Trangia stoves

...The Company

Trangia is a Swedish company and was founded in 1925 by John E. Jonsson together with his father in-law. So they have over 80 years experience in manufacturing their stoves. In that time very little has changed in the way the Trangia stoves have been made. Probably the biggest change would be the non stick coating that is now available.

What is the model that I use?

I prefer the Trangia 25, ...
...is the heart of the Trangia it is probably worth explaining exactly what it looks like. Imagine a small brass tin with a screw top lid, on the outer side at the top are a series of small holes that go all the way round (this is where the gas type flame will come from once it is burning properly)
This is all held neatly together in one package with a strap.
The overall weight of this is only 1.1 kg.

Why do I use it?
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A stove that I liked to use for camping during the summer months is the Trangia, this is not just a stove, it is complete pack, cooker, frying pan and saucepans. These all pack away into one convenient light pack. The fuel it uses is Methylated spirits (I must admit that when I first heard of this as a fuel I thought that would not be that good as I thought of Methylated spirits as a fuel that burnt with very little in the way of flame and therefore would not be very good as a cooking fuel, I am glad to say I was wrong).

The Company

Trangia is a Swedish company and was founded in 1925 by John E. Jonsson together with his father in-law. So they have over 80 years experience in manufacturing their stoves. In that time very little has changed in the way the Trangia stoves have been made. Probably the biggest change would be the non stick coating that is now available.

What is the model that I use?

I prefer the Trangia 25, it is the larger of the two standard models (25 & 27) and only marginally heavier, for me it offers the best combination of weight over size and therefore the size of the pans.
Apart from the size and weight, there is no difference in how the stoves operate or how they perform.

I also prefer the aluminium version, they cost less are marginally lighter and they are not much harder to clean than the non stick versions (provided I do the washing up straight away and not leave them until the next morning).

What is it like?

It all stacks together a bit like those Russian dolls, where a smaller one is inside. However this is a cooking stove the outer layer is the two parts of the windshield (the lower is where you put the burner, the upper is where you fit place your pans).
Next come two saucepans and a frying pan. The size of the pans being 1.75 litre and 1.5 litre and the frying pan is 22 cms.
Finally in the centre is the burner (complete with screw lid and simmer cover) along with the handle for the pans. It is worth noting that the burner normally comes in a plastic bag, I always keep my burner in this bag as it stops the possibility of the pans getting contaminated by the Methylated spirits in the burner.
As the burner really is the heart of the Trangia it is probably worth explaining exactly what it looks like. Imagine a small brass tin with a screw top lid, on the outer side at the top are a series of small holes that go all the way round (this is where the gas type flame will come from once it is burning properly)
This is all held neatly together in one package with a strap.
The overall weight of this is only 1.1 kg.

Why do I use it?

When I have gone summer camping, often on a cycle I want to not carry to much bulk and weight, both of which can make the trip more trouble. The Trangia solves both of these. I do not need to carry pots and pans as they are already incorporated with the Trangia; this reduces the space that I would otherwise need.

I will say at this point Trangia do claim their stoves are suitable for use in all seasons, in all weather conditions including high winds. Well yes that is true but I have found that in cold and/or windy conditions as well as at altitude, petrol stoves will often perform better. So with that in mind I will use the Trangia during the summer or when the weather is mild and change to petrol stoves when the weather is not so kind.

How easy is it to use?

It really is very simple, first remove the strap then take apart the two shields.
Place the bottom shield on level flat ground, one side of this shield has some perforated holes in it, this side should face into any wind or breeze that is present. (The bottom part has a hole for the burner, the top has parts that open up to support the cooking pans)

First of all get whatever food you are going to cook into the pan or pans (this will mean you have more actual cooking time from the moment you light the burner)

The next step is to take the burner (this is a brass threaded cup with a lid and a simmer cover) Remove the lid and simmer cover, fill the burner with about 150ml (two thirds of the way) of Methylated spirits (this is enough fuel for about 25 to 30 minutes of cooking time), then place the burner (unlit) into the bottom part of the shield.

Get the top part of the wind shield ready by opening the little pan supports (the parts that the pan will sit on when cooking, how they are opened depends on the size of the pan).

Now I have used this in two different ways. The first being pop the simmer cover on prior to lighting, the other is light the burner and put the cover on after the burner has got going.
To make it easy I will tell you what happens when I pop the simmer cover on after lighting the burner.
When first lit it is very difficult to see any flame from the Methylated spirits but as the burner gets hot this changes as the vapour starts to get forced through the holes around the edge of the burner and it starts to take on the appearance of a gas hob complete with flame, then I carefully pop the simmer cover on (this resembles a lid but the top can be turned out to allow as much or as little flame as you want). Alternatively it can be used without the simmer cover at all.

