Zelph Venom works best with proper windscreen.

That sounds decent.

How much denatured alcohol fuel does it require to boil that much cold water?

Some people want boil speed. Some want fuel efficiency. Some want the absolute lowest weight. Some want it all.

–B.G.–

I used a bit over 1 oz. of Heet, enough to saturate the batting.

A bit over 1 oz of Heet is a lot. Many people try to get a smaller and more efficient stove that will boil it on 1/2 ounce, but theirs will be slower.

That extra 1/2 ounce that you use is getting you the speed.

–B.G.–

I suspected the extra fuel was priming the stove. 1/2 oz. flamed out just a bit before the boiling point. Is 3/4 oz. an acceptable per-boil plan weight?

>> Some want it all.

Count me in that. I want it all. And convenience. And reliability. And fiddle-free usability. And…

I think they call that a Sherpa.

Will, you decide.

You might also try out some of the other types of denatured alcohol, just to see if it makes much difference. The only thing I like about Heet is the empty bottle.

–B.G.–

Understood. Thanks for the advice!

I have this stove as well, and I think one of the biggest factors for this stove (and pressurized side jets as well) is the pot diameter. I got much better efficiency with my wide based kettle than with my small pot. One of the reasons I am thinking of a caldera cone system.

I boiled the same temp/volume of water without a windscreen in an MSR 775ml pot at around 6:30.

I have this stove and a wider pot makes a huge difference. I believe the typical ratio is supposed to be 1/4 oz. of denatured alcohol per 1 cup of water. That may vary per water temperature, altitude you're at, etc. I used this stove with a Kmart grease pot on my last trip and used 1/4 oz per cup and it worked great. I believe Dan (Zelph) prefers Yellow Heet for his fuel needs, but then again he's always tinkering with his set up. I'm going to experiment with this stove + 10 cm Imusa mug next to reduce the bulk of the Kmart grease pot set up.

I have the Bud Lite Lime version purchased from Zelph in a two-for deal around memorial day weekend. I used denatured alcohol, REI-purchased Camp Brand (or something like that) and a Snow Peak 700 with CF lid from rota Locura and a medium Suluk windscreen to get roiling boils with cold tap water in under 6 minutes. Same result with E-NRG bioethanol purchased here from a forum member. I expect slightly longer times in the field depending on conditions, but the stove continues to boil for an extra 3-4 minutes meaning I could probably get away with using 15 ml. The stove, screen, small and measuring cup fit inside the SP 700 with room to spare. The whole kit weighs 5.4 oz. I know a Heineken pot could get me down to 3.5-ish oz., but I like the durability of the Ti pot. thinking of trying his star lyte next, but I think the support will be too low for my pot handles with this windscreen. Anyone else using a venom/super stove with good results?

Edit to add that the light CF lid allows me to use SAK tweezers to remove the lid. It fits well but is not oversized as advertised by RL.