Best lightweight canister stove for actual cooking? LiteMax? Microrocket?

Something with a wide flame pattern like the MSR Superfly.

Soto Windmaster… fairly wide flame AND… constant flame level you don’t have to keep adjusting as gas pressure goes down!

Billy

Full disclosure: all my experience with flame spreaders was with much larger burners (100,000-250,000 BTU/hour) not with backpacking stoves (8,000-10,000 BTU/Hour).  But:

How about a  hugely expensive ($11 – $13) BRS-3000T at 21 grams and more compact than anything else?  Then, on those rare times you’re sautéing an omelet or poaching a freshly-caught sockeye salmon (I’m pretty sure I do that more often than anyone else on BPL), you put a “flame-spreader” on top of the burner.  It could just be a 3″ x 6″ section of 1/4″ hardware cloth folded in half.  Although my lightest-pack-weight flame spreaders (on those much larger burners) have been rather neolithic in their technology.  Because it was a ROCK. A flat ROCK, picked up in the campsite and put over the burner.  There is a tiny loss of energy as the rock comes to temperature (a one-time event) and somewhat reduced efficient because the pot is higher up, but it definitely reduces the hot spots you get in a large pot over a small burner.

I wouldn’t want to put a 2-quart pot on top of ANY of those stoves!

A full 2-quart pot is going to weigh a bit over 2kg. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems the stove/canister junction is not designed for such stresses, not to mention the pot support arms. And with any topper-type stove it’s going to make for a rather tippy setup.

Sometimes it’s best to just bite the bullet and carry the weight of something like a Kovea Spider remote canister stove, and put a ScorchBuster on top of it. The wire frame thingy on the Scorchbuster is not necessary — it can be replaced with three equally-sized pebbles.

I have used a 2 qt. open country for years on an Optimus Crux and recently, carefully, on a BRS-3000T cooking for 2-3 people.  I agree with the Soto or a Fire Maple 116T or a Olicamp Ultra Kinetic if they are still available.  The Cruxlite too.

If the pot is really full consistently or with the frypan then the Kovea Spider is a good suggestion too.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions.  It looks like there are definitely better options than the ones that I listed originally.  I am now debating between the Soto  Soto Amicus (2.7 oz) for 35 dollars  and the Soto Windmaster (2.3 oz. with 3 prong stand and 3 oz. with 4  prong stand) for 60 dollars (both on sale) because of their wide flame and supposed wind resistance (I’ll be using them at altitude).  These two Sotos seem very similar……both featuring the concave windscreen, but the windmaster has a microregulator.  Does anyone know or think that this regulator really adds up to more efficiency?  If not, I’ll go with the cheaper Amicus.  I also wonder if the Amicus’s spring loaded 4 prongs will be as stable as the 4 prong option of the windmaster.

I’ll be doing 7-10 day trips, so efficiency is a major priority.  Therefore, the MSR Superfly’s wide flame looks nice, but it sounds like it’s pretty inefficient.  Also, I don’t think I want to go with the Kovea Spider’s 6 oz. weight and larger pack size.

“Does anyone know or think that this regulator really adds up to more efficiency?”

Yes. Though I can’t prove it.I’ve been using Soto windmaster and previous model for several years…
I would not bet much on the windmaster being wind proof though… need to make a windscreen for all of these stoves… carefully… not fully enclosed or you will overheat the canister. Also, the built in igniter means you don’t have to take a bic lighter…. I would normally take a bic and a back-up bic, but with the Soto I don’t bother with the backup… saves about 1/2 oz for a mini bic.

Billy

Also… I find the regular pot support on the Soto to be fine for my 2 quart pot…

b

I agree with Billy Ray, you will still need/want a windscreen for best fuel efficiency.  If you are a member then search for the numerous stove articles by Roger Caffin and others on the subject.  I would also expect the piezo igniter to eventually not work and bring a lighter anyway.

Here is a big pot of cooked food, in a 2 qt. open country pot, on a Crux with a cut-to-fit Trail Designs varivent windscreen.

