Camp Chef Everest 2 Review

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With twice as much cooking power as the competition, the Camp Chef Everest 2 is a welcome upgrade over standard camping stoves everywhere.

For decades, Coleman’s been the go-to brand for propane camping stoves. They still sling quality wares, but today’s discerning camper has far more to choose from, including Camp Chef’s Everest 2.

It’s a stylish and functional stove focused on maximum cooking space and power. Where Coleman’s bestselling stoves offer heat outputs of around 20,000 BTUs, the Everest 2 offers 40,000 total BTUs between two large, wide-set burners.

The Everest 2’s more expensive than its lower-power competition, but for campers who need the extra heat and convenience, price isn’t an obstacle to quick-cooking meals in the wild.

The Pros

The Cons

The Specs

The Verdict

The Camp Chef Everest 2 is a worthy upgrade over a basic Coleman stove, and despite a few minor design flaws like a lackluster handle, it’s one of the best-performing camping stoves on the market.

Its high heat output and wide, even burners make it ideal for campers who need to juggle a variety of meals throughout the day with ease.

Using the Camp Chef Everest 2

We used the Everest 2 on a recent camping trip but didn’t have time to test it beforehand. No problem – the stove went from box to table, and lit, within minutes. The propane regulator screwed on quickly, followed by the propane tank.

The two windscreens attach easily to the stove’s cover, and they don’t rattle the way older stove models can (this may change with heavy use). The stove felt sturdy and ready to use in less time than expected.

The Everest 2 ignited on its first try, though we turned it on and off a few times in succession. Each time, the matchless Piezo ignition worked perfect and ignited a small, smooth flame. The flame was easy to adjust with its control dials, though it can be difficult to determine if you’re in the middle or high range of heat.

Because the burners have a higher output than similar stoves, it’s easy to turn the heat too high, though with some practice you can get the flame low enough for simmering, or meals and liquids that require low heat. On a medium-high setting, it took us about five minutes to bring water to a boil (OutdoorGearLab reports a 3-minute boil on high).

One of the best features of the Everest 2 is its 317 square inches of cooking area. This was enough to use a full-sized pot and pan with room to maneuver comfortably. The windscreens don’t get in the way of cooking, and the stove’s low profile makes it easy to move around pans as needed.

Cooking, simmering and boiling were all easy with the Everest 2, but because of the stove’s extra oomph, you’ll need to get used to the lowest heat setting still being pretty powerful if you’re cooking up low-heat dishes. This wasn’t an issue for our trip, but if you’re preparing meals that need more exact heat levels and times, it’s something to consider.

In our first use of the stove, we made breakfasts (eggs, pancakes, bacon, cinnamon rolls), lunches (brats) and dinners (tacos), and with each meal we had no issue setting up the Everest 2, putting it to work immediately and getting easy, cooked-all-around meals that were consistent and relatively quick to make. The stove was also easy to clean and prep for the next meal.

Construction and Design

The Everest 2 is slim and sturdy, and at 12 pounds, it’s light enough to lug around your camp kitchen as needed. But the built-in handle isn’t super intuitive, and most times I found myself lifting the whole stove by its sides whenever I needed to move it.

Structurally, the Everest 2 handles wind well. The cover and two windscreens are steadfast and won’t come unlatched in high winds. We first set up shop during an afternoon rainstorm in Northern Arizona, and the flame stood fine through light wind and rain.

The knobs and ignition are all simple but designed well, though they lack any kind of protection – this could be an issue if the stove’s stored haphazardly or hits against any hard edges while being carried. Overall, the construction of the stove is sufficient and compared to my older Coleman stoves, felt substantial without being heavy.

The propane regulator’s easy to use, but with no latch or attachment to keep it secure when not in use, it “floats” in the stove when it’s not in use.

Finally, one of the weaker aspects of the stove’s design is its plastic latches; they’re not flimsy by any means, but compared to the stove’s build, you might expect something stronger.

Camp Chef Everest 2 vs. the Competition

When it comes to heat output, the Everest 2 is in a league all its own, with twice as much power as bestselling options like the Eureka Ignite, the Coleman Triton and GSI Outdoors’ Selkirk 540. If overall heat performance is your concern, you can’t be the Everest 2.

The Everest 2 is also larger and offers more cooking surface area than the above competitors. Where many of those can fit 10″ pots and pans, the Everest 2 can comfortably fit 12″ pans while still offering room for slick camp kitchen moves like flippin’ pancakes.

The added room and power makes the Everest 2 slightly heavier than competitors, though the extra ounces shouldn’t matter for most car camping trips.

Camp Chef Everest 2 Rating

I give the Camp Chef Everest 2 a 5-star rating: it’s a beastly stove built to handle all kinds of campground meals, and it exceeded my expectations in every aspect.

Its appeal lies in power and simplicity, but those can also be its drawbacks: if you need less heat or want a lighter and easier-to-carry option, you may not need more than a basic Coleman stove.

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