Iwatani 35FW Butane Stove

I have wanted one of these butane powered cooktops for a while. I don't know about you, but sometimes I don't like messing up the big cooktop after I spent 20 minutes cleaning it. Sometimes I get a little wild with Italian cooking and my pan tossing skills don't always work out well. What I'm saying is, cooking can be messy and I wanted a non-induction portable cooktop that I could use on the kitchen island with a silicone mat, outdoors on a table, or if I needed to tailgate, I could take it with me. There are plenty of these available and if you watch any folks cooking on YouTube, you've probably noticed over the last couple of years that these have become much more prevalent than they used to be. I tend to avoid buying the bottom end of things but admittedly, this was more spendy than I was targeting. However, I liked the design, and I have never had a bad experience with a Japanese made cooking applicance or utensil in the kitchen, so I pulled the trigger. What you get for the money is a very solid cooktop that is well made, looks good, and most importantly, it delivers low to high heat. You should manage your expectations that using a super large pan on this burner is not recommended since the heat can transfer into the butane canister, but it does have an overheating safeguard built in that I hope I never need or approach. Turning the knob feels quality and it ignites perfectly, every single time. It allows for very good heat control, from flames rolling up the sides of a small skillet, to a very mild simmer. It includes a nice case to store the cooktop in when not in use. I typically cover mine with some foil when in use to make cleanup easier, but otherwise, it doesn't get much easier to use, and based on the fact my Iwatani torch is still going strong 10+ years later, I don't see this letting me down anytime soon. While it commands a higher price, I think the quality matches the price point in terms of what you can expect in 2025.

Update: It is wonderful for the hotpot meal. Even with a large donabe, it can bring it to a rolling boil very quickly and the valve response is very precise when needed to turn it down for a simmer. I also checked the CO meter in the dinning room. I didn’t even do anything special to improve the ventilation in the room and the meter read zero after we haves used it for two hours. ——-original review——— I have alway had this type of portable stoves at home for shabu shabu (hotpot). I recently had a reason to make stir fry with a wok away from home so I got this. At 15K BTU/hr, it is comparable in output to a gas stove top and I can verify this. The roaring burner took 20 seconds to get a 14" thin walled wok smoking hot. I just tested it by making a very large portion (about 3 qt) of fried rice and it worked fine. After about 10 minutes at full power with a wok on it, its body was warm to the touch. Not catastrophically hot like some reviewers stated. I can see that happening when the flame was confined like putting on a very large pot over it as steel body has an integrated wind screen all around the top. Anyhow, this is my guess. I tried it with 4 brands of fuel canisters. The Iwatani, Coleman, and one random brand from a local Asian grocery shop worked just fine. However, canisters from one brand I got from H-Mart did not work. The magnetic coupler won't open the value. I guest this brand is just out of spec. I also like the removable grate which is held down with metal clips as I could replace it with a cast iron wok ring when needed. The build quality is better than those I got from H-Mart and the stainless steel construction is nice but this Iwantani costs 4 times as much. The only criticism I have is its slippery plastic legs. I had to place a wooden board underneath to keep it from sliding. The cheaper ones I have all have rubber feet. I am very happy with this purchase.

