Camp Chef Explorer 2-Burner Stove Review

Jun 16

Whether you are a weekend warrior or on a more extended adventure, having an efficient and reliable stove is essential to an enjoyable overlanding trip. When we decided that we were going to commit to the overland lifestyle we purchased two things: a CVT Rooftop Tent and a Camp Chef Explorer 2-Burner Stove, a beast of a cooking implement that we have affectionately christened “Big Greasy.” Below you will find a review of our Camp Chef Explorer 2-Burner Stove in addition to some general tips for searching for your next (or first) camping stove.

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Why we Love the Camp Chef Explorer 2-Burner

Our typical camp kitchen setup with the Explorer 2

Power — We love the Camp Chef for several reasons, but the primary one, is that it is as close as we can get to bringing our home stove top with us on a camping trip. This bad boy packs two 30,000 BTU burners, more than enough power to cook quickly and efficiently while still providing a solid range of heat variability for simmering. By comparison a classic Coleman style camp stove only offers 10,000 BTU per burner, you can do the math on how much more cooking power that gives you. The double burners offer two large, independently controlled cooking surfaces that easily fit a family size pan or a cast iron pancake griddle. I am never worried about running out of fuel with this stove as it runs on the same full sized 5 gallon propane tank that you would use to power a BBQ at home. We bring a full propane tank on every trip which ensures that, even on our 3+ day adventures, we have plenty of fuel to cook every meal with. Reusable tanks also save a lot of money vs the little green 1lb propane canisters, and they are more environmentally friendly.

Quality — When you purchase any gear for camping, you want to know that it is going to hold up to the miles spent on rough roads and any conditions that the outdoors may throw at it. The Explorer 2-Burner is tough. It has traveled in the bed of our Tundra through multiple states and in every type of weather yet it shows very little wear. It is built to last and has proven to be just as reliable. Through the 6 years of use, it has never failed to start and always runs the same. Anecdotally, we have met other couples who purchased the Camp Chef over 15 years ago and their stove is still running strong.

Value — The price is the final reason why we love this stove. We were able to purchase this on sale for $80!!! Even at the regular $149 retail price it is still a steal with the majority of the smaller, “traditional,” camp stoves running at least that much for half the capability of this stove. In terms of bang for your buck, we have found this stove to be the most capable for the price point.

Cons to the Camp Chef Explorer 2-Burner

Size — For all of our ultra light enthusiasts out there this con is for you. The Camp Chef is a large and heavy stove that requires traveling with a full sized propane tank to run for any reasonable length of time. Due to its size and propensity to get dirty we generally would not recommend this product for people who camp out of cars or smaller SUVs.

Storage — Additionally it does not come standard with a storage bag or durable box, making transportation a bit of a headache. The box that you purchase it in will only last for so long in the bed of a truck, so you have to get a little creative with how you transport and store this stove. The legs do come off so our more creative folks could build this into an advanced drawer system, but that still leaves you with the fact that this is not a lightweight or small stove.

Would we buy it again?

Absolutely. The Explorer 2-Burner has proven to be a hearty companion that can cook everything from steaks and burgers to delicious pancakes and scrambles. While it is one of our more cumbersome pieces of gear, we would buy it again for the sake of its reliability and the fact that it will last us for years to come.

Looking for camping meal inspiration? Check back in with us for tips on how to make cooking while camping easy with a few simple camping recipes that can be adapted for any diet, trip or lifestyle. Thanks for reading!

Shop for the Camp Chef Explorer 2-Burner now at Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Other models to consider

The Camp Chef Explorer 2-Burner is one of our favorite pieces of camping gear, but is not for everyone due to its size and bulk. Here are three smaller options to look into if the Explorer-2 is simply too big for you.