I have a vario and think it does the job perfectly well, the burners are reasonable to control between low and high heat. have not used the grill much mainly to keep the breakfast warm while i fry my eggs.
But being a chef also I think it does the job just fine and packs away nice and slim too. The Excelerate looks a bit bulky and might be a bit of a pain to pack in the car in my opinion!
cautionary note; If you have little children about.
Try to buy one that requires the knobs to be pushed in and then turned. Tents full of gas are not fun places to be in.
------------- Certified member of the Outwell Appreciation Society.
My friends reckon I should be certified anyway. And they should know!!
We have a double burner but no longer take it as it takes up a lot of space and the gas canister is bulky and a pain to get refills. We are not alone in having abandoned big stoves.
We now use a suitcase and small folding gas stove - which are both adequate for a weekend and longer trips - though on longer trips we tend to have electricity and bring along a kettle and electric grill. If I was going to spend money and valuable car space on a new bit of cooking kit I would get a Cadac bbq
I upgraded last year from a Camping Chef to the Vario and would say there is not much to choose between them. The main differences are;
The grill on the Camping Chef is generally seen to be better than that of the Vario (I believe that they have gone back to the same design on the Xcelerate).
The Vario has piezo ignition, so doesn't require matches (although ours has been temperamental).
We prefer the way the Vario folds down - it is really quite neat!
Apart from the above, there is really nothing to choose between them - I think the Vario uses slightly less gas if that helps!
From experience, anything with the Campingaz logo is going to last and won't let you down!
------------- Just give me an excuse!
1987 Conway Laser FC
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Outwell Kansas 5
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Topic: Help me choose a new cooker!
