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MSR WindBurner Group Stove System Review by Hikin’ Jim

MSR Windburner Group Stove Review

MSR has a group version of their WindBurner canister gas stove system. Whereas other versions are “upright” type stoves (where the burner mounts on top of the canister), this is a “remote” type stove (where the canister is off to the side, connected by a fuel hose).

MSR WindBurner Group Stove System

Fuel Efficiency
Weight
Simmering Ability
Time to Boil
Ease of Use
Stability

High Recommended

The remote canister MSR WindBurner Group System is a practical balance of competing design, weight, and price objectives for someone looking for a stable, wind proof group cooking system. Basically, another best-in-class MSR backpacking and camping stove.

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Goods New for Windburner Fans

Two and a half years ago, MSR made a strategic move:  They decided to compete with Jetboil more or less head-on.  How?  With the introduction of the Windburner, an integrated canister stove designed for backpackers.

Yes, MSR did have the Reactor before the WindBurner, but the Reactor was a high-end, specialized stove designed for mountaineers and alpinists rather than backpackers.  The original Reactor was a fairly capacious 1.7 L system, suitable for melting snow. Such a Reactor has an MSRP of $220.  By contrast, the initial offering of the WindBurner was a more backpacker-practical 1.0 L system, a system with a far more reasonable current MSRP of $140.

Apparently, the WindBurner is here to stay.  Just look at how many options MSR has put out.  For the first couple of years, there was only the basic 1.0 L version.  Since then, the following have come out:

  • 1.8 L pot
  • Frying pan
  • 2.5 L pot
  • Remote style burner
  • 4.5 L pot

Clearly, MSR is going “all in” with the WindBurner.

The original "upright” type WindBurner burner, left.?The new “remote” type WindBurner burner, right.
The original “upright” type WindBurner burner, left. The “remote” type WindBurner burner, right.

This review will cover the remote style burner and the 2.5 L pot.

The Switch to Remote Canister

Why did MSR take the time and trouble to develop a new version of their existing burner?

There are typically three reasons for switching to a remote style burner:

  1. Better stability
  2. Improved wind resistance.
  3. The potential ability to run with the canister inverted (for improved cold weather operation).

Let’s examine each of these in turn:

Stability

With the earlier 1.8 L version of the WindBurner, MSR has gotten about as big a pot is as going to be practical on a tall burner like the WindBurner’s original burner.  Get much larger, and the whole assembly is going to be so top-heavy that it won’t be practical.  Stability appears to be the primary reason that MSR has come out with a remote canister burner.  Note:  It is important to set the new remote WindBurner stove up on a firm surface lest one of the legs sink into soft ground and destabilize the stove.

Left: The new remote canister MSR WindBurner with 2.5 L pot.?Center: The original 1.0 L upright canister MSR WindBurner Right: The 1.8 L upright canister MSR WindBurner?A pot much larger than 1.8 L just isn’t going to be practical on an upright WindBurner burner.
Left: The new remote canister MSR WindBurner with 2.5 L pot. Center: The original 1.0 L upright canister MSR WindBurner. Right: The 1.8 L upright canister MSR WindBurner. A pot much larger than 1.8 L just isn’t going to be practical on an upright WindBurner burner.

Wind Resistance

Normally, one of the big advantages of a remote canister stove is that one can safely use a full 360-degree windscreen.  On an upright burner, a full windscreen traps heat in with the canister, creating a potentially deadly explosion hazard.  On a remote canister, the windscreen separates the fuel from the heat and actually makes the stove safer – while at the same time improving wind resistance.  However, a WindBurner is so innately wind-resistant, just from the design of the burner, that a windscreen isn’t typically needed.  I’ll make additional remarks on this subject when I review the pot later on in this review

Inverted Canister

Canister gas stoves can struggle in cold weather.  The colder it is, the lower the pressure inside the gas canister.  Below a certain point, there just isn’t enough flow to properly cook on.  Open the valve, and hardly anything comes out.  All you’ll get is a little wavering candle-like flicker of a flame, and it might take you 20 minutes to boil a single cup of water – if you can get it to boil at all.

Inverting the canister can significantly improve cold-weather performance if a particular stove can support such.  I won’t go into all the mechanics of how inverted canister operation works here. If you’re interested in the subject, I’ve got a full article here:  Canister stoves in Cold Weather: Regulator Valves and Inverted Canisters.

Is the remote WindBurner designed to handle running with the canister upside-down?  Unfortunately, no.  The remote WindBurner is NOT designed to have the ability to run with the canister upside down for cold weather.

Cold Weather Performance

All is not lost, however.  While the remote WindBurner is not designed to handle inverted canister operation, it still is a regulated valve burner.  One should still have better cold-weather performance compared to conventional burners.  Again, I refer you to my article, Canister stoves in Cold Weather:  Regulator Valves and Inverted Canisters, for the explanation.

