Reviewing the Vesta Space Heater/Stove

With a tip from one of our viewers we purchased the Vesta and tried it out. It has some good features that may make it a useful space heater for some people. There are some down sides with attempting to cook on the stove.
Products:
Vesta Indoor Space Heater amzn.to/3H0kYcX
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[@SweetLife27]

Great experiment Pam! I use a similar method when we have hurricanes here in Florida. I use a 12-14” clay pot, put it in my sink, put the canned heat down in the clay pot on top of a few pebbles, and a baking rack on top. The clay pot really holds the heat in, and I use a very cheap pot or pan to cook in. I believe this is part of my success, as cheap thin cookware heats up quicker and to higher temperatures. I am able to boil water, cook soup, eggs and bacon, and have hot water for coffee! Thanks for your informative videos, you both are a blessing to me!

[@ericaharris6897]

Thank you for letting us know!!

[@janepost150]

I agree the type of vessel you use will impact cook times.

[@orange2sweet673]

Great idea

[@dragonslayer7587]

I use a Sterno with my old orchid pot and Coleman cook set as it's thinner. I've lived thru a month without power during Irma, and a week after Ian. I've this stuff down to a science now! As for heat, my son in Texas, during Snowmageddon, has one, and his fireplace, so he just kept the fireplace going, but put up a tent in the Living room and used it to sleep at night. That way he didn't have to feed the fire all night. No broken pipes, and the kids thought it was great.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

​@@dragonslayer7587what is an orchid pot.

[@BRODERICKEDMOND-nu2bg]

She talks and articulate her wording like she's very educated. I can listen to her all day just explaining things such as she's doing and she's just as accurate with her demonstrations as well.

[@christinagardener1889]

Yes, she's a retired professor.

[@philliphall5198]

I think she was a school teacher 😊

[@kristanichols6215]

She is very educated,she's a PHD. Don't you love to listen to her speak,l do.

[@DrDennis]

What a thorough and no BS review. Excellent job Pam. ❤

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thanks so much! We appreciate that.

[@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123]

Always a no nonsense review without out all the crazy music, animated behavior and gloom !!! Well done !!!

[@christinasnowgoer6359]

Coleman stove. 20 dollars at Walmart. Cooks like a dream. Boil, too.

[@val_nightlily]

Is it safe to use indoors?

[@dillodefense]

@@val_nightlily Yes, IF you are well ventilated. IF is used liquid fuel...no.

[@val_nightlily]

@@dillodefense Thanks!

[@linhill4516]

No it is Not considered safe to use indoors regardless of ventilation! Do some of your own research on this. Then you also have the storage of the propane. Yes the Coleman does an excellent job of cooking but outdoors only. Puts out a high amount of heat one reason it cooks well but makes it a high fire danger inside. It also puts out carbon monoxide which is deadly! Devices which have been engineered to safely operate indoors have different designed burners, etc., which eliminate the danger.

[@christinasnowgoer6359]

Than why do so many KZbin's cook with them? Just saying, that a one burner unit are use all the time. Totally safe indoors. I should have stated that.

[@jeffreyburkhardt]

Love your level of detail! I think the problem with the Vesta’s cooking potential may lie in the fact that the flame is too far from the pan. From what I have studied, it seems the sweet spot for alcohol burners is about 1” below the pot. The canned chafing fuel is alcohol based, and visually it appears to be about twice that distance. This could be the issue.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

It certainly could! Thanks.

[@xxkittymeowxx8093]

I agree, cans should be raised higher.

[@jeanene72]

@@xxkittymeowxx8093 I am wondering whether one fire brick could be set in the tray to raise the level of the cans. But I don't have one to measure to see it if would even fit in the tray.

[@ker4all]

Thank you for keeping things real!

[@janepost150]

After your review, I decided to buy the Vesta Heater. As of March 1, 2023, My Patriot Supply was offering the unit for 99.95. I have an 8 x 16 Tiny House. It has no problem heating the whole house with 3 steno cans at a temperature of 40 degrees. I did not cook on with it just used the heater. I'm very happy with my purchase. Thank you, Pam and Jim!

[@philliphall5198]

Every one needs to plan and be prepared for cooking and heating, Lots of Texans learned the hard way and I watched it.. I did loaned out my extra generators and fuel… Hearing the news was heartbreaking 😢

[@donnajohnson2604]

I think in an emergency situation this would be an awesome way to heat/cook. You could cook food without letting anyone know because there would be no smoke.

[@SmokeyMtnRobin]

I am so glad that you reviewed the Vesta. As an apartment dweller I was hoping the Vesta would be a good indoor heating, cooking option in a power outtage since I wouldn't have to store propane. Emergency Essentials is currently selling them for $99.95 if anyone is interested.

[@recoveringsoul755]

Doesn't any open flame require air fow, venting outside air?

