Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've used quite a few stove systems, including the $5 ultralight stove sold here on Amazon, the MSR Pocket Rocket, Primus Classic Stove, and the Jetboil Flash. I had been considering the Reactor, but after a bit of research, and a very in-depth review by Hikin' Jim, I went with this instead as I generally go alone, and this has some adaptability for cooking for two (more on that later). All of those other stoves have annoying quirks that I no longer have to deal with when using the Windburner. The most important of them being that none of those were reliable in the cold, windy hikes here in the Northeast. To get anywhere near the performance of the Windburner with those other options, you need to use a windscreen, which costs you another 6-8oz and negates any weight savings of those other systems. Fully stuffed with all of its components (besides the fuel), this weighs in on my food scale at exactly 440g (15.5oz). This includes the burner, the pot, cozy/handle, tripod stabilizer, protective cloth (used to protect the inside of pot when packing), and the bowl. Even with the lightest stoves such as the pocket rocket (3oz), I was carrying a 6oz windscreen, 6oz titanium pot, 2oz bowl, and a <1oz stabilizer, meaning the Windburner is a weight savings anyway. But what I get is performance that never fails, heats fast while being incredibly efficient with fuel, and a compact nesting design. As an added bonus, there's a piece of metal that runs along the top of the burner that originally I thought was a manufacturing defect, but quickly learned is an indicator that the stove is lit and burning. I really like this, because sometimes I couldn't tell whether or not my Primus stove was on or not when it is bright out. To those who think this is a one trick pony that only boils water, see the attached pictures. The Jetboil Pot Support 0 One Size fits this perfectly, and makes cooking on a skillet a breeze. And due to the wider diameter of this burner compared to the other stoves I had owned, the food cooks much more evenly. The pot support adds an additional 35g (1.2oz). They also make a custom skillet for the Windburner, here: MSR WindBurner Skillet. I have yet to try it though, but it looks like it would be better than the Jetboil Pot Support option. All things considered, though, I had a HUGE issue with this stove initially. The early runs of this package had a defective cozy design that rode too high up on the pot, which then allowed the bowl to slide to far up when packing it, and the lip of the bowl locked onto the burner and it was a pain to get off. I mean a REAL pain, as in several minutes of fighting with the thing, and considering using a knife to wedge it off. This was supposedly fixed a while ago (I purchased this a year ago, back when it was called the Windboiler pre-jetboil throwing a hissy and making them change the name), and when I looked at the floor model of the one at REI it was perfectly fine. When I called MSR, they told me about the defective run and sent a new cozy free of charge. However, the one they sent had the same problem. It wasn't until the 2nd replacement that it was correct. I would make sure your bowl slides on and off the bottom easily before bringing it into the field. After a lot of trial and error with stoves, I can confidently say that if you are a solo backpacker who occasionally camps in cold/windy weather, buy this stove and never look back. It is worth every penny. Update 3/12/2018: After many seasons with this stove, I can still highly recommend it. A hiking buddy of mine had his stove (MSR Pocket Rocket) fail on him in 19 degree weather and has to cook his meals on mine, prompting him to purchase the Windburner when we got back to civilization. However, there is an updated version of the Windburner that is worth the additional cost if you are choosing between the two (not worth the full cost if you already this windburner, the new burner itself is not better, just the way it sits). Check out the MSR Group stove system, it includes the new burner with a remote canister design, which means the canister attaches via a short line which allows the burner to sit much lower and therefore be more stable. This is particularly useful is you do real cooking on this thing (I am a huge fan of the Windburner skillet, which I purchased since writing the initial review). The Group stove system also has a fantastic 2.5L nonstick pot that is a delight to cook in despite its minimal weight. I noticed that Amazon says the MSR piezo igniter is often purchased with this. Don't buy that! It will not work reliably. I carry an arc lighter which works perfectly SUPRUS Electric Candle Lighter Portable Arc Lighter USB Rechargeable Pocket Size Windproof Perfect for Gas Stove Camping BBQ Party Gift Box, weights 1.3oz and doesn't use fuel. I carry a firesteel and matches as backup. To sum up, it has never failed me no matter what conditions I camped in. Seeing a friend's stove fail, and thinking about what his night would've been like if I wasn't there, was an eye opener. If you are using canister gas in cold weather, get this stove.