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Hi, what a fantastic site, I am a complete novice when it comes to camping but am determined to take my two children (age 5 & 10) to get some quality time with them.

I have found so much info on this site, its amazing!

I'm having to travel light (don't have an estate car) and wondered if the campingaz one burner bistro stove in Argos has been tried by anyone? I'm not much of a cook so it'll be one-pot meals until I get some confidence and I thought this may be a good compromise. I don't have a lot of space so it'll either be that or one of those little stoves that sit on top of a CV270 cartridge. How long do these last? are we talking hours or days? Is it safe just to put it on the ground (kitchen stand = more space used up in car!) and cook?

Also, this is gonna be a really dumb question I know but when you strain your veggies/pasta, what do you do with the water? I'm guessing I can't just pour it on the grass, do you take another container for all that and tip it somewhere? Sorry, but I did say I was a novice!!

Any replies greatly appreciated.

I have not used the camping gaz bistro but I have got a gelert branded single burner suitcase style stove which is essentially the same thing, I use it for trips away on my own when travelling light

It is ok but when you are doing breakfast I cook a one pan breakfast and as soon as you take the frying pan off the burner you put the kettle on ready for the tea, other than that I only use it for the like of heating meals that were made at home and taken frozen in the cool box

as for the straining of veg or pasta I always pour the water in a bucket or the washing up bowl because we cook in a day tent so if you started pouring water on the grass it may get a bit messy    

 For our first trip we borrowed a similar stove from my sister, it was ok but a bit slow to boil the kettle, but very easy to lightwith the piezo ignition.  We were getting through almost a full canister a day cooking, breakfast and evening meal and with a good few boils of the kettle in between.

We put the stove on a fireproof board to cook as we were a bit worried about scorching the dry grass which was quite long. (The first time my sister used it she had the stove upside down on the ground and burnt the grass). Some people just rest the stove on the plastic case that the stove comes in or on something flat such a metal tray or chopping board.   It's also worth taking something to put the hot saucepan on as well if you need to juggle two pans! 

 The same kind of stove is available very cheaply from a number of suppliers on the internet and although they are different colours and different brands they are pretty much the same. A search of some online camping shops should get you one for less than £10.  The gas canisters are readily available but the prices vary.

For draining water when cooking we just strain the hot water into the good old multi use camping bucket which is used for any waste water, cold  tea, dish water etc during the day, and the other kind of waste water by night!  when the waters cooled down you can take it to the loos or waste disposal point to empty it.

Our first time camping I was really worried about the cooking but the single burner stove was really easy to use and cooking in a single saucepan was great fun.

Hope you have a great time

Elle

The burn time on a 220g gas cylinder is about two hours and a refill is just over a pound if you shop in the right place  

just to help you out here is one that is the same type of thing and a couple of quid cheaper

Sunn Gas Uno Portable Camping Stove 

and the 12 pack of gas from argos

Campingaz CP250 Gas Cartridges 

Wow, thank you, at this rate I'll not need to inflate my overdraft!!

Now all I need are some recipes!!.........