# Fuel for an Origo Stove



## kwaltersmi (Aug 14, 2006)

I have a two burner (non-pressure) Origo stovetop. However, I'm having a hard time finding someplace that carries cooking alcohol to fuel the stove. 

Can I simply use de-natured alcohol that's available at the hardware store in the paint section? The broker told me to get "soot free" alcohol, but I haven't found any anywhere. 

Does anyone know if I can use white gas (Coleman Camp Fuel) in the Origo stove? The Camp Fuel seems to be available just about everywhere for very reasonable prices.

Thanks!


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## arf145 (Jul 25, 2007)

No way can you use white gas in that stove! Way more volatile. Big flame, maybe worse, unhappy outcome.

Denatured alcohol is what you want.


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## drgamble (Oct 28, 2008)

yes - denatured alcohol from the hardware store is exactly what you want - most cans even have some fine print on there that a rv/boat stove is an accepted use.


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## kwaltersmi (Aug 14, 2006)

I picked up a liter of Sunnyside's denatured alcohol. I'll give it a try this weekend and see if it's sooty or not before I pay a premium for the "soot-free" labeled alcohol.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

I used to use the so called 'soot free' stove alcohol that Origo specifies. It made soot. I started buying alcohol at the hardware stove for half price and the soot issue went away.

Jeff


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

My experience was the same as Jeff's.


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## johnshasteen (Aug 9, 2002)

We have the Origo electric/no-pressure alcohol and we use the stove alcohol from West Marine - We want no possibility of sooting up the electric burners.


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## bwindrope (Feb 25, 2007)

Although this question has been adequately answered, I just have to chime in with my love of our Origo stove/oven. i adore the simplicity and unbreakable nature of the beast. Real old school. We use hardware store denatured alcohol and have only a little soot on the bottom of our pans. I hear it is harder to get dentaured alcohol in Mexico and other exotic ports but still manageable. Having two young boys makes me very happy to have no propane on our boat. My only alcohol complaint is the increased condensation when cooking in the NW winter. OK, I've satisfied my need to comment on Origo.


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## CLucas (Feb 10, 2007)

*Do Not Use White Gas (coleman Fuel)*



kwaltersmi said:


> I have a two burner (non-pressure) Origo stovetop. However, I'm having a hard time finding someplace that carries cooking alcohol to fuel the stove.
> 
> Can I simply use de-natured alcohol that's available at the hardware store in the paint section? The broker told me to get "soot free" alcohol, but I haven't found any anywhere.
> 
> ...


Coleman Camp Fuel (white gas) is highly combustible and should NOT be used in your Origo stove. Stoves that use Coleman Camp Fuel use a pressurized tank (usually a manual pump) and deliver the fuel in a controlled atomized feed. Using it in an Origo non-pressurized stove will result in an explosion and likely severe burns (or worse) and property damage.


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

I would think you could use some very pure moonshine or other 'legal' ethyl alcohol in a pinch - the higher proof the better. De-natured would be much cheaper though and the Kentucky 'corn whiskey' could be used for 'medicinal' purposes.


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## nereussailor (Nov 3, 2007)

I buy mine at Home Depot. Never used the boat stove alcohol never will. no soot


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## jjablonowski (Aug 13, 2007)

I like 151 rum.


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

And if you're cruising the Caribbean overproof rum is a damn site cheaper than stove alcohol if you can even find it!


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## patrickrea (Aug 20, 2007)

Methyl Hydrate can also be used. Here in Canada, finding denatured alcohol is almost impossible but MH is available everywhere from Rona or Home Depot to Shoppers Drug Store. CDN$3 for a quart or so. The containers are even labelled as be used in "Marine non-pressurized boat stove". 

Using marine and boat in the same sentence is a little redundant redundant but that's what it says.


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## davewild (Mar 31, 2009)

A word of caution about liquid fuel stoves. I have a methylated spirit stove on my boat. I filled it's tank up being very careful to not spill any(I used a funnel). I put the metho away, screwed the cap back on the tank, lit it up and nearly burnt the boat down. Thinking about my mistake it is now obvious that the vapour is heavier than air and must have gathered in and around the stove not unlike re-fuelling a petrol tank(you guys would call it a gas tank). I put the fire blanket on it but the convection current was strong enough to draw air in from underneath. In the end I had to give it a few bursts with a dry chemical extinguisher to put it out. I say a few as the heat from the ex-fire relit itself a couple of times. Quite a fright for me but very amusing for the people fishing on the jetty I was tied up to. I tell this story in the interest of preventing others from making the same mistake. I have sailed for decades but on dinghies and light weight day sailers. This was my first experience with a full size cruising boat. In the end I took the stove off the boat and experimented with it in the backyard. Far less frightening when you can run away! By the way dry powder is awful to clean up. Use a dust mask and vaccum up as much as you can, but you will be cleaning it up for a long time afterwards. I would be happy to answer any questions about this as I would like to prevent others from doing the same thing.


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## pvanv1 (Nov 16, 2007)

Yes, agree with all other posts. I have the same Origo 3000 2-burner unit, and love it.

Use Ethyl Alcohol (or methylated fuel substitute) only. Denaturing alcohol is the process of adding poisonous stuff in small amounts (acetone, whatever) so it's no longer "drinking" alcohol. Over-proofed rum would probably work fine, and likely smell nice as well.

The soot issue is hit or miss. I have had cheap hardware store alcohol that worked just fine, and likewise have had expensive "no soot" boat alcohol that stunk up the cabin, and caused soot on the pots. Just depends on what additive they used to denature the stuff.


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## sck5 (Aug 20, 2007)

I get mine from Home Depot. Cheap and no problems so far.


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## jgsteven (Jan 27, 2009)

*Home Depot stove fuel*

I have always used Home Depot denatured alcohol in my Origo 3000 stove as well, with no problems.


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## JimHawkins (Aug 25, 2006)

I have a backpacking alcohol stove that says "to eliminate soot, add up to 10% water".


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