Key to cold weather operation for this stove is:

  • the selection of a good brand of gas
  • the use of good technique for cold weather canister gas stove operation

General Comments on the Burner

As one might expect from MSR, the new remote WindBurner burner is a study in polish and professionalism.  It’s incredibly compact for what it is.  Unbelievably, the new remote burner will fit into the original 1.0 L pot with a 100 g canister of gas.  I’m not quite sure how they pulled that off, but pull it off they did.

A new remote canister MSR Windburner burner in an original 1.0 L pot with a 110 g canister.?Unbelievably, it all fits.
A new remote canister MSR WindBurner burner in an original 1.0 L pot with a 110 g canister.?Unbelievably, it all fits.

With the new 2.5 L pot, a 220 or 230 g canister will fit inside along with the burner.

A 220 or 230 g canister will fit inside the new 2.5 L along with the burner (wrapped, here, in a bandana).

The Group System 2.5L Pot

Also newly introduced, in addition to the remote burner, is a 2.5 L pot with a really nice, ceramic-based non-stick coating.

The new pot is a departure from previous MSR WindBurner pots – there is no heat exchanger. Why no heat exchanger?  I suspect weight is at issue here.  The WindBurner, while a fantastic system, is on the heavy side.  All that amazing windproofness comes at a price:  Weight.  How to reduce some of that weight?  Get rid of the heat exchanger.

Unfortunately, absent the heat exchanger, one is going to lose some fuel efficiency.  Whereas with a heat exchanger, one might boil 500 ml of water with 5 or 6 g of canister gas, without a heat exchanger, one will need something more like 7 or 8 g per boil.

The new 2.5 L Windburner pot has a mounting rail but NO heat exchanger
The new 2.5 L WindBurner pot has a mounting rail but NO heat exchanger

Is the new 2.5 L pot “inefficient?”

Hardly.  The new pot has a nice wide base with lots of surface area to absorb heat.  In addition, the mounting rail will transfer some heat to the pot.  But will the new pot be as efficient as previous versions?  No.

In simul-testing between previous versions of Windburner pots and the new pot, I found that the heat exchanger pots boiled 15 to 20 seconds faster on average, all else being equal.  In order to isolate the effects of the pot from the burner, I randomly interchanged canisters, burners, and pots.  For example, when the new burner was used with a heat exchanger pot, it was faster.  Likewise, when an original burner was used with the new pot, it was slower.

Based on my simul-testing, I found the following to be true:

  • A heat exchanger pot is more efficient at transferring heat to a pot.
  • Higher efficiency results in faster boil times and better fuel economy.

Note that I typically do my efficiency tests with 500 ml (two cups).  It is innately more efficient to do one larger boil than multiple smaller boils.  For example, it is more efficient to do one boil of two liters than it is to do four boils of 500 ml each.  In other words, for those boiling larger quantities of water at a time (like those who would be interested in buying a 2.5 L system, for example), the larger capacity of the 2.5 L pot will overcome some of the inefficiency associated with the lack of a heat exchanger.

Simul-testing the new 2.5 L Windburner pot against previous pots and burners.?The new non-heat exchanger 2.5 L pot is not as efficient as a heat exchanger pot.
Simul-testing the new 2.5 L WindBurner pot against previous pots and burners.?The new non-heat exchanger 2.5 L pot is not as efficient as a heat exchanger pot.

I noticed that the boil was perceptibly stronger when using a heat exchanger pot.  With a heat exchanger pot, the boil would rapidly climb the sides of the pot, and I had to act quickly to turn the pot down.

Cooking advantages of the new 2.5 L pot

With the new  2.5 L non-heat-exchanger pot, the boil was much more mellow.  For those who wish to do real cooking, this more mellow boil may be an advantage.  Whereas with the original pot, it was hard to keep a boil below a full roiling boil.  With the new pot, it’s a little easier to keep the boil under control.  In addition, since the sides are open on the burner, one can visually observe the burner as it responds to changes in valve setting, making heat adjustment easier.  On the original heat exchanger version, one had to do all heat adjustment based on the sound of the burner, a difficult task.  Now, one can watch the effect on the burner as the valve is adjusted.  However, even with the new remote burner, the burner tended to go out easily at low settings, making a true simmer difficult.  A true simmer is the ability to hold the contents of a pot at or just below a very low boil.  But, while the new Windburner 2.5 L pot isn’t going to meet a gourmet chef’s definition of simmer, it is definitely a better cooking stove than its heat exchanger predecessors.