Actually Michael, I disagree..
Since last fall, I have been experimenting with two of the designs you mentioned -the BRS-3000T and the Kovea Supalite Titanium (which is basically the same stove as the Snow Peak Litemax).I have prepared many trail style meals with both over the last few months. Here is my take-

The BRS is a GREAT little stove to boil water with or even simmer a bit a low flame on a pot made from Aluminum or with a VERY attentive cook using Titanium or Stainless. However, the flame pattern IS small and the pot support diameter is about 3.5″..not the best for a wide range of pots. The BRS is the king of ultralight cannister stoves for boiling water and rehydrating food in small to medium pots..Not very good for actual cooking,IMHO.

For an extra one ounce weight penalty at 2oz ,the Litemax/Supalite design overs MUCH wider flame pattern as well as better/stronger build quality with a wider range of flame adjustment. It’s pot supports span 5″ plus.
Its a better stove for serious cooking with a wide variety of pots. Except for the fact it has 3 pot supports and not 4, I feel it’s the full equal of The SP Gigapower at 60% of the weight.

To answer Bob Moulder’s concern a about the stoves being top heavy, how are they anymore “top heavy” than your Jetboil with a Sumo cup? Unless you are using it onboard a rolling ship deck, you would have to be pretty clumbsy to slosh a 6″ to 7″ diameter pot enough to knock it off..As to strength the Litemax/Supalite will EASILY support a full 2 qt pot.
No 6 oz plus remote stoves needed, thank you very much..:)

As to the much respected( at least by me) Mr Thomas’ suggestion of heating a rock? Ever try to find a rock that thin and flat at your chosen campsite when you need it? It also begs the question of what you do when said rock EXPLODES due to any moisture hidden inside when you heated it to boiling temps?

I say use the Litemax/Supalite and be done with it.. For 2 measily ounces..

I’ve been using Soto Windmaster for years.  It seems well made.  It’s probably more wind resistant than many other stoves but I find a wind screen still necessary.

Regulator valve is handy.  When the canister cools down after a minute, especially for mostly empty canister, with a needle valve the flame goes way down so you have to adjust valve.  Regulator you don’t have to.  Fairly minor though.  Sort of an annoyance to realize the flame has gone way down.  It has no effect on the minimum temperature the stove will operate at.

At the risk of over generalizing, all stoves are the same efficient.  Except if it’s windy especially without a good windscreen.  Or a heat exchanger but that weighs more.

The three prong pot holder is very small diameter so it’s easy for the pot to tip over, so you probably want the 4 prong for a bigger pot.

I use 900 ml Titanium pot.  It often burns on the bottom when I make oatmeal.  I simmer it just long enough to bring back to boil, a few seconds.  I bet Dave’s flame spreader would help.  Maybe cut off the lid from a steel can?

I will agree the Sumo is pushing the limits a bit, but it’s 1.8L filled to the rim and more like 1.6L, practically, in order to leave a little headroom in the pot. Also I use the Sumo pot only with the MiniMo stove — so it locks into the pot base — and definitely not with the BRS-3000T, which would IMVHO be a very sketchy arrangement to use on a regular basis. Also when using the Sumo I add the canister base legs to further stabilize it.

However, if you guys are using these various other stoves with 2-quart pots with no issues, great. Nothing trumps personal experience.

Bob,
I should have emphasized that I DO NOT recommend using 2qt or larger sized pots on ghe BRS -3000T due to its relatively small support diameter. The pot arms can support the weight ,its just pushing its layeral stabilty with pots that size. Its also not going to bw very efficient due to its narrow flame pattern on wider pos as well.
The Litemax/Supalite .though, seems fine with them.

“The pot arms can support the weight ,its just pushing its layeral stabilty with pots that size.”

yeah, same with Soto Windmaster 3 arm support.  It’s just not big enough across.  A couple times my pot tipped over and contents went everywhere.

I now often put the stove next to a wall or put a big rock on the back side such that the pot touches that wall/rock.  Then it can’t tip over to the rear.  And when I place the pot such that it touches the wall/rock it won’t fall over to the front either because I positioned the stove such that the pot is centered.

Plus, the wall/rock provides wind protection

>”Ever try to find a rock that thin and flat at your chosen campsite when you need it? It also begs the question of what you do when said rock EXPLODES due to any moisture hidden inside when you heated it to boiling temps?”