[@sammythompson3694]

@@recoveringsoul755 you have to be rich to afford a place that outside air would have to be vented in for a fire. There is plenty oxygen in any abode. Open a door to go out and the electric heater starts, because of the whoosh of fresh air. You could use a can of Crisco for each room burns for 72 hours. Those videos are on here somewhere ask Google at it puts you on utube.

[@recoveringsoul755]

@@sammythompson3694 carbon monoxide is cumulative and there is no way to rid your body of it.

[@nadogrl]

Always use a carbon monoxide detector.

[@wandaduckworth1357]

also My Patroit is as well

[@weeblesdo]

Thank you for doing this. I bought a Vesta last fall and tried it out for cooking. It took 55 minutes from start to finish to bring very cold tap water to a gentle boil and then cook half a pound of pasta. It does take a long time but it gets the job done and for those of us who don't have the option of safely storing propane, this stove is a winner. Thank you for all your videos. I love the science and safety.

[@fullofhope2222]

how long do the cans last?

[@weeblesdo]

@@fullofhope2222 That I can't say, sorry. I only did a test run for one meal but you can get cheaper cans of fuel at Sam's club and, as has been mentioned in here, place the fuel can on top of an overturned tuna can to bring the heat closer to the pan, which should mean you'd need less burn time. I'm going to try that next time.

[@JMurphy1]

I'm curious about the circumstances which would make storing propane unsafe?

[@weeblesdo]

@@JMurphy1 If you live in the states you can look up the laws in your area. Where I live butane, canned heat, and propane is regulated for how much you can store and where. For basic common sense, if you live in an apartment without a storage shed you wouldn't be keeping tanks of propane under your bed. ; )

[@nadogrl]

@@weeblesdo - Have you tried the stove again, with the extra can underneath it?

[@rld1278]

A canned tuna can, or canned chicken can (larger) Placed under the canned heat or the alcohol stove would raise either heat source closer to the pan used for cooking and increase the heat needed for boiling or hotter cooking. This can also be done with a simple sterno stove.

[@lottatroublemaker6130]

A canned can? Isn’t that a bit too much? You place the can on top of the canned heat or alcohol stove, right, not under it? ☺️🤗💓

[@wandaduckworth1357]

@@lottatroublemaker6130 put the empty can under the heat source to get the heat closer to whatever you're cooking !

[@libbyhicks7549]

@@lottatroublemaker6130 Oh, quit with the support for Ukraine already.

[@miranduri]

@@libbyhicks7549That is none of your business

[@caldweller79]

What a thorough thoughtful review. Much appreciated.

[@joeyhardin1288]

Thank you. If I had to cook food, I would make a rocket stove like you demonstrated a few years ago from concrete blocks. God Bless and stay safe. EDIT: mypatriotsupply has it for $99

[@TrumpetReady]

Absolutely the rocket stove is the way to go for my family.

[@joeyhardin1288]

@@TrumpetReady Blessings

[@Revenant483]

On My Patriot Supply the price dropped to $89

[@dawnhasbroken6304]

Concrete blocks can explode when they get hot. Find bricks.

[@jeanene72]

@@TrumpetReady But can you use a rocket stove indoors?

[@Young-rn5ss]

She’s adorable! Answers questions great!

[@marthaguthrie4956]

I have gas logs but a small tank and it's hard to get propane delivery at times. I found a Vesta Space Heater at My Patriot Supply online today for under $100 and purchased it. I am disabled, and have a recliner in my bedroom. This will allow me to be comfortable in my bedroom, sit in the recliner and read with my book lights in case of power outage. I have a two burner cook stove in the garage, and a grill on the deck I can use to cook if necessary. I'm purchasing a new carbon monoxide detector for the bedroom to be extra safe. I use one in my living room near the gas logs. Thank you so much. Oh, and I also ordered the Presto digital canner. I can but at age 83, the smaller amounts, and the digital canner will be easier for me to make meals in a jar. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@1ronward]

Your common sense approach is a wonderful thing!

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thank you!

[@pinecone50]

If you are still in a testing mode, there is a variable you did not check out for cooking: the pan. Using a triple clad saucepan vs a backpacker's single ply aluminum or stainless steel pan. My hypothesis is that you would get a quicker temperature rise in backpacker's gear. They were designed to boil water efficiently. What would the difference be if you tried a backpacker's tea kettle? How about a backpacker's or a thin bottomed skillet against the cast iron? Perhaps you can borrow some gear to try out. The discussion in your video (and others) is on the fuel with out much mention of the type of pans that would be most successful with the fuel and stove design.

[@jeanene72]

I agree, and thought about that during her demonstration. Cast iron is great over an open fire, but with the limited time you get with the canned heat, I would definitely use a thinner pan, the smallest you actually need, and also put the canned heat higher, closer to the pan. During one snowstorm when we were out of power for a couple of weeks, I heated some canned soup in a small sauce pan with only a candle. I set an oven rack up on top of some canned goods, two or three on each side, and set my pan on top of that. So the pan was just a few inches above the flame. I don't remember if it boiled, or how long it took, but it got good and hot . It's good to have a variety of fuel sources on hand.

[@wayneroberts5774]

Stainless steel is a lousy conductor of heat it absorbs and distributes at a bad rate, making maple syrup over the years. The original pans they use were copper, and they were heated up quickly when they went to stainless steel pans because of the reability over many years of hot wood fires, not being so harsh on the pan they found that it took more heat to get the stainless steel pans to get the sap to boil. Long story short get a copper pan.

[@ConnieBrown-gu6bb]

I was thinking the same thing. Also use smaller pan, maybe only one cup,of water at a time to boil water for coffee or tea, or ramen. Great video!

[@MsRexsmurphy]

I just love the way you explain things! I am 61 and never understood altitude cooking till You explained it !!! Thank you so much for your knowledge and charm ❤️Godspeed to you and your wonderful family 🙏🏼🥰✨

[@TheMargo420]

Very thorough review. You are such a joy to learn from.Thank you.

[@chrissewell1608]

You gave a good explanation of the Pelltier device, powering the heater fan! That interests me more, than the sterno stove!

[@hwiley8141]

Years ago I did work in a place that the electricity and water was turned off. I took a small metal pan, put in sterno ( used for catering) , put a rack on top , poured water in a coffee pot and made tea. It didnt boil, but it was warm to drink and the heat from the metal pan kept my hands from freezing.

[@adammott9479]

They are now shipping these with 3 cans of AN UPGRADED PRODUCT - CANNED HEAT PLUS - burns much hotter & really helps boost performance. - I LOVE my vesta to help on the super cold nights when my home heat isn't quite keeping the bedroom warm enough!!!

[@healingjourneys4241]

Do you think this would be a solution for a camper van?

[@helened6896]

I purchased this after hearing this video. I feel much more secure having it and highly recommend every home to have it.

[@kmotzny]

I just bought this about 3 weeks ago. Got it directly from 4 Patriots and paid only $97. Thank you so much for testing it. I need to test mine.

[@Famcke]

Amazing!!! Ya'll are not only teaching us, but saving us money and disappointments along the way. Thank you 💐💙🙏🇺🇲

[@tekawolf8254]

So glad I got to watch your video on the Vesta Space heater/ Stove. Appreciate your sharing this video. I had an experience last winter where I had no heat for 3 days and nearly froze. The weather had turned very cold 🥶, in the teens. I live in an apartment and when I notified the manager that I had no heat, she said to turn the heat up. Well I was having trouble with the thermostat and unit. Was able to ask for help and she never answered for the lack of help I needed. So grateful to you for sharing and the time you put in the video.

[@thebelieversplace]

I really love your video and all the details. I just ordered this unit a couple hours ago and it will be a few days before I get it. I do believe that there is a solution to help your water boil faster and at a higher temperature. What you need to do is to have a way to raise up the canister. Like a miniature table raise it up a inch or two so that the flame is closer to the pot or pan. So, whatever you use to raise it up needs to be fireproof of course. For me this would be an easy solution because I worked for a manufacturing company that deals with metal. For you might want to find a miniature pan that's only about a inch thick. Of course, that would only be a temporary thing for boiling water or cooking something that needs a higher temperature. But if you use it as a heater then take the tray out or the piece of metal that you have in there that would raise it then you would not need that. Thank you for a great video, God bless. Just so that there is no misunderstanding I'm talking about raising up the canisters inside the unit so that it's a little closer to the bottom of the pans that are on top of the unit. I would like to add one more thing for all those who get disappointed. it's meant for an emergency, one is going to wish they had this when the emergency takes effect, and they have no electricity and society breaks down. Then it's going to be nice to be able to cook your food when you have no power and all you have is rice and beans and you need to cook it. Just something to think about. That day is coming for we live in a very unstable world.

[@mvblitzyo]

You two put together an exceptional video. I’m very impressed with how well thought out this entire video , especially the little humor that is an added bonus.. thanks from Joe n Christina

[@earthangel2590]

Thank you, I really appreciate you taking the time to test this so that we know the best value for our time and money!

[@QuiteContent]

Thank you for producing another informative video. I'm glad I purchased a Vesta. It gives me another option for safe indoor heating. Many types of fuel are not safe for indoor use, but fuel used for chaffing dishes can be. I'm going to purchase the alcohol stove you demonstrated also. Thank you for the suggestion and for taking the time to help so many of us.

[@Breezbug]

Love your videos. Thanks ❤ Can you do a segment on heating fuel types and what the shelf life is for these? I’m concerned how to store large supplies safely and for how long.

[@utubemouse]

That would be helpful❤

[@brendaproffitt6555]

I love the way u completely explain how things work. Great job👍👍👍😊

[@Pthommie]

Thanks for this review. I'm following your advice & getting both Vesta (heating) & alcohol stove (cooking). Glad I watched -- I wouldn't want to have discovered this during an emergency.

[@msherry5]

Thank you, as always. I have been considering getting one of these as a backup heat source. I love getting a review from people I trust.

[@derekwalters4980]

I bought one of these. I think they might work better with the thinner metal camping cookware that conducts heat quickly. As far as cast iron goes, that takes awhile to heat up on my gas kitchen stove, but once it does it gets ripping hot and takes awhile to cool down. I don't know if that is a consideration you might want to take into consideration, the thinner camping cookware. I do live in a large city, my neighbors on the sides of us are only about 15 feet away, so a big attraction for us with this gizmo is that we can safely store this fuel. Of course, for heat, we'd use it in the smallest room, and close it off to the rest of the house. It might not make a room warm, but it could you from freezing. We have tall ceilings downstairs, so we'd use it in the small room upstairs. Also, my 89yr old mother lives with one of the granddaughters over on the bay in a mobile home, and I like this idea for them. Never thought of the alcohol stove, but thank you so much for doing that. We have a few of those around, so that would really help with the cooking. We bought our canned heat from COSTCO and it was absolutely cheaper than their candles. I'm so happy to took the time to test this. We have a unit called a Kelly Kettle, you can't use it for heat, but it will get water boiling in the kettle very quickly, and you can use a variety of fuel source. They've been around for awhile, and it's, apparently, the kind of thing that they used in the Highlands of Scotland to cook on.

[@libbyhicks7549]

Our house is an old barn so weve got very high vault ceilings for the living room kitchen and bedrooms but there is also a ladder up to the old hay loft which would definately be the place to shack down into with minimal heat. Its up high near the roof and small and cozy.

[@karenemrick8677]

This was very educational. You really explain things in detail.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thanks! Jim

[@lateepiphany]

Thank you for that thorough review. I agree it has its purpose as a heater. Thanks so much for all you do!

[@Lulu-he9dp]

We are not at a high elevation, but there are better options available for heat and cooking for us in my opinion. The main con for me is that with taking longer for cooking or heating it is a waste of fuel when you may not have much to spare. Thank you for the review.

[@katrinaleger1819]

Could you grace us with your examples of 'better options'?

[@ericaharris6897]

I would like to know as well!!

[@mysticdiana4402]

can you share with us what the better options would be?

[@Jake-Drake]

I would also like to know what better options you are referring to.

[@3000secrets]

Fuel is expensive. Not practical.

[@ToniMBullock]

I have this stove and I have the oven by them as well. It works well for me. One thing that I do that isn’t mentioned in the manual for the stove is pull the wick out a little bit of the canned heat. For the oven, the instructions say to pull the wick out to 1 inch, I do that with the stove too. The flames reach higher and it does a great job. It boils 1 quart of water in 10 minutes (I use regular cookware). That’s the same amount of time that pot takes on my spirit burner. In thin camping cookware (which I think it’s made for) it would be even faster. And the heater function works fabulously. I’m not sure why some people don’t like it. I love this stove/heater and the oven. They are two of the best prep purchases I’ve made in my opinion. Between the 2 devices I have an oven, stove, and space heater. To each their own I suppose, but I’d try it for yourself before assuming it’s no good. I’m glad I bought it before I saw this review. I get my canned heat from Sam’s which is a pretty good deal. *I wanted to add that the only thing I wouldn’t do on this stove is deep fry. I’d use my butane stove for that. But butane is more expensive so I would use this for all of my other cooking in a grid down situation.

[@lynsmith2698]

Wow neat. Interesting. We bought our first heat driven fan for the top of our wood heater back in 1996. I couldn’t live without one now. I could see how the little heater would work to heat up one room during an outage. Thanks for your trials on this, ❄️🇨🇦❄️

[@janmclain6301]

I love your honest reviews, thank you so much! Y'all never disappoint or promote something that might be a waste of money for those of us on very low SocSec income!

[@susancoulange382]

Pam, Thank you for testing this heater/stove. I just love your experiments and attention to safety. You are my go-to for safety, particularly with canning. Thanks to you and Jim! Love from the Mississippi coast

[@twiz148]

I would tell you with canned heat its more about distance from the flame. I use these ALL THE TIME and the warming pans OFTEN boil with a lot of water and CHEAP heat canisters. The caveat is that my chafing pans are VERY close to the flame. So it sounds like a design flaw with the Vesta product. The closer to the flame the better with those style heaters. I would add that it doesn't need to be a rolling boil to be cooked safely. You can safely cook food well below boiling as it is a time and temperature issue not just temperature. You can sous vide food as low as low as 140 degrees so long as it is cooked long enough. Still sounds like the flame should be elevated at least a bit. For room heating, I would also place the heater on the floor (the coldest air in the room) to elevate the temperature without all of the heat going straight to the ceiling. Lastly, yes a Trangia alcohol stove (or any knockoff brand) is much more efficient. However used at the proper height, the chafing warmers work well...it just seems that again this is a bad setup, but if you could find something to elevate the warmers an inch or two you would see MUCH better/faster results. .

[@mo-end-times-info]

@twiz148 - for some other experiments - e.g. using canned heat in a cake tin with a grill on top - the canned heat cans can be raised up with the ends of tin cans - when opening the cans ( cans of various canned products from the grocery store ) the ends of the cans make little trays for placing tea light on - and can also raise tea lights or canned heat up closer to the cooking vessel - and somewhat adjustable depending on how many can lids / and ends are staked together. I do wonder why the bars of the grid on the Vesta are not spaced to allow the flame to freely rise - the bars seem to be directly over the cans, or at least directly over some of the cans in the little tray / drawer.

[@lindaertel7558]

I appreciate your detail of your experiments and what you do in the video. You are very thorough. Thank you!

[@Yoda63]

There’s a brand of cookware called “turbo pot” that has a ridged bottom which supposedly sucks more heat out of a flame. Might be worth trying out on the sterno stove

[@munchkindoodles]

Very interesting and informative video! Have heard about this heater on other channel’s but they never went into it to the depth you did. Love how you really test and experiment with something before giving your opinion. Great information!!! ❤

[@mz5376]

I bought mine from Patriot Supply for $99 on 3/2/23. Thank you so much for your review!

[@lindalewis2170]

Thank you so much for doing this! I’ve really wondered if this was worth the investment. I love learning new things and the “why” behind them and your love of teaching makes this journey so much fun! Thank you both!

[@RoseRedHomestead]

You are so welcome! Jim

[@cbass2755]

I wasn’t impressed with it ither. I didn’t buy it, first saw on the Provident Prepper. Of course it’s not horrible, but I have other backups that I have without spending the money. I’m happy you reviewed it. Thank you. These are good for apartments, but not for me

[@lynnsmith4852]

They do have these on Emergency Essentials for $99.

[@vapeking466]

I have a feeling they could be working on a version 2. With new and improved features! That would be nice. You did a good job! 👍

[@horticultureandhomes]

You'll have better results cooking using thinner walled pans such as dark enamel used in sun ovens. You can find sam's club brand chafing fuel in some areas for $1.61 per can. The yellow bottles of heet are not a good match to use around food if you read the MSDS on it.

[@brianmccann666]

I'm in Florida. I use the Gas One chaffing fuel to boil water all the time. I cook ramen noodles with it. I can boil any can soups with my fuel sources. But I use the coghlan single folding stove. Uses either sterno or chaffing candles to cook foods with. Square pans or Rectangle pans are best on your heater/cooker in the video. And I agree, the use of Cast Iron makes it easier indeed. Camp Chef sells a cast iron rectangle reversible griddle perfect for you heater/cooker. I've used cast iron griddle to heat my old 30' RV by itself. Evaluation Altitude, Humidity, and Outside Temperatures makes the time to boil water vary widely. Sometimes you won't be able to true, but cast iron gear helps a lot in my experiences. Alcohol burners like you showed are Great for quick boil times. And so are the Solid fuel cubes, which can boil water in 4-6 minutes and heats up and cast iron very quickly. Chaffing dishes can hold the fuel cubes safely. Or any small stainless steel dishes that will fit inside the unit to hold solid fuels. Great video btw. I enjoyed it. Your high altitude experience shows pitfalls I keep hearing about. But yeah, try more Cast Iron Pans, Pots, griddles on the Heater/cooker. You can get two square cast iron pans on the top easier and cook two different things at once. Or a larger rectangle pan/pot that covers the whole top completely, which I used a rectangle pot to cook STEW in over Hours of cooking on purpose, slow cooker style. Only used one can of the chaffing fuel to do it. Lid on the cast iron pot helped it boil at a low boil the entire time. Came out great. Try it, if it sounds interesting to you. The Cast iron pot/lid got hot and kept my RV warm that winter. It was around 35°F that day. But warmer temps should work better.

[@c007zy]

I was just thinking of buying one of these and using the Sam's club chaffing dish cans. This is such an informative and timely video Pat!!! God bless both of you for helping all your viewers!!!

[@mallred5]

Thanks! I was looking for something to use in our RV during cold boondock camping where we don’t want to use the propane!

[@healingjourneys4241]

I’m wanting it for a van. How did it work out for you?

[@idahohoosier8989]

I love how y'all check everything out with great seriousness. Thank y'all. Blessings, julie

[@grtchldy6561]

Thanks for doing this. It’s always important to test out your gear when you don’t really need it. I just tested out my tiny folding Esbit tablet stove. I found I can boil water with one tablet but need to use two tablets for cooking ramen. I did use two packages of ramen. Glad I tested it. Now I know what it does. I wouldn’t cook a stew but noodles yes! Plus stove fits in my pocket.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Yes, always test your products ahead of time. Jim

[@felinespirits]

I do stock a lot of Sterno for preps. Bought one of these but honestly only for a little additional heat, a regular old Sterno stove is better for cooking. Even better for cooking soups etc is an old fashioned fondue pot with an alcohol or sterno burner. You can buy a stainless steel fondue pot from the 70s for cheap in a thrift shop (get one with a pot lid). Everything you need to heat soup in a stable platform.

[@jeanene72]

I have a fondue pot and never thought of using it like that, probably because I rarely use it, lol. But it has an open lid. Maybe I can come up with a lid for it, or use foil.

[@BWSaks]

I bought a Vesta mainly for heat in my master bathroom/bedroom if the power goes out. I didn’t want to store unsafe propane in my house. I have a gas stove so cooking on a burner in a power outage is not a problem for me. I got mine on sale for $98.95 on Patriot Supply (I think) and I get 12 cans of the 6-hour fuel at Sam’s for $19.98. Thank you for the review. I haven’t had to use it yet but, after watching your demo, I know what to expect and will be okay with its functionality.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Glad the information was helpful.

[@s.kertanguy8433]

I can't find any good bacon like that anymore in France, please keep that plate for me, I 'm salivating watching it 😂

[@jessemills3845]

Should try camping pans. Those are thinner metal may work better. Because sterno camp stoves can heat up camp sets and mess kits

[@Nilsosmar]

Thank you for the review of the Vesta heater. After watching it and some other reviews, I decided to buy one. I actually like it more than I'd thought I would. It works well as a "personal heater", similar to one of the little 400 watt electric heaters sold on Amazon which are intended to heat a single person or a small room. I did an experiment with it which I can now advise others NOT to do. I tried running it with 12 little tea light candles inside of it. Then I kept a close eye on it. It did "work" in the sense that the fan started spinning, and a little heat was coming out; but the wax all melted (predictably) and made a mess. If the melted wax had ignited, as sometimes happens with tea light candle heaters, I'd have had a dangerous situation to contend with. So... lesson learned...don't use this heater with tea light candles.

[@nmr6988]

For this item, heating a room that I am in when there's no power would be the primary usage. It's not meant to boil water and do heavy duty cooking. I have other ways to do that, but staying warm safely in my house and not dying from carbon monoxide poisoning is the purpose behind this item. Being able to warm up a small pan of soupor other pre-cooked items is just a bonus.

[@willowkat5764]

Thank you for the review. I bought one from Patriot Supply for 119.00 with all 3 cans of heat. I haven’t used it yet but glad you showed how it worked.

[@carolanderson2797]

I ordered one from My Patriot Supply yesterday ($100)and it arrived today. I live out in the country in Ohio, so I was surprised at the speed of delivery. I already have had it up and running. I love it! This is an amazing little heater.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

That is awesome! Jim

[@davidgallagher7344]

I cooked a lot of food on a sterno stove I have had for over 60 years. I got it when I was a boy scout. I grew up in Colo. Where water boils at approximately 95°C, or 203°F.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Our boiling point for water is also 203°F. We are at 5000 ft elevation.

[@1MajorTom]

thank you for your attempt to use it, and it proves that it is only for use as a space heater and not for cooking as they claim. even my small military cookware with the accompanying small bags for heating (burning) is 100 times begging to cook on as we do in the field when we cook for ourselves. we can get water to boil quite quickly and cook canned food on it without any problems😁

[@jeannettejo1]

I love my Vesta as a heater. I was worried about a motor home I have in storage with no power for heat. Things get cold and damp on the Oregon Coast which is where the RV is stored. I actually prayed the day I discovered the Vesta and thought, this must be the answer...and so I bought 2 at $99 on line. (Just to be safe) I do know one heater reaches at least 65 degrees don't know what Temps for 2. The good canned heat burns 6 hours and that was the selling point for me. The only other alternative for me was to pay for a campsite with electrical hook-ups. $35 to $65 a night. I guess you can say...I'm a happy camper!☺👍

[@RoseRedHomestead]

That sounds great! Make sure you have adequate ventilation for them. Jim

[@lindanelson8969]

Rose, I love your videos. I really appreciate your honesty. It helps so much to know what I can actually count on. Thank you so much 😊 💖💖

[@lottatroublemaker6130]

For such a stove, I would use a very thin steel pan, would heat much quicker and does the job well enough! 🤗

[@oreocookies7831]

Thank you for this display on how it works and for the reasoning behind its heat build up. Agree with you, as a heater its best use. Terry

[@bittehiereinfugen7723]

