Which Stove to Get For a Minivan Camper Conversion

There are so many camping stoves. Which one should you get? (Hint: I chose a butane stove.)

I decided that the first camping stove for my Volkswagen Routan minivan is the Coleman Portable Butane Stove with Carrying Case. I looked at many options before deciding on this stove, and I may change my mind down the road. But this is the stove I wanted to start with.

Why I Chose The Coleman Butane Stove

I want to travel with a pressure cooker. I eat a whole-food, plant-based diet, and at home I use my Instant Pot almost daily--if for no other reason than to make rice.

In a dream world, I would travel with enough solar power to run multiple Instant Pots, a 12V refrigerator/freezer combo, a few fans, my computer, and my phone. But if I wait around for that setup to materialize, I'll never get on the road. 

Incidentally, here's a great video on the Instant Pot and its solar requirements:

Since I plan to start camping without solar I thought I'd try a small stove-top pressure cooker and a camping stove. I chose the Coleman butane stove because reviewers said it was sturdier than other stoves and because reviewers said that butane (as opposed to propane) lets you control the flame more easily for simmering.

Size was also an issue. I thought about carrying the classic Coleman double-burner propane camping stove and a larger propane tank, but my build is pretty minimalist at this point, and I didn't know where I'd store all that.

Using a Pressure Cooker in a Minivan

These are the resources I'm planning to use:

• Vegan Under Pressure by Jill Nussinow - I already own and use this book for plant-based Instant Pot recipes, and it has a lot of helpful information about cooking rice, beans, and vegetables in a pressure cooker. It also tells you how to use a stove-top pressure cooker, which I plan to use as I transition to camp cooking.
• Coleman Portable Butane Stove with Carrying Case - As mentioned, this is the camping stove I'm going with.
• GSI Outdoors Halulite 5.7-Liter Pressure Cooker - I haven't made the decision to buy this yet, but it's the stove-top pressure cooker I'm leaning towards.

But if you have solar and are interested in the Instant Pot, here are some options:

• Instant Pot 3-Quart - I have used both the 6-quart and the 3-quart versions. The 6-quart is great for cooking in larger quantities, but if you're using solar, you might prefer the draw of the smaller one. I have often made a 1-pound bag of dried beans or 3 cups of uncooked rice in my 3-quart Instant Pot.
• Instant Pot 6-Quart - If you're traveling in an RV, have shore power, have a lot of solar, and are cooking for a group, you might prefer the larger capacity.

Why Choose a Coleman Stove

Coleman is a camping brand that has been around since the early 1900s. As a result, I feel like I'll be able to easily find the 8.8 ounce butane canisters that fit this stove. And because Coleman is such an established company, they're able to keep the cost down. The stove is only $35 on Amazon (at the time of this writing, anyway). I've also never heard anything bad about the brand.

Will I Cook Inside the Minivan?

The truth is: I'm not sure, but I have to definitely consider it as a possibility. What if it's raining or cold? What if there are tons of mosquitoes or other insects? These are reasons to want to cook inside a minivan.

Cooking inside the VW Routan is partially why I want to travel with a pressure cooker. I figure that simmering will generate less heat than cooking a stir-fry or similar dish. The cooking times can be kept fairly low, too. A pre-soaked pound of black beans can be simmered for 6 or 7 minutes in a pressure cooker (once the pressure has built up inside the pot at full heat).

I do plan to carry a folding table for cooking outside when the weather is nicer.

What Are the Downsides to the Coleman Butane Camping Stove?

The primary downside that I can see is that it's only one burner. Again, space is an issue for the Routan, so the stove's size will make it easier for me to carry. But while I have a few one-pot pressure cooker meals in my repertoire, I'll have to cook elements like rice and beans separately. That means meals could take longer than if I had a second burner.

My (armchair) rationalization is that, if I'm out having adventures on the road, I'll have leisure time to spend cooking. I could be completely wrong, though.