Comparing two-burner stoves by output and price, No. 1 is Coleman's Powerhouse LP 2-Burner Stove II. It has two burners of about 3,500kcal/h each, at JPY 16,940, the lowest official price of the six. For people who want to stay with CB canisters, I put Uniflame's Twin Burner US-1900, which fits two 26cm pots side by side, at No. 2.
The Gear Nerd's Pick
On a two-burner, both burners run at once, so the can cools faster than with a single burner. So before maximum output, I look at whether the maker's design includes a provision for when the can gets cold. There were three answers: Coleman takes it with one big can, Uniflame with a warmer, and SOTO with a regulator.
Key points
- Body weight per 1kW of output: SOTO GRID ST-528 is 339g, Uniflame US-1900 is 430g, Coleman is 516g, SOTO ST-527 is 671g
- Gas cost for 1 hour with 2 burners full: SOTO ST-527 is about JPY 729, GRID is about JPY 833, Coleman is about JPY 1,220 (calculated from official runtime, gas consumption and can price)
- For the Primus Onja and Tupike, the official pages do not say whether the output is per burner or the total of both
What is in this article (14 items)
- The lowest-priced two-burner has the second-highest output
- How I chose
- Quick table of output and weight for 6 two-burners
- Why this order
- With both burners in use, the can cools fast
- Weight and gas cost per 1kW of two-burner output
- No. 1 Coleman Powerhouse LP 2-Burner Stove II
- No. 2 Uniflame Twin Burner US-1900
- No. 3 SOTO Regulator 2-Burner GRID ST-528
- No. 4 SOTO 2-Burner ST-527
- No. 5 and 6 Primus Onja BK and Tupike
- Cautions written by makers and public agencies
- Who is it for?
- FAQ
The lowest-priced two-burner has the second-highest output
Coleman's Powerhouse LP 2-Burner Stove II has an official price of JPY 16,940. It is the lowest of the six, yet at about 3,500kcal/h per burner (about 4.1kW) its output is second from the top among the four with the burner count stated.
I compared six gas two-burners for cooking family meals on two burners at once. The numbers are from each maker's Japanese official page.
How I chose
The first things I looked at were the output of one burner and the width that lets you put two pots side by side. If you cannot boil water while stir-frying next to it, two burners mean nothing.
Next I overlaid the official prices, and split close ranks by what the stove does when the can gets cold. When you spend half the year camping, you take the kitchen in and out dozens of times a year. So I look at folded thickness about as much as weight.
Quick table of output and weight for 6 two-burners
Scroll the table sideways →
| Model | Can | Official output | Weight | Official price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Coleman Powerhouse LP 2-Burner Stove II | One OD can | About 3,500kcal/h | About 4.2kg | JPY 16,940 |
| No. 2 Uniflame Twin Burner US-1900 | Two CB cans | 3,900kcal/h | About 3.9kg | JPY 24,750 |
| No. 3 SOTO Regulator 2-Burner GRID ST-528 | Two CB cans | 3.3kW | 2.24kg | JPY 29,700 |
| No. 4 SOTO 2-Burner ST-527 | Two CB cans | 3.8kW | About 5.1kg | JPY 24,200 |
| No. 5 Primus Onja BK | OD can | 4.1kW | 3,490g | JPY 27,500 |
| No. 6 Primus Tupike | One OD can | 2.9kW | 4,500g | JPY 49,500 |
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Coleman Powerhouse LP 2-Burner Stove II
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 12,998 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 16,940 between shops. Prices change daily.
SOTO's GRID ST-526 had been replaced by its successor, the ST-528.
Why this order
| Rank | Model | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coleman Powerhouse LP | 1 burners of about 3,500kcal/h each, and the price is JPY 7,810 lower than No. 2 |
| 2 | Uniflame US-1900 | The official page says it fits two 26cm pots side by side, but the full-power burn time is about 45 minutes |
| 3 | SOTO GRID ST-528 | The lightest at 2.24kg, but the pots that suit it are 11 to 19cm |
| 4 | SOTO ST-527 | It puts out 3.8kW per burner on CB canisters, but at about 5.1kg it is the heaviest |
| 5 | Primus Onja BK | Packs to 43 × 30 × 14cm and can be carried on the shoulder, but the pot support is 14cm across |
| 6 | Primus Tupike | The pot support is 20.5cm across, but the price is about 2.9 times No. 1 |
With both burners in use, the can cools fast
The gas inside the can is liquid, and it takes heat from its surroundings as it turns to gas. Primus's official page explains that because of this, the inside of the can becomes colder than the air outside, and gas may stop coming out even with liquid left. Burn both burners at once, and the more gas you use, the more heat is taken.
There were three kinds of provision by the makers. Uniflame builds in a warmer called the “Power Booster” in the body, and SOTO explains that the GRID uses a micro regulator to limit the drop in output in the cold and in continuous use. Coleman takes both burners with one big 470g can. I leave the relationship between can contents and temperature to the CB and OD canister difference article.
