17.9.2013

I have been using the MSR Reactor for three years now. This is the second Reactor I have owned and it is the best cooking system I have ever used. I am able to boil 1 1/2 liters of water in under 4 minutes, much faster than trying to boil the same amount of water at home. Because it is so efficient, I need to bring less fuel canisters with me on my trips. Using the Reactor allows me to boil approximately 20 pots of water before needing to replace the canister with a new one.I have used many different backpacking stoves over the years and the Reactor is by far the best. I often go on extended backpacking trips and need to keep my weight down as much as I can.

12.9.2013

This is my second MSR Reactor Strove.During my some 20 years of Mountaineering, this is my "go to" stove. I have used it in extremely high winds and rain since it was released.. The stove has never failed me. And with the additional, larger Reactor Pots, it is great for melting snow in.Whenever I snowshoe, after setting up (less than a minute), I have hot water for coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Several good, outdoor friends have purchased one based upon our experience with it.I enjoy having my morning French Press coffee while camping within minutes after waking up.My next door neighbor purchased one, when we lost electricity for two days and used it for hot water.I do not use it much for cooking,

27.8.2015

My maiden voyage with this stove was a July 2015, seven day trip on the High Sierra Trail with 5 men. It works fine at 12k feet and in windy conditions too. It boils ice cold river water (1.7 liters) in about 2.5 minutes. The Reactor was a huge hit on this trip. Weight on this stove is not an issue. It is expedition grade and can serve several people well, or even just a couple people. My other stove is an MSR XGK liquid fuel, which has served me well for 20 years. The Reactor is my first gas stove. No going back now, this thing rules. This stove is painless, no moving parts really, nothing to prime or clean, and is a super neat bit of kit.

17.7.2014

This stove lives up to its reputation of being able to boil water fast, even in the most inclement weather. I originally owned a Jetboil system but it proved ineffective in windy weather so I changed to a Reactor and haven't looked back. As many people say, the Reactor has essentially two gears: stop and go. If you want to simmer something for any period of time this is not the stove for you. This guy's mission in life is to bring liquid to the boil as fast and efficiently as possible in even the most adverse conditions. Lighting it is a little more involved than with other stoves. It needs a naked flame (not a spark) and a gun design gas cigarette lighter is a good choice.

18.8.2016

This is all the stove you'll need for backpacking. It's not intended for slow cooking--what it does is boil water FAST. Lights instantly even in high wind and boils a full pot amazingly fast (like 3 min) with zero wasted heat. Pot has heat transfer fins and fits snugly onto the burner. The burner and a medium fuel canister fit inside the pot for compact stowing in your pack. Highly recommend getting a stabilizing tripod for the canister as it can be a bit unstable on uneven ground. Jetboil makes one, but MSR doesn't for some reason. A medium canister will boil water for breakfast and dinner for 2 people for a week with no problem.

2.8.2016

When using, it is one of the greatest portable stove systems I've tried. Quick boil, easy to light and great quality. I think it's the perfect size for one person who needs a dehydrated meal and a cup of coffee. I used it with the wifey and we had the perfect amount of water for both dehydrated meals for lunch. If you have 2 people and want to make a full meal with one session I'd recommend getting the 1.7 liter instead.As other reviewers have noted (which I ignored) The heating element does NOT fit into the pot. It becomes apparent as soon as you open the packaging and note that the manufacturer placed it on it's side instead of how it's supposed to be inserted (according to their instruction manual).

19.10.2015

Did some initial test of this indoors for more controlled environment. I have 6 different stoves, recently adding this and the Minimo jetboil. It's a bit apples to oranges since the Mo is a simmer or boil whereas this is full throttle boiler only. Boil times I got. 20oz 1:38, 1000ml 2:50. The Jetboil Minimo by comparison was 20oz in 2:23. Water temp and room temp was approx 77 degrees. Max rolling boil was 208-209 at my elevation (1370ft). Thermoworks prob cooking thermometer was used in this test. Very much prefer the "attachment" system of the MSR since it just sits on burner. The Jetboil locks in and can be a bit fussy removing it, this recent one was a bit tight.

30.1.2021

This stove is for one purpose ......Boiling Water. For its purpose, it is the best stove I have, and I have about every kind of stove out there. This stove boils water fast, period. It also packs up nice, stores a gas canister inside, and has a nice foldable handle. It is light weight, simple and always reliable and that's what counts for me.The one negative is the measuring marking levels inside which is not to ledgable.It has a gas control, but it basically just burns hot and boils water fast. There is no real simmer control available. I have purchased both sizes of this stