Better Can Stove

I tried making this stove out of a variety of cans.

The #10 cans I used were too hard for the juice can opener to punch through easily. I ruined 2 openers trying to make enough holes in the can.

Others cans were too soft. When I tried to push a hole in a mixed fruit can it just bent, and would not rip the metal as hard as I pushed.

For both problems, I marked the can with the can opener by making a small indent, then punching a tiny hole on the mark with a sharp knife. Once you had a hole started, both cans ripped easily.

Don't assume your stove will works as well as the one in the video. It took some practice to get the fire burning properly, even with a BBQ lighter. You need to make sure your wood is nice and dry or it will have problems.

If you are doing something that takes a while like a pot of boiled water or soup, you will need to feed the fire intermittently as the fuel is consumed fairly fast. I was able to cook an egg on cast iron with no extra fuel.

Instead of placing the pot directly on the top of the can stove, place a stick on either side of the can and put your pan on top of that. It will cut down on the amount of smoke until you can build a proper Stove stand. Switch out these stick for fuel and add new sticks which will dry as you cook.(I learned this trick from the Making a fire in snow video)