Gel Fuel Uses



Posted: Sunday, October 24, 2010

by Ben Mester
Plan B Publishing

I've done a lot of writing in the past about gel fuel technology and how to make it and use it in conjunction with artificial fireplaces. But there are a number of other uses that I've discovered for gel fuel that I wanted to pass along to you. For a little background, gel fuel is an alcohol based fuel that burns at a relatively low temperature for a long period of time without giving off noxious or toxic odors. The main use is still in conjunction with ventless fireplaces, and if you haven't heard about that combination, you should definitely check into it. But here are a few other uses for gel fuel that I found very interesting and handy.

1. Gel Fuel Fondue. Fondue has been called the ultimate party food. For those of you who are unfamiliar with fondue, it's basically cubes of meat or seafood cooked in hot oil and then dipped in any of various sauces. There are different ways of doing fondue, but that's the basic method. Fondue is lots of fun but can often be a difficult thing to manage and do safely. With different pots of oil and the potential for a disaster, people are often leery of doing a fondue party. But now that gel fuel fondue sets are available, it makes the ability to do fondue both safe and easy.

2. Catering. Though I touched on this a bit before in another article, gel fuel is great because it emits a low level heat for a long period of time, usually 3 hours per can. And since gel fuel is essentially "cordless", meaning it doesn't need an electrical or gas line, it is a very perfect application for outdoor events. There's nothing like a nicely outdoor catered event where the food stays nice and warm.

3. Gel Fuel in an Emergency. Gel fuel is wonderful because the cans are very small and only need a small match to start burning for hours. I keep a can of it in my car with a small box of matches for those rare emergencies when a fire is needed. People get stranded in the cold all the time, especially in the northern states where it's very easy to lose control and end up in a ditch somewhere. Gel fuel is just about the best way to have instant warmth for up to 3 hours time. It's not recommended that you burn it inside of your vehicle, both because the gel fuel will consume a lot of the oxygen as it burns, and also because the inside of a car is generally very flammable.

When in an emergency, if you've gotten yourself stuck in the snow, having matches, even a whole box of matches might not be enough to do the job. The wood is just too damp and cold to start on fire from the slight flame of a match. but if you put a can of gel fuel at the center of your fire, it should be more than enough to start a pile of sticks and twigs on fire, providing that life saving heat for right when you need it. I'm hoping that none of you reading this will ever have to go through a life saving situation like that, but I just returned home from a region that typically gets winter temperatures of 50 below zero. Having lots of emergency back up plans is just a smart way to go, especially things that are small and inexpensive.

For more information on gel fuel, check out my other articles on how to make gel fuel, and artificial fireplaces.
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