Reviews You Can Rely On

MSR Dragonfly Review

This gourmet cooker is not the most ideal choice for backpacking
gearlab tested logo
MSR Dragonfly Review (MSR Dragonfly)
MSR Dragonfly
Credit: www.msrcorp.com
Price:  $190 List
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Manufacturer:   MSR
By Ian McEleney & Jessica Haist  ⋅  Apr 29, 2020
34
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#20 of 20
  • Fuel Efficiency - 25% 5.0
  • Weight - 25% 1.0
  • Simmering Ability - 20% 5.0
  • Ease of Use - 15% 2.0
  • Boil Time - 15% 4.0

Our Verdict

Bringing excellent control and stability to your backcountry kitchen, the MSR Dragonfly excels at handling low simmers and large pots. Its large packed size and heavier frame make it a better choice for a base camp than for backpacking. We cooked all kinds of things on our Dragonfly in the backcountry, from stews to pizzas, and when you're on long expeditions with groups, having a variety of good meals can make or break your trip. That said, the Dragonfly is the loudest stove we tested and is a definite conversation killer in the kitchen. Unfortunately, a large and heavy frame also makes it cumbersome for those who are primarily concerned with size and weight.
REASONS TO BUY
Great simmer control
Stable base for large pots
Multi-fuel capability
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy and bulky
Incredibly noisy
Not simple

Compare to Similar Products

 
msr dragonfly
This Product
MSR Dragonfly
Awards  Top Pick Award
Best Ultralight Backpacking Stove
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Backpacking Stove
Best Buy Award
High Value and Ultralight
Best Buy Award
Best on a Tight Budget
Price $144.89 at Amazon
Compare at 3 sellers
$84.95 at REI
Compare at 3 sellers
$69.95 at REI
Compare at 2 sellers
$50 List
$49.95 at Amazon
$17.00 List
$16.95 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
34
77
76
74
55
Star Rating
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Bottom Line Our favorite for cooking next level meals, not just noodles and sauce, but note its weight and loudnessA crowd favorite for simmering that works well in a breeze and is also easy to useThis lightweight stove is easy to use and will boil water when it's breezyThis canister stove is lightweight, compact, fuel efficient, and performs well in windA mini stove with a mini price
Rating Categories MSR Dragonfly MSR PocketRocket De... Soto Windmaster Soto Amicus BRS-3000T
Fuel Efficiency (25%)
5.0
6.0
8.0
7.0
2.0
Weight (25%)
1
8.0
7.0
8.0
10.0
Simmering Ability (20%)
5.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
7.0
Ease of Use (15%)
2.0
7.0
8.0
8.0
5.0
Boil Time (15%)
4.0
9.0
7.0
7.0
2.0
Specs MSR Dragonfly MSR PocketRocket De... Soto Windmaster Soto Amicus BRS-3000T
Category Liquid Fuel Small Canister Small Canister Small Canister Small Canister
Essential Weight (stove or stove + integrated pot only) 14.1 oz 3.0 oz 3.0 oz 2.79 oz 0.9 oz
Trail Weight (stove, fuel, pot) 25.83 oz 15.13 oz 15.63 oz 14.92 oz 12.63 oz
Wind Boil Time (1 liter, 2-4mph) 7:40 min:sec 5:27 min:sec 5:46 min:sec 6:30 min:sec 14:45 min:sec
Boil Time (1 liter) 7:35 min:sec 3:14 min:sec 4 min:sec 3:52 min: sec 5:13 min:sec
Packed Weight (stove + all accessories) 18.2 oz 3.5 oz 3.5 oz 3.5 oz 1 oz
Dimensions 4" x 6" x 6" 3.3" x 2.2" x 1.8" 4.7" x 3.9" x 3.6" 3.9" × 0.7" × 6.5" 2" x 1.2" x 1.3"
Fuel Type White gas, kerosene, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel Isobutane Isobutane Isobutane Isobutane
Additional Included Items Windscreen, heat reflector, small-parts kit, and stuff sack Stuff sack Stuff sack, pot support Stuff sack Stuff sack
Piezo Igniter? No Yes Yes Yes No

Our Analysis and Test Results

If you want to impress your camping partners with your cooking skills, grab a Dragonfly for your next gourmet backpacking adventure. This stove is great for expedition-style camping but too heavy and bulky for lightweight backpacking.

Performance Comparison


msr dragonfly - ian nicholson bakes pizza on the dragonfly.
Ian Nicholson bakes pizza on the Dragonfly.
Credit: OutdoorGearLab

Fuel Efficiency


All liquid gas stoves are relatively fuel-efficient in the long run, but they require extra gas to prime. These stoves are not as efficient as integrated canister stoves because they do not have integrated, insulated pots with heat exchanging bottoms. They are, however, more fuel-efficient than small canister stoves because when properly used, the windscreen protects the flame from the breeze and also concentrates and reflects the heat back to the pot.

