MSR Reactor
The 21-oz. MSR Reactor stove has a radiant burner head; it emits a flame, but it also has a ceramic head that is porous and retains and distributes heat better than a burner with just a flame. The burner head is also enclosed by a heat exchanger, which makes it highly wind resistant. Plus, the unit's internal regulator ensures a consistent flame output no matter the level of fuel available. The package is small and handy; the stove and fuel canister pack away into a 1.7-liter pot and are sealed by a lid that is locked in place with a collapsible Lexan handle. The Reactor boils a liter of water in three minutes; it uses MSR IsoPro/MSR Canister Fuel; and it costs about $139.95 as of 2009. It comes with the pot, but not the fuel canister.
Jetboil Personal Cooking Stove
This tall, one-liter aluminum pot has an anodized cooking surface and an insulating neoprene cozy that allows you to hold onto the pot without burning your hand. Highly efficient heat conducting baffles attached to the base of the pot retain heat and channel the flames to where they are most efficient. This one-pot system weighs 15 oz., can hold up to 32 oz. of water, and boils water in two minutes. It sports a push-button igniter, and a compact 1-liter cooking cup that packs all the stove's components. It costs about $99.95 as of 2009, and it comes with the pot, but not the fuel. Though Jetboil claims the burner is adjustable, it does seem to operate on full blast.
Snow Peak GigaPower Stove
The smallest of these three stoves, the GigaPower weighs between 2.5 and 3.75 oz., depending on whether or not you get the titanium/aluminum/brass unit (more expensive) or the stainless steal/aluminum/brass unit (slightly heavier). Prices also range from $39.95 to $74.95 as of 2009, and there are four styles to choose from (including with manual versus auto ignition). These units provide 10,000 BTUs of energy for 90 minutes; they burn at temps as low as 17 degrees F; they boil water in 3.5 minutes; and the flame levels are truly adjustable. The unit does not come with either a Snow Peak GP-250 fuel canister or a pot. However, the GigaPower Starter kit ($80.00) includes a pot, which holds the fuel and the stove. This stove is more affordable than the above-mentioned stoves. However, it does not have a wind resistant component, and as with other stoves like it, it will lose half of its fuel efficiency with winds between five and 10 mph.
