When you’re out in the hills with everything you need strapped to your back, every gram counts, and in this review we’ve put a selection of lightweight stoves through their paces to see which ones deserve a place in your pack. We’ve tested them all out in real Scottish conditions, but also done a comparative boil time and simmer control test at home; we looked at efficiency, packability, ease of use, durability and value for money. Weights given include accessories included with each stove including pot support, canister stabiliser, and stuff sacks – not all of which need to be taken on each trip.
All the stoves in this test fit on top of the gas canister. Three of the stoves come with a cookpot with a fitted heat exchanger – these increase efficiency and so reduce fuel use, though we didn’t find they decreased boil times. They do have the added advantage of sheltering the flame somewhat from the wind. We haven’t included stoves which stand apart from the canister in this test – such stoves are a little heavier but are easier to protect from the wind – and to safely use cosies etc to keep the canister warm during use.
These stoves are lightweight and compact for solo multi-day adventurers and are even a useful addition for day walks where the ability to brew up a cuppa or even a full warm meal can really add to the enjoyment. As with all gas stoves, care needs to be taken to ensure the gas canister is screwed up carefully to avoid cross threading and dangerous leaks. Carbon monoxide is released during use so they need to be used in well ventilated places and away from flammable materials – tents, dry grass and heather etc. It helps to set up and test a new stove at home before you set out on a first trip and whilst piezo ignition is great, they can fail so back up matches are always useful.
Highlander Fastboil 3
RRP: £74.99
Weight: 505g
This value-for-money stove kit includes a heat exchanger and cookpot – it’s of similar design to the Jetboil and Primus models also included in this test. The Fastboil 3 comes with the largest cookpot in this review, with a 1.1 litre capacity (although in reality 1 litre is the maximum amount of water it can safely handle). The measuring amounts embossed on the inside are fairly easy to see. The cookpot has a removeable neoprene insulating sleeve and silicon folding handles that are very comfortable to use – this is a pot you can easily use as a giant mug for both eating and drinking from, though for eating a long spoon is handy. There is a soft plastic lid that secures well, works as a strainer and has a hole you can easily drink through; it has the best designed spout for pouring out of the pots/lids on test.
As with the Jetboil model, the pot needs to be slotted into place during cooking. This is reasonably easy to do with clear markings showing the engagement points. The burner base is metal and plastic but feels robust and the folding plastic foot which clips to the gas canister works well. The built-in piezo ignition works very well. The kit comes with an additional pot stand to allow use with other pans. The stove itself packs into the cookpot and will also fit a 100g canister of gas inside or (if you don’t mind the lid not quite clipping on, a 220g canister). The stove stands tall so needs secure grounding and to be kept sheltered from the wind; there are stabiliser feet for the canister. Overall it performed very well and felt robust; a good option for larger quantities or two people at a very decent price.
Performance: Boil time – 1 min 53 secs (all stoves were timed bringing 500ml cold water to a roiling boil using a new gas canister), fairly controllable for a fast simmer.
Available in two colours – blue or olive green.
Jetboil MiniMo
RRP: £184.99
Weight: 490g
Jetboil are the brand most strongly associated with heat exchangers. Compared to the Highlander and Primus offerings in this review, the MiniMo has a wider, slightly shallower pot which makes the whole stove a bit more stable, allowing for a larger diffuser ring (and therefore presumably increased efficiency). It also makes eating using a spork rather than a long handled spoon more viable. The cookpot capacity is 1 litre full to the brim, so the practical boil amount is nearer 850ml. Packed sideways (within the non-scratch bag provided) the burner and a 100g canister will fit inside the cookpot; there is also a useful plastic bowl that fits onto the bottom – it can be used as a bowl or measuring jug (there are also, slightly hard to see, measurements on the inside of the cookpot). The plastic lid is good quality but the lip doesn’t pour brilliantly – we also found the mechanism to secure the cookpot onto the burner once lit was slightly tricky although it feels very secure once in place. We liked the foldable cookpot handle, it feels strong, the neoprene cosy is a nice insulating touch but is hard to remove so any food spills should be sponged off. The lid is partially see-through – unlike the Highlander or Primus stoves – so it’s easier to check it’s not about to boil over. The burner itself seems robust and the control handle is easy to use, there’s a useful piezo ignition that we found a little more awkward to use than the Highlander one. The plastic stabiliser foot works well but is fiddly to clip on and off the gas canister. The kit comes with a support for use with other pans, although it is very lightweight and has serrated supports for added grip, it is awkward to lock into place until you get the knack. Overall, the Jetboil is quite expensive, but it should last and is relatively versatile.
Jetboil also sell a hanging kit, coffee press, fry pan and utensil pack to go with this stove.
Performance: Boil time – 2 min 14 secs, fairly controllable for a fast simmer. We have used it at -6 degrees and light wind gusts; other users report that this is genuinely an all season stove if you can protect from the wind and use winter-grade gas.
Available in black or orange sunset pattern.
