Coleman Matchlight 2-Burner Propane Stove Review

Overview

The Coleman Matchlight is the stove most Americans picture when they hear “camp stove”: a black steel suitcase that opens into two 10,000 BTU burners, a pair of wind panels, and room for a 12-inch and a 10-inch pan at the same time. It is built for car campers, tailgaters and power-outage cooking, and it does that job cheaply and reliably. At 4,558 g (about 10 lb) before fuel, it is also a poor fit for anyone who carries their kitchen on their back.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	4,558 g (about 10 lb)
Burners	2
Output	10,000 BTU per burner, 20,000 BTU total
Fuel	Propane, 16.4 oz cylinder (sold separately)
Burn time, both burners on high	Up to 1.1 hours
Burn time, low	Up to 4.5 hours
Pan capacity	One 12 in. and one 10 in. pan at the same time
Regulator	PerfectFlow pressure regulator
Wind protection	Integrated wind baffles
Grate	Removable, nickel-chrome-plated
Ignition	Manual (match or lighter)
Dimensions	22.13 in. L x 4.13 in. W x 13.75 in. H

Performance

Power and pan room. Twenty thousand BTU across two burners is enough to boil a big pot of water for a group, fry breakfast on one side while coffee heats on the other, or run a griddle across both. Owners who cook for families point out that the layout accommodates two 10-inch skillets without the handles colliding, and one longtime owner on a hobbyist forum described using one burner for coffee while a griddle spanned the pair. That is the real appeal here: it behaves like a small kitchen range, not a pot-boiler.

Wind. The folding baffles and the regulator are the stove’s answer to a breezy campsite. Buyers repeatedly credit the panels with keeping the flame steady outdoors, though one verified purchaser who owns an older white-gas Coleman noted that the current wind guards are thinner than the old ones. The panels can also be left folded down when a large pan needs the room, a trick owners like. The regulator is there to hold output steady as the cylinder cools and empties, which matters on a long breakfast.

Fuel life. Coleman rates a single 16.4 oz cylinder at about 1.1 hours with both burners wide open and up to 4.5 hours on low. Campers who have run one say the burn-time figure holds up in the real world, with one reviewer reporting roughly an hour to an hour and a half at full blast. Few people cook that way for long. A single cylinder usually covers a weekend of ordinary meals, and the fuel is easy to find at big-box stores for a few dollars. For longer stays, Coleman sells a 5-foot hose and adapter that connects the stove to a 20 lb tank, and a number of owners run theirs that way.

Heat control. This is the stove’s recurring complaint. Reviewers on Coleman’s own site describe a valve that goes from off to flamethrower within about a quarter turn, which makes true simmering a fussy exercise. Others report that turning the flame down far enough risks blowing it out. Walmart’s review summary lands in the same place: strong flames, but finicky at the low end. Another owner warns that the burners run hot enough, even on a modest setting, to scorch pancakes until the cook learns the stove. Pale propane flames are also hard to see in direct sun; one owner says he judges the setting by the sound, which he compares to a jet engine at full blast.

Lighting and cleanup. The “Matchlight” name means what it says. There is no built-in igniter, so a long-stemmed lighter belongs in the box with the stove. Cleanup is easy: the grate lifts out for scrubbing, and the steel cook-top wipes down. Owners describe the construction as sturdy enough for cast iron and heavy stainless pots.

Carrying it. The stove folds shut into a suitcase shape with a handle, and reviewers call it easy to carry and store in a car trunk or garage. One camping blogger who otherwise likes the stove was blunt about its limits: perfect for car camping, not something to recommend for backpacking.

Track record. Walmart shows a 4.6-star average across roughly 4,200 ratings, with 81 percent giving five stars and about 4 percent giving one. A striking number of five-star reviews come from people replacing a Coleman stove they have used for 30 or 40 years. The design is old and well understood, and buyers treat it as a durable appliance.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 20,000 BTU total output handles group meals and big pots
• Two burners fit a 12-inch and a 10-inch pan together
• Folding wind baffles and a pressure regulator keep the flame steady outdoors
• Removable grate and simple steel body make cleanup easy
• Cheap to buy (listed around $69 at Walmart) and cheap to fuel with standard 16.4 oz cylinders
• Can be hooked to a 20 lb tank with Coleman’s hose and adapter
• Long record of owners keeping these stoves for decades

Cons

• 4,558 g (about 10 lb) empty, plus a cylinder, is far beyond any backpacking weight budget
• Bulky 22-inch case that takes real trunk space
• Valves are touchy at low settings, making simmering difficult
• No built-in igniter
• Only about an hour of runtime with both burners on high per cylinder
• Flame is hard to see in bright sun

Who Should Buy This

Car campers, families at drive-in campsites, tailgaters and anyone who wants a backup cooktop for storms and power outages will get their money’s worth. It suits people who cook real meals outdoors, not just boil water, and who don’t mind carrying a lighter and a spare cylinder or two.

Thru-hikers, section hikers and ultralight backpackers should look elsewhere. A stove that weighs about 10 lb is a different category from a canister or alcohol stove that weighs a few ounces, and the single-burner convenience of a backcountry stove is the right trade for anyone covering miles on foot. Cooks who need fine simmer control for delicate sauces will also find the valves frustrating.

Verdict

The Coleman Matchlight is a dependable, inexpensive car-camping stove with real cooking power, and its owners tend to keep it for decades. Its coarse low-end control and 10 lb mass keep the score down, and the weight rules it out for ultralight use altogether. Buy it for the campsite and the garage, not the trail.