Best in my collection

By Jeremiah Rozario Ranked #14 - Canister Stoves January 20, 2009

I have an EtaPower 2.1L cook system, Jet Boil PCS with 1.5L cook Pot with the Stabilizer and pot support and an MSR Pocket Rocket. The EtaPower and the Jet Boil have their own pots of course, and the pocket rocket is used with my MSR Titan Kettle which is the lightest(8.5oz:stove, case & pot). In the wind the MSR is weak even on full, otherwise it is about the lightest minimalist canister setup rivaled by only 10ths of an oz if any. The Jet Boil is the Second Lightest(15.4oz) if carried without the 1.5L pot. In the wind the unit is performs perfectly even at a simmer. The EtaPower is a workhorse. It laughs at wind and boils water faster than reported times but is the heaviest(2lbs. 7.6oz) The Jet Boil is the best packed unit with any 110g fuel canister inside, all as a single unit. The EtaPower packs as a unit but it is tricky to get a fuel canister inside and not damage the Teflon. The MSR Kettle holds one 250g canister but the stove is in it's own plastic case. Jet Boil uses the smallest, 110g, fuel canister not including the MSR brand canister due to it's flatter/wider shape. Snow Peak canisters are identical in shape and content to the Jet Boil brand fuel canisters but they are the cheapest canister I've seen. The Small fuel capacity seems limiting but the Jet Boil PCS just sips fuel and it's little canisters last as long as the larger 250g does with the Pocket Rocket. The EtaPower on the other hand can be turned down somewhat and it uses very little fuel when used with the heat exchange pot but not as efficient when used with the pan because the pan has not heat exchangers and will not work with the wind screen. Still the PCS is the most fuel efficient unit. All three systems have a good range of energy output. The best simmering unit is the EtaPower if you are sensitive with the controls because the pot disperses the heat over a wide area. The PCS is the second at simmering (yes I have cooked and not just boiled with it) with it's heat exchanger and radiant output, the bottom of the pot stays hot evenly. You need a long utensil like the ones made by Jet Boil to reach the bottom of the pot in order to keep food from sticking and burning. The MSR Pocket Rocket is the worst at simmering if you consider the hot spot in the center of the pot. Some packing deserts must be made in the pot and the MSR was the only one that would burn the bottom without cooking the food. On one occasion I took the 1.5L pot out with the MSR Pocket Rocket and the rice I made was not burnt. In fact the wind resistance of the stove was improved with the Jet Boil GCS pot. That is another point for Jet Boil if you ask me. Above and beyond all other systems I have seen, the Jet Boil is the only unit that can be used while on the move (yes, I use mine to boil water while walking). The other systems do not have an coffee press that work with the included pot. If I wanted to I could buy a coffee press/pot combo and use it on any stove except for the Reactor by MSR and I don't own one of those.
To conclude; the every stove has it's place. Some are lighter and cheaper. Some are said to only boil water(I think the blame is on the chef). Some are heavy large or expensive. But few can fill as many different niches as the Jet Boil PCS. The only thing Jet Boil leaves me to dream of are a little crazy like a pressure cooker pot that fits the PCS or a bread oven insert.

View Details: Jetboil Classic Personal Cooking System

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