How to Make a Cat Food Can Stove

Go to the recycling center or visit your local trash can. You’ll need a cat food can and one slightly bigger, such as a tuna fish can 

Using a can and bottle opener, cut out several spaced wedges, like slices of pie. These are for air flow. The smaller one inside the larger, you can either line up the holes for increased air or stagger them to moderate.

Inside the smaller can place some fiberglass insulation and cap it with a mesh screen.

You’ll need something for the pot to sit upon over the flame. At the hardware store I bought a length of sturdy wire netting or screen that would place the pot about an inch above the flame.

Next you’ll want a windscreen to protect the operation in windy conditions and make the stove more efficient. At the hardware store you might buy some double-reflective insulation or garden edging, but since I only needed a strip of it instead of a whole roll I simply use heavy-duty tin foil each time I go out for a tour.

Voila: the cat-food can stove!

Finally, the fuel: I use de-natured alcohol. In some countries this is called methylated spirits. HEET is a brand available in the US if you can’t find denatured alcohol. A can is about $7. This fuel burns hot. A capful is about a minute-burn. A quart takes about 8 minutes to boil, thus 8 capfuls. Unfortunately I haven’t had much luck simmering with this kind of stove. Basically you can boil and heat up food.

A word of warning—if you measure out the amount you need and are caught short, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ADD MORE FUEL WHILE STILL BURNING.