The locking colander style lid of the new 2.5 L Windburner pot. Note rolling lock on the edge of the pot lid just left of center at the bottom of the photo.
The locking colander style lid of the new 2.5 L WindBurner pot.
Note rolling lock on the edge of the pot lid just left of center at the bottom of the photo.

In addition to the above, the new pot has a colander style, locking lid.  When the lid is locked into place, one can pour off liquids, as in say pasta, while still retaining the solid contents of the pot.

The burner is more exposed with the new 2.5 L pot. The pot ?a) is less wind proof b) cools off faster BUT is ?c) far easier to adjust since one can now see the burner.
The burner is more exposed with the 2.5 L pot. The pot ?a) is less windproof b) cools off faster BUT is ?c) far easier to adjust since one can now see the burner.

Disadvantages of the new 2.5 L pot

As mentioned earlier, the  2.5 L non-heat exchanger pot is going to

  • require more fuel per boil,
  • be less wind resistant (but still far more wind resistant than the average stove),
  • and is not going to hold the heat as well.

Summary: The WindBurner Group System w\ 2.5L Pot

Pros

  • Improved stability through the use of a remote canister type burner.
  • Ability to see the burner as one adjusts the valve.
  • A little less inferno – ability to have more moderate heat for real cooking.
  • Ability to boil larger quantities at a time.
  • Good build quality, well-executed.
  • Compact design; stores well.
  • Regulated valve for improved cold weather handling.

Cons

  • Reduced efficiency compared to prior WindBurner pots due to lack of heat exchanger.
  • Burner is more exposed and does not retain heat as long which reduces freeze-dried food reconstitution.
  • Burner is more exposed and is not as wind resistant as prior versions.
  • A tad heavy at 21.1 oz. for the system.
  • Probably not ideal for truly cold weather due to lack of ability to support inverted canister operation.

Comparable Canister Stove Systems

Pot CapacityCanister StorageWeight (oz)
Fire-Maple X11L100g18
Fire-Maple X21L230g21.2
Fire-Maple X30.8L100g21.2
Jetboil Flash1L100g13.1
Jetboil MicroMo0.8L100g12
Jetboil MiniMo1L100g14
Jetboil Sumo1.8L230g16
Jetboil Zip 0.8L100g11.75
MSR Reactor 1.0L1L100g16.7
MSR Reactor 1.7L1.7L230g19
MSR Reactor 2.5L2.5L230g20.7
MSR WindBurner1L100g15.5
MSR WindBurner Duo1.8L230g21.1
MSR WindBurner Group2.5L230g20.8

Highly recommended

In a perfect world, the new remote WindBurner Group System would be more efficient, weigh less, and make gourmet espresso at the touch of a button, but in this real world, all stoves are a compromise.  For someone looking for a stable, windproof group cooking system, the new remote canister MSR WindBurner Group System is a practical balance of competing design, weight, and price objectives, and I can recommend it highly.  Of course, there are a lot of details – and the devil is often in the details.  Read my review in-depth if you are considering such a system and see if this stove will work for you.

Thanks for joining me on yet another Adventure in Stoving,

HJ

Disclosure: The stove in this review was provided at no cost to me by Section Hiker with the understanding that I would review the stove as I saw fit, in other words, with no restrictions or preconditions.  I have reviewed the stove accordingly.  Neither I myself nor Adventures in Stoving have any financial relationship with MSR, the manufacturer of the equipment reviewed.  In addition, I receive no remuneration for the writing of this review nor do I receive any benefit from the sale of any stove discussed in this review.

About Hikin' Jim

Hikin’ Jim is an avid hiker and backpacker residing in Southern California.  Jim is something of a backpacking stove aficionado, owning well over a hundred backpacking stoves.   You can find him most any weekend out field testing stove related gear in the local mountains or, in the summer, wandering the Sierra Nevada.  Hikin’ Jim has a blog, Adventures in Stoving, devoted almost exclusively to backpacking stoves, including reviews, general stove tips, and other articles pertaining to the use of stoves in the backcountry.

Check out all of Hikin' Jim's Stove Reviews

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21 comments

  1. Thanks for the review, Jim. My backpacking buddies and I are all closing in on retirement and each of us is planning retirement, long-distance adventures in celebration. The five of us are thinking about consolidating gear that can be shared by a group so that we don’t each carry a stove and fuel, each a water filter, and so forth. This could be a system that would allow us to take care of the cooking aspect, especially since our adventures will be in moderate conditions and our meals are strictly rehydrated with no real cooking.

    • You’re very welcome. The 2.5 L pot might be a bit small for 5 guys depending one what kind of cooking you’re doing. That would be about 500 ml capacity (if you filled the pot to the very brim) per person. That might work, but I just wanted to point out that potential limitation. I usually like to have about 750 ml capacity per person, but that’s for my style of cooking.

