# Butane vs. Propane fuel canisters?



## Belfrybat

I have an Amazon gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket so thought I'd purchase a one-burner stove for emergency use. (Electricity was off yesterday morning just as I wanted some coffee-- the disadvanges to having an all electric house). Both stoves are about the same price, but I wondered which fuel canister would last the longest? Butane canisters are cheaper than propane, but not if they don't last as long, both burning time and storage time. This would be used primarily for in-home emergency stove when the electricity is off for a few hours/ days.


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## stef

By coincidence I was researching the same product, for the same reason (emergency back-up for power outage in an all-eletric apt.) yesterday on Amazon and Wal-Mart. It seems that butane canisters are more difficult to come by, so I will be watching this thread for answers. 
stef


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## MichaelK!

HI Bat
From a purely chemical standpoint, as the molecular weight of the molecule goes up, it's energy density goes up. Propane is a C3 molecule, while butane is C4, so butane should produce more heat. The same trend applies to liquid fuels, with gasoline, C8, having more energy than propane, and diesel, at ~C12-C14, having more energy than gas.

From a practical standpoint though, I think propane is more widespread, and if you have the little adapter, you can even refill the little 1lb propane canisters yourself. That would make Propane a better choice. I myself chose propane.


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## Harry Chickpea

From a practical AND cost effective standpoint, a can of denatured alcohol, some cotton wool, and a tuna can or two for a burner will do the job. If done properly, couple teaspoons of alcohol are all that is need to heat water.


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## oneokie

Belfrybat said:


> I have an Amazon gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket so thought I'd purchase a one-burner stove for emergency use. (Electricity was off yesterday morning just as I wanted some coffee-- the disadvanges to having an all electric house). Both stoves are about the same price, but I wondered which fuel canister would last the longest? Butane canisters are cheaper than propane, but not if they don't last as long, both burning time and storage time. This would be used primarily for in-home emergency stove when the electricity is off for a few hours/ days.





MichaelK! said:


> HI Bat
> From a purely chemical standpoint, as the molecular weight of the molecule goes up, it's energy density goes up. Propane is a C3 molecule, while butane is C4, so butane should produce more heat. The same trend applies to liquid fuels, with gasoline, C8, having more energy than propane, and diesel, at ~C12-C14, having more energy than gas.
> 
> From a practical standpoint though, I think propane is more widespread, and if you have the little adapter, you can even refill the little 1lb propane canisters yourself. That would make Propane a better choice. I myself chose propane.



An interesting chart: http://www.steamonline.com/btu.html
Another interesting chart: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/propane-butane-mix-d_1043.html


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## manygoatsnmore

Is denatured alcohol the same thing as rubbing alcohol? I've never been quite sure...


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## manygoatsnmore

Okay, did some research and answered my own question - no, it's not.


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## Blu3duk

My personal preference leans towards the propane units as stated before they are readily available all over, and from a prep standpoint there are several appliances that use propane that either use the one pound canisters or can be set up to feed off from a hose off a larger tank, including using a "T" or "tree" as some are called to use several appliances at once. Like a lantern and a Mr Buddy Heater and the propane cook stove for instance, depending how long you are without power and how cold it gets in your bailiwick.

The original question of which last longer would also depend upon how the stove unit was used, and what size orfice the gas gets put through and how many BTU is the burner rated for as a comparison.

William
Idaho


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## ||Downhome||

Harry Chickpea said:


> From a practical AND cost effective standpoint, a can of denatured alcohol, some cotton wool, and a tuna can or two for a burner will do the job. If done properly, couple teaspoons of alcohol are all that is need to heat water.


seconded. if forced you could even produce your own alcohol for fuel,among other things.

I made a few camp/back pack stoves they work great. 

if your dead set on the propane butane, have to say propane.

in the long run though here a wood fired option would be most practical.

but having a few different options is always nice to have.


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## Belfrybat

Thanks all for your replies. I have a wood fueled rocket stove for long-term emergency situations. I was looking for mainly something simple for short-term "I gotta have my coffee now" use.  This is my first experience at living in an all electric house and forgot the little pleasures that a gas stove provides when the electricity is off. 

Although the butane fuel is twice as cheap, I'll take your advice and get the propane stove. Makes sense to have something that is more flexible and readily available.


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## derm

I have both and to put my two cents in I would probably not pick either if I was looking for an emergency backup and starting from scratch. Look into a multi fuel stove and then you can cook with about anything laying around fuel wise. If not able due to cost, the two I have are inexpensive:

My propane is a Coleman that we used for camping. These can be found all day on Craigslist for 20 bucks or so, I have some 1# cannisters and the adaptor hose for a 30#. Easy to use nothing bad to say about this stove. 

The butane is an Iwatani single burner I was given for free. It is smaller and single burner also easy to use and cheap to buy. The butane I get at a local restaurant supply for 1.99 each, they last longer than the propane tank. I keep a case around for redundancy in emergency cooking.


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## ||Downhome||

I didnt even think of mentioning multifuel , colemans has a single burner that is about 50-60 bucks.

I have run gasoline(my normal fuel) kerosene, you can splurge and get some Coleman fuel or hit a paint store and save a few bucks and buy some naphtha. same thing.
in my pressurized multifuel lantern. beats the heck out of the propane ones.

only thing Im not sure is if you could use alcohol in the stove, thinking no in the lantern
but not sure on a stove.


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## Belfrybat

The stoves I am looking at are $14.95 and $16.95 on Amazon. That's my limit right now for what I plan on using it for. Butane fuel runs $28.00 Ppd. for a dozen cans whereas propane at Walmart costs twice that or more. But as others have said, propane is more readily available. So that's what I'll go with.


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