Primus Lite Plus
RRP: £130
Weight: 449g
The Lite Plus is the smallest and lightest of the three stoves in this test with heat exchangers. The cookpot has a maximum capacity 0.8 litre with a safe boil amount of nearer 0.6 litre; it has a very robust design as expected from this Swedish company. The burner unit is easier to attach to the cookpot than the Highlander or Jetboil models and feels very secure when in place. It also feels the most durable with less plastic than its rivals.
The valve handle works well for gas flow control and the piezo lighter is easy to use. The pot has clear measurements on the inside and we liked the more sustainable insulated cosy, made of rip-stop nylon lined with cork which is easily removeable for cleaning. The pouring lip on the cookpot is very small, it works ok for pouring but is not great for drinking directly from. It has a webbing handle which can double to hold the stored stove and lid in place which is neat but we found it less secure to use when pouring or eating than the other 2 similar models. The handle also houses the space-saving screw-in, pot supports plugs which allow the stove to be used with other pans. This design means the whole stove and pot supports will usually be kept together. A space-saving cup doubles as a lid and strainer but has a tiny 200ml capacity, rendering it near to useless as a separate bowl – it does work well as a lid and small measuring jug.
Another major plus for this stove is that it is designed to be lit once the pot and burner are attached, making it easier to use, whereas with the 2 stoves above the pot should be attached after ignition. A hanging cord is included as well as a spare pot support plug and we liked the generous pack towel that wraps around the stove to protect it – very handy to have around camp and a useful addition rather than just another stuff sack. This is an excellent stove, possibly best suited for solo use although it will work for 2 at a pinch.
Primus also sell a coffee press for this model and replacement piezo ignitions.
Performance: Boil time – 2 mins 6 secs; good simmer control, works well in light wind but needs shelter.
Available in black or fern green.
MSR Pocket Rocket 2 Mini Stove Kit
RRP: £94.99
Weight: 284g (stove and pan kit)
The lightest stove and pan set in this test (though it has no heat exchanger), the Pocket Rocket has come a long way since we first used it over 20 years ago on a year-long European backpack. Since then it has evolved into a number of versions alongside its Windburner sibling (which does have a heat exchanger). This model is designed with solo backpackers in mind, safely boiling a maximum of 0.5 litres in a non-insulated cookpot (with useful cool rubber grip near the top). The minimal lid has a cool-to-touch handle, large pour hole and useable strainer and is properly transparent so you can see what’s going on. A very decent sized plastic bowl doubles as a measuring jug and fits over the cookpot for storage. The lightweight pot holder works well but is too fiddly if you’re going to eat directly from the pot – the rubber grip is better for this.
Whilst the all-metal burner is much smaller than the Crux below, it is mighty powerful. A cross design on the burner head is designed to stop the whole burner going out in a gust of wind. Although like the other stoves it does need protection from the wind generally, this does seem to help stop the flame going out; MSR also sell a clip-on wind shield. The serrated edge of the pot supports help keep pans in place; there’s no piezo ignition or canister stabiliser. The flow control handle is large and easy to use, and the stove simmers well. Care should be taken not to overheat the rubber grip on the outside of the pot when using a high flame for long period as the grip can slide down the pot. This kit is perfectly suited to solo trips where boiling water for drinks and dehydrated meals is the priority, and where weight and packability is key. Great value from a trusted brand.
Performance: Boil time – 1 min 43 secs, good simmer control.
Optimus Crux
RRP: £65 stove only (Weekend Cook Set £100 including stove)
Weight: 113g (485g with Cook Set)
A simple lightweight canister-top stove, the Crux has the largest burner of those on test and burns with a fierce roar. Swedish-founded company Optimus has been making stoves since 1899; the construction feels solid – despite their slight appearance the folding serrated pot supports stay in place and do their job well. The green control valve handle is larger than some making it easy to use. There’s no piezo ignition, though Optimus sell a separate hand held one. The padded bag protects the stove and also attaches neatly to the bottom of a gas canister, but weighing 22g it could be left out to save weight. Best used with a wind shield (Optimus sells a clip on half shield), like most canister-top stoves it needs level ground or to be wedged somewhere safe and protected from the wind. Although the burner is wide for this type of compact stove, and allows a good degree of simmer control with less hot spot burning or sticking than some comparable stoves, it is not designed to be used with pans wider than 10cm – it will work but loses efficiency and stability. Similarly it won’t work with the very narrow pots (like the one provided with the Primus Lite above) as the flame will lick dangerously up the sides on full power.
There is also a Crux Lite version which saves 11g but does not fold (it is still pretty tiny). Optimus also sell a pan set specifically for this stove, the Crux Weekend Cook Set, weighing in at 372g (manufacturers stated weight) and comprising a deep pot which can also be used as a large mug and a fry pan which doubles as the lid, both with foldable handles and a canister stabiliser. Given the quality of the stove (we’ve not tested the pans) the price of the cook set seems very good value; if you already have suitable pans, we’d expect the stove to last a long time and provide value for money.
Performance: Boil time – 1 min 37 secs – the fastest stove on test it has incredibly good simmer control making it very versatile.