Snow Peak Home & Camp Butane Stove Review

Bottom Line

The Snow Peak Home & Camp Butane Stove is a snapper of a burner. It is powerful, has a sleek design, and convenient features and easily makes the list of our favorite camping stoves.

It’s a great value because it can pack and travel anywhere, has the fastest boiling time, and uses the least fuel, making it perfect for quick meals on the go and stealth camping setups.

Our main downside is that it runs exclusively on butane fuel, which limits when and where it can be used effectively. The only other downside to this stove is minor: the design isn’t as intuitive as other camp stoves on our list and can take some getting used to. 

Even when we used this stove in environments that pushed its effectiveness, its cooking ability was outstanding. It cooked evenly and made a fluffy, delicious pot of rice.

How We Tested

We put this stove through three tests. First, we tested the evenness of the stove’s cook by cooking bacon. Then, we tested the simmer ability by cooking a pot of rice. Finally, in a controlled environment, we timed how long it takes to boil one liter of water. Before and after the boil test, we weighed the fuel used to gauge the fuel efficiency. 

Power

This stove blew our expectations. Not only did it produce the fastest boiling time per one liter of water of any stove we reviewed, but it was also almost 11 minutes faster than the stove with the slowest boiling time. 

We tested this stove at a constant with the other eight stoves in our lineup. We ensured that each stove was tested in the same, controlled environment, used the same pot, and started with room temperature water. We set each stove to medium heat to perform the test. This stove boiled one liter of water in just 5 minutes and 11 seconds.

Efficiency

Considering this stove was the fastest to boil water, it is no surprise that it also rated as the most fuel-efficient stove. 

To measure stove efficiency, we weighed the fuel canister before and after boiling one liter of water. Again, all factors were kept constant when boiling water to produce the most accurate metrics. 

This stove used only 0.4 ounces of butane to boil one liter of water. This low number is correlated with how quickly the water boiled compared to the other eight stoves in our review. 

We cannot forget the merits of cooking quickly, however. If a stove can reduce the time fuel is needed by more than three minutes, then you will save fuel. 

Cooking Ability

We found that the major drawback to this stove is that it runs exclusively on butane fuel. We tested this stove on a chilly morning which affected the stove’s heating power, but once the day warmed up and we tried again, the stove worked well. 

First, we tested this stove by cooking bacon on it. It was about 24 degrees, calm, and sunny. At this temperature, butane stops working well because at 31 degrees butane starts to turn to liquid and cannot vaporize into a usable gas for camp stoves. What we found interesting was that when we first put the bacon on, it was going crazy, sizzling and popping like it should. It looked like the middle pieces cooked a bit, but then the stove went silent. The stove struggled through, but eventually, after about 25 minutes, the bacon cooked through all the way and evenly throughout the pan. 

Secondly, we tested the simmering ability by cooking a pot of rice. The morning warmed up to about 31 degrees. We did keep the stove on high because it was still cold, but the pot of rice cooked evenly and well. It came out fluffy with all the water absorbed. 

Given the circumstances, we were very impressed that the stove was able to hold enough heat to cook the bacon at all and cook a perfect pot of rice.

Portability

In terms of packability, this stove hits the mark. The smart design packs up to be about the same size as a reusable water bottle. It is also the lightest stove on our list of favorite camp stoves. This stove packs up effortlessly and would be easy to throw into a day pack to have an adventurous lunch in the backcountry. We find great value in a stove you can take almost anywhere. 

Ease of Use

Once we got the stove put together, we found it incredibly easy to use. However, it does take a second to get used to how it unfolds. Though clever, it is not intuitive. We recommend reading the manual and practicing at home before taking out to camp. We did also have an issue with the arms of the burner moving while the stove was in use.

The trickiest part of opening the stove is finding the lock button to swing the burner out. Like everything else on this stove, this lock button is slick and non-descript.  

The fuel canister was easy to connect and the built-in ignition lit on the first try. We loved the easy-to-read temperature gauge, marked as high, medium, and low. 

The arms of the stove do fit into a groove that is supposed to lock them in place, but as we were testing the stove and moving it around, these arms moved around quite a bit. We had to adjust them a handful of times while cooking. 

The front of the stove under the Snow Peak logo has a bottle opener that doesn’t necessarily make the stove easier to use but adds to the convenience of the stove. We can tell how much thought was put into this design!

Should You Buy the Snow Peak Home & Camp Butane Stove?

This stove is powerful, small, convenient, and easy to use. The smart design is perfect for campers who pack light or like to make meals while on the move. The single burner cooks evenly and quickly. It is a great size for a solo camper or small group using a single pot to make meals. 

This stove is a great addition to larger stoves for those who already have a double-burner stove but want another burner to expand their camp kitchens. It’ll boil a mean pot of water for coffee while you cook breakfast on your normal stove. You won’t even have to clear out space in your gear closet because its small design can fit anywhere. 

We wouldn’t recommend this to someone who cooks large meals for big groups or someone going out for week-plus camping trips. This has great power but is limited in how much it can cook at one time.

What Other Camp Stoves Should You Consider?

Continue your camp stove research by considering the three options below and see all of our favorites in our best camping stoves gear guide. 

Coleman Classic 1-Burner Butane Camping Stove Review: This single-burner stove has slightly less power but makes up for it with its easy-to-use functionality. It packs up into a case for easy transport and is super lightweight. 

Jetboil Genesis Basecamp System Review: This is a double-burner stove that folds into itself and packs almost like a single-burner. It has great power and boils quickly. Its intuitive design is easy to use, as well. 

Gas ONE GS-3400P Review: This single burner stove runs on both propane and butane, giving more options and flexibility to users. Its design is easy to set up and very intuitive for beginners, as well.