I reserve the 5 star rating for exceptional items, and this is one of them. There are better fun & family camping stoves, but if you are looking to melt snow and boil water for hours on end at higher elevations, the XGK is the workhorse of choice.

Like most camp stoves, the XGK can malfunction, but it is also very simple to clean and repair if you have the maintenance kit. I've found that the #1 thing that breaks is the gasket on the pump.

The big complaints on this stove are that it is noisy and doesn't simmer. To me, the noise is a small price to pay for reliability, and simmering can be controlled through pump pressure. If you want to brown pancakes, unscrew the pump from the bottle, let all the tank pressure out, then only give it a few strokes (five?) and start from there.

I use this stove as part of an entire system, of which further details can be found here:

http://straightchuter.com/2009/05/expeditions-stove-set-up/

The high heat output makes this my stove of choice for winter activities. I considered purchasing the older model until I saw the improved stability & flexible fuel line, a big plus when saving space in your pack. The noise level, when burning, keeps critters away. I'm currently burning kerosene but like the ability to burn a variety of other fuels. If you want to boil water quickly at all elevations & in all temperatures, this is the best. If simmering is your priority, keep looking!

I've been using my XGK EX Stove for the last 4 months, in that time I've spent a total of 3 weeks on the trail from the Sea of Cortez to Seattle, Wa. The weight of the stove is good, not as light as others but a good compromise considering the range of fuels it will burn. The burner works well with all three fuel cells available from MSR and burn time is good as well. Over all it's a good choice if your looking for a high out put multi-fuel stove. The one down side is there is no simmer function, it's full throttle or nothing. However all I do is boil water with it. Lastly it's louder than any stove I have ever used, but that lets you know it's working.

Yeah its expensive. But after having 3 butane stoves (costing more than $150 collectively) I finally decided to go all or nothing. If it came down to it, I bet this thing would burn off of mouthwash.... I boils super fast, its easy to use in comparison to other white gas stoves, and it looks and works great. TRUE STORY: Yesterday I got a flat tire in the middle of nowhere...my car kit was messed up and no joke i used the tool kit that came with the stove to tweak my tools to change the tire. I would still be lost in the mountains of s. utah had it not been for my MSR.

I have had this stove for 7 years. It's never let me down. From deserts to glaciers it hasn't failed me. I give it little maintenance and in return it lights first time and will burn just about anything anyone would put in an engine. On the downside, it does sound like a jet engine on full volume. On the plus, if you are going to be anywhere you absolutely need your stove to work, get this stove.

This stove could become your closest friend in the cold , high mountains . It gives out lots of heat . Properly maintained it holds pressure longer than advertised . I love the big roaring sound and pink glow that it has when hot !

This is a great stove. I have used it for several years and never had a problem until the other day. I loaned it to a friend who broke the pump handle stuffing it in his pack. I really mean stuffing it in his pack. The stove is very easy to clean in the field, it is a true 'shaker' stove."

This stove is great for winter camping. It will melt snow or boil water quickly (cooks kraft diner too!). For fancy summer cooking, you may consider an other option if you plan to slow cook while chatting around. In fact, I found it sounding like a Boeing engine and don't count on the simmer capability (there is no). The leg's design the best I have seen so far. It took me about 3 backyard try to get use to the stove. Up to now I only use it with naphtha. Worth the price if you plan to keep it for long time. I gave five stars considering it's a one purpose stove.

I had no prior experience with stoves but bought this stove to melt snow and boil water in below zero temps. It rocks! Easy to light, easy to use, and I love the "jet engine" sound.

fantastic bit of kit, just bought one on a friends advise and I couldn't be happier with it. boils water insanely fast and burns unleaded fuel with next to no smell. the friend who suggested it came with me on the trek and he discovered how to lower the heat, seems you need to keep the pressure in the fuel tank fairly low but just enough to keep it going I can't see how this would hurt the stove but someone in the know might have an idea

used this on a Motor Bike trip up in the mountains in Oman, we cant belive how quick this little stove will boil a liter of water up for a brew...Great bit of kit...get one.

Used this stove to do some mid altitude camping and coffee creation down in the Moab area. Stable design that accomodates a medium / large pot and supplied simple sheet metal windscreen does what its supposed to.
Easty to start up, the fuel line / bottle interface are simple to arrange and attach. Everything felt secure and tight. This stove is heavy duty and HEAVY. I wouldn't suggest carrying this as your summer packing stove. As a solution for winter melting of snow (its efficient!) or getting a large pot HOT for frying / cooking I'm a huge fan.
Utilized white gas and low octane gas pump automobile gasoline (not suggested for regular use due to corrosion). White gas was clean and hot, auto gas was about the same but took longer to boil or heat a pan. The fuel flexibility of this stove is a massive selling point.
One downside: This stove is loud, really loud. Loud enough to instill confidence that its burning HOT but if you're around anyone else or trying to keep things quiet in a campground this isn't your stove. Everytime I fire it up I'm happy to turn it off to give the ears a rest. In comparison I've used a number of Jetboil, MSR multi-fuel and canister stoves that were half or 2/3rds the volume. Ultimately this shouldn't stop you from buying the stove if all of the above fits your need, just be ready to make some adjustments for volume.
No simmer, the heat is wide open all the time. Shaker jet cleaning is genius and worth the few extra pennies of a stove that doesn't have this.

Tried it in my apartment and works great. Lots of power, easy to disassemble, to clean, and repair. Anxious to try it on Aconcagua next Christmas