Now carefully place the top windshield on top of the bottom, you are now ready to cook. Simply use the handle to put the pan onto the stove and away you go. If your food requires stirring you will need to use the handle to support the pan.

After the cooking is over with, it is simply a matter of extinguishing the burner (this is done by placing the simmer ring on the burner with it in the closed position) then waiting until it has all cooled down and packing it all away again (obviously wash and dry the pans beforehand).

What about different types of Trangia and accessories/spares?

The first thing that springs to mind is the Trangia Kettle, to be honest they may seem a good idea but at the end of the day I found heating water in a pan to be just as easy, most people that I know who have had a Trangia with the kettle have long since stopped using it. Having said that Trangia do make one and for some it is handy to have.

The main two Trangia stoves are the 25 (as previously mentioned in this review) and the 27 which is smaller (2 x 1 litre saucepans, frying pan is 18 cm with an overall weight of 850 gms). Also available is the mini which is designed for one person (for me it is too small and nowadays it is very difficult to get hold of one).

The two main Trangia stoves also have variations for example you can get them in aluminium or with a non stick coating.

You can buy new burners, straps and handles. Also instead of aluminium pans you can get non stick ones (this adds to the cost and overall weight)

Why use a Trangia instead of a gas or petrol stove?

For me during those lazy summer days the Trangia cannot be beaten. Using either gas or petrol stoves will mean carrying separate pans and therefore extra bulk. This is not forgetting the worst thing about a gas stove is when it starts to run out of gas, you can get stuck with a drastic lowering of the heating capability of the stove until it has run out of gas.

Has it got any downsides?

For me the biggest downside is the handle that comes with the Trangia. To use it you put the end over the pan edge and squeeze the handle like a pair of pliers. This causes the end of the handle to bite onto the lip of the pan and allowing you to lift it on and off the stove or hold the pan whilst stirring the contents. The problem is that at times I have lost my grip and the pan has fallen, luckily not on me, but still I have lost the food that I was cooking.

There are no lids for the saucepans, although this is not a major issue and yes it would mean added weight and possibly bulk. It does cause an issue when it comes to simmering as the water will evaporate quicker without a lid. To get around this problem I have used the frying pan as a makeshift lid (the only problem with doing this is not burning my hands when taking the frying pan off of the saucepan).

When cooking with this type of stove the pans and stove can get a deposit of soot on them. To avoid or at least minimise this, then you can add water to the methylated spirits at a ratio of approximately 1 part water to 10 parts methylated spirits.

The Trangia is does not cook food or boil water as fast as a petrol stove. It is about on par with a gas stove. However for me speed during those lazy summer days is not really an issue. I tend to set up the Trangia to boil some water and then get my camp prepared, Normally it works out that I have boiling water ready for a nice hot drink and can relax as my camp is ready.

Helpful hints to make it easier to use.

Although the Trangia can be used in high winds, you will get better results if you use it in a sheltered position (maybe place a few large stones around it or place it in a small hollow area)

To extinguish the stove, simply place the simmer ring over the burner with the cap closed.

When not in use always keep the burner in a plastic bag, this will help you to avoid any contamination of the pans.

Any fuel in the burner can be stored in it as long as the screw top lid is closed tight and it is kept in a plastic bag. However I would not recommend keeping fuel in it for a long period of time, but for a short trip it can be a handy way of carrying a little more fuel.

Things you need to beware of.

Firstly if it runs out of fuel never ever try to refill it with methylated spirits until the burner and stove have cooled down completely.

When lighting a Trangia stove you need to be aware that the flames given off by methylated spirits are nearly impossible to see, so you need to be very careful when you first light it as you may not see it as being alight until you get your hand too close.

Never use any stove indoors or in a tent or awning.

When using the stove keep any flammable liquids (including extra fuel) well away from the stove.

Remember stoves and pans get very hot and you need to take care to avoid getting burnt.

Contact details

Trangia AB
Box 5
SE - 830 47 Trångsviken

Phone: +46(0)640-681330
Fax: +46(0)640-681339

E-mail: info@trangia.se

Web Address http://www.trangia.se/english/

Overall.

For lightweight camping these are very hard to beat, especially during the summer months.

If I could get Trangia to change one thing it would be for them to design a different handle, I would like to see one where the handle slots into the pan and then I would not have to worry about the pan ending up on the floor. Realistically that is only a minor moan about what I consider to be one of the better camping stoves on the market.

The price of these Trangia stoves varies but expect it to be around £35 for the 27 and £42 for the 25, the mini and spares vary. The non stick versions cost more and are not so readily available, but there are plenty of online stores that stock them.

For anyone looking for a lightweight, reliable stove that does not take up much room, then I can happily recommend a Trangia. I have even seem a family using more than one of these at the same time.

And finally if you're reading this Mr Trangia and would like more on how I would redesign the handle then I am readily available. 

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