Iwatani Store: Iwatani 35FW Single-Burner Butane Portable Stove, High Power 15,000BTU/Hr., w/Case This product is the Iwatani 35FW single-burner butane stove. This portable butane-powered stove is perhaps, the most powerful single-burner butane stove available today with its 15,000 BTU/hour heat output. The brass burner unit is capable of putting out more heat than any other butane stove that I am aware of. Consequently, this stove may be used with a Wok at the temperatures necessary for the proper use of a Wok. It can also continuously heat a cast iron frying pan to the temperatures necessary to properly sear a nice, thick steak without the pan cooling and steaming the steak. The Iwatani 35FW is also, in my humble opinion, the best made single-burner butane stove available on the market today. The stove is made of appropriately thick stainless-steel so it does not bend and buckle like many currently available models. The stainless-steel components that are used to manufacturer the stove are stamped with curves and ridges to strengthen the individual pieces and further strengthen the completed structure of the stove when all the components are combined in the completed product. The Iwatani 35FW stove has a built-in double windscreen system so that when the stove is used outdoors, the burner flame is not blown around or extinguished. The Iwatani 35FW has a built-in piezo electric ignition system that operates automatically when the burner is turned on; there is no need for matches or a lighter to begin cooking with this stove. This stove also has a specially designed, heat conducting panel to provide a small amount of heat from the burner unit to a position underneath the butane cylinder. The need for this heat is to prevent a precipitous drop in butane gas pressure when using the stove on a high setting for an extended period of time, particularly when that usage is under colder ambient conditions. By warming the butane cylinder, the butane gas pressure is maintained at a useable level and there is no need to replace a butane cylinder because it has gotten too cold to supply sufficient gas pressure. The Iwatani 35FW uses a magnetic system to connect the butane cylinder to the stove’s butane gas system. This means there are no levers or clamps to connect the butane cylinder to the stove and this ensures that the butane cylinder is properly connected at every use. The stove’s gas system also has multiple gas safety systems built-in to ensure the safety of the user and virtually eliminate the possibility of an accident. Finally, the Iwatani 35FW is supplied with a well-fitting polymer clam-shell case to protect the stove during transportation and storage. This case is substantial and will protect the stove from damage. The Iwatani 35FW is also supplied with a very well-written manual which explains everything anyone would ever need to know about the use and operation of the stove. The Iwatani 35FW is quality-made in Japan and is the best quality product that you can get. I am so very happy with this product. Thank you for making such a high-quality product.

I assumed all of these portable butane burners were cheap Chinese products and were all the same. I was thoroughly embarrassed by my cheap burner during a picnic with friends when the meat I was cooking took 3x longer to cook and ended up a soggy mess with no sear. I had to transfer my meat to one of my friend’s burners to finish cooking after he had already finished 3 rounds of meat. I immediately searched butane burners when I got home and found this Iwatani burner, and was impressed that it was made in Japan. The difference in heat output is amazing, and blows my old burner away! It even boils water faster than a burner of similar size on my kitchen gas range. The build quality is very good, and the unit is light and easy to carry. It is expensive for a portable butane burner, but the price is well worth it to me for its excellent functionality and retribution for the embarrassment I suffered from my old burner. This burner finally earned me the respect I was desperately seeking from my friends, and you can’t put a price on that.

Well-packaged and lightweight. Perfect for a portable grill. It is large enough to use my 12” flat bottom wok, which is the reason I bought it. I plan to stir fry many Asian dishes but need to be outside. Otherwise my tiny house would be smoke-filled and stinky. This portable grill gives me that flexibility and can generate the necessary heat for stir-frying. (Up to 15,000 BTU) Even the flame pattern is suited for stir-frying. The stove has a double windbreaker to help prevent uneven heating and blowout. It also comes with a hard plastic, molded case. This protects and makes it easy to transport. The manufacturer’s store offers 3 accessories too. A mesh grill plate for cooking seafood, a plate grill for hamburgers, steaks, vegetables, etc. and a Takoyaki grill pan to cook Japanese Takoyaki. (suitable to make Thai Kanom Krok- Thai banana pancakes) The quality of workmanship is evident with this grill, I’m impressed. I expect it will last many years if proper care is taken. There are cheaper ones available, but none better.

A nicely made unit that gets hot at full 'throttle'! The reason I didn't give it a 5-star, and through no fault of the manufacturer, was some damage when received. Not a fault of any noticeable shipping as the larger Amazon box this unit was shipped in showed no damage. But the plastic case was broken with the hinges broken, and parts laying around. The stove itself had a small dent in the back. Also slight stains on the unit made me wonder if this was a used unit. Or maybe it sat unprotected in the environment at some point. But I decided it likely wasn't used as there were no metal signs of discoloration due to high heat. I used a sponge/soap to clean the stains off. The unit itself works fine. Though the plastic case is of no use with the damage. Was it worth sending back for these reasons.....I decided not to. I used it last night with the other components bought separately, the grilling screen unit and the 'plate' type unit. I am playing with both, but used the plate last night. I had to turn back the flame from this hot unit, and it was easy to burn marinated beef and chicken! Nice to have the heat power for say, heating water fast, or maybe for a wok(?). This is much more powerful than all those cheaper units one can buy for sure. Cleaning ease? Yes. The fire ring and attached plate lifts out, and there are two spring clips connecting the plate with the fire ring. Separation of parts makes it super easy to clean.

