Search for self contained Kero burning stoves

In view of your last post, Brass, I'd go for an Optimus 00 or similar 1-pint keroburner. Not "self-contained" perhaps, but it has a box. I take one on most backpack trips. The classic brass keroburner really is just the thing for him!

 

I think looking at all the options, the best one seems to be the Optimus 199.

-It's still available on the market from time to time, a bit expensive but at least they are around.
-It's an aluminum body.
-Smaller tank and less component weight.
-Kerosene
-Can be taken without extra cookware if we so desire.

If anyone is considering parting with a 199 let me know.... I will pay in $2 unmarked bills...

I'm still open for other suggestions.

 

I'm surprised no one makes a small Kerosene stove like that anymore.

They would have the market to themselves.

 

@Brassaxe

PLEASE, do tell These can be as much a talking point as....um....stoves
Cheers
B

 

Yes, more info please.

 

Well the 90 year old one is a 1920's Vesuvianna. Very nice coffee maker. I've taken that thing apart many times to keep ahead of the calcium buildup. But the last two have been a 1970's 120v La Peppina espresso maker which I've had for a while but that thing needs a new group head. I machined a few new o-ring grooves to keep it going but it just needs replaced. And the current one I'm working on is a 1950's FTM Unipress. Very hard to find but very cool little thing. It was before any safety features were even thought of. So I'm adding a thermal shutoff to keep it from overheating when it's out of water, and a few neon indicator lights underneath to show when and if it shuts off. When it's done you shouldn't even be able to tell it's modified at all. I like that coffee maker.

 

ksfkjnefrvm ;l .... Sorry, I had drool on the keyboard.

It's cleaned up now.
I have a La Pavoni Pre-Millenium, a collection, sort of, of stainless stove top espresso makers, and assorted glass, siphon (electric and stove top), and other coffee and espresso makers but I would like to see a photo of the 1920's Vesuvianna.
I roast at home.

Ken in NC

 

It's one of my favorite little things. You grind somewhere between a drip and espresso. The water isn't under a whole lot of pressure and it extracts in about 30 seconds. It makes a really nice lite Cappuccino/Latte. It's more like a mocha pot than an espresso maker even though it has a portafilter. I'll take a picture of it later today. Another one of my favorites is the 1000ml Hario Mizudashi. If you've never had cold coffee it make the absolute best cold coffee in about 12 hours.

 

I don't add any milk product to coffee, if the coffee is worth drinking.

 

Not me. Good beans, good grind, good coffee and I still enjoy a bit of milk and sugar.

Here is the Vesuviana, it's a tiny little thing.

 

WOW! Very pretty. I did not know such things existed outside the world of Atomic.
Where do they fit in the timeline with those Atomics that I cant afford (justify, conceal...)?
We need to start a coffee thread in the lounge. Stovetop of course. I'll do this in the next day or 2.
Cheers
B

 

Oh and the good thing is that these little Vesuviana's are still quite available. They go on e-bay for anywhere between $30 and $150. A good condition stovetop will go for about $70. They have three different sizes and they also come in electric. There are so many still around because they are impossible to break. Salto made a knock off version and it has a solid knob cap instead of the ring style cap.

I want an original Atomic as well. So very expensive still. The new ones are great, but I want an original..

 

Back to the stove hunt, just for a moment. (I don't drink much coffee, but I now want a Vesuviana!)

You've probably already thought of this, but have you brought your son into the hunt, sat with him at the eBay listings, and gotten his take on the hunt itself? He might say, "I can live with a Hiker + for now, while we search for a 199." That way the 199 becomes A Quest, and a more worthy prize (and better gift) for the questing. What's more, over the course of that Quest he might discover that what he actually wants is an Op00.

Give a kid a good stove, he'll eat for a lifetime; give a kid an obsession, he'll become a stove collector and starve.

Alex

 

Good one Alex. Isn't it the truth!

Ben

 

Yup, that's already become part of this whole thing. I've gone on ebay and showed him some of the stoves, how much they cost and how many come and go on the market. Ebay has also been good because we can look at completed listings and seen how much the stoves have sold for in the past and how often they come on the market. With him he seems to keep track of the things he wants and will mention these things from time to time. (Usually a knife..) The part I'm trying to teach him is how to be ready for when he is in a position to make a purchase and what to expect. Eventually as he gets older I'll have to teach him how to prioritize buying things he is interested in. Like buying a stove. Right now since he has zero stoves he has to know which stove will be most effective at the widest range of tasks, which one will be the most durable, etc etc. The things you must consider when you'll be relying on only one stove all the time. Looking at the 199 and the average price I expect it'll take several months before making a purchase. Once he decides if the 199 is "THE" stove for him I'll also have to teach him how to never deviate from his decision. Some times we decide on things and then depending on money or whatever we might buy something different in the future and not be as satisfied. If I can teach him to stick to his decisions and know the reasons for making said decision he'll be pretty set for the future. Sometimes kids can be a disaster when it come to getting things they want. They can walk into a store wanting a Lego set for the past year and walk out with a Nerf gun. Luckily he seems to be getting out of that kind of thing with my help and being responsible with his money.

Right now his list (in order) is

-Knife
-Stove
-Small Axe
-Tree House