I'm a land surveyor. I work outside. I bought a Coleman model 533 single-burner dual fuel stove in 1997. Every year, starting in October, and running through March (5-6 days a weeks), I pack a can of soup/chili/ramen or other stove-cooked similar item. I've replaced the pump once, and still use it to prepare my lunches. -Often my workmates' lunches as well.
My observation of the gas/white gas is that the gasoline with the city additives (I was getting gas in Milwaukee then) burned extremely clean. All my pans were clean, the burner was clean, the flame was blue from the diffuser to the tip of the flame. Other gasolines burned blue with lots of yellow and sooted the burner and the pan. I've tried all the octanes and Ethanol/non-E.
My first choice for fuel to burn would be the city blend that was used in Milwaukee in 1997-98, but I think that is no longer made, as it polluted groundwater (MBTE additive). My second choice (and what I use now) is the Coleman White Gas. The pans are a bit sooty, but it cleans off fairly well. The burner element and bracketry that the pan rests on have a thin layer of soot, but this doesn't seem to be cumulative.
I debated on propane/gas stove and found that I could fill my gas stove when I was topping off the work truck. The stove only used about 5 cents or less a week (gas was $1.60 or so) so I didn't feel a need to reimburse the company..
That said, I've never used a propane portable device, so someone else may have better input on that.