      The 4.5 L pot would be a little heavier but would give you 900 ml capacity per person which would be more than adequate. If you plan to do any snow melting, the 4.5 L pot is definitely something to look at.

      HJ

    • Jim,

      Thanks for the thorough review. Our scout troop has for years used the MSR windpro stove. This allows the use of any size pot to match the group size, has a wind screen, and now can be used with an inverted canister. How does it compare to the 2.5 liter windburner without the advantage of a heat exchanger.

      • Dave,

        If the WindPro is working for you, I don’t see an overriding reason to change to the remote Windburner. The remote Windburner will be more windproof, but the WindPro will be easier to operate in colder temperatures. The WindPro has the advantage that any size or brand of pot can be used. The WindBurner has the “mounting ring” on it which does make for a very stable pot.

        There are pros and cons to both, but, like I say, if the WindPro is working for you, there’s not overriding reason to change.

        HJ

  2. Great rewiew! Are you going to compare this new stove to the Jetboil milliJoie and the Primus Primetech stove systems.? That would be most helpful! Thanks so much!

    • Tim,

      I’d love to have a look at the new Milli Joule. The original Joule was so big and kludgey. Remote canister is the way to go if you want to run with the canister upside-down. It’s so much more flexible.

      I assume by Prime Tech you’re talking about what they used to call the ETA Spider? A three way comparison would be interesting indeed.

      Philip and I will have to see if we can fit such a comparative review in.

      HJ

  3. Great review as ever Jim

    What is the weight of the new burner compared to the old one?

    • I replied earlier, but my comment may be stuck in the moderation queue because I included a link (there’s a chart of component weights on my blog, Adventures In Stoving).

      The new burner is about 1.8 oz heaver than the old. The old is 8.9 oz. The old is 7.1.

      HJ

  4. 21 ozs. ? OUCH ! But my bet is if you put a tight fitting (1/4 inch), light weight wind screen that reaches the top of the pot, you’re boil time will be faster than the heat exchanger model. “Spider” type stoves are the best, but obviously only when there are more than 2 people.

    • I replied earlier, but my reply had a link, so I think it’s stuck in a queue somewhere. Sorry for the tardy reply.

      Almost 2/3 of the weight is the pot, but yes, it’s a wee tad on the heavy side.

      I have a chart of component weights on my blog if you’re interested. I’d link it, but links make my comments not show up. :)

      That’s an interesting idea (using a windscreen). Particularly if there were some inlet openings along the lower edge of the windscreen, I think a relatively tight windscreen might indeed boost efficiency.

      HJ

  5. Hi Jim

    I don’t know what they are smoking at MSR, but imagine launching a new stove that suggests it can run inverted and after examinating it, you discover that NOOOOOOOOO ….it will NOT !!!!!!!

    it is a joke and a bad one !!!! as I will have to stick with my alpine BOMB….

  6. Thank you for your always very illustrative contributions, Jim. I was going to buy the MSR until I realized it will not work with the canister inverted, something I consider a must for late season, high altitude, trips.

    i was wondering if you had had the chance of reviewing Jetboil’s MilliJoule, which seems to be the best alternative to what I am looking for.

    Thanking you in advance,

    • Alvaro,

      Sorry to reply so late. I don’t get a notification if someone posts a question or comment; I have to manually check.

      I agree that the Millijoule looks to be the more promising cold weather canister gas stove, but unfortunately I haven’t reviewed it, so I can’t comment.

      HJ

  7. Hi Jim,

    Coukd you share your thoughts on the potential of using the MSR Reactor pot atop the MSR Windburner stove?

  8. Hi,

    Did you try once to invert the canister just to know what could be the results ?

    I wonder if I could use the MSR Lowdown (https://www.msrgear.com/fr/r%C3%A9chauds/accessoires/adaptateur-d%C3%A9port%C3%A9-lowdown-pour-r%C3%A9chaud/11582.html) with my reactor in order to invert the canister.

  9. Thank you for the excellent review Jim. I just ordered the set on sale, and am familiar with Windburner solo system. Regarding the Windburner group pot, MSR has clarified that the different bottom structure (absence of heat sink fins) is designed to reduce heat exchange in the center and spread the flame to allow for more even heating and proper cooking on a low heat setting: sauteing, simmering, etc. They have a video showing such. I’m not sure how the flames are truly spread given the ring, but I’ll take their word for it on actual cooking until I can play with it myself. Given that, it is expected that the speed to boil is reduced since that appears to be by design, and is a trade off for a versatile cook pot vs. dedicated boiler. They sell a 1.8L large-sized vertical pot that has the fins, designed for boiling a larger amount of water (or melting snow I suppose). It should fit either the remote or vertical Windburner heads.

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