Interesting Japanese Stove - Fore Winds (Iwatani) Compact Camp Butane Stove Review

This stove is frustrating to use and you're about to see why...

Today Luke from The Outdoor Gear Review is sharing his opinion concerning a Japanese Stove from the company known as Fore Winds.

This is his Agenda Free Review of the Compact Camp Stove which is guaranteed to irritate you!

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What it is : This is a camp stove that runs on Butane and it comes from a Japanese company called Fore Winds.

Fuel : Butane

BTUs : 9,200

Run Time : With mixed use, I’ve clocked 100 minutes of use with a full can of butane.

Size with Case : 4.3” x 3.2” x 2.7”

Size of Stove Setup : 6.1” x 5”

Weight with Case : 11.5oz
Weight without Case : 9.5

Materials : EVA foam lined case,
Stainless steel, aluminum, and plastic

Price : $80 on Amazon

Review Pros :
Excellent quality
Performs very well - butane is best used with temps above 40F. If below, you will need to keep the fuel warm for best performance.
Pot Supports will allow use with most pots, cups, and pans - the smallest of cups may not work though
Stable
Price is comparable to other Butane powered stoves.
- Ignitor works very well
- A nice case is included
- Integrated windscreen is moderately effective and legs act as a windscreen as well.

Review Cons :
Pot supports are fiddly to open and close
Let’s are fiddly too to open and close
While the stove offers good BTU performance for the size, the burner head is rather small and will work best for small pots, pans and cups. In other words, this isn’t the stove that I would purchase if you are planning to cook large meals at camp - this is made for smaller scale uses. If you are planning to cook large amounts of food, you will want to use pots and pans that have an inner core in them so that heat is distributed more evenly.
The company claims that this is their smallest camp stove and is their lightest. This stove is rather large for a camp stove and there are tons of stoves smaller than this one.
Slightly large and slightly heavy
- The parent company sells canisters of butane for an exceptionally high price. $14 per can which is a CRAZY RipOFF. You can find 12 cans of butane for $34 from numerous companies.

Summary :
To summarize my review of the Fore Winds Camp Stove, ultimately this isn’t a bad product but the design isn’t the best and I’m talking about the way that the legs and pot supports fold and unfold. It’s a bit annoying to be honest; this isn’t a deal breaker but it is what it is.

Overall the performance isn’t bad at all if you like to run Butane, fuel is fairly inexpensive if you purchase the right brand, but the stove is pricey when you compare it to ISOButane stoves which can be found for $10 - $20?

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[marzsit]

i've owned one of these for 20 years and it still works well. the legs and pot supports are no problem, hold the folded stove upside down and let the pot supports fall straight down, then unfold the legs. flip it over and the pot supports flip into place easily. i can do it in the dark in 2 seconds. fuel cans in my area cost $1-$1.50 in a 12-pack at asian stores.

[campmansoutdoors]

I understand your frustration with the legs and the pot supports. However as you mention it is extremely reliable and to me that's a big plus. The legs and the pot supports are a minor inconvenience in my view. But yes I can understand how it might frustrate you LOL if I didn't have enough little stoves already I would definitely buy it. I do prefer the size compared to the tiny ones that I already own. The only thing I do not like is the price I think it should be around $60 or less.

[rodh]

I think you are being too picky about the pot supports and legs. Looks to be well made and functional to me.

[herdeefrancisco]

Bought an Iwatani stove and used it for camping and I guess I forgot to clean after going to the beach. After some time, I opened it some parts has minor rust and after cleaning it looks like new again, I never thought I could use it for a month as primary stove when I newly occupied my flat and really couldn’t beleive it’s performance.

Life changer stove! Iwatani, made from Japan, I couldn’t ask for more 🫡

[zancrus]

This feels like the one review where I felt like you had to nitpick to find something to come up with a negative on this. Those legs and pot holders in now way delay the setup enough to be a negative.

