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Alcohol

Understanding Different Types of Alcohol Fuel

People love to cook with alcohol to add extra flavor, but did you know that you can use alcohol as cooking fuel as well? Alcohol creates a blue flame and can sometimes burn almost invisibly, which means it burns cleanly and is safe for indoor use when handled properly. It is, in fact, one of the safest fuels for cooking indoors. Simply use this as fuel with an alcohol stove.

Cooking fuel includes denatured, ethanol/ethyl, and isopropyl alcohol. Not all alcohol is created equal when it comes to cooking, however. If you want to use this excellent form of backup fuel, learn the differences and make an educated choice.

Types of Alcohol

Denatured

Denatured alcohol is ethanol that has additives to make it poisonous, bad-tasting, foul-smelling, or nauseating to discourage its recreational consumption. It has many uses but for our purposes, it works very well as cooking fuel.

Denatured alcohol comes in 1-quart, 1-gallon, and 5-gallon containers. It can be found in camping stores under the label of alcohol fuel. It can also be found in a store’s paint section under the label of denatured alcohol, except in the State of California where the state has banned its sale.

Denatured alcohol burns very cleanly and at a high temperature. It produces little observable odor or soot and is reasonably priced.

Ethanol/Ethyl

Ethanol and alcohol are one and the same. Alcohol, in its pure state (200-proof), cannot be safely or legally ingested. This is why most pure alcohol products come “denatured” to discourage its drinking.

The only alcohol on the market that can be both legally ingested and still strong enough to use as a cooking fuel is called Everclear. It is 190-proof, meaning it is 95% alcohol. By comparison, rum and vodka are 40% to 60%. So, it’s not just alcohol that you are after when searching for fuel, it must be the right kind - or proof. You should be able to find Everclear at almost any liquor store. Ensure you check the label for 190-proof, as lower proofs are also available. Everclear is pricey and may be cost-prohibitive to store in larger quantities. However, it makes for a great bartering tool.

If you’d rather store Ethyl alcohol straight up in its non-denatured state, research online for availability, keeping in mind legal restrictions.

Isopropyl

While isopropyl is an alcohol, just like ethanol, its molecular structure and properties differ significantly. Ethanol is stable, and pure isopropyl can be dangerous if ingested.

Isopropyl alcohol includes both Isopropyl alcohol in its purest form with a 99% to 100% alcohol content and rubbing alcohol at 91%. Because they both contain Isopropyl, the two liquids have similar properties but are not the same.

Isopropyl alcohol at 100% is the purest form and burns most efficiently due to its higher concentration, though it can be difficult to find—check online retailers such as Amazon if you're interested.

Rubbing alcohol is a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water and is much easier to find. It comes in two strengths. If you plan on using rubbing alcohol as your choice of cooking fuel, make sure you purchase the 91% strength as the 70% will not burn. The 91% formulation is widely available in grocery stores and pharmacies.

How it compares

As a fuel, isopropyl does not perform as well as the other two. It does not burn as hot, has an offensive odor while burning, and produces a large amount of soot that builds up at the bottom of the pan, resulting in messy cleanup.

Regardless of the type, how much do I need?

Alcohol needed to bring two cups of water to a boil, 3 times per day:
per day: 3.6 ounces | per week: 1 quart | per month: 4 quarts

(Note: 1 ounce of alcohol burns for approximately 10–12 minutes.)

credit: the provident prepper
Use Requirements
  • Do not use any cooking device other than an alcohol stove.
Storage Requirements
  • Store in a cool, dry place.
  • Do not store near a source of heat or open flame, furnace, stove, or pilot light.
  • All grain alcohol or other high-proof alcohol intended for fuel should be stored in a locked, flammable storage cabinet specifically designed to safely store flammable materials.
Shelf Life

Alcohol is a great storage fuel and has an indefinite shelf life if stored in a tightly sealed container.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about using alcohol as an emergency fuel.

  • The three main alcohol fuels are denatured alcohol, high-proof ethanol/ethyl alcohol (e.g., 190-proof Everclear), and isopropyl alcohol. Each has different burning characteristics, cost, and availability.

  • Denatured alcohol is purified ethanol with additives that make it undrinkable. It burns hot and clean with very little odor or soot, is widely sold in quart- to 5-gallon containers, and is usually the most affordable choice for backpacking and emergency cooking.

  • Only very high-proof ethanol (190-proof / 95 %) such as Everclear will burn hot enough for cooking. Lower-proof liquors (rum, vodka, etc.) contain too much water and will not sustain a flame.

  • Isopropyl alcohol will burn, but it produces more soot, smells stronger, and does not burn as hot as denatured or ethanol fuels. If you choose it, use 99 % or 91 % strength—70 % rubbing alcohol will not ignite well.

  • Heating two cups of water three times a day requires about 3.6 oz of alcohol. That equals roughly 1 quart per week or 4 quarts (1 gallon) per month.

  • Store alcohol in tightly sealed containers in a cool, dry place away from heat, open flame, or ignition sources. High-proof fuels should be kept in a locked, flammable-materials cabinet. When cooking, use only a purpose-built alcohol stove on a stable, ventilated surface.