Whether you're practicing survival camping or just looking for a new way to cook, using a Sterno -- a brand of outdoor stove -- is a way to cook meals without carrying bulky equipment or relying on outside sources of power or fuel. Making a stove like a Sterno out of a coffee can is a standard Boy Scout project, but you can also buy a ready-made camping stove for use with the tuna-can-sized Sterno tins. Get this kind of gel fuel at restaurant supply stores, outdoor outfitters and military surplus shops.
Step 1
Set up your Sterno stove by unfolding it and setting it on a flat, fire-safe surface, resting on its struts.
Step 2
Prepare your ingredients by cutting, washing, mixing or whatever else your particular meal requires.
Step 3
Put your prepped ingredients on the foil. If you brought a cooking pot or pan, you can use it instead.
Step 4
Open the Sterno can, keeping track of where you put the lid. Light it with a match, lighter or flint by bringing an open flame in contact with the gel inside. Keep your face away from the open part of the tin while lighting.
Step 5
Slide the lit Sterno can into place in your stove. Some models include a door you must open and close to complete this step.
Step 6
Lift your foil by the corners, and set it on the flat surface of your Sterno stove. If working with a cooking pot, cover it with foil to increase heat and decrease cooking time.
Step 7
Remove your food when it's ready to eat.
Step 8
Remove the Sterno can while the food cools to eating temperature. Place the lid on the can to extinguish the flame.
Tips and Warnings
- As a general rule, simpler meals like a hamburger or chopped vegetables are best for Sterno cooking, especially if you're camping or in a survival situation. A scrapple of ground beef, sliced potatoes and canned corn is also a delicious and simple recipe that's easy to make on a Sterno stove and easy to carry while camping. Allow the Sterno can and stove plenty of time to cool before packing them away.
Things You'll Need
- Sterno or similar gelled fuel can
- Sterno stove
- Matches, lighter or flint
- Aluminum foil
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