barrier. Wood chip stoves are used for heating water, cooking in a camp pot, and heating at a rest stop. Sometimes, to increase the efficiency of fuel combustion, this type of burner is equipped with a battery-powered turbocharger. Some models with a focus on tourist autonomy are equipped with an electricity generator from the generated heat with a power bank. It can be used to recharge portable gadgets or power the built-in airflow control system.

Type of fuel for which the burner is designed.

— Gas. Liquefied gas (usually isobutane or a propane-butane mixture) supplied in special small cylinders that are easy to transport. Gas burners are practical, easy to use, compact (often smaller than the cylinders themselves) and inexpensive, making them extremely popular. Of their noticeable shortcomings, one can only note a decrease in efficiency in the cold and/or in high altitude conditions, however, these moments are not so often critical, and in some models they are compensated by the use of preheating systems.

— Liquid fuel. Liquid fuel, most often alcohol, gasoline or kerosene; however, different models can be designed for different types of fuel, this point should be clarified separately. Anyway, the main advantage of such burners over gas burners is the constant efficiency in almost any conditions, including at low temperatures and high in the mountains. In addition, liquid fuels are somewhat more affordable: for example, gasoline in a pinch can be bought at a gas station or hardware store. On the other hand, liquid fuel models are mostly heavier and more bulky than gas ones, and when using poorly refined fuel, an unpleasant odour appears and the nozzles are likely to become clogged. High-quality fuel is not available everywhere and can be quite expensive. Therefore, there are fewer such models produced than gas ones.

...— Multi -fuel. Multi-fuel burners are those that can operate on both gas and liquid fuels. The delivery set of such a burner, respectively, includes both a connector for a cylinder and a special container for liquid fuel (or at least an adapter with a pump for an external tank); also, when changing the type of fuel in some models, a replacement of the working part is required. Anyway, such a burner allows you to choose the type of fuel depending on the situation; on the other hand, such versatility affects the price, dimensions and weight of the entire device.

— Solid fuel. Burners designed for solid fuel — usually wood in the form of twigs, chips, special pellets, cones, etc. In fact, such a burner is a more advanced and efficient analogue of a conventional campfire. Efficiency is achieved due to the fact that many of these devices have combustion chambers of a special design that ensures complete combustion of fuel (this is unattainable in a conventional fire). And the main advantage of this type of burners over gas or liquid fuel models is that in many cases you don’t need to carry fuel with you — for example, while hiking through the forest, it literally “rolls under your feet”. On the other hand, fuel is not so easily available in every locality; and it takes up noticeably more space in the luggage than a container with gas or liquid. In addition, solid fuel (even in the form of special pellets) is noticeably more difficult to ignite, its combustion power is more difficult to regulate (although possible), and a “muffled” burner with unburned fuel inside can cool down for quite a long time, which sometimes creates inconvenience.

A method of fastening a cylinder or other container with fuel provided in the burner.

— Threaded. Threaded connection — simply put, the cylinder in such models is screwed to the device. It is mainly used in burners and lamps (see "Type") on gas fuel, although there are exceptions. Both the connection itself and the fuel containers designed for it are durable and reliable, which makes this option very popular.

— Collet(it is also choke or stock). A variant used in most stoves (see "Type"), but also found in traditional burners. A cylinder for such a mount has an outlet in the form of a short tube (rod), which, when connected, is fixed in a special clamp — a collet. Installing and removing such cylinders takes less time than threaded ones, and the containers themselves are somewhat cheaper. On the other hand, the collet is somewhat inferior to the thread in terms of reliability.

— Portable. Burners in which the fuel tank is connected not directly, but through a special hose. This design provides a number of advantages. Firstly, the burner installed separately from the cylinder is more stable, and the whole structure is more fireproof, since the fuel supply is quite far from the flame. Secondly, the fuel container can have almost any shape and size — the main thing is that it fits the hose mount. Thirdly, this container can be turned over and/...or raised relative to the burner, increasing the rate of fuel supply; this is especially useful when using gas burners in the cold. On the other hand, such devices, when unfolded, take up more space and have a higher risk of leakage than direct-connected burners.