Thank you very much for your very detailed experiment and report! I am now glad that after doing our own research we decided against an emergency gas heater (on the one hand because of the obvious safety risk, on the other hand because of the problem with the increased humidity when using gas cartridges - we don't want any mold on the walls to breed). In the end we decided on a Japanese-style kerosene stove (Toyotomi) - very proven technology, very effective, very safe. We've used it a lot now, first for test purposes, then we really fell in love with the cozy warmth that the little stove generates and therefore use it regularly in the evenings when we've made ourselves comfortable on the sofa. For cooking, we have both normal camping gas cookers and a multi-fuel cooker, all of which have been tested well on our tours. Testing is an important keyword - to all those who buy such equipment for emergencies: test it extensively! We only had a cheap multi-fuel stove, which almost cost my husband and son their hair the first time we used it because the flame shot up over 2 meters in the air when it was first started, completely unregulated. This is of course an entertaining story that has gone down in our family history, but not something I want to experience during a real emergency.

[@lyndabuchholz1216]

I bought one of these after watching the provident prepper. I tested it's heating ability in a 12 X 10 room and it raised the temp 2 degrees in one hour. I let it go for another hour and it didn't raise the temp anymore. I haven't cooked on it. I bought those alcohol burners and will try them. I will like to see the difference in the heating sources. I wasn't impressed much, but maybe it will work better in other areas. In a emergency 2 degrees is better than nothing.

[@terrym5786]

Thank you for the review. This was the next item I was considering purchasing. Fuel storage for those without a building outside our main residence is a concern I would like to mention I stored chafing dish fuel, unopened and still covered with plastic wrap, for 20 years. When I moved, I discovered it had all evaporated from the cans even though they had never been opened. Something to consider.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

It is indeed something to consider. Thank you for sharing that detail!

[@halifaxguy]

I have a ‘fondue’ set that has the canned heat, a stand that holds a thick bottomed pot… the fuel in mine seems to be an alcohol based gel and it gets very hot. But I do like the idea of that little heater. As a Canadian, it would come in handy as an emergency room heater should the power go down in the winter. I do have gas powered generators, but I hate to turn it on when poeple are trying to sleep. I’ll have to look into this. Thank you.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thank you for your comments. Stay safe! Jim

[@janbrandemihl9156]

Great review! Ive seen this heater and wondered about it. I may invest in one or two. One for the heat and one for cooking and when cooking is not in use, it can heat another room. You do such a good job of your reviews. Im so glad I found you about 6 months ago and have followed you since. You are very thorough and informative. Thanks to your husband also, cuz he does a really good job filming. !!

[@suzetridesanandalusian8529]

I paid $89 for my Vesta online at My Patriot Supply. Also they have redesigned the Vesta and they no longer have the fan. The Provident Prepper channel has a very good segment on grid-down ways to cook as well as heat. She used 3 cans of fuel & got a hearty boil going, fast. I’m very happy with the Vesta. As you’re well aware, prepping calls for imagination and having many ‘tools’ at our disposal, especially tools that have dual purposes. So I’m now a subscriber because having skills and knowledge will, I think, give us a better chance at survival, particularly when you’re a senior citizen. Keep up the great work and thanks for your efforts!

[@cocacolafiesta]

Just purchased mine (11-11-23) and it has the fan. $99 for 2 more days sale.

[@dawnhasbroken6304]

Why on earth would they eliminate the fan????

[@sharonnm6799]

For heating I have a wood burning stove w Peltier fan, a Buddy heater and a couple of electric car blankets (would use one of my solar power stations) to keep us warm. For cooking have a one burner butane stove, a solo camp stove (twigs, charcoal/pellets or alcohol cans), my wonderbag and an open wood fireplace. I think we could manage w/o the vesta

[@chrissewell1608]

What a good, scientific, well done review for this stove & fan! Its to bad that the stove is just NOT efficient enough to cook with!

[@anndunphy7264]

Thanks for your detailed review of this product. I just received mine today as another backup source for heat and boiling small amounts of water. I already owned one solo alcohol burner and purchased two more and more fuel for those. I’m testing it out now- very easy setup and love the fan feature. Thanks again 😊

[@noracharles80]

Pam and Jim🌹- thank you for such a well done review. Sadly we bought it a few months back as I saw it on the Provident Prepper (and I have much praise for Jonathan and Kyleen). Plus, we paid closer to $200. Oh, well…live and learn. 🌹- Nora

[@femvetusa5263]

Thank you for this review. I was considering purchasing this item, have now decided to save my money.

[@suzannedundon4275]

I have 2 of these and I like them. I’ve got a lot of time so the time factor isn’t an issue for me. And I bought a dozen cases of heat. (24 per) and have other means of cooking so I’m good. Oh, and plus, it’s just me in my family. I enjoy your channel. Thanks a lot.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thanks for your very nice comments. Jim

[@limitedaxcess]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Tsch6373]

Got my Vesta this morning for $89.95 at Camping Survival (online) with free shipping. They're running a sale, their regular price according to their webpage is $139.95. Only tested the heater part because I was interested in the fan's operation. I used three 2-hour fuel cans purchased from Dollar Tree, saving the 3 cans that came with it for an actual need. Saw your review along with several others, before purchasing. Yours, Pam and Jim, was, by far, the best! I appreciate your attention to detail. Thank you again for your thorough review! New subscriber here!