Because of its increased ability to control the flame height and temperature, we believe the Dragonfly has the ability to be more fuel-efficient because it doesn't have to be on full roar the whole time. In our boil tests at full throttle, it used 0.6 ounces of white gas to boil 1 liter of water with no wind, and the same amount in a 2 - 4 mph wind.

msr dragonfly - the simmer valve on the dragonfly.
The simmer valve on the Dragonfly.
Credit: Max Neale

Weight


The Dragonfly is the heaviest stove in this review at 14 ounces. If you are out for an extended expedition or with a large group, the weight can be justified by a better cooking experience. If you are on an expedition that does not require you to carry your gear, like a horse pack supported trip or a paddling trip, we would recommend bringing this along.

Unfortunately, the Dragonfly is also the bulkiest of the white gas stoves at 6.3 x 5 x 3.5 inches. We find this stove annoying to pack away because its legs always want to spring back open, and it is awkward to stuff into its little sack. This stove, when packed up, will barely fit into a 2-liter pot, and only if you're strategic about getting its legs closed.

msr dragonfly - dragonfly in hand.
Dragonfly in hand.
Credit: Max Neale

Simmering Ability


The main advantage of the Dragonfly is the ability to control the temperature, enabling you to simmer and cook more delicate items. This elegant powerhouse adjusts from a low simmer to a violent roar with a quick turn of the fuel valve. This feature leaves the fuel pump valve open and moves the control to a valve mounted on the burner unit. You can now simmer quickly and easily. We cooked pancakes, pizzas, sauces, and stews on this stove. We like that you can take it on international expeditions and can cook meals for large groups that entail more than boiling water, unlike with an integrated canister stove.

Ease Of Use


Liquid fuel stoves are inherently more complicated to use than their canister powered brethren. Some of our testers find the Dragonfly overall more finicky and less reliable on longer expeditions than other liquid fuel stoves, especially when snow camping and melting a lot of water day after day. Its fuel pump is different than any other MSR liquid fuel stove, which all share the same fuel pump design. This is unfortunate if you are familiar with repairing and troubleshooting these other stoves, and you cannot use these pumps interchangeably with the Dragonfly.

Our testers found this stove to be incredibly loud. One even likened the low sounds in its timbre to the distinctive low rumble of a Harley-Davidson. Choose this stove to bring on a trip with someone you don't want to speak with. Though the Dragonfly works best with white gas, it can burn other fuels in a pinch, including diesel and kerosene.

The control valve, which lives on the burner, is long and a good distance away from the flame, so there's low risk of burning your fingertips. The Dragonfly is the most stable stove in this review. Its unique arm design creates a wide and stable platform that is low to the ground, making the use of large pots for group cooking a possibility.

msr dragonfly - the dragonfly is a great choice for cooking for large groups. its...
The Dragonfly is a great choice for cooking for large groups. Its stable base supports larger pots well.
Credit: Jessica Haist

Boil Time


We tested all of our liquid gas stoves head-to-head in our garage, and we were as scientific as possible. After priming, the Dragonfly boiled water in 7 minutes, 35 seconds. The average priming time for liquid gas stoves is 1 minute 23 seconds, and the priming time for the Dragonfly is 1 minute 15 seconds.

msr dragonfly - in our tests the dragonfly was about equal in boil time and fuel...
In our tests the Dragonfly was about equal in boil time and fuel efficiency to the MSR WhisperLite International and the MSR XGK EX.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Value


The Dragonfly is one of the priciest liquid fuel stoves in this review. We don't think it's a great value unless you really want to impress your companions with gourmet meals. Then it may be worth the few extra bucks.

msr dragonfly - the dragonfly is great when you have time in camp to make more...
The Dragonfly is great when you have time in camp to make more complicated meals. Ian Nicholson uses an Outback Oven diffuser plate to help with his perfect pancakes.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Conclusion


There is no comparison with the MSR Dragonfly when it comes to backcountry cooking ability. This stove is a luxury item that enables gourmet cooking. Choose this stove when you are cooking for multiple people or need a stable platform and extra temperature control. Do not choose this stove if you want to have deep and meaningful conversations while cooking, or if you want to travel fast and light.

msr dragonfly - we made this delicious and impressive pot-pie with the msr...
We made this delicious and impressive pot-pie with the MSR Dragonfly, a testament to its versatility.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Ian McEleney & Jessica Haist