I've only used this stove a few times, and I like it a lot! This Iwatani stove is so much easier to use compared to my Coleman single burner stove. With this Iwatani stove, I simply open the lid, insert butane cannister, close the lid, press the dial to on position, and bam! Fire instantly comes on nice and hot! I can then lower the heat by turning the dial the other direction. When done cooking, I simply take the butane cannister and place the cap back on, then insert the cannister back into the compartment BACKWARDS for easy storage when not in use. I got this tip from other user comment (thanks by the way!). Contrast this with my Coleman single burner stove in terms of operation. With the Coleman stove, you need to first insert the pipe that screws into the stove (don't lose the pipe, by the way), then screw in the propane cannister into the pipe that screws into the stove, then need to get my long match/torch to light the darn stove while turning the dial to the on position. That's literally 4 separate items needed to make everything work (Stove, Pipe, Cannister, Match). The Iwatani stove is so much easier to use compared to my Coleman stove. I was able to boil a large kettle of water quickly and effortlessly. Because the Iwatani stove is well built, the unit didn't get too overly hot after using for only several minutes. A couple points further. As others have noted, the included plastic carry case is...well, cheap! The actual case is okay, but the 2 closing latches on top are poorly designed and constructed, and is a bit loose and wobbly when closed with the stove inside. When carrying the stove inside the carry case, you will need to make sure the latches don't come loose. Both of my Iwantani stoves have the same lousy carry case design. I also discovered that if you inadvertently open the carry case with the stove upside down, the top piece of the stove (the windbreaker part) will simply fall off, as it seems like there is nothing to hold it in place other than gravity when the stove is right side up. Lastly, DON'T buy the Iwatani brand of butane cannisters like I did. It's very expensive, and I doubt it's much better to justify the high cost. I ended up finding an Asian restaurant supply store nearby me that sold a 4 pack of butane cannisters for only $4.25, such a bargain! Better yet, they also had a small supply of this same Iwantani stove, so I bought a 2nd one directly from the same store! I now have 2 of these Iwatani stoves! I plan on using one to cook water, and the other one for cooking food or whatever. I don't know how these things will hold up over time, but I can say this stove looks well made and is worth the extra cost. I will be using this stove for camping. I highly recommend this product!

This is an excellent burner. I used it to boil pasta in a 16-quart pot this evening, and it came to a rapid boil. The water boiled faster than it does on my stove top! Given its quality, it was well worth the higher price. The Japanese never disappoint when it comes to well-made, well-constructed products. As a matter of fact, I came back to this product because it performed so well, I am purchasing another. ~~ Update: 11/11/2025 - FIVE MORE STARS! My son took this to an outing at San Diego Bay with his friend and their little children. His friend liked the burner so much that I've come back again to purchase another for my son's friend for Christmas. It will make for a lot of fun memories when they go out and grill hot dogs and hamburgers while fishing with the kiddos. They used my Lodge cast iron grill to cook with and it worked great. ALSO, and very importantly, it was windy and didn't affect the flame; it still worked great. I'm telling ya... spend a few extra bucks for a better product, you won't regret it.

O fogão é de boa qualidade. Se precisar de peças de reposição não sei aonde recorrer.

Impecable manufactura. Funciona perfectamente. Fácil de usar. Bella

No adverse comment

I don't have a gas stove so I bought the Iwatani to do occasional stir-fries and to have a backup heat source for cooking during power outages. Since receiving it, I use it almost everyday. The high constant heat is great for stir frying that I can't do with a ceramic stovetop especially when I cook with a heavy carbon steel wok or pan. It boils water very fast so it's also great for steaming food. The build quality is excellent and it's easy to clean. I can't confirm, but I think it's actually cheaper for me to cook with butane than it is with electric. Everything I cook takes much less time because of the high heat. As other reviews have mentioned, the plastic case is really cheap and flimsy. This isn't a deal breaker for me because I don't use the case for carrying other than putting away the burner everyday.

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