[gated]

I don't see the big deal setting up and breaking it down...COME ON LUKE!

[warren]

From South chill... it's not a speed contest, enjoy the outdoors

[jcnikoley]

I don’t really see the legs and the pot supports being that big an issue. I don’t care that the company over priced the gas, like you said, you can get it anywhere for cheap, you’re not limited to the cans they sell. I think your criticism of the burner size is legitimate, but I’m rolling my eyes at the other stuff.

[steeveplante]

I've been using this iwatani stove for over 29 years. Still going strong. I have a smaller plastic case that fits perfectly in a small pot, in my case a Snow Peak pot. Absolutely recommend... I do live in Jpan though so all prices you mentioned are much lower here.

[jeffmatthews]

I like the ‘fiddle factor’.
I’ll hand it to someone else and enjoy the show. If it is humorous, let it be.
If the company’s butane can attachment isn’t proprietary it isn’t an issue.

I’m a canoe camper. My kit is a little heavier (just a little) than a backpacker. The size is not an issue as long as durability is good, and that package looks durable.

Thanks Luke. Appreciate your reviews. Your occasional suffering is our benefit. 😎

[reyleondelaselva]

I don't see it as a big issue, but I could see myself playing with this stove "puzzle" at camp. Trying to beat my own times on how fast I can set it up. Lol!

[Jeff-jgjh]

Heck, I think the legs ect. would be a fun game to play. Once you learn it you can show off to your friends.

[jamesellsworth]

I believe YOU are UP FOR the leg-folding challenge!🤩 I have used Iwatani restaurant tableside stoves and culinary torches for years. They have gone the distance in camp and for emergency use at home. I would put up with the legs, as the system is easy to figure out in regular use. More important to me are stable pot supports and pretty good windshields.

[davidbrankley]

Don't know why I watched this video, except that I watch nearly all of Luke's videos. I already have what I consider the best solution to my stove needs. A very lightweight, very easily packed Chinese stove for iso pro fuel cannisters, made of titanium that I bought over 6 years ago from Amazon, fits my needs whenever having a fire to cook on is inconvenient. It cost me less than $20. When it fails to cook I hope to replace it with something similar. It doesn't come with any bells or whistles. It won't even light without a match or lighter, but I can live with that. It weighs nothing, packs very small, and always works. It has a dial to control the flame. Turning it gets you from simmer to high heat in just a second. Why would anyone ask for more?

[CrazyCranker]

Pretty much spot on review. I have the same stove.
I agree the legs are a bit fiddly. At the end of the day it's a solid stove that has never failed me. Just to note, the Iwatani version here in Japan comes in two versions-FW-CS01-JP and a Junior model CB-JCB. $32.06 and $24.81/I think mine is the Junior model that comes in a green plastic storage case. :)

[bernettaebanks]

Thanks for the unbiased review. As always you are very fair. Some things that look small to others are very big issues to the one who puts on their pot and looses everything on the ground.

[PhantomObserver]

One thing that does have to be mentioned as an advantage: the fuel canister. Simply put, a butane canister is available at more places than the isobutane cartridges used for most small backpacking stoves (for example, Asian grocery stores will usually have butane canisters because they sell butane stoves to do hot-pot).
I wouldn’t want this to do thru-hiking but I can see this being used for casual weekend summer backpacking.

[kiwaiica]

Don't mean to be rude but I think you've lost your touch. I don't see any problems with the support legs, it only takes a few seconds to fold/ unfold.

[terrym]

👍👍 Luke, think you're being a little hard on this stove. Price is a concern but not out of reason with similar stoves. Iwatani is a major mfg in Japan, their stuff is like Snow Peak or SOTO..expensive but quality. Turn the stove upside down and shake it, maybe the supports and legs will auto deploy..who knows. Folded it's fairly small and the case is nice, easily could fit in a pack.

[markh]

Good review. I doubt I would find the legs and pot supports as irritating as you do but I can see your point.