[@sassi1239]

We decided to buy one.. As an alternative Back-up Plan.. got it for $99.. My husband builds alcohol burners & stoves .. we have found them to be very efficient.. hope this helps someone .. thank you so much for the review. ;)

[@NancySutherland]

How long does the cans last when using it for heat? That would determine whether it’s in the budget for us.

[@lunarminx]

Three tuna can, wax and cardboard buddy burners in a cake pan and a cookie cooling rack on top or even short alcohol burners. I pulled some out today and three fit in a ceramic casserole pan i have and the cooling racks fit perfectly. I just need to get a small bag of sand to put in the bottom. I can also use camping pans on it, stainless steel bowls and even bread pan as they are light. I have small cookie sheets that are a perfect size. I plan to save some cans to fill with sand to be heated up too. If need be four can hold another cooling rack over the the crisco candles I made in half punt canning jars because of this channel recommending shorter candles as to lessen the chance of getting knocked over. I was so happy to find out buddy burners are like a candle, that the cardboard is the wick. They can be made and stored away. I have cats so it's cat food cans being used....well washed.

[@christimartin8512]

That’s fascinating. As a backpacker, one thing I noticed right away is that the stove is designed for camp-style cookware, which is smaller in diameter and usually quite thin, being made of aluminum or (more expensive) titanium. A thinner bottom would give less resistance to the heat on the bottom of the pot and less diameter, meaning more of the pan is exposed to the flame. I have a lot of experience with alcohol stoves and the solid fuel stoves are a variation. If you are trying to boil, you would do better with regular can of Sterno fuel. The ideal distance from bottom of pot to flame source, with an alcohol stove is 1” or a bit less. Any more than that, and you will not get enough heat to boil water. That is the problem. An alcohol burner set 1” below the surface of the pot, with a windscreen around it, will boil water in 5-9 minutes, depending on starting temperature and conditions. That stove you have, with some tweaking, WILL work! It just has the wrong fuel and you are using too large and heavy pots.

[@RoseRedHomestead]

Thanks for your comment.

[@christineblaszczyk1602]

Thank you for reviewing this item. I've never seen it before and will be ordering one for emergency heating.

[@VioletRose-f9t]

GREAT DEMO, THANKYOU!

[@mikeg1265]

Very meticulous review. I comment you for such an in depth analysis of this product. I thank you very much for this review! I wish more people would do this! And not be moved towards doing an ad for the manufacturers.

[@helena_maria_._._]

Thanks for your video. I bought one from the USA company. I’m from Quebec Canada. I also did testing and found that covering the frying pan or pot of water will heat better!

[@bethford2334]

Thank you so much for your review. I was not even aware of such a heater, so it is truly informational for me. It is definitely a good back up option for us.

[@CBReal1290]

This was the best review. I've seen about that little show and suggestions and all of that. Thank you so much

[@RoseRedHomestead]

You are very welcome.

[@lindafoster8182]

I love your experiments. It helps us not waste money

[@wolin289]

I loosely build up 2 paver bricks x 3 sides, around in a "C" pattern and have a cast iron fry pan on top of that with the heat source inside the C and the peltier stove fan inside that pan. Heats nicely. I burn whatever clean fuel I have. Usually hand sanitizer. It's the same formula as ventless fireplace fuel. It burns clean. Looks like my heater does about the same thing. The cast iron pan is the same material as many wood stoves. I don't cook over it. Just a cheap way to keep warm with what I have around.

[@yolandadorazio9439]

Thank you for doing this experiment. I've seen this product on you tube and have wanted to purchase it but wondered what the pros and cons where and you answered a lot of questions.

[@job1595]

I'm so glad you put a video up for this. I've been thinking about buying it and you have answered my questions. Thank you. Currently you can get 24 cans on My Patriot Supply for $3.55 per can and stove is $99.95.

[@sanborns]

Thanks I bought my for home heating only.Will do a review after receiving and testing.

[@rorriannroch]

Pam thank you for this. Even though I was disappointed I decided to buy one and found a new one on Mercari for $80 delivered. For us we have an all electric house and I have been worried about keeping warm in an outage. We bought two very large generators but this safe heating ability can be used in our small bedroom to keep us warm. I am going to try to cook with it too in the same room so the heat from cooking is not wasted. But I will raised up the cans with maybe an empty tuna can flipped over as some have suggested. Also as someone else suggested use some thin cheap pans as they take less heat to warm up. We have the ability to cook outside but if it is cold out it may not be such a pleasant experience. Also we have Sam's Club near us so getting the cans of fuel will make the cost of using this inexpensive.