The Classic Camp Stove Gets a Modern Makeover: Coleman 1900 3-in-1 Review
Coleman makes one of the most reliable, iconic, no-frills camping stoves still on the market today, the ‘Classic.’ But its new 1900 Collection 3-in-1 Camping Stove may just take the cake (or burgers, kebabs — whatever you want to cook).
A solid, reliable, and capable camp stove is a necessity no matter where you camp. Beyond that, if you are someone who enjoys cooking a variety of food at camp — not just packaged oatmeal and burgers — a more versatile camp stove becomes a necessity.
Coleman introduced its 3-in-1 Propane Camping Stove for exactly this purpose. You’ll have to pay a little extra — this stove is $230 compared to the Coleman Classic for much less — so, we had to find out: Is it worth it?
In short: Calling all outdoorsy foodies — this stove is for you. The Coleman 3-in-1 can handle all sorts of foods and meals thanks to its included grill and griddle. I used both cast-iron attachments, as well as a fry pan and pot (for boiling water), on my most recent camping trip. The stove performed spectacularly in everything I cooked, and in withstanding the harsh elements.
Coleman 1900 3-in-1 Propane Camp Stove Review
The Coleman Stove was designed as part of the 1900 Collection (celebrating 120 years of the brand). Because of that, it has even more style points than a regular ol’ Coleman, with a wide base, modern design, and gold accents.
Things we love off the bat: the hefty and secure latch on the front, the incorporated carry handle, and the piezo igniter. The stove also has a small built-in channel inside the burner area for storing the propane adapter — something many stove designs miss.
Add to that the star feature of this stove — cast iron pot supports and two cast iron attachments — and you’ve got a winner.
Coleman 3-in-1 Stove Specs
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Materials: Cast iron, stainless steel
- Includes two cast iron grill/griddle attachments
- Features: Heavy-duty latch, carry handle
- Stove: Two 12,000 BTU burners, auto-igniter, 360-degree simmer dials
- Fuel type: Propane
- Stove weight: 13.5 lbs.
- Attachments weight: 8 lbs.
- Total weight: 21.5 lbs.
The Coleman 3-in-1 Stove: Camp Cooking
I’ve used this stove on two separate occasions so far: once camping, and once more grilling outside for further testing. I grilled some pineapple slices for salsa and roasted some poblano peppers and corn over an open flame for tacos.
I also sautéed vegetables on low, medium, and high heat to test the simmer control. And I boiled water for rice and pasta. You can also make pancakes on the griddle, or grill bread or buns for burgers.
As soon as I got to using this stove, I noticed how many possibilities there are. It’s not only a durable stove for outdoor use while camping, but it offers lots of versatility in ways to cook.
Want to cook a recipe with multiple components? This stove should be able to handle it. The best part? You don’t need to buy a separate grill or griddle top for camping with this stove.
Performance in Cold & Wind
It’s summer (mostly), but I still managed to test this stove in less-than-ideal weather when a gusty rain (and then a snowstorm) blew in. I ended up cooking a camp meal in 32mph winds.
The stove stayed upright on my camp table, and it proved sturdy enough to withstand the wind. I felt comfortable enough to keep the heat cranked and the dinner cookin’.
Aside from that, the simmer control worked fantastically. I used this stove once with a dwindling (less than half-full) canister of fuel and then once again with a full canister.
Both times, I was able to keep the dials on a low simmer if need be, even with wind. The 12,000-each BTU burners, combined with what I consider much improved dials compared to previous Colemans, contributed to this success.
I couldn’t perform a proper boil test, as the weather kept changing, but it took roughly 4 minutes and 30 seconds to bring 4 cups (~1 L) of water to a full boil.
Finally, like any burners, there are going to be some hot and some not-so hot spots around the surface of the cast irons, once they heat up. Now, this didn’t affect grilling buns or corn, but if you are trying to cram a lot of food onto the griddle, just know the temperature will vary a little.
Heating up the cast irons also took a little longer than a standard pan; but was worth it, knowing I could get a good hot sear going on the food.
Also, while not a negative aspect, it’s worth mentioning that the grill/griddle attachments provide a fairly small surface area. There’s plenty of room for a few burgers or pancakes on each; I even fit a few corns on the cob on the grill.
Just don’t think you will get a full grill-top to churn out food for 12. But it’s a plenty large enough surface for food to serve two to four.
Conclusion
Even though this stove was stellar in testing, we have to address the price. At $230, this stove surpasses all other Colemans, and even more premium stove picks like the Camp Chef Everest 2X. But you do have to factor in the quality of the cast iron components and attachments.
A good cast iron grill/griddle can run anywhere from $25 to $100. This stove comes with two to support all kinds of cooking. (Don’t forget to treat your cast iron!) If you know you’ll use this stove and the cast iron grill and griddles, then it’s still a great buy.
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