by easylife » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:07 pm
Bit late in the day to reply - but
If the Cona III is one of the tabletop models, you may find that the self contained butane burners - like the very nice one that Maplins sell - won't fit underneath.
I've had a tabletop cona for a few years and it won't fit under that, and I bought a brand new one as a present a couple of weeks ago and that seems to be indentical.
I tend not to use the liquid meths burner these days - instead have taken to using a chafing fuel thingie - you know the tin with gel alcohol in it that you use under chafing dishes to keep them warm or in some camping stoves.
They are very cheap - I get mine from the local Makro at about 80p each, or you can buy them from camping stores I guess. They last for ages and ages and don't seem to have the classic meths smell that some folk don't like, although I'm alright with that.
The flame is a little wider, and I think there's a bit more heat output, but not enough to overwhelm the brewing stage - it burbles away very nicely. Also, they burn very cleanly - no soot on the glass.
Definitely worth a try.
Reneka Techno, Mazzer Mini-e, and a few other bits of coffee related junk