Availability of pure alcohol in the UK (or alternatives as fuel for alcohol-burning cookers)

Availability of pure alcohol in the UK (or alternatives as fuel for alcohol-burning cookers) - From above set of classic crystal glasses of various shapes with water served on white table in sunlight

My friends from Portugal have a chorizo cooker (something, I believe, a bit like this), and they would like to use it in the UK. In Portugal they burn pure alcohol in it, which they purchase from pharmacies.

As far as I am aware, in the UK we are not able to buy alcohol so freely. Does anyone know of where alcohol can be bought, or of a suitable alternative fuel?



Best Answer

You can't use methylated spirit to cook that way. Methylated spirit contains 1% pyridine to deter people from drinking it, and it will taint the sausage (and no, they don't say what is in it on the label).

The way that excise tariffs are set up, you could buy pure alcohol in UK, but the duty would drive the price to about £75 per litre.

Better to buy pure alcohol in countries that are used to selling it retail (I always bring back a couple of litres from Italy, about €16 / litre).




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Availability of pure alcohol in the UK (or alternatives as fuel for alcohol-burning cookers) - Various transparent empty crystal glasses prepared for alcohol beverages against white background in studio
Availability of pure alcohol in the UK (or alternatives as fuel for alcohol-burning cookers) - Glass of alcoholic drink with petals
Availability of pure alcohol in the UK (or alternatives as fuel for alcohol-burning cookers) - From above of open crystal glass jug with alcoholic beverage placed on white table with cracks





The Truth About Alcohol Stoves - When, Where, Why and Why Not




More answers regarding availability of pure alcohol in the UK (or alternatives as fuel for alcohol-burning cookers)

Answer 2

What you are after is commonly called Methylated Spirits, or Meths. Also known as denatured alcohol

It is made from ethanol (ethyl alcohol) and tainted with a dash of methanol to make it unfit for human consumption. It is usually coloured purple

In many countries it has a bittering agent added (check the label, or taste it), since many people seem to want to risk drinking methanol

The bittering agent may make your food taste very bad with such a cooker you pictured

What you need is "Industrial Methylated Spirits" from food product, paint or chemical suppliers. It generally does not have bittering agents or colouring added, just methanol

Answer 3

You could try getting some Irish Poitín, which is 180 proof, however, I don't know if it's legally sold in the UK. It is carried in the duty free stores in Heathrow and on the ferries to Ireland, though.

You can get laboratory grade, additive-less grain alcohol from here, however, it's £27.98/L + duty (and I think the minimum order is for 2.5L). I don't know if I'd trust something that wasn't explicitly listed as "food grade", though.

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