Campingaz Twister Plus PZ stove review: a reliable, pocketable stove for short trips

The nifty little Campingaz Twister Plus PZ stove has been around for decade, and it's still going strong. Designed to be one of the best camping stoves for backpackers, this popular, packable stove is designed to be popped into the pocket of a hiking backpack. We've had one on long-term test to decide if it really is adventure-ready. Read on for our full Campingaz Twister Plus PZ stove review.

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Campingaz Twister Plus PZ stove review: design and features

The Campingaz Twister Plus PZ lets you hold your camp cooking setup in the palm of your hand – quite literally. This compact design, which weighs just 274g, isn't quite the smallest or lightest camping stove we've ever tested (if space and weight are your number one concern, we rate the Vango Roar, which weighs 131g) but it's definitely up there, and will fit into nigh-on any backpack or bike pannier with or without its plastic carry case. 

The Twister Plus PZ has a simple and intuitive design – three metal pan supports unfold to hold a pot or a pan in place, and the plastic section, which is easy to hold and to handle, clips onto a gas canister. The PZ in the title stands for Piezo, the make of the integrated lighter built into the plastic section of the stove, which saves the bother of packing matches and means you can light the stove wherever you set up camp. 

The stove runs on Campingaz CV300 Plus and CV470 Plus gas cartridges, which click onto the bottom and provide a sturdy base for the Twister Plus, and can be popped on and off whether they're full or empty thanks to Campingaz's ‘EasyClic' system. Small canisters are available, making this stove system light and compact enough to work for lightweight wild camping or bikepacking adventures as well as for traditional camping trips. The stove also comes with a translucent plastic carry case, which is great for keeping it snug and secure inside a backpack. 

Campingaz Twister Plus PZ stove review: performance 

It really couldn't be simpler to use the Twister Plus, which can't be said for all stoves – you just pop the stove down firmly onto the gas canister, which acts as its stand, unfold the three pan holders, then turn the gas on while clicking the lighter button. We always recommend picking a stove with an integrated lighter – it's amazing how often you'll forget to pack a lighter, or find yourself fiddling with wet matches, without one. Stand a pot on top of the Twister Plus and you'll have a litre of boiling water in 3-4 minutes. This stove has no wind protection – you could always bring along a portable windshield, but if you're heading for a high mountain camp, you'll be better off with a backpacking stove designed for use in tough weather conditions, such as MSR's windproof Windburner stove. 

This stove is too small and not sturdy enough to take big pans or wide frying pans without toppling over, so you'll have to stick to small and simple meals. That said, it does the job it was designed for – of a pocket-sized backpacker's stove – well, holding a smaller camping pot when you're heating up water for a cuppa or making a backcountry supper for one or two people. 

We've been able to test out the same Twister Plus over a few years of hiking and camping adventures now, and it works as well as when it was new after more than 50 cooking sessions. 

Campingaz Twister Plus PZ stove review: verdict

Keep it simple and portable with Campingaz's Twister Plus PZ, which is compact, easy to use and well-sized for one or two people, and with that handy built-in lighter as a bonus. If you're holidaying with the family you'll want to pick a bigger and sturdier stove. For camps where space and weight are at a premium but where the weather is fair, the Twister Plus is a great choice for backpackers that has been built to last, and which comes at an affordable price point.