Camp Chef Everest 2X 2-Burner Portable Camping Stove, 40,000 BTUs, Propane

Why it's worth it

The Everest 2X puts 20,000 BTUs under each of two burners, with matchless ignition, a folding windscreen lid, and 215 square inches of cooking surface. It handles cast iron and big stock pots the way a home range does.

This is the stove that stops feeling like camping equipment and starts feeling like a stove. Two 20,000-BTU burners is genuinely more heat than most home ranges put out, so a large pot of water comes up fast and a cast-iron skillet holds a sear instead of sulking when you drop cold meat on it. Owners who upgraded from budget stoves describe the jump in output as the thing they notice first.

The surface fits two full-size pans side by side, which is the practical difference between cooking a family breakfast and staging one. You can run eggs on one burner and hold coffee or beans low on the other. The controls dial down far enough for a real simmer, so the second burner isn't just a warming shelf.

From our review of 5 portable camping stoves, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +This is the stove that stops feeling like camping equipment and starts feeling like a stove
• +The surface fits two full-size pans side by side, which is the practical difference between cooking a family breakfast and…
• +The folding lid doubles as a three-sided windscreen, and that's not decoration — an unshielded burner in a breeze wastes a…
• +Cleanup is a drip tray and a wipe-down

What to know

• –It's around 15 pounds and a bit over two feet wide
• –All that heat drinks propane
• –A few owners report the fuel connection isn't compatible with common aftermarket regulator hoses, so you're limited to Camp…