Features of the Alcohol Penny Stove

Low-Tech Pressure Regulator
As any alcohol stove heats up, the fuel inside the stove will also heat up and expand in volume which can lead to a fuel overflow and wasted fuel.  Worse, excessive pressure can even rupture the stove.  The Penny Stove design solves both of these problems by using the weight of a single penny centered over 4 fuel expansion holes in the center of the burner cup.  As the fuel inside the stove is heated and expands, it pushes up on the penny through the expansion holes and flows into the burner cup where it catches fire and adds to the BTU output of the stove.  As the expanded fuel is burned up, the pressure decreases and the penny settles back down, sealing the expansion holes to maintain an even, constant flow of gas vapors through the 6 burner jets.  No fuel is ever wasted outside the stove, and the low pressure inside the stove always remains the same to provide uniform heat throughout the length of the burn.

Top Cap
The top cap feature on the Penny Stove keeps everything together when the stove is not being used.  It incorporates a spare penny affixed to the top of the cap should you lose your stove penny when you’re miles from civilization.  It is also used to slide over the burning stove to extinguish the flames at any time and can be used as a spoon rest while cooking. 

Simmer Ring
The Penny Stove design incorporates a unique Simmer Ring feature that vastly expands your cooking possibilities beyond simply boiling water.  By simply dropping the simmer ring over the burner, the amount of oxygen to the flame jets is reduced which lowers the flame and heat output by approximately 50%.  This allows you to cook items such as rice or pasta which can easily scorch if cooked over high heat.  Installing the Simmer Ring also extends the length of your cooking time to approximately 30 minutes.

Base Cup
The Penny Stove features a Base Cup that the stove sits in while in use.  The base cup serves two functions.  First, it insulates the bottom of the stove from the cold wet ground for a faster start up, and second, it puts the stove flames at the optimum height below the cooking vessel sitting on the folding pot stand for maximum performance.  The base cup features a single hole in the center of the cup to eliminate the possibility of a vacuum being formed between the stove and the base cup as the stove cools.

Pot Stand
An ingenious folding Pot Stand comes with each Penny Stove kit.  It is designed for an average 6 to 7- inch diameter cooking pot containing up to 2 liters of liquid, but it is adjustable for larger or smaller cooking vessels.  It is made from 3/32-inch steel welding rod and folds flat for easy storage.  The “open” sides of the pot stand (with the short arms) should face up when in use.  If placed the other way up, the arms of the stand would be constantly exposed to the flame jets and over time this could weaken the metal rods.

Wind Screen
A one-piece wrap around wind screen is included with every Penny Stove kit.  Besides blocking the wind, it focuses heat from the stove upward toward the cooking vessel and makes it easier to see the almost invisible flames inherent with any alcohol stove.

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