Yeah, YMMV.  I was doing that with a burner about 10″ x 10″ so a large, flattish rock that was 1/2″ or more off level was still flat enough.  And a lot of campsites just wouldn’t have the geology to provide the flat rocks.  I was doing that mostly in the Nevada desert so the moisture content of the rocks was pretty low.  Although I find that rocks splitting from steam pressure is pretty rare (think about all those Boy-Scout-style fire circles), that’s certainly something to consider.  Mostly I wanted people to have in the back of their heads that in a pinch, they might find a rock or some other found object that would work.

For car camping applications, I moved from rocks to a steel plate.  But an steel can lid (what’s left after you use a can opener) would work fine – play with different diameters.  Then, if you want to go from that steel can lid to a thin piece of Ti, you’d go from 12 grams down to 4 grams or so.

I’ve been very happy with my Olicamp Xcelerator remote canister stove. Very stable, fine control of the flame, efficient with a wind screen, and weighs 4.2 ounces with sack. You should put it on your list.

If you like your snow peak giga-power stove, I recently sent mine in (it had rusted in storage) and they took it apart replaced the needle valve, o-ring, and piezo igniter and shipped it back to me free of charge.

I’ve been using it for a long time and was happy to get it back in working order, used it 10 years, hopefully I can enjoy for another 10.

If one is not careful with a larger pot on a top mounted canister stove, there can be the danger of overheating the canister. For the size pot and wanting to actually cook, I would get a remote canister stove with a good windscreen. You’re going to have to give up the lightest stove, to get the stove that works best for the desired use. “Form follows function.”

I’ll +1 the soto for my liking.

The lightest 3-season remote canister stove that I know of is the Olicamp Xcelerator Ti (aka Fire Maple FMS-117T) at 3.5 ounces (98 grams). The stove received a positive review by BPL a couple of years ago.

I bought one last year to use on trips with my son. I pair it with a ti foil windscreen (QiWiz) and a 1300mL ti pot (Evernew UL) and it works great for us especially if you like to cook in the pot. Sometimes I’ll add a HA aluminum 7″ frying pan (MSR Quick Skillet) for trout, pancakes, quesadillas, etc.

Well, there’s certainly no “one right stove for everyone.”  However, if one were debating whether or not the Soto Windmaster were actually more windproof than its predecessor, the Soto MicroRegulator, then I would refer them to this video that I shot maybe a year ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_yy0v1hq6w

And one more thing about the Soto stoves:  They have the best piezo ignition that I have yet seen on any stove (and I’ve seen quite a few).  Most of the upright canister stoves I’ve seen, e.g. the Snow Peak Giga “Auto”, have the piezo sort of bolted on to the side almost as an afterthought.  I’ve never seen one last the life of the stove (although, yes, you can sometimes fiddle with them and get the working again.).  I’ve not seen the Soto piezos fail.

Remote canister stoves are heavier, sometimes by quite a bit, BUT they generally offer superior windproofness over upright canister stoves, assuming that you’re using a full 360 degree windscreen (which you should NOT with an upright canister stove!).  And a remote canister stove typically supports a larger pot or pan better.  Now, of course the trick is to always hold the pot’s handle when stirring or turning while cooking, so technique can in fact overcome some of the drawbacks of stoves with a smaller span to their pot supports, but particularly if I were to be frying, I personally would prefer a more innately stable set up.  And of course SOME remote canister stoves can be run with the canister upside down for cold weather use, conferring upon the user an approximately 20 F degree advantage over upright canister stoves.

Just a few thoughts from a grouchy old stovie.  :)

HJ
AdventuresInStoving.blogspot.com
 

good review – 4 minutes to boil 16 ounces of water in the wind, not bad

I agree with you the windmaster is better than regular stoves, but if you had a windscreen it would be 3 minutes and if it’s windier it will work less well

I’m just saying that even the windmaster should have a windscreen.

I agree with your piezo assesment – I’ve used mine for 2.5 years and so far so good.  maybe 200 nights.  boiling 4 pints per night.

When I look at that second o-ring on the outside I think of the Challenger accident.  Better to have one good o-ring.  But the Soto does work so it’s good.

@ the original poster. My recollection is that the auto ignition can be removed from the Stainless Steel SnoPeak GigaPower. Not sure whether that will get you in the weight range you need but if you really like its greater stability perhaps after some polishing you have a newish stove at no additional cost.