Bottom Line
The Camp Chef Everest 2X blew us away with its exceptional cooking ability. In fact, it was almost as easy to use as our gas range at home. Each of its burners kick out 20,000 BTUs, allowing it to boil water in less than 4 minutes – the fastest stove we tested.
Though the sheer power is impressive, the burners also have exceptional simmer control and maintain an even heat. While camping in California’s Joshua Tree National Park and Red Rock Canyon outside of Las Vegas, we made golden-brown pancakes and quesadillas with perfectly melted cheese.
This classic double-burner stove is also quite intuitive to set up and use. Simply connect the fuel bottle to the stove with the fuel line, turn on the burner, and click the auto-ignitor. Windscreens snap securely into place on either side, further enhancing the stove’s cooking ability.
The Everest 2X is a bit bulkier and heavier than other two-burner stoves we’ve tested. For solo car campers who are severely limited on space, this might not be the best option. But for families or small groups with enough storage, the Everest 2X makes it easy to whip up exceptional meals at camp. For more options, check out our gear guide to the best camping stoves.
How We Tested
We used the Camp Chef Everest 2X while car camping this spring in Joshua Tree and Red Rock Canyon. Over the course of six weeks, we made many delicious meals. We tested its simmer ability by cooking rice, flipped perfect pancakes, and easily sautéed veggies and chicken sausage. On a particularly windy trip in Red Rock, the Everest 2X was the only stove that managed to weather the blustery conditions.
Quick Specs
Camp Chef Everest 2X
Best Cooking Ability
CleverHiker Rating: 4.7/5.0
Price: $230
Weight: 12 lb.
Boil Time: 3:49
Fuel Efficiency: 1 oz.
Number of Burners: 2
BTUs (per burner): 20,000
Fuel Type: Propane
Pros
- Powerful burners
- Excellent wind protection
- Self-ignition
- Intuitive design
- Simmers well
Cons
- Heavier and bulkier than some
- High price tag
Power
When it comes to boil time, the Camp Chef Everest 2X handily outperformed all the other stoves in our testing. With 20,000 BTUs from each burner, this stove boiled a liter of water in just under 4 minutes. The previous winner, the Snow Peak Home & Camp Burner, clocked in at 5 minutes 11 seconds – over a minute slower than the Everest 2X.
The stove’s solid windscreens helped it maintain this impressive performance even in gusty weather. Protected on three sides, the burners still produced a lot of power when the wind was blowing. By contrast, the burners on the ONTOMYO BRS-32 stove that were testing alongside the Everest blew out within 30 seconds in similar weather.
Efficiency
This stove falls somewhere in the middle when it comes to fuel efficiency. During our boil test, the Everest 2X used about an ounce of fuel to boil a liter of water. It’s not surprising that the Everest’s extremely powerful burners require a bit more fuel to do the job.
We conducted our boil test on a calm day in an area that was protected from wind. Given its excellent windscreens, we’re confident the Everest would cook more efficiently on a windy day than stoves without built-in protection.
Cooking Ability
Of all the stoves we tested, the Camp Chef Everest 2X also had the best cooking ability. The rice we simmered turned out fluffy, our pancakes were golden-brown, and the cheese on our quesadillas was perfectly melted. We also cooked pasta, sautéed chicken sausage and veggies, and boiled water for coffee extremely quickly. Most of the time, we felt like we were cooking on our stove at home.
Several design elements contribute to this exceptional cooking ability. Along with very powerful burners, the Everest 2X has precise simmer control. The burners can maintain very low power without blowing out. Higher metal grates hold pots and pans farther away from the burners than other stoves, which allows for more even cooking and prevents burning.
The burners are also wider than many stoves we tested at around 5 inches. – This allows them to distribute heat more evenly across a pan. It also means the burners can fit larger pots and pans if you’re cooking for a group.
Portability
Weighing in at 12 pounds, the Camp Chef Everest 2X is heavier and bulkier than most of the other double-burner stoves we tested. To be fair, it’s considerably lighter than the freestanding Camp Chef Explorer (30 pounds, 8 ounces) and also undercuts the tabletop Coleman Cascade 3-in-1 (14 pounds, 12.8 ounces without the cast iron attachments). We managed to stow the Everest in our small campervan setup, but for someone severely limited on storage space, this stove might be a harder sell.
There is a handle on one side that makes the Everest easy to carry with one hand. However, the handle is a simple metal cutout without any padding, so it would not be our first choice for transporting long distances.
Ease of Use
As we’ve mentioned, the Camp Chef Everest 2X was almost as easy to use as our gas range at home. We didn’t have to read any instructions – setup was intuitive right out of the box. We simply connected the propane fuel bottle to the stove using the fuel line, turned on the burner, and clicked the auto-ignitor. The windscreens snap securely into place as you unfold the stove.
Though not make-or-break, the auto-ignitor is a nice feature to have. The burners lit on the first click every time, and we never had to worry about burning our fingers trying to light the stove with matches or a lighter.
Should You Buy the Camp Chef Everest 2X?
With its exceptional cooking ability and larger cooking space, the Camp Chef Everest 2X is perfect for families or medium-sized groups. The powerful burners won’t leave anyone waiting for food or hot water, and the windscreens help maximize performance even in inclement weather.
The Everest 2X is certainly an investment, but it’s a well-designed workhorse that easily cooks delicious meals. For the solo traveler who is limited on storage space, the bulky Everest may be a bit overkill. But for a family that loves spending time in the great outdoors, it completes the perfect car camping kit.
What Other Camp Stoves Should You Consider?
If you’re looking for something smaller, more affordable, or with additional accessories, our gear guide to the best camping stoves covers the full gamut.
Coleman Classic 2-Burner Review: For campers looking for a dependable stove without breaking the bank, the Coleman Classic is a solid choice. It’s similarly easy to use but lacks auto-ignition and has less power with two 10,000-BTU burners.
Coleman Cascade 3-in-1 Review: For camp chefs who love cooking on cast iron, the Coleman Cascade 3-in-1 comes with handy griddle and grill top attachments. They do add significant weight to the setup, however, and the Everest is both cheaper and more powerful.
Camp Chef Explorer Review: Though the Everest 2X could easily feed a group of five or six, the Explorer is our top pick for large gatherings. This freestanding double burner could make a massive pot of chili or pasta for 20 campers.
