The Best Backpacking Stove Review

Selecting the Right Product
The stoves tested here fall into three categories: (1) small canister stoves, (2) integrated canister stoves, and (3) liquid fuel stoves. Our individual reviews compare stoves within each category as well as across categories.

In general, small canister stoves are best for fast and light backpacking where space and weight are premium concerns. Integrated canister stoves, which combine a burner with a heat exchanger pot, are generally more wind resistant and lighter than small canister stoves, making them better for high wind environments but less versatile for cooking. Finally, liquid fuel stoves separate the burner unit from the fuel bottle, allowing for a more stable, versatile and durable cooking platform. Liquid fuel stoves perform under the harshest conditions, but may be too large and too heavy for some purposes.

Types of Backpacking Stoves
Liquid Fuel Stoves:

• MSR Whisperlite

• MSR Dragonfly

• Optimus Nova

Integrated Canister:

• Jetboil Flash

• Jetboil Group Cooking System

• MSR Reactor

Small Canister:

• MSR Pocket Rocket

• Optimus Crux

• Soto OD-1R

Criteria For Evaluation
Packed Size
All small canister stoves have miniscule burners and pack smaller than palm size. Integrated canister stoves pack the burner and fuel bottle inside of the pot, occupying between one and two liters. Liquid fuel stoves, which include a burner pump, windscreens, and repair tools, take up between 1.5 and 1.8 liters.

Weight
Stoves reviewed here weighed between 2.6 and 19 ounces. While this large range exists across categories, a much smaller range is found within each category. Small canister stoves weighed between 2.6 and 3 ounces, liquid fuel stoves between 11.5 and 15.3 ounces, and integrated canister stoves between 15 and 19 ounces. The lightest stove was the Soto OD-1R and the heaviest was the MSR Reactor (which includes a 1.7L pot).

Durability
Ranging from least to most durable we have: small canisters, integrated canisters, and liquid fuel stoves. The Soto OD-1R was the least durable and the Optimus Crux was the most durable.

Speed
Most stoves boiled a liter of water within three to four minutes. The exception was the Jetboil Group Cooking System, which took an average of five minutes.


Control
Here we assessed how easy it was to control the stove while it was operating.
We found canister stoves to be easier to use than liquid fuel stoves, which require priming. The best handling stoves were the Optimus Nova and MSR Dragonfly. On the opposite end of the spectrum was the MSR Reactor, which is only intended to boil water.

Setup
Setup times for the stoves we reviewed ranged from a few seconds to a few minutes. Fastest was the two-piece MSR Reactor and slowest was the highly complex Optimus Crux.

Stability
No one likes spilling boiling water, let alone a whole meal. Stability matters. Of the nine stoves we reviewed the MSR Dragonfly was the steadiest and the MSR Pocket Rocket the tippiest.

Versatility
A versatile camp stove is one that allows you too boil water, flip pancakes, and even do some occasional baking. Integrated canister stoves are the least versatile – requiring specific and limited cookware options – and generally only boil water. Most versatile are liquid fuel stoves, which accept any pot or pan and can also be used for baking. Provided it's not too large, small canister stoves can be used with any pot or pan.

Wind Resistance
The MSR Reactor is the first and only windproof stove. Following somewhat closely in its footsteps are liquid fuel stoves (all of which can be used with windscreens). Lagging a bit behind them is the Jetboil Flash, and finally, small canister stoves.


Editors' Choice Award: MSR Reactor
Our Editors' Choice award goes to the fast and furious MSR Reactor. While this was the most impressive stove, it’s a one trick pony and can only boil water.

Best Buy Award: MSR Whisperlite
Our Best Buy award goes to the time-tested, versatile, durable, relatively lightweight, compact, and more affordable MSR Whisperlite.

Best Stove for Specific Applications
Our favorite stove for cooking was the heavy and bulky, but stable and easy to control, MSR Dragonfly. For fast and light backpacking we recommend the Soto OD-1R, a tiny yet capable small canister stove that can handle high altitude and low temps better than all others in its class. Finally, for superlight exploits where weight and space matter most, we endorse the fully featured and stylish Jetboil Flash.

These are the best five stoves on the market.

• Car or base camping: MSR Dragonfly

• Lightweight backpacking: Soto OD-1R

• Alpine climbing: MSR Reactor

• Ultralight uses: Jetboil Flash

• All around use: MSR Whisperlite