Portable gas stoves must meet rigorous safety standards defined by the local gas safety or product safety organisations before can be approved for sale in Europe. They can only be sold legally if each model has been awarded a CE mark. There are equivalent safety certification requirements in USA, Japan, Australia, Canada, Israel, Korea and other advanced markets.
In Europe, camping gas stoves are regulated under the European Gas Appliances Directive and more recently Regulation (EU) 2016/426, Gas Appliance Regulation (GAR) This specifies that each stove model must be tested according to safety standards defined by a European technical standard called “CEN EN 521: 2019 Specifications for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas appliances – Portable vapour pressure liquefied petroleum gas appliances”. This standard defines the specific safety tests which must be conducted, and the thresholds which stoves must meet before they can be awarded a CE mark. The CE mark is awarded by organisations which are qualified and certified to evaluate and award European safety mark using test data provided by stove manufacturers and by independent testing laboratories.
Even the certified safe levels of carbon monoxide emissions are still extremely dangerous when used in an enclosed space like a tent or small hut.
All KOVEA stoves come with the following warning tag attached:
“DANGER: CARBON MONOXIDE HAZARD This appliance can produce carbon monoxide what has no odor. Using it in an enclosed space can kill you. Never use this appliance in an enclosed space such as a camper, tent, car or home.”
The tag also contains the identification number of the stove, the name of the manufacture, and the identification number of the agency which awarded the CE mark to that particular model of stove.
The KOVEA Spider, KOVEA SupaLite Titanium 56g & other KOVEA canister top stoves produce exceptionally low carbon monoxide emissions due to their unique burner head and flame pattern which ensures very efficient combustion.
According to independent data submitted for CE Marking, peak carbon monoxide emissions for the KOVEA Spider is just 12% of the maximum permissible level.