The Camp Chef Everest Two-Burner Camping Stove is a portable powerhouse that boasts two high-pressure 20,000 BTU burners.
To get us a closer look, Camp Chef sent Man Makes Fire a review unit. This is what we learned:
Camp Chef Everest Review
The Camp Chef Everest build quality is a few steps up from the vast majority of two-burner camp stoves, but the biggest differentiating factor is the burners.
A camp stove is only as good as the quality of the flame it can deliver, and the Camp Chef Everest puts out clean-burning flames up to 20,000 BTUs per burner. Most competitors settle for 10,000-12,000 BTU burners, which also tend to produce less consistent flames.
Still, you probably won’t use all 40,000 BTUs very often, but you might appreciate the extra oomph when the wind is blowing. Heavy and swirling winds can rob heat from lesser burners, but the Camp Chef Everest does an admirable job in adverse conditions.
To help each burner ignore wind, Camp Chef nests each burner into a very shallow bowl. Most camp stove burners are more exposed.
Simmers, Too
Some camp stoves put out the heat but don’t adjust and simmer well. Not so with the Camp Chef Everest. The burners easily adjust to very low simmer-ready flames.
By now you might be wondering if all this talk about the Camp Chef Everest burners is really that big of a deal? Yes and no. It’s totally possible to cook a fine meal with a wire grate over burning sticks and glowing coals, so a high-quality camp stove isn’t strictly necessary for eating and having a good time while camping. But a good camp stove can make a camping trip better. After all, it’s hard enough to get outside to go camping as it is, and when you do, it’s nice to have gear that won’t let you down.
Using the Camp Chef
Yes, I’m still raving about those burners. If you’re making a massive pot of soup or boiling corn on the cob, you’ll appreciate the powerful burners, particularly if there’s a breeze at your campsite. But there’s another reason to appreciate the burners: Showers. If you need to heat water for a portable shower, more power is always appreciated.
Meanwhile, when it comes to cooking, the knobs do a great job of holding their position when you set the flame to your liking. If you cook on cast iron camp cookware, you might be patient and let them heat slowly to the perfect temperature, but we rarely have this kind of patience while camping. So as we adjust the amount of heat while we’re cooking . . . the Camp Chef Everest works very well.
Overall Build Quality
The Camp Chef Everest was our pick for the best overall camp stove this year. Our choice starts with the great burners, but it extends to the overall two-burner, table-top form factor. It’s a classic design that easily folds up for car camping and long-term storage.
When open, the lid stands upright while two flip up windshields cover the sides to protect the burners from wind.
The matchless ignition system works well.
The cooking grates are more robust than most — they’re nickel-coated steel and have cross beams that do a good job of of supporting both large and small cookware.
Fuel
The Camp Chef Everest includes a regulator adapter that fits a standard 16.4 oz propane bottle. We’re fans of stoves that run on 16.4 oz propane bottles because these propane bottles are super easy to find in the United States. You can get them at most hardware stores, at outdoor recreation stores, and in many grocery stores and gas stations.
Camp Chef also sells a Flexible Regulator Kit, which is basically an extended hose and stand for your propane bottle. It’s handy if you have some sort of camp kitchen setup where you don’t want the propane bottle to stick off the back side of the stove.
In addition, you can nab a Bulk Tank Adapter if you want to connect your Everest to a 5-, 10- or even 20-lb propane tank.
Camp Chef Everest Stove Specifications:
Cooking Dimensions: 13.5 in. x 23.5 in.
Cooking Area: 317.25 sq. in.
System Height: 4 in.
System Weight: 12 lbs.
Overall Dimensions: 23.5 in. x 13.5 in. x 4 in.
Total Output: 40,000 BTUs/Hr. Burner
What About the Camp Chef Everest 2X?
Camp Chef has a newly updated version of the Everest stove, the Camp Chef Everest 2X. It’s just as good as the original, but it does introduce some pros and cons compared to the Everest. The burners are the same high-quality 20,000 BTU burners, so that’s good.
One feature we like is that the knobs are slightly recessed compared to the outer edges of the frame. This helps protect the Everest 2X knobs during packing and storage with other gear. The windscreens also offer more coverage, but you might need to fold them in altogether if you use a larger pan or pot. The latches are also all metal, giving the Everest 2X a bit of a rugged boost over the Everest’s plastic latches. Both stoves weight 12 pounds.
One thing we like less about the Everest 2x than the Everest is the height of the stove — it’s 5.5″ when closed verses the slimmer 4″ of the Everest. It’s also a little over an inch wider (but almost an inch less in depth). The biggest con to us is the drop in cooking area — you go from a roomy 317.25 square inches in the Everest to 215 square inches. For most people, most of the time, this won’t be a big deal.
What’s our recommendation? The Everest 2X is a great stove and is arguably better than the original Everest. Right now while the Everest is still available, we prefer the original Everest with the slimmer profile over the Everest 2X — but you can’t go wrong with either. Once the original Everest is sold out, the Everest 2X will get our recommendation because it also has a great build quality and excellent burners. (On the other hand, there isn’t yet much availability of the Everest 2X these days due to issues related to COVID-19.)
The Verdict
The Camp Chef Everest is one of the best overall camping stoves for most camping needs. The burners are easy to adjust and they deliver a wide range of flame control, topping out at a massive 20,000 BTU output for each burner. If you’re looking for a step up over cheap department store camp stoves, you’ll want the Camp Chef Everest on your shortlist. Alternately, if you’re considering the Everest 2X, you can’t go wrong there, too.
Get the Gear:
Camp Chef Everest Camping Stove – check shipping/pricing:
Amazon | Camp Chef | CampSaver | Walmart
Camp Chef Everest 2X Stove – check shipping/pricing:
Camp Chef | CampSaver | Moosejaw | REI
Accessories:
- Camp Chef Carry Bag for Mountain Series Stoves
- Camp Chef Flexible Regulator Kit
- Camp Chef Bulk Tank Adapter
