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They work really well - because your secondary burner on the Coleman is a lower heat output than the primary burner you effectively have a slightly less hot area to the left of the griddle which means you can cook food without burning it or move already cooked food to this area to keep it warm.

It has a raised side for that griddled look and is great for sausages, bacon, burgers, etc - this also includes 2 wells for the fat to drain off (although they're not very deep so if you're cooking alot of fatty food like burgers, keep some kitchen roll handy and keep wicking the fat away when the wells become full).

It also has a smooth side which is great for eggs, bacon, etc.

I found that it had a tendency to move around a bit on the Coleman, especially when moving the food, and it would also slide sometimes on a slightly uneven surface.  I fixed this by using 2 of those "foldback" clips - the sort of fancy bulldog clips used to hold bundles of paperwork together.  I push the griddle back on the stove until it's touching the hinges for the lid and then I put one of these clips (the small ones) at each end on the exposed chrome grill thing that sits above the burners on the front edge.  This works a treat and stops it from moving about.  When not in use I just clip these to the little plastic bag that the filler funnel comes on and store them with the stove.  Sorted!

Another piece of advice, if you see the griddles for around the fiver mark, get a few spare ones.  Due to the heat output of the Coleman, after a while they begin to warp a little - I've used mine for 2 successive summers now and it's not quite as flat as it used to be.  Also, the sheer power of the Coleman is not very kind to the cooking surface so I figure after a few years use, it may well wear out - but for that price they're still cheaper than disposable BBQ's!!  Enjoy - you now have a totally self contained BBQ that is powerful and economical to use and will also boil you a kettle when you've finished - and with no bulky fuel containers to carry either.

I've just ordered a Coleman Stove, has anyone any tips on storage/transportation of fuel.

Do you have to empty the tank before moving the stove ?

Do you use the 5 ltr plastic cans to fill up or can you use a smaller bottle - like a Sigg fuel bottle ?

Any help appreciated

Brian.

No, the tank is sealed and perfectly safe to be transported inside the stove when full.

My tip would be buy a 5L emergency plastic fuel can and half fill it (as if it's left lying around for too long the fuel goes stale after a few months).

Then buy a 1L Sigg bottle or similar (mine is made by Trangia and has a safety pressure release valve fitted in the lid).

Then, whenever you go away, fill the tank on the stove and the 1L bottle and you'll have plenty for at least a week away.

When you get home, simply top everything up again.

I would advise that if you are storing the stove with fuel in for any length of time, release the pressure by slowly unscrewing the fuel cap (whilst the stove is cold of course) - this should take the strain off any of the components in the system.

Also, if it's been sitting for a while (say a year or so) Coleman advise on rinsing out the fuel tank with fresh fuel.  This is the advice provided with my new Coleman lantern when using it as an emergency stand-by (i.e. little use).

I would also advise that when you get back home after a time away with your stove, you strip it (i.e. just take the lid off and the chrome grill - which all removes easily) and wipe it with a damp cloth with washing up liquid on to get rid of any grease build up - especially when cooking a lot of greasy food that spits - bacon, burgers, etc.  That way, your stove is always tip top and ready for use and should last you years.  Dry it off afterwards too to avoid rust setting in.

PS:  The filler funnel that comes with it, if used correctly, automatically fills the stove to the correct level leaving the right amount of air in the tank to allow it to be pressurised - you should never overfill them.  Just follow the instructions!

our coleman cooker and lantern has been draged and bashed around for a couple  of years now and have always done us proud.

the only thing we have noticed is we got some petrol from a cheap garage once and they both flared and spat,so we put in the best we can now

great kit and would always recomend them whole heartedly