Fore Winds by Iwatani Luxe Camp Stove

i got this on a crazy sale for nothing, literally. if i buying retail it was stupid expensive.i wanted a butane stove to compliment my setup so i have propane and butane options, also different sizes the propane is huge and heavy, this isn't. sometimes i want to only take a small stove and butane bottle, this is very heavy duty and cooks well.

This has a finer adjustment than most camp stoves making getting the right temp so much easier. A quality camping stove.

First of all I’ll say I’ve used an Iwatani F35 for many years when I want to cook with gas for something quick like eggs. I wanted something more rugged for outdoors.First the BAD: Like with the F35 they claim a “windscreen “. This is a joke. This stove has a LID. It is in no way a windscreen. The slightest breeze outside knocks out the flame. You’ll need to buy a separate folding wind screen — taller is better.Next, the HORRIBLE carry handle! It’s just a metal bar with no silicone/wood/plastic comfort handle and hurts your hand quickly with this heavy bulky unit. They should fire whoever approved this. A proper HEAVY DUTY fake Pelican-like case would be far superior. Let’s be real, this is a heavy unit so it’s for car camping/picnics/backyard— NOT backpacking. This is expensive— leave off the lid and handle and include a proper windscreen inside a quality case — not the crappy case like the F35. Also, without a GOOD case the stove is not protected from dust/bugs/whatever in storage or travel — this could contaminate the fuel tube.The GOOD: the unit is heavy and well-made. The pot supports are superior and thank goodness they’re FLAT and not the crappy angled supports that make your pans slide and tip!The BEST: The gas is actually able to be fine tuned down very low. Check this on any unit you buy, it’s the worst on almost all of these types of stoves I’ve tried. This one it’s great — I only wish the knob was better quality.Improvement— as another commenter complained but I don’t blame Iwatani — it would be nice to include the adapter components to use propane. In the US this is more widely available, especially in rural areas. This is not necessarily true globally.Note: it is NOT NECESSARY to order expensive Iwatani butane. These stoves work fine on any brand. I’ve used Sterno, Coleman, and Gas One from Amazon. All burned fine. Cheapest were from Sam’s or local Asian groceries NOT sporting goods stores or W-mart.Addendum: I purchased this in early 2024 when it was $80. I noticed they now have a similar item with what looks like a sturdy case, however it has TERRIBLE POT SUPPORTS and no separate wind screen. If it had the great pot supports that this unit has I’d buy it. On this unit you can use tiny pots and they fit and don’t slide as well as bigger pans if you remove the lid and do NOT drape over the fuel canister compartment.

I got this stove because I got the Four Winds Grill Plate that I thought would work on the stove that I already had. It didn't, but I liked the idea of the grill plate. I ordered the Fore Winds Stove to be able to use the grill plate.I have used the stove enough to know what I like and dislike.PROS:12,000 BTU output. Most other brands are between 8,000 and 10,000 BTUsBack wind screenVery easy fuel canister connectionGood overall qualityCONS:Unless you get it on sale, it is expensiveNo side wind screen, sometimes you have to set the stove at a weird angle to use itMaybe a con: It must be level to work with the available accessories for itOVERALL:I like the stove.I had a folding wind screen that I used. I highly recommend getting one. Should be about 10 inches high and fold out to 20 inches. You could make your own, but I already had one.I did not get the optional case because I have a create that I carry all my cooking utensils.With the higher BTU output I thought I would use more gas, but it is about the same as my 8,000 BTU stove. Doing regular cooking averaging a medium flame, I get about 1.5 hours of cook time from a gas canister. On high flame, for example heating water, I get a little over 1 hour from a gas canister.I have used three different brands of gas. I cannot see any difference in performance. The canister price has ranged from $2.50 to $5.50. I now buy the cheapest I can find.I would buy the stove again if I needed another primarily because of the higher BTU output.

It took me a little while to find the right fuel (my fault, not the stove's fault). Once I found the fuel though, this has been a very good stove.Last time I cooked with this, I realized that I love this little gas stove more than the expensive electric range at my last apartment. (Gas rules!)I wish this had a little better shielding against the wind though. This almost feels like it was designed more for demonstration cooking (indoor) instead of outdoor camping. Maybe it's all in my head though.The burner is easy to control and has good high and low settings.One of my pet peeves in my RV is that none of the stove burners are level and all my eggs slide to one side of the skillet. This is nice and level though, or at least as level as whatever countertop you place it on.