Cooking on a Coffee Can

One of my memories from Girl Guide camp is cooking dinner on our own bunsen burner stoves. The boys and I decided to make one of our own.

Materials:
Tuna can
Corrugated cardboard
Wax
Candle wick (optional)
Coffee can with a metal top
Tin snips
Cooking spray
Tin foil

1. Cut strips of corrugated cardboard into long strips the same height as the tuna can.
2. Roll the strips into tight rolls

3. Fill the tuna can with cardboard so it is as jam-packed as possible.

4. Melt wax on the stove. You can use paraffin wax, or we just melted down an old candle.

5. Pour the wax over the cardboard in the tuna can. You can use a candle wick, but it is not necessary. Set aside.

6. Take the wrapper of the coffee can. We didn’t but should have as it will melt.
7. Cut a window in the bottom of the can where you can slide the tuna can underneath.

8. Take all your materials outside. Set on the pavement, stone, or we used a cookie sheet.
9. Light the wick (or the cardboard) on fire and put it under the coffee can. In a few minutes, the top of the coffee can will heat up.

10. We started by cooking a grilled cheese sandwich. It does cook quickly, so watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn. Spray the top of the can with cooking spray before you cook each item.

11. We next cooked an egg!

12. When we were finished, remove the can and place a piece of tinfoil over the tuna can to extinguish the fire.

We found that one tuna can burner would last for probably more than an hour. However, the coffee can (as the sides are now made of cardboard, and not metal like in my Girl Guide days!) would only last about three times before the inside melted.