I wanted something different to cook on rather than my gas barbecue. I liked the look of the JOY for it's likeness to a classic Soyer Stove. It fires up really well and retains the heat too. It would have been nice to have a pan that fits on top of the cooker rather than a hot plate. the only other caution is that the heat also goes downward and burns my lawn, so will have to place it onto a paving slab for further use.