What stove

[sapper1]

Being very lucky I've been allowed to buy ANY stove I want regardless of cost
The only provisio is that I don't have another............ever

My stove use consists of boiling water right up to slow simmer stews,I use a stove all year round in all weathers and temperatures and intend to get some altitude in too(no higher than Ben Nevis).
I'm quite lazy so don't want the stove and fuel to be too heavy,I want it to be rugged and strong and able to support pots ranging in size from a cup to a 2 litre pot.
It must be easy to use and very fuel efficient.
I have lots of gas stoves so I'm really looking for a multifuel stove.

So what's out there for me?

 

[spandit]

My Chinese multi-fuel stove would tick all the boxes - not sure what it's a copy of

 

[Andy BB]

Last one ever? Then there is only one stove - the Optimus 111. You can get multi-fuel versions of it, but personally I think a paraffin one will do everything you'll ever need it for, and imo its safer than the petrol versions (cheaper as well!). Not the lightest, but the most reliable and robust - no iffy pipes and joints connecting fuel bottle to burner etc. Parts readily available for it. Fast boil, good simmer and everything in between.

No contest!

 

[Twodogs]

For a modern off the shelf stove Primus omnifuel is used a hell of a lot ,

 

[ex member pyrophil]

Primus omnifuel

 

[wizard]

Everything you ever wanted to know about stoves is on this young man's site. Hope this will help.

http://adventuresinstoving.blogspot.com/

 

[Tiley]

Optimus Nova. Bomb-proof construction, easily field maintainable, pretty fuel efficient and reasonably light.

 

[Shewie]

The Primus Omnifuel Ti would be on my shortlist

 

[sapper1]

It's right at the top of my list too,the only thing that concerns me is the fuel valve.It sticks out quite a bit and may be awkward to pack.I'll nip into cotswolds and have a play with it.

 

[rik_uk3]

The fuel valve folds, don't stick out anywhere, the Omnifuel is a cracker.

Optimus 111 paraffin is not for backpacking but is the most reliable stove I've ever used bar of course the Trangia.

 

[widu13]

Optimus Nova. Bomb-proof construction, easily field maintainable, pretty fuel efficient and reasonably light.

+1 for the Nova Plus

 

[rik_uk3]

The plus is good, love my Nova's BUT more parts to go wrong than the standard 111. The beauty of the Omnifuel is the option to burn gas, thats its only advantage for me over a Nova. That said if you compare the Nova and Omni you'll fine the Nova spreads a wider flame with a pot on the go than the Omni.

 

[ged]

Of the stoves mentioned here I have an Optimus Nova, an Optimus 111B, and assorted Trangia/clones. They all have advantages and disadvantages. Paraffin will usually be the best fuel for high efficiency with relatively little inconvenience but it isn't the most pleasant of fuels to work with. The Nova will burn it, the 111B and Trangia types won't. The 111B running on Aspen is my personal favourite but a large frying pan won't fit on it because the lid doesn't open flat. Any 111 is going to be heavy, and they're a bit bulky although you can put things in the box. Recent manufacturing problems with the Optimus stoves made in China would lead me to be wary of buying a new one. I sent a new Hiker+ back to Amazon last year after spending a couple of hours trying (and failing) to get it to boil a kettle without the jet clogging up. Trangias and similar are always going to suffer from limited fuel capacity, the relatively poor heat capacity of alcohol and poor adjustability. I haven't heard a bad word said about the Omnifuel. I read about one guy who accidentally dropped one off a mountain and when he got down there to recover it it was still running. I think I'm going to have to get one.

For real fuel efficiency you can't really beat something that will burn wood or other foraged fuels.

 

[tombear]

+1 for the Optimus Nova but if you can get the old version which has fewer plastic parts to break and with the control on the burner you have something to pick it upwith while its hot if you have to move position suddenly like when the wind backs and your suddenly the wrong side of the shelter. I assume the Nova + is cheaper to make.

I'll get my coat

 

[tombear]

+1 for the Optimus Nova but if you can get the old version which has fewer plastic parts to break and with the control on the burner you have something to pick it upwith while its hot if you have to move position suddenly like when the wind backs and your suddenly the wrong side of the shelter. I assume the Nova + is cheaper to make.

I'll get my coat

PS its worth getting some pans with heat exchangers that fit the stove you choose, the Primus Eta power job I got is a corker on the old Nova. The fins are a bit fragile but I just found a plate/bowl that fitted over them for transit.

 

[ex member pyrophil]

The Primus Omnifuel Ti would be on my shortlist

primus omnifuel 362g, ti version 297g cost a fair bit more. folds down pretty small http://www.moontrail.com/details/primus/omni-fuel/omnifuel-ti-inhand.jpg

 

[BillyBlade]

My Chinese multi-fuel stove would tick all the boxes - not sure what it's a copy of

Very very good aren't they. Way more so than they should be at the price.

 

[ex member pyrophil]

on primus web site it says 239g for the ti version and 339g for the standard stove. i put my one on my scales and it came out at 365g so think the weight on that moontrail site are more like it.

 

[PDA1]

the universal stove - low/high altitude, summer winter, light enough for backpacking. reliable, almost no parts to wear out. The only one IMO which fits all of these is my SVEA 123. More fussy than a canister stove, but OK in -19 weather. Heavier than any alcohol stove, but able to simmer. If I had to throw all but one away, this would be my choice. p.s. I have not used the MSR whisperlite or similar remote fuel stoves, so wouldn't discount those. Multi fiel nmay be a requirement for some, but I don't expect to be in the Andes any time soon, and Coleman fuel is widely available to me.

 

[widu13]

I dearly love my 123R, it's one of my favourite stoves but I'm a realist. It's heavy, cumbersome and wind sensitive compared to a true roarer.