I've been wanting to try out one of the Pepsi-can alcohol stoves for a while now.  I'm sure you seen them before.  The basic idea is to cut the bottom off two aluminum cans, do a little cutting, some epoxying, and you end up with a simple but effective stove that burns denatured alcohol.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, head over to AntiGravityGear or Zen Backpacking Stoves to learn more.  The stove I have came from AGG.

Stoves like this are inexpensive.  AntiGravityGear sells the stove itself for $12, or you can make your own.  You can get plans at the AGG site, or you can find links for many different designs at Zen Backpacking Stoves.  These stoves are durable, often with no moving parts.  They are extremely lightweight.  And denatured alcohol is readily available at most hardware or gear stores.  You won't be simmering with one of these things, but it works well to boil water.

These stoves can be dangerous though; denatured alcohol burns very hot and the flames are practically invisible.  You can't refill an alcohol stove until it has cooled down for risks of igniting the vapors.   You shouldn't refill the stove using your fuel bottle either; always use an intermediate container to minimize the risk of your fuel bottle blowing up in your hand.

The one thing I've really wandered about with these stoves is how they compare to a gas stove.  I like my PocketRocket stove, and its not exactly heavy.  Some folks at the Confederation of Bushwalking have a FAQ that is very enlightening.  Take a gander at their Efficiency FAQ.  Using scientific terms that I admittedly can't always keep up with, they explain the efficiency of various stoves.  They've taught me that alcohol is not a very efficient fuel for its weight.  To cook the same amount of food, the alcohol weighs more than gas fuel would.  Over several weeks, my PocketRocket stove will end up being lighter once you factor in fuel.  The insignificant weight of the alcohol stove will make it a lighter choice for short trips where only a small amount of fuel is needed, like a few nights.  So, I won't be getting rid of the PocketRocket any time soon, but the alcohol stove will see some weekend trips for sure.