Jetboil vs – System Stoves Review

 A comparison of every Jetboil-style System Stove on the market.

Overview | Speed & Efficiency | Weight | Size & Dimensions | Features

Jetboil vs: All-in-one stove review


Introduction

In 2001, Jetboil released a stove that was different from anything else on the market: an all-in-one burner and pot, designed purely for heating water as rapidly and efficiently as possible.

The pot was tall and narrow, wrapped in an insulative sleeve, and came with a heat exchanger on the bottom. The whole thing attached directly onto the burner to create an efficient water-boiling unit.

17 years later, Jetboil has five such stove designs and there are as many other companies now making similar products.

These stoves are usually called “System Stoves”, sometimes “all-in-one stoves” or simply “Jetboil-style” stoves.

This article compares all 18 of these Jetboil-style System Stoves.

Some of the information compiles what it is publicly available so you can compare the stats.

Other information is taken from my own tests and measurements. I only own seven of these stoves (!) but I will add data on any more that I acquire over the coming months and years.

The tables presented below are:

  1. Overview: weight, capacity and prices
  2. Speed and efficiency: how quickly the boil and how much gas they use
  3. Weight: actual weights of burners and pots, plus millilitres per gram
  4. Size and dimensions: internal measurements and centre of gravity
  5. Features: piezo lighters, handle types, simmering and noise.

Best Jetboil stoves

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Most efficient:

JetBoil MiniMo stove

Jetboil MiniMo

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Fastest (and least efficient):

Optimus Elektra FE

Primus Elektra FE (aka Crux Lite)

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Lightest:

Jetboil Zip

All-in-One Stoves: Jetboil Zip

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Largest capacity:

Jetboil Joule / MSR Reactor

MSR Reactor 2.5L

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Most stable (and best designed):

All-in-One Stove: Primus Lite+

Primus Lite

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Best in wind:

MSR WIndBurner stove

MSR WindBurner

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Overview

Here is an overview of all 18 System Stoves, showing their weight, capacity and cost, as well as any special features.

Scroll down for further details on all of these stoves.

Manufacturer Stove Reported weight Capacity (ml) Notes Cost Online price checker
Alpkit BruKit 466g 1,000ml £45 UK
Alpkit BruKit Jackal 425g 750ml £42 UK
Alpkit BruKit Wolf 470g 1,100ml £48 UK
Jetboil Zip 345g 800ml £72 AmazonREIUK
Jetboil Flash 400g 1,000ml £84 AmazonREIUK
Jetboil MiniMo 415g 1,000ml £133 AmazonREI
Jetboil Sumo 453g 1,800ml £124 AmazonREI
Jetboil Joule 790g 2,500ml Pre-heat tube £130 AmazonREI
Kovea Alpine Pot Wide 510g 1,000ml £90 AmazonREIUK
Kovea Alpine EZ Eco 770g 1,000ml Built-in rechargeable canister £130 REI
MSR Reactor Stove 417g 1,000ml £120 AmazonREIUK
MSR Reactor Stove 496g 1,700ml £130 AmazonREIUK
MSR Reactor Stove 588g 2,500ml £130 AmazonREIUK
MSR WindBurner* 432g 800ml Windproof £93 AmazonREIUK
Optimus Elektra FE 455g 950ml £72 AmazonREIUK
Primus Lite 360g 650ml £64 AmazonUK
Primus Lite+ 390g 650ml £83 AmazonUK
Primus Lite XL 450g 1,000ml £107 AmazonUK
Jetboil vs: All-in-one stove review
Stove testing in the kitchen


Speed and efficiency

This table compares the speed and efficiency of each stove. It is based on my own tests, not on manufacturers’ information.

Speed and efficiency method

I tested the following stoves to see how long it took them to boil 500ml of water and how much fuel they used in the process.

All stoves used a full 230g gas canister and were set to full power. Gas usage was measured by weighing the canister before and after testing.

Each test was conducted twice, and the results below are the average of those two tests.

