British BBQ Society Forums

Not really BBQ, but an intriguing item nonetheless.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/biolite-campstove

A portable camping stove, for boiling water etc, but with a built in heat to electricity generator that powers a USB socket suitable for charging phones.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/biolite-portable-grill

Grill attachment for the above (55 sq inches)

To be honest, I think the grill is a bit of a gimmick. But I quite like the look of the campstove.

Pricey, though - 150 quid for the stove, 70 quid for the grill attachment - so I don't think I'll be getting one!

I take it back, it actually looks quite fun.

Is it just a very pretty rocket stove?

It looks very cool though.

Similar to, but not exactly the same. The advantage of most rocket stoves I have seen is that the kindling or other fuel is fed into the stove from the side, which is where you also get the flow of air. The Biolite stove uses a fan to improve this flow of air, but in doing so, blocks the side entrance, which means it has to be fed from the top. Which of course, means removing whatever you are heating.

Another issue I'be read about is that in its packed state, the orange electronic part detaches and is stored neatly in the chimney. You don't need to be a genius to realise that this means it is not going to stay in it's pristine state for long, unless you are meticulous at cleaning out the ashes and grease from the combustion chamber every time it is packed away.

Having said that, I still think it looks very cool.

Isn't there an obvious H&S problem feeding feul in at the top whre it gets a trifle hot? Still looks good, but as you rightly say for how long???