Camp Chef Explorer 2-Burner review: big-pot cooking in the yard through a long outage

This is a research-based review, based on manufacturer specs and published data. We do not test products. Specs come from Camp Chef's Explorer product page (SKU EX60LW), checked November 1, 2026. Carbon monoxide and water guidance come from the CDC.

Most camp stoves are built for a picnic table and a few 1 lb cylinders. The Camp Chef Explorer is a different tool. It stands on its own legs, runs from a refillable propane tank like a gas grill, and puts out 30,000 BTU per burner, per Camp Chef. That makes it closer to an outdoor range than a camping stove.

That matters in a long outage. A family of four cooking three meals a day and boiling drinking water will go through small cylinders quickly. A stove designed around a 20 lb tank turns fuel planning into one tank, plus a spare, instead of a shelf of disposable cylinders. Camp Chef also builds it as the base of its 14 in. cooking system, so the same stove can take a griddle or grill box for cooking a freezer's worth of thawing meat before it spoils.

Who should buy it

• Families of four or more who expect to cook every meal outside for days at a time.
• Homes that already own a 20 lb propane tank for a grill and can keep a spare filled.
• Anyone who wants to cook down a thawing freezer quickly with a griddle or grill box accessory.
• Households that boil large volumes of water during boil-water notices and want a stockpot on a strong burner.

Who should skip it

• Apartment and condo dwellers. It needs a yard or patio where open-flame cooking is permitted, and it must never come inside.
• Anyone who wants a stove that stores in a closet. Even with the legs removed, it is bulkier than a tabletop stove such as the Camp Chef Everest 2X.
• One- or two-person households that mostly need hot water. A Jetboil Flash does that on a fraction of the fuel.

Strengths

• 30,000 BTU per burner. The highest output in our stove reviews, per Camp Chef. Big pots come to a boil faster.
• Bulk-tank fuel. It runs from a standard refillable propane tank through a hose and regulator, so one tank covers days of cooking.
• System accessories. Camp Chef says it anchors its 14 in. cooking system: griddle, grill box and pizza oven fit the same frame.
• Freestanding. Built-in legs give a stable cooking height without a table, and the legs remove for storage.
• Windscreen. A 3-sided windscreen helps keep flames steady outdoors, where this stove always runs.

Drawbacks

• Fuel use at full output. Two 30,000 BTU burners can draw a lot of propane per hour. Turn down once a pot boils.
• Outdoor only. It produces carbon monoxide. The CDC says never use a portable gas camp stove indoors.
• Size and storage. A freestanding stove takes more garage space than a case-style tabletop model.
• Match or lighter. Camp Chef's page does not list matchless ignition for the Explorer, so keep a long lighter with the stove.
• No stated burn time. Camp Chef does not publish one, so the fuel figures below are our estimate.

How it compares

How the Explorer compares with two tabletop propane stoves. Figures are from the maker pages; all are outdoor-only appliances.

Using it in a long outage

Set it up as an outdoor kitchen

1. 01Pick a level spot in the open, away from doors, windows and vents, and away from anything that burns overhead.
2. 02Connect the regulator to the tank by hand and leak-check the connection with soapy water, never with a flame. Bubbles mean a leak.
3. 03Keep the tank upright and to the side of the stove, not underneath a burner.
4. 04Light each burner with a long lighter, then set the pot. Never leave it lit and unattended.
5. 05When you finish, close the tank valve first, then the burner knobs, so the line burns empty.

Fuel math for a 20 lb tank

Camp Chef does not state a burn time, so this is our arithmetic. The EIA lists propane at 91,452 Btu per gallon, roughly 21,700 Btu per pound. A full 20 lb tank holds about 430,000 Btu. One burner at its full 30,000 BTU rating would run around 14 hours on that; both burners wide open, around 7. Cooking rarely needs full output, so real life lasts longer. A family that boils water and cooks two hot meals a day might reasonably plan on one tank per several days, and should keep a second full tank for a week or more.

Save fuel with lids, one-pot meals and a single daily batch of boiled water. Our how to cook without power guide lists more ways to stretch a tank, and the best camping stove for a power outage roundup compares fuel use across stove types.

Cook the freezer down first

The CDC says a full freezer keeps food safe for about 48 hours with the door closed (24 hours if half full), and a refrigerator for about 4 hours. When the outage looks long, cook the refrigerator's perishables first, then thawing freezer meat while it still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below. A griddle accessory makes cooking a lot of food at once practical. See keeping food safe during a power outage for the full rules.