Manufacturer Stove Boil time Gas used
Alpkit BruKit Wolf 02:20 5g
Jetboil MiniMo 02:20 5g
MSR Reactor Stove 02:17 9g
MSR WindBurner 02:54 6g
Optimus Elektra FE 01:20 12g
Primus Lite+ 02:13 7g
Speed and efficiency results

I was surprised to find that almost all of the stoves boiled the water in very similar times. 5 out of 7 stoves boiled the water in between 2mins 13secs and 2mins 20secs. The only exceptions were:

  • The MSR WindBurner, which was a good 30-seconds slower than the rest (but perhaps would be faster in a windy setting)
  • The Optimus Elektra, which was significantly faster than any of the others, boiling the water in almost half the time (a full minute quicker than the next fastest).

The amount of gas used ranged from 5 grams to 12 grams:

  • Most stoves used between 5 and 7 grams (The Alpkit BruKit Wolf, Jetboil MiniMo, MSR Windburner and Primus Lite+). I suspect my test wasn’t very accurate so these are probably all within a margin of error.
  • The MSR Reactor stove used more than those, at 9 grams.
  • The Optimus Elektra used even more: 12 grams, about the double average.
Speed and efficiency conclusions

In conclusion, most System Stoves boil water at similar speeds and with reasonably similar efficiency, with the following exceptions:

  • The MSR Reactor uses slightly more gas than most.*
  • The MSR WindBurner is slightly slower than most (though likely faster in the wind).*
  • The Optimus Elektra is almost double the speed of other stoves but uses twice as much fuel.
MSR System Stove speeds

I was surprised to find that the MSR stoves appeared to perform poorly in the tests because they have a very good reputation and, personally, the MSR WindBurner is the System Stove I choose to use most often.

Lawrence Friell from ProAgencies, who import MSR products into the UK, was able to explain:

With real world conditions of a 15mph breeze, a half full canister and a balmy winter’s day, the results would be turned on their head. Speed of boil time is one metric, but it’s also the same as saying how fast you can use fuel.

We all know that gas stoves work better when your canister is full (the pressure’s higher, around 50psi). That’s why I tested all of these stoves with a full canister.

However, the MSR stoves are regulated to always operate at lower pressure, regardless of how pressurised the canister is. That means they will maintain similar boiling speeds whether the canister is full or half empty.

WindBurners and Reactors are regulated at 12-15psi, so they’ll provide you with pretty much the same boil time for the lifetime of the canister. On a windy day, with a half full canister most of the competition will struggle to boil water.

Ideally, I would run these tests again with half empty canisters (and probably in the wind too). But I’ll have to save that for another day.

Tim Moss testing stoves
Stove testing at the Cycle Touring Festival


Weight

The weights of the different stoves are displayed below.

  • Stove, pot and total weight: my own measurements. Reported weights are as per manufacturer claims.
  • Stove weight: the burner itself.
  • Pot weight: the cooking pot, including handle, lid and sleeve where appropriate.
  • Millilitres per gram: this is a way of taking into account the volume of a stove. For example, a Jetboil Sumo obviously weighs more than its smaller cousin, the MiniMo. However, the weight difference is negligible (less than 40g, 9%) but the size difference is significant (800ml, 80%).
Manufacturer Stove Stove weight Pot weight Total weight Reported weight Reported ounces
Alpkit BruKit Wolf 175g 261g 436g 470g 17oz
Jetboil MiniMo 133g 273g 406g 415g 14oz
MSR Reactor Stove 178g 238g 416g 417g 15oz
MSR WindBurner 196g 247g 443g 432g 15oz
Optimus Elektra FE 87g 283g 370g 455g 16oz
Primus Lite+ 154g 262g 416g 390g 14oz

The lightest Jetboil-style stoves are the Jetboil Zip at 345 grams, followed by the Primus Lite and Lite+ at 360g and 390g respectively, then the Jetboil Flash at 400g.

The Kovea Alpine EZ Eco is one of the heaviest at 770g, but this is misleading since it includes its own internal gas canister.

Predictably, the larger stoves tend to offer the best millitres per gram (e.g. Jetboil Sumo and Joule, and the larger MSR Reactors). Often because they have the exact same burners as small stoves, just with bigger pots attached.

Jetboil vs: All-in-one stove review


Size and dimensions

The volume and dimensions of the stoves are displayed below.