— Built -in. Fuel tank, made as a single unit with the burner. This option is found only in liquid fuel models (see "Fuel") — it is easier and safer to use removable cylinders for working with gas. An integrated tank is stronger and more reliable than a removable or separate one, it has a minimal risk of leakage; on the other hand, the inability to separate the burner from the tank can create some inconvenience during storage and transportation.

Some models of burners allow the connection of cylinders with a "non-native" mount — through an adapter. However, this option is rather a spare in case of emergency, and it is best to use the standard containers. Also note that the compatibility of a particular cylinder with a burner should be clarified separately, even if it matches the general type of attachment. The fact is that different manufacturers of fasteners of the same type (thread, collet) may differ in characteristics and be incompatible with each other. It is best to use cylinders directly recommended by the manufacturer (see "Replacement cylinders").

The rated power of the burner is the amount of heat generated by it during operation. For models with power control, the value is indicated at the maximum mode.

The nuances of choosing this parameter depend on the type of device. So, the general rule for burners and stoves (see "Type") states that at least 1 kW of power is needed to efficiently heat 1 liter of liquid. And the volumes that you have to deal with depend on the number of tourists and the expected conditions: in a warm climate, 600-700 mL per person is enough for 1 cooking, in a cool one — 1 liter, and it is better to clarify recommendations for different types of extreme tourism in special sources. Thus, the minimum indicator for burners is actually 1 kW, for stoves — 1.5 kW, and the most powerful ones can provide 3 kW or more. Note that more powerful burner models have the appropriate dimensions and weight, and you can heat a large amount of food several times; so for long hikes with luggage carried on you, a relatively low-powered device may be more suitable.

In the case of heaters, it can be assumed that a power of 1 – 1.5 kW is enough for 5 – 7 m2 of area — this is quite enough to heat a tent or tent, higher power is rarely required in fact. And for lamps, the main indicator of efficiency is not power, but luminous flux (see below).

The amount of fuel required for the normal operation of the burner for a certain time; usually stated in grams per hour. Different manufacturers may calculate fuel consumption differently, but most often it is indicated for normal operation, when the burner produces the power indicated in the documentation (see "Power"). Knowing the fuel consumption and the capacity of the cylinder used (see "Replaceable cylinders") or the built-in tank (see "Filling volume"), you can easily calculate the time of continuous operation of the burner.

The time that the burner is able to work without changing the cylinder or refilling the tank. Usually, the characteristics indicate the operating time at maximum power (see above); at lower power, the actual operating time may be longer than stated. However, it is best to evaluate and compare different models by directly claimed battery life.

Another important nuance is that battery life directly depends on the volume of the fuel tank — and many modern burners are designed for interchangeable cylinders produced in different volumes. Therefore, the characteristics may indicate for which cylinder model the continuous operation time is given (and for multi -fuel models, the type of fuel should also be specified). If there are no such data, the tank capacity required for a certain time can be calculated from fuel consumption: for example, gas consumption of 180 g / h and battery life of 120 min (2 h) mean that the data are given for a cylinder of at least 360 g (400 mL) gas. With other volumes, the time of continuous operation will differ accordingly.

Approximate time required to boil 1 liter of cold water on the burner. Of course, in fact, the boiling time may differ from the claimed one, since it is affected by the shape and material of the dishes, ambient temperature, etc.; however, this parameter quite clearly characterizes the overall efficiency of the device, it is quite possible to compare different models with each other. At the same time, it should be taken into account that when working with other volumes, the time may not change in direct proportion: for example, if 1 liter requires 300 s, then 2 liters may require not 600 s, but more, but 0.5 L — not 150 s, but less.

The maximum light level provided by the burner-lamp (see "Type"). It is the main indicator of efficiency for this type: the higher the level of illumination, the brighter the light and the larger the area the lamp can illuminate. Modern manufacturers designate illumination in lux (lux); Simply put, 1 lux can be described as the illumination produced by the flame of an ordinary candle. More accurate methods for assessing illumination and choosing a lamp for this parameter can be found in special sources.

Built-in flame ignition system based on a piezoelectric element. Such an element does not require batteries: it generates electricity by pressing the ignition button, and ignition is carried out using an electric spark. This function allows you to do without matches, lighters and other external sources of fire; however, if desired, the flame can be ignited with their help, without the use of piezo ignition.