Quote:
I tried using a tea light stove yesterday, and I was not impressed. I used denatured alcohol filled all the way to the top. It burned for 14 minutes, and the water never boiled. I am in Phoenix, elevation is around 1500 feet. The ambient temperature was approximately 60 F. The stove was in my garage and out of the wind. The water quantity was 24 oz., and the water temperature was about 70 F. Is this the performance that can be expected with the tea light stove, or was there something I was doing wrong.

Craig

To bring ~1.5 pounds of water to 210F from 70F takes 210 BTU.
95% ethanol + 5% methanol = 12550 x .95 + 10200 x .05 = 12432 BTU/pound
12432 BTU/pound / 19.5 fl.oz./pound = 638 BTU per fluid ounce
A tealight holds about 0.5 fluid ounce = 317 BTU

So your stove would need to be 210/317 = 66% efficient for that to work. Depends on ambient temperature, and wind, but to get 60% you would need a good windscreen and a good match of stove to pot size, and not too cold of a day. If you are getting say 40% efficiency with an ambient temp of 70F, or 140F below boiling point, then at 30F you should get to 170F at the same efficiency. If you still want to get to boiling you would need about (170/140)^2 or about 50% more fuel.

This write-up by the Rock is pretty good...
http://hikinghq.net/sgt_stove/ion_stove.html

You could try sticking with the tealight, but maybe add a wick. A wind screen should help also, even though its only 60F, because you are trying to get to 210F. Try a wind screen, and vary the gap. Also try a beverage can pot to see if its the thickness of your pot that's killing you.