  • Capacity: is the manufacturer’s reported measurement, the rest of the measurements are my own.
  • Base height: distance from bottom of 230g gas canister (the ground) to external base of the pot (usually the bottom of the heat exchanger).
  • Water height: distance from ground to internal base of pot (i.e. where the water starts to fill from).
  • Pot height: internal length of pot (i.e. from the base to the top).
  • Centre of gravity: a measure of stability (lower is better). See note below.
Manufacturer Stove Capacity (ml) Capacity (oz) Centre of gravity Pot height Pot depth Pot diameter
Alpkit BruKit 1,000ml 33oz 13cm
Alpkit BruKit Jackal 750ml 25oz 11cm
Alpkit BruKit Wolf 1,100ml 37oz 21cm 19cm 15cm 12cm
Jetboil Zip 800ml 27oz 10cm
Jetboil Flash 1,000ml 33oz 10cm
Jetboil MiniMo 1,000ml 33oz 19cm 13cm 10cm 13cm
Jetboil Sumo 1,800ml 60oz 13cm
Jetboil Joule 2,500ml 85oz 17cm
Kovea Alpine Pot Wide 1,000ml 33oz 13cm
Kovea Alpine EZ Eco 1,000ml 33oz 13cm
MSR Reactor Stove 1,000ml 33oz 19cm 14cm 12cm 13cm
MSR Reactor Stove 1,700ml 57oz 15cm
MSR Reactor Stove 2,500ml 88oz 19cm
MSR WindBurner* 800ml 27oz 23cm 17cm 14cm 11cm
Optimus Elektra FE 950ml 32oz 21cm 12cm 10cm 12cm
Primus Lite 650ml 22oz 18cm 13cm 11cm 10cm
Primus Lite+ 650ml 22oz 18cm 13cm 11cm 10cm
Primus Lite XL 1,000ml 34oz 11cm 12cm
Centre of gravity

System Stoves tend to be tall and narrow. As such, they are often unstable and liable to toppling.

As such, I’ve done a crude calculation of each stove’s “centre of gravity”. A low value indicates better stability, a high value indicates a greater chance of the stove tipping over.

(It’s calculated as the height above ground of the bottom of the inside of the pot when using a 230g canister, plus a third of the pot’s height).

The stoves with the lowest centre of gravity are the Primus Lite and Lite+ at 18cm. That’s a conscious move by Primus, whose “Laminar Flow Burner Technology” allows for a shorter burner height.

The MSR Windburner has the highest centre of gravity at 23cm. I really like this stove but it does indeed feel quite high off the ground.

Primus Lite+ Stove
Primus Lite+


Features

A summary of other key features.

  • Handle:
    • Horizontal – traditional metal pan handle that sticks out perpendicular from the pot.
    • Vertical – folding metal handles that run the length of the pot.
    • Straps – fabric straps that run the length of the pot.
  • Piezo: indicates whether the stove has a built-in electric ‘piezo’ lighter i.e. does it have a button you can push to ignite it or do you need to carry a separate lighter.
Manufacturer Stove Piezo Simmer Noise Handle
Alpkit BruKit Yes No High Vertical
Alpkit BruKit Jackal Yes No High Vertical
Alpkit BruKit Wolf Yes No High Vertical
Jetboil Zip No No High Vertical
Jetboil Flash Yes No High Vertical
Jetboil MiniMo Yes Yes High Vertical
Jetboil Sumo Yes Yes High Vertical
Jetboil Joule Yes Yes High Vertical
Kovea Alpine Pot Wide Yes No
Kovea Alpine EZ Eco No No
MSR Reactor Stove No Yes Low Horizontal
MSR Reactor Stove No Yes Low Horizontal
MSR Reactor Stove No Yes Low Horizontal
MSR WindBurner* No Yes High Strap
Optimus Elektra FE No Yes Horizontal
Primus Lite Yes Yes High Strap
Primus Lite+ Yes Yes High Strap
Primus Lite XL Yes Yes High Strap
MSR WindBurner Stove Review
MSR WindBurner

How many Jetboil-style System Stoves are there?