Weight and gas cost per 1kW of two-burner output
| Model | Total of both burners | Weight per 1kW | Gas cost for one hour at full power |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOTO GRID ST-528 | 6.6kW | 339g | About JPY 833 |
| Coleman Powerhouse LP | About 8.1kW | 516g | About JPY 1,220 |
| SOTO ST-527 | 7.6kW | 671g | About JPY 729 |
Coleman's body is cheap, so its gas cost came out high. With both burners full, a 470g can is empty in about 49 minutes (470 ÷ 580), which comes to about JPY 390 to 490 more per hour than SOTO's two. The conditions for measuring output and runtime differ by maker, so read them as a guide.
No. 1 Coleman Powerhouse LP 2-Burner Stove II
Why this rank: 1 burners of about 3,500kcal/h each, 2 burners for JPY 16,940. Folded it is about 7cm thick, and the total load capacity is about 18kg.
This part is a weak point. The genuine LP gas guideline is 15°C or above, so on an autumn morning it is a can that lets the flame thin out. It suits families looking for their first stove, going from spring to early autumn.
No. 2 Uniflame Twin Burner US-1900
Why this rank: You can put pots of about 26cm across side by side. 3,900kcal/h per burner (premium gas) is the highest output of the four with the burner count stated.
This part is a weak point. The full-power burn time is about 45 minutes, so you plan on carrying extra cans. It suits families of about four who want to stay with CB canisters.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Uniflame Twin Burner US-1900
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 24,599 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 107,000 between shops. Prices change daily.
No. 3 SOTO Regulator 2-Burner GRID ST-528
Why this rank: 2.24kg is about half of No. 1. 339g per 1kW is the lightest of the four I could calculate.
This part is a weak point. The pots that suit it are 11 to 19cm, small for big-pot family cooking. It is for families of 2 to 3, or people who want to cut weight.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
SOTO Regulator 2-Burner GRID ST-528
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 26,800 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 29,700 between shops. Prices change daily.
No. 4 SOTO 2-Burner ST-527
Why this rank: 3.8kW per burner with Power Gas ST-760, and 3.5kW even with regular ST-700. It puts out high output on CB canisters.
The weak point is weight. At about 5.1kg it is the heaviest of the six. It suits people who put output first and use it beside the car.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
SOTO 2-Burner ST-527
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 16,712 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 24,244 between shops. Prices change daily.
No. 5 and 6 Primus Onja BK and Tupike
Why this rank: The Onja stands just by opening its legs in an X and, folded, can be carried on the shoulder. The Tupike comes with legs and a windscreen, and uses one can with a hose to run both burners.
This part is a weak point. The Onja's pot support is 14cm across, and the Tupike costs about 2.9 times No. 1. They are two for people who choose by form.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Primus Onja BK
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 18,963 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 33,393 between shops. Prices change daily.
Snow Peak's Giga Power 2-Burner Liquid Feed is JPY 60,720 and 7.3kg, in a class of its own that pitches a stable flame even in cold seasons, a model of 1. The price range is different, so I did not put it in the ranking.
Cautions written by makers and public agencies
It is for outdoor use only and cannot be used inside a tent or car. Other makers' griddles heat the can by radiant heat and risk an explosion, so they cannot be used. NITE (National Institute of Technology and Evaluation) asks not to warm the can on purpose even if the gas comes out poorly. Use the cans each maker specifies.
Who is it for?
It suits people who cook family meals, boiling water while stir-frying next to it. With the No. 1 Coleman, 1 burners of about 3,500kcal/h each come to JPY 16,940 for 2 burners.
For up to two people with one pot, a single burner is enough. If a campfire is your main heat, see the fire pit comparison too. For output below freezing, none of the six gives numbers.
FAQ
CB canister or OD canister for a two-burner: which is better?
If you want to share cans with a home stove, the CB-canister Uniflame or SOTO; if you want to keep the stove's price down, the OD-canister Coleman. Gas cost for one hour with both burners full is, by calculation, about JPY 729 to 833 for the CB-canister SOTO and about JPY 1,220 for Coleman.
How much heat output does a two-burner need?
The four with the burner count clearly stated gave 3.3 to 4.5kW per burner. Before the output number, check whether your pots fit two side by side on the pot supports.
Why does the flame weaken when both burners run on a two-burner?
Because the can gets cold and the gas has a harder time vaporizing. Do not warm the can; choose the maker's specified can for cold weather.
Gear in this article
Ads & images: Rakuten IchibaSources (11 official pages)
- Coleman official online shop: Powerhouse LP 2-Burner Stove II
- Coleman official online shop: genuine LP gas fuel 470G
- Uniflame official: Twin Burner US-1900
- SOTO official: Regulator 2-Burner GRID ST-528
- SOTO official: 2-Burner ST-527
- Shinfuji Burner official online shop: 2-Burner ST-527
- Iwatani Primus official online store: Onja BK P-COJ-BK
- Iwatani Primus official online store: Tupike P-CTK-2
- Iwatani Primus: For safe use
- Snow Peak official: Giga Power 2-Burner Liquid Feed GS-230
- NITE Product Safety Information Magazine Vol.485
