Biolite: 40 per cent battery after 4 sausages
17.5.2017
Translation: machine translated
The Biolite Campstove 2 is a camping cooker that uses waste heat to generate electricity. I wanted to know how long it would take to charge my smartphone. So I grabbed the cooker and a few sausages and put it to the test.
Scope of delivery
I got the deluxe version for my test. This family bundle already includes all possible accessories. The most important item is the combustion chamber with the corresponding orange-coloured electrical unit. You can burn all kinds of things in this combustion chamber. From wood and coal to brickets, everything fits inside. The only thing you need to be careful about is the size. If you decide to use wood as fuel, you can only use small pieces. Branches or small "sticks" are no problem. You light the fire in exactly the same way as with a conventional charcoal barbecue. The quickest way is with a lighter and a little tinder.
A grate is also included in the scope of delivery. You can place it directly over the combustion chamber. Thanks to its two legs, the grate stands firmly on almost any surface. I tried it on grass and stone slabs and it didn't appear to fall over. However, I recommend that you look for a surface that is as level as possible. Then your food can't accidentally fall off the grill. I think the opening with the lockable flap is a successful design. Thanks to this, you are able to insert new fuel into the chamber while grilling without having to remove the grill. The grill comes with a suitable plastic cover for transport and storage. However, transport is a bold term for this grill. In my opinion, it is too big to be transported in a rucksack. I would therefore leave the grill at home for a long hike.
Thanks to the fireproof pot, you can also cook with the Campstove in addition to barbecuing. This pot has a capacity of 1.5 litres. You can place it and the grate directly above the combustion chamber. This means you have the flame directly under the pot, which, according to the manufacturer, brings the water to the boil in just 4.5 minutes. You can use this pot to make tea, soup, rice or pasta, for example. Just like you are used to in your kitchen at home. The size of this pot has also been chosen so that the cooker and electric unit can be stored inside. Put everything together in the supplied transport bag and you have a compact transport solution that weighs around 1.5 kilograms.
If you don't need to charge your smartphone, you can plug all kinds of gadgets into the USB output. The Campstove 2 Family Bundle therefore also includes a small USB lamp. With its 100 lumens, it provides you with enough light to carry out all your employees' tasks on the cooker at night.
The combustion chamber and the electric unit can also be purchased without accessories. However, I can highly recommend the accessories from Biolite. They have been specially designed for the Campstove so that they fit together perfectly.
Processing
The cooker, the pot and the grill are made of stainless steel. The products are built for outdoor use and can therefore withstand a lot. Be it different weather conditions or rough handling, the Campstove can take it. Thanks to its tripod system, the cooker is stable on any surface. Whether you are barbecuing on the grass, in the dirt or in the forest, it will rarely fall over.
The orange-coloured electrical unit is made of hard plastic. Heat or rain will certainly not harm the sensitive electronics. Although the upper part of the plastic turned a little black in my case, this did not affect the Campstove.
The heat also discoloured the grill grate a little. However, I was able to remove a lot of it afterwards with a little cleaning agent and a sponge. So these are all just visual changes. You don't have to accept any losses in the quality of the materials used through use.
Functions
In addition to the various attachments, the electric unit is particularly interesting. It generates electricity in a sophisticated process that exceeds my knowledge of electrical engineering. A metal rod protrudes from the orange-coloured unit into the combustion chamber. This rod is heated by the heat of the fire. A thermoelectric generator converts the heat into electricity. The electricity can then be used for various things. On the one hand, you can charge the battery of your smartphone via the USB output. There is also the option of operating a fan, which supplies the embers in the combustion chamber with more oxygen. This gives you more heat. If you don't need the power at the moment, a 2600 mAh battery is installed in the electric unit. This stores the electricity for later use. You can also charge the built-in battery at home with a micro USB charging cable. This means you don't have to burn a lot of wood first, but have full power on demand.
In my opinion, the aforementioned fan is a really great feature of the Campstove. You can adjust it to four different levels. The higher the level, the stronger the fan blows the air into the combustion chamber. Tests have shown that the heat reaches the grill grate much better with the supplied air. The time until your sausage is ready to eat is therefore noticeably shorter.
To test the USB output, I wanted to find out how many sausages I needed to grill to get 100 per cent battery on my smartphone. I used my old iPhone 4s as the test phone. When I plugged it in, the battery was at zero per cent. At first I thought it would last forever. But over time, the percentage next to the battery symbol steadily increased. Unfortunately, after four sausages I was so full that I had to stop the exercise. After this time, my smartphone had 40 per cent battery. It can therefore be said that the battery charge increases by 10 per cent per sausage. 😀
Conclusion
The Biolite Campstove 2 is a fun toy with smart features. It works perfectly and you are able to grill and cook with it. However, the space on the grill is limited. I wouldn't organise a barbecue for more than two people at a time. The time it takes for the embers to be ready for the food to be grilled is too long for a mobile camping cooker. Camping cookers that are operated with gas are clearly ahead. If you prefer to barbecue with wood instead of gas, the Campstove from Biolite is a good choice. However, I would always recommend gas for a mobile cooker. You are much more flexible and save time. However, the Campstove is well suited for short trips or in the garden. The price for the Biolite Campstove 2 is reasonable. Personally, however, I think it's a little too high. After all, you have no follow-up costs for gas cartridges after purchase, as would be the case with gas burners.
Positive
- Integrated rechargeable battery
- Possibility to charge a smartphone
- Fire without smoke development
- cools down quickly after use
Negative
- larger and heavier than comparable gas burners
- High price
- long waiting time until sufficient heat is available
- without fan too little heat on grate
Alternatives to the Campstove:
You might also be interested in:
Riding my motorbike makes me feel free, fishing brings out my inner hunter, using my camera gets me creative. I make my money messing around with toys all day.
Cooking
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
Home + Kitchen
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
Food
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
3 comments
later