Here is a full list of every System Stove on the market (if I’ve missed any, please do send me details!):

  1. Alpkit BruKit
  2. Alpkit BruKit Jackal
  3. Alpkit BruKit Wolf
  4. Jetboil Zip
  5. Jetboil Flash
  6. Jetboil MiniMo
  7. Jetboil Sumo
  8. Jetboil Joule
  9. Kovea Alpine Pot Wide
  10. Kovea Alpine EZ Eco
  11. MSR Reactor Stove (1,000ml)
  12. MSR Reactor Stove (1,700ml)
  13. MSR Reactor Stove (2,500ml)
  14. MSR WindBurner (previously WindBoiler)
  15. Optimus Elektra FE
  16. Primus Lite
  17. Primus Lite+
  18. Primus Lite XL

Many of these are just different names for the same stove with a different sized pot attached.

With the MSR Reactor, that’s pretty obvious from the names above. But with, say, AlpKit, it’s not immediately obvious that the BruKit Jackal and BruKit Wolf are exactly the same stove except for the Jackal having a larger pot on top.

There are actually just 11 different “Jetboil style” stoves (burners) on the market:

  1. Jetboil: with regulator, without regulator and Joule
  2. MSR: Windburner and Reactor
  3. Alpkit : Brukit and Brukit Jackal/Wolf
  4. Kovea: Alpine Pot Wide and Alpine EZ Eco
  5. Primus: Lite/Lite+
  6. Optimus: Elektra FE

Want to buy one?

Below are links to check the prices of all of those stoves on: Amazon, REI in the US and whatever UK shop has the best price.

If you’ve found this article useful then please do consider clicking one of the links below before making a purchase. At no cost to you, I’ll get a small percentage of anything you buy.

Manufacturer Stove Check Amazon Check REI Check UK stores
Alpkit BruKit UK
Alpkit BruKit Jackal UK
Alpkit BruKit Wolf UK
Jetboil Zip Amazon REI UK
Jetboil Flash Amazon REI UK
Jetboil MiniMo Amazon REI
Jetboil Sumo Amazon REI
Jetboil Joule Amazon REI
Kovea Alpine Pot Wide Amazon REI UK
Kovea Alpine EZ Eco REI
MSR Reactor Stove Amazon REI UK
MSR Reactor Stove Amazon REI UK
MSR Reactor Stove Amazon REI UK
MSR WindBurner* Amazon REI UK
Optimus Elektra FE Amazon REI UK
Primus Lite Amazon UK
Primus Lite+ Amazon UK
Primus Lite XL Amazon UK

Comments?

That’s it folks. Let me know if I’ve missed anything, if you have data on any of the stoves not tested, or if there are other System Stoves that I’ve missed out.


Comments

13 responses to “Jetboil vs – System Stoves Review”

  1. Thanks so much for this comparison!! Excellent resource when in the market for a new stove, it helped me choose the stove I will carry on the Overland Track – an Optimus Elektra FE!

    1. Excellent. Glad it was helpful Renee.

  2. https://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CPFMSTR2O/fire-maple-star-fms-x2-outdoor-cooking-system—orange
    You get the fire maple ones allso . But as far as I can tell they are who make the alpkit ones anyway

    1. Thanks George. Agreed. The Fire Maple stoves are identical to the AlpKit ones. I think that goes for all of the AlpKit stove range.

  3. Thank you for this great review.

    Also it would be interesting to compare with remote canister integrated systems like Primus Eta PackLite, PrimeTech Stove Set or even Omni Lite Ti + Pot with a heat exchanger.

    1. Great idea. That will have to go on the list for another day!

  4. Alf Jändel avatar
    Alf Jändel

    Hi Tim!

    Thanks so much for an excellent comparison!
    Nice to read a really indepth and serious test with your own thoughts and info on the products, it helpt me a lot!
    I have now bought the Optimus Electra FE Cook System which I think will suit me well on my solo hikes and adventures both in the mountains of northern Sweden and on my kayak expeditions in the archipelago of the east coast of Sweden..

    Greatings from Sweden! :)

    1. Thanks Alf. I hope the Elektra serves you well!

  5. I’d love to see how Camp Chef compares to these!

  6. Hi, pretty good review thanks for that !
    I think you did a little mistake in the Feature table, you say they Primus Lite XL can’t simmer but it’s the same burner as lite and lite+ isn’t it?

    Cheers from Switzerland

    1. Good spot Thibault. Thank you! Duly updated.

  7. This is by the far the best expedition planning site I have ever seen which is why I am using a lot of your recommendations and advice for our expedition to Rockall next year

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