Why are Kerosene Stoves the Best Disaster Preparedness Cooking Option? The simple answer is that it is the most cost effective option .

 

---

The Rope Wick stove is the cadillac of kerosene stoves. Most people will prefer this stove for its durability and ease of use. The cost is a little more, but well worth it. The stove holds over a gallon of kerosene and will burn more than 15 hours at 9,000 BTU's.

Sturdy, attractive, and this one comes already assembled

$55.00 (FREE SHIPPING)

This 7000-btu stove is used around the world for its simplicity of design. It has 10 rope wicks arranged in a circle that feed into a center burner. This is the world workhorse of kerosene stoves, and works with simplicity and efficiency. It is economical to use and works like a dream.

Install the wicks, turn the knob, fill with kerosene and you have an efficient stove that is simple and cheap to operate. Size is approx. 12" square and 10" tall.

The wire rack on the stove top is made specifically to fit the #2421 Oven which keeps the oven from sliding. The rack can be inverted for a lower profile.

$39.00 (FREE SHIPPING)

Buying a Kerosene Stove: Options and Learning

---

There is simply no other option that is less expensive or as convenient. Kerosene is often compared to wood stoves and the appliance is actually cheaper. You can purchase a new wood stove for around $800-$1,400 to heat a 1,000-1,500 square foot home. The same heat equivalent, in kerosene, would cost around $400-$500.

With cooking, you can get a kerosene stove for around $50.00. The wood stoves are not even close to this price. The wood stoves, again, are $800-$1,400.

Fuel Cost

---

Kerosene will typically cost a bit less than gasoline. To heat a 2,500 square foot home, you will need around 200 gallons of kerosene to keep it toasty warm. That is a cost of about $800.00 ($4 per gallon * 200 gallons). That same cost, in wood, will be more. The same home will need about 5 cords of wood at $250.00 per cord. That is an estimated $1,250.00 in wood. As you can see, the fuel of kerosene is cheaper than buying wood.

Kerosene is often about half the price of natural gas or electric heating or cooking methods.

Fuel Storage That Works

---

Kerosene is perhaps the easiest fuel to store. It is not highly flammable. In fact, if you throw a match into kerosene, it will actually burn out. The lamps, stoves, and heaters work because the vapors coming off the wicks are flammable. Technically, kerosene is a combustible and that means it doesn't light easily at room temperature. The great part about this is that kerosene is much safer to store than gasoline. A few precautions should be made. The storage tanks should not be stored in the home or to an attached garage. Instead, the kerosene should be stored, in a shed, that is not attached.

 

Gasoline Fuel Storage Doesn't Work

---

Suppose you wanted to store 200 gallons of gasoline for your generator. Because gasoline is so highly flammable, at room temperature, the tank would have to be stored underground. In addition, the storage maintenance will be much more difficult with the underground tank. The end cost is going to be much higher with an underground tank system. Your municipality will need to approve the process and contractors that deal specifically with underground gasoline tanks will be required. The cost gets to be quite expensive. That is why most people do not consider gasoline a good disaster preparedness option. It is just too expensive to store the fuel.

 

Proof of the Viability of Kerosene

---

In Japan, kerosene keaters and stoves are the most popular choice. They even sell kerosene in vending machines all over the country. In most third world countries, kerosene is the #1 choice because it is the least costly option. In many of these poor countries, kerosene is treasured and treated as a special item. In the US, there are over nine million people that use kerosene, on a daily basis, by choice.

Finally, The Food Storage Institute has recommended that kerosene stoves are one of the best options for cooking food storage. And, The Disaster Prepardeness Network of Maine, recommends that kerosene stoves and heaters be set aside for disasters.

Safety

---

Kerosene is one of the safest fuels available due to its high temperature flash point. This makes kerosene products much safer. In addition, a lot of the newer kerosene products have built in devices that will put out the flame and prevent fuel spills, in the event of the appliance tipping over. These automatic shutoff systems work by the use of a pendulum and are activated from being dropped or tipped.

The most important part of keeping kerosene safe is to vent it properly. Many heaters and stoves are unvented. In that case, simply crack the window open an inch or open an adjacent door. Kerosene products should not be used in small closed rooms without ventilation. In general, kerosene stoves and heaters are much safer than people think because they have had much safety innovation over the years.

Comparing Kerosene to Other Products

---

1- Gasoline is difficult to store and more expensive to purchase.
2- Wood is more expensive than kerosene and less convenient to use.
3- Kerosene, wood, and gasoline work great off grid.
4- Mineral oil lamps are more expensive to use than kerosene and many have lower flash points making them less safe. For example, mineral spirit lamps.
5- Whale oil works well, but is no longer available.
6- Natural gas and electricity are the most convenient, but not likely to be available in a disaster.
7- Kerosene is the easiest heating or cooking fuel to transport.
8- Kerosene uses wicks that will eventually need to be replaced.
9- Kerosene requires you to clean the burner or stove as routine maintenance.
10- Gas generators are noisy.

Final Thoughts

---

If a disaster comes your way, it will be nice to have a way to cook your food and heat your home. Many people have found that kerosene is the best choice because it is the most economical, most convenient, and readily available. You can purchase a kerosene stove for less than $100.00 and know that you have a way to heat the home and to cook the food. If you have a bit more cash, it is a good idea to get a kit that has a stove, heater, and lighting.

For any thoughts or suggestions, please email: admin@kerosenestoves.net