The BioLite EcoZoom Versa camping stove is a Reliable Clean-Combustion Biomass-Burning Delight
What is the BioLite EcoZoom Versa Camping Stove?
EcoZoom became a part of BioLite in 2019, and the Versa maintains the original name. BioLite keeps a commitment to empower people and protect the planet through renewable energy. They boast a vision of providing 20 million people access to clean energy by 2025.
The EcoZoom Versa is an efficient and durable rocket stove that burns either wood, charcoal, or other biomass for your outdoor cooking needs. It is excellent for outdoor recreation or emergency preparedness. The cast-iron design is sturdy and easy to use with flat or curved-bottomed pots and pans. The materials are built to last, so this stove will perform for years to come.
What is the BioLite EcoZoom Versa Good For?
The EcoZoom Versa is an excellent stove for camping, patio hangouts, boating, canning, beer-brewing, and in case of emergency. The compact size means you can easily transport it with the handles or in a five-gallon pail, making it simple and mess-free for camping trips or in an RV.
Designed Right
The Versa has a cylindrical design. From the bottom up, it has a damper door that provides maximum airflow and can be used to regulate temperature while cooking, much like a smoker. Next up is the fuel door, where you can attach the stick support and feed in larger sticks while the cookware is on top. Then there are the silicon grips which allow you to move the stove even while it is hot. On top is a 24cm diameter cast iron stove top with a three-pronged design for durability, efficient heat transfer, and stability. You can use wire grills, skewers, tea kettles, dutch ovens, or pots and pans.
Once you’re done cooking, simply close the two doors to put out the fire. One perk of the high temperature is that any food that falls into the stove will burn off, so you won’t need to spend a long time cleaning the inside. A damp rag can be used to wipe down the outside, and a sea salt rub will remove anything stuck on the cast-iron top.
This stove’s efficiency and durability have been widely tested. It creates 70% less smoke than an open fire and can boil five liters of water in 25 minutes. It’s been distributed to over 34 countries on six continents and can be reliably used for at least 13,000 hours of cooking time.
Product Review Unboxing
No assembly or setup is required. The stove comes in one piece, with the removable stick support and clear instructions for use. The instructions explain how to control the temperature of your stove, as well as some troubleshooting tips as you learn how to use the stove best.
Versa Setup
There really is no setup besides making sure you’re outside, have a flat spot, and have your fuel ready to go. If you’re using wood, simply attach the stick support to add fuel to your bed of coals.
Using your stove
Using the Versa is even easier than cooking on an open fire! Since the flame stays in the stove, the heat is much more consistent and isn’t at the mercy of the wind. Paired with a cast-iron skillet, it feels surprisingly similar to cooking on an indoor stovetop. The most significant learning curve for our tester was determining how best to control the temperature.
Using the instructions as a guide and allowing some time for trial and error, changing the size and type of biomass, and experimenting with different amounts of airflow through the dampening door, it gets easier to read the stove and develop more control over the temperature.
When using wood rather than charcoal, you can use the stick support to change the positioning of the fuel or remove some sticks if the stove gets too hot for your cooking needs.
The vertical combustion design really does a great job of minimizing smoke. Being familiar with the pains of cooking skewers over open fires, Our tester was a bit hesitant to believe that a stove that burns wood could be so different.
Our tester said she was pleasantly surprised and never found herself holding her breath or squeezing her eyes closed to turn the skewers. “The efficiency is very notable—you really can cook with sticks and twigs or just a few pieces of charcoal, so you don’t need to maintain a large wood pile to use this stove.”
Pros and Cons
The Versa stove is a sturdy yet portable option for outdoor cooking. It won’t replace a grill at family reunions, but is an excellent alternative to stoves which use liquid fuel such as gas or propane.
Pros
* Durable and long-lasting. Made of cast iron, metal, and ceramic and built to perform
* The compact design and convenient handles make it portable
* Inside stays quite clean since the fire burns off any food that falls in
Cons
* The stovetop size is limited, so it’s not ideal for large gatherings or unexpected guests.
* With the dependence on biomass, you need to make sure that you have dry fuel available.
EcoZoom Versa vs. Liquid Fuel Stoves
Once you’re at temperature, cooking with the Versa is essentially the same as cooking with a stove that uses liquid fuel.
The main difference is that the Versa takes a little longer to build up heat, and you need some combustion knowledge in order to control the temperature, rather than the ease of turning a dial on a liquid fuel stove.
Don’t let that discourage you! The Versa’s use of biomass means you don’t need to purchase, store, and dispose of fuel canisters. While charcoal and wood are the primary fuel sources, the Versa also works with pine needles, dried corn cobs, and even dry dung. This means it’s more versatile and better for emergency situations than a stove requiring a fuel canister.
The cylindrical design contains the flame and makes the Versa usable in windy or damp conditions. Since it only needs sticks and twigs, you don’t have to keep cords of wood dry to ensure you can have a hot meal.
What We Learned
The EcoZoom Versa is a great portable stove for cooking, canning, or even brewing beer outdoors. It’s sturdy enough for use on a balcony or boat, at the beach, or outside your RV. The versatility of fuel types and efficient combustion make it easy to find fuel almost anywhere. If you’re looking for a larger option, consider BioLite’s FirePit+.
FAQs
What are the disadvantages of rocket stoves?
Rocket stoves are highly efficient but can take some time to tend before you establish coals hot enough to begin cooking. Due to their efficiency, rocket stoves require attention to ensure an adequate fuel level to maintain your desired heat output.
What are the limitations of rocket stoves?
The heating speed and flame control are the main differences between rocket stoves and gas stoves. Knowledge about fire building and how different biomass burns will aid in temperature control. Once rocket stoves heat up, they’re excellent at maintaining heat. By using biomass fuel, you don’t need to worry about running out of liquid fuel like with a gas stove.
