This is real alcohol stove performance.

If speed were the only factor, then stoves that simmer should have the highest efficiency.  Unfortunately that isn’t always the case.  The converse does tend to be true that fast burning stove tend not to have high efficiencies, and there are some exceptions to that idea as well.

I can tell you from my experience that treating the system as a whole (pot, windscreen, stove heat shield) is the best way to optimize performance.  For myself, I set the ground to pot distance at 1.75″ in order to get the windscreens to nest inside the pot.  Then I optimize the stove around that height.  Others may do different things.  Best regards.

Thanks, Jon, but what I actually am asking is the distance from the top of the stove to the bottom of the pot. I think you might know that I make pot stands for people. I have always made them so the the stove-to-pot distance is 1.0″ (for alcohol), and 1.5″ (for Esbit). So can you tell me what the final distance is for your stoves? Also, again, do you think that there is actually a range of distances that are roughly equal in performance, or is there a definite ‘optimal’ distance? I defer to your learned experience here, Jon.

I also have read in many places that 1″ is the “sweet spot” for “Top of Stove Bottom of Pot” (TSBP) distance, but I respectfully disagree.   I think the optimal distance would be such that the flame makes the most contact with the bottom of the pot.  Since different stoves have different flame patterns, that distance will vary.    i.e for stoves that have a tear shape flame pattern perhaps the optimal distance is where the tear is at its widest?.  On the other hand for stoves that have side burners / jets, you want to raise the pot as far as the flame stays on the bottom of the pot and do not go on the sides.   So here again you could have the same stove in which depending on the pot you can afford to go higher or not.  So in a way, the optimal distance will depend on the combo of stove and pot diameter?

I will agree with with what you say, Mario. So many variables, and such a finite time to figure it all out.

I got my ‘stormy’ today!  That’s my name for the stove, but the top dome of mesh is not quite curvy enough to earn the rest of my Stormy Daniels jokes;)

Neatly packaged and delivered from the UK to Nuevo Mexico in timely fashion.  Even better was the inclusion of the simmer ring which I forgot to add to the order, thanks Norman!

Best of all was the inclusion of some printed directions!!!  My pet peeve is cottage manufacturers who send an order without even a paper naming/identifying the product enclosed, nor it’s proper use, care, and maintenance  (SMD is the only exception in my experience.)