We’ve been getting a few enquiries about how liquid-fuel burning Trangia Stoves work. These stoves are a great way to start cooking in the bush.
In this blog, we’ll show you how to fill it, light it, adjust and extinguish the flame, and cover fuel storage and consumption, plus much more.
Check out my video at the end of this article to see the Trangia cooking system in action.
Trangia Parts
Your typical Trangia Stove components include a fuel-well (with screw-cap and flame controller), and a 2-part assembly kit. The assembly kit has lower and upper parts.
The lower part serves to hold the fuel-well clear of the ground and provide air intake. The upper part serves to shield the flame from the wind, support cookware such as bowls, frying pans and kettles, and ventilate the flame.
Included accessories include nested bowls, kettles, frying pan and – all importantly – the handling tool.
Fuel type & storage
Methylated Spirits or denatured alcohol is a preferred fuel for this stove, although other forms of alcohol-type liquids can be used.
Methylated Spirits is relatively cheap, easy to transport and relatively safe to use. Saying this, I recommend a good, sturdy liquid-fuel container for transport in a rucksack – the bottles they are sold in today are only for domestic storage.
Burn times:
- Fuel-well capacity: 125 ml (this is filled to the recommended 2/3 full)
- Fuel-well burn time (100% flame): 21 minutes
- Boil time for 1 cup of water at room temperature (100% flame): 3 minutes*
* As a comparison, I timed my MSR butane/propane gas ‘pocket rocket’ burner 1-cup boil-time at 1 minute 15 seconds, 100% flame.
Flame Adjustment & Extinguishing
The Trangia comes with a flame-adjustment collar for the fuel-well. Without the collar attached, the flame will burn at 100%.
Once the collar is placed on, the flame’s output is lessened. The flame’s strength can be adjusted further by closing the collar’s adjustable cover. The procedure for adjusting the collar can be tricky because the adjustable cover is not easily moved whilst on the fuel-well.
The collar may need to removed, allowed to cool, adjusted, and then placed back onto the fuel-well. This can take some time, and involves taking your food off the heat; a little inconvenient.
Cooking with your Trangia
The idea with liquid fuel is to fill the fuel-well with as much liquid as you think you’ll need. Use the info above as a guide.
If you finish cooking before the fuel is burned, it’s advisable to either let the fuel burn its way out, or extinguish the flame and decant the fuel-well back into your fuel container. The fuel-well isn’t ideal for transporting the fuel, and typically leaks.
Bowls, pans and kettles are placed on the stove using the upper section’s support arms and the handy ‘handle’ tool. Because the tool is metal, try not to leave it attached to your pots and pans while cooking – it will get hot and can cause burns.
Hi play for a demo of how to use this stove.
Tips & Tricks
- Use your handle tool to grab the flame adjustment collar from the burning fuel-well
- Always allow a couple of minutes for all stove components to cool off before packing away
- Adding water to your methylated spirits (approx. 10%) can cause the flame to burn a little cleaner; however, it also reduces the flame’s heat.
- Maintain your stove components when you unpack after a trip; wash-up your bowls and wipe down before packing away, so they’ll be clean and ready for your next trip.
- Keep your stove in a cloth bag for protection against dents and scratches in your rucksack.
Conclusion
Your Trangia stove will be a faithful appliance to you for cooking and companionship.
It is both lightweight and generally robust unit which can take several dents, scratches and knocks. And due to its simple operation, it never breaks down. Its flame is silent and natural; ideal for the quiet, meditative camper.
Unlike gas flames, the Trangia flame spreads heat more evenly under pots and pans, minimising hot spots. It is an excellent value purchase, in that the kit can be used for both cooking and eating from, as well as providing wind protection for all-weather applications.
Its fuel is one of the safest available, with the advantage that its volume can be visibly monitored to ensure you stay ‘on budget’ for your cooking needs – something that is very difficult to gauge with gas canisters.
I would recommend the Trangia to any new campers and hikers as a safe, low-cost and highly portable entry-level cooking solution.
Do you have any great Trangia recipes you can share?
Outdoor enthusiast, with experience in multiple-day trips hiking, canoeing, and kayaking and a passion for climbing, bouldering, sailing, caving and snorkelling.
But there is nothing I love more than getting others involved in the beauty of nature – especially the next generation.
I went to a Snowys store recently to get some “alcohol” to use in my Trangia. They dont carry it (apparently anything labelled alcohol here will be drunk haha) and the norm is meths…which they were out of. I was then told I could use Shellite…which I promptly bpouight….but now in reading that this is what you use here in a dual fuel stove….I’m having some doubts. Is Shellite safe to use in a Trangia and is it advisable
You shouldn’t use Shellite in the Trangia stove, Hugh. Which store did you visit, I may need to send out a refresher.
You can get methylated spirits at just about any supermarket or hardware store, just make sure you buy the clear stuff not the purple coloured version.
just wondering has anyone tried similar spirit burners like tatonka?that one is made from stainless steel and the trangia is made from brass,all spirit burners i have looked at all have poor stands and windshields,experiment with home made stands and winshields and you will find they run alot better and wont ever blow out in extreme winds,its a shame most stores stopped selling the clear burning fuell for these burners but i think they did that so people would not drink it,badically use any fuel that does not blow up,i am told you can even use kerosene in these burners,that will be my next try using kero to see how that goes,cheers
I’d stick with Metho for these, Mike, other fuels are more volatile and Kero burns dirty. Trangia would have to be the best version of these I reckon, well made sturdy burners that last a lifetime.
I really like the trangia burners,had mine over 20 years,but with mine i made another stand and windshield out of large alloy tubing and put holes in it,in extreme high winds mine does not even blow out,the stand and windshield that comes with the trangia is not that good,experiment with your own home made stand and you will find that there is a sweet spot for the height that produces a nice blue flame,also the amount of ventilation you put around stand matters,the best part of these burners is you know how much fuel you have left and they never fail,much safer option as well and the fuel can be found allmost anywhere,the only downside to these burners they have one speed flames but thats not a big issue as you could make another stand that sits higher to reduce the flame,make an ajustable stand would be possible cheers
Thanks for your insight, Mike!
i agree with joe lester because its good information but unfortunately i accidentally burnt all my hair off
Thanks for the feedback, Donquavious – and we’re sorry to hear that!
Hi all, I have a different brand of little spirit stove I recently received as part of a still for distilling essential oils. I am trying too figure out what fuel to use with it as my research has suggested that the Australian equivalent of the ethanol suggest in the accompanying info is methylated spirits but when I looked at a bottle of it that I have in the shed it clearly states that it shouldn’t be used with spirit stoves. It is Diggers brand and I notice a couple of you have advised against using that one. Is there one you would recommend from your own use that you’ve found to be safe and effective for burning. I don’t know where else to ask!!
Thanks, Mary
G’day Mary, yes the Diggers brand is not a pure spirit but apparently, Supercheap Auto stock 100% so maybe check that out. There are a few Trangia Facebook groups and my advice is to jump into one of those to ask the question with fellow members. You could also post a photo of your stove there and someone in the community may have experience with the one you’ve got. Good luck, cheers!
I totally agree with Joe about not to use Diggers brand methylated spirit, finally found at supercheap brand methylated spirit works better.
Cheers ChrisC
Do not use ‘Diggers’ brand so-called methylated spirit as it is only 95% spirit and flares something fierce and blackens pots with serious soot.
Thanks for the tip Joe!
Agree with all positive comments, but please add one caveat: always use the Tangria in a well ventilated place, in view of the carbon monoxide it produces. I once checked a boat cabin for engine exhaust leaks – the alarm went off while the engine was off since long but the kettle on the Tangria was happily sizzling!
Absolutely, Hans van Poelje! Thanks for raising that very important tip – anything using fuel should always be done so in a well-ventilated space. Cheers mate
Hi,
Bought my Trangia in 1980,to go motorcycle touring around Australia ,first got to use it up in Cape York so it had been vibrating around in my rucksack panniers for a few thousand kilometres, the first meal was inedible, horrible bitter taste. Lesson one, put a layer of protection between the pots so the aluminium doesn’t grind to dust with the vibes,lesson two boil some water in the pots before you use it for the first time to season the ally. Being a 20 yr old I probably had a few more lessons to learn.
Any how the Trangia has being used consistently since then on bike trips around Australia and working trips also and is still going strong in 2021.I think I bought it from the Scout out door centre in Rundle Street, probably the best $30 (big bucks back then) I ever spent.
I’ve had a Trangia cooker similar to the one above (one is as you see and the other is non-stick) for over 30 years and they are brilliant.
The cost of them back then wasn’t too different to what they are now so they’re excellent quality for what you pay for.
To my mind the Trangia is the ultimate low-impact cooker. Silent, safe, 100% reliable, effective in all weathers. Very economical on fuel – a pint will do 2 people for a weekend. As a bonus in these times, the fuel is an effective hand sanitiser :-). Bush cooking is a bit easier if you have the luxury of carrying two stoves: otherwise you’ll be juggling rice or pasta and a one-pot dinner (pasta sauce; curries; anything freeze-dried) on and off the flame to serve everything hot. When I’m carrying a single stove, I also carry two pieces from an old closed-cell foam mattress – one circular, to rest the pasta or rice pot on while it’s hot and one rectangular piece to wrap round the pot to keep the heat in, while you bring the other pot to perfection. The strainer accessory is a useful addition and serves as a spare lid for the second pot to help keep the heat in. I second Peter’s advice on draining unused fuel from the fuel well before packing up. If it leaks into your pots, the bittering agent in the fuel makes for a truly awful cup of tea!
Sounds like you’ve got a good system there, Jim. Cheers
how many mililetres is the big one at 3/4 full?
he clearly liked it!