The Kitty Cat Stove is a compact and lightweight stove that uses denatured alcohol as a fuel to boil water. A tomato paste can, cat food can, carbon felt, and a dremel are the tools and materials used in this build. The intended audience of this topic will be the subscribers of my YouTube channel; Outdoor Broventures. Please note that an in depth instructional video will be made for this web-based instructions assignment. The pictures to follow are just a visual representation for what will be in the video.

Step 1: Open and Clean the Cat Food and the Tomato Paste Can

Step 2: Flatten the Sharp Lip of the Cat Food Can

Use pliers to flatten the lip of the cat food can. This is a necessary step because if the lip is sticking out, it can interfere with the carbon felt as well as the lip can cut the user if the user is not careful.

Step 3: Drill a Hole in the Side of the Tomato Paste Can Towards the Top

This hole is meant for ventilation. A hole is needed for hot gas vapors to exit the inner can because if there wasn’t a ventilation hole pressure will build inside the tomato paste can and can cause combustion.

Step 4: Cut the Tomato Paste Can

Cut the bottom of the tomato paste can off so that the top lip of the tomato paste can is an inch taller than the top lip of the cat food can. The cup or pot that will be used to boil water with this stove will be an inch above the wick that will be fueling the flame. One inch is the optimal height above the flame to get the fastest boil.

Step 5: Five Notches in the Bottom of the Can

Cut 5 notches equally spaced on the bottom of the tomato paste can. These five notches are used to transfer the fuel from inside the tomato paste can to the carbon felt.

Step 6: Carbon Felt

Cut a strip of carbon felt to the height and inner circumference of the cat food can. The carbon felt acts like a wick, transfering unburned fuel from the inner reservoir up to the top of the stove to be burned. The use of carbon felt is beneficial over other alcohol stove designs because the carbon felt will deliver fuel slower and more consistent to the flame. This constant fuel source will prevent the stove from burning all of the fuel at once and is less susceptible to being blown out by the wind.

Step 7: Assembly

This step is when you put the whole stove together. First wrap the bottom of the tomato paste can with the strip of carbon felt. Then insert the tomato paste can with the carbon felt attached into the cat food can. This should fit snugly and you may have to compress the carbon felt a little to be able to fit in the cat food can.

Step 8: Enjoy

Now your newly constructed stove is complete! Windshields can be made out of layered tin foil for better results.

Step 9: Operating Instructions

1) Find flat ground or a flat surface to place the Kitty Cat stove.

2) Pour desired fuel into the center of the tomato paste can (different amounts of fuel can be used dependent on the fuel and the amount of water you want to boil)

3) The carbon felt will become saturated with fuel, that is when you light the stove with a lighter.

4) Place your desired pot or cup with water on the stove CAUTION: this stove is top heavy when the boiling pot is added to the top so keep a close eye on the stove when in use.

5) Once your water is boiled, take the water off the stove and leave the stove burning until the stove uses up all of the fuel. Give the stove plenty of time to burn out by itself. Alcohol flames are commonly invisible, so take your time with handling your stove because it could still be burning. CAUTION: do not try and put out the flame with water or by covering the stove. Trying to put out the stove may cause the alcohol fuel to spread to unwanted places while still lit on fire.

6) After waiting the ample amount of time for your stove to cool, you can finally store your Kitty Cat stove.