What Is Alcohol Stove Fuel?
- Alcohol stove fuel comes in two principal types: ethanol and methanol.
- Ethanol (ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol) is what we consume in beer, wine, and liquor. Pure ethanol burns the cleanest of any fuel, but is expensive and hard to find.
- Denatured alcohol (methylated spirits) is ethanol that has been rendered undrinkable (and thus exempt from alcohol taxes) through the addition of methanol and other chemicals.
- When shopping for denatured alcohol, look for a minimum of potentially toxic additives; versions sold as marine stove and lamp fuel are a good bet. Avoid varieties that leave a solid residue after burning.
- Methanol (methyl alcohol) is commonly used as gas-line antifreeze for engines. Gas stations sell it under the brand name HEET.
- Methanol contains 30 percent less energy than ethanol; you need more of it to boil the same amount of water.
- Methanol and denatured alcohols are toxic. Keep your stove and fuel separate from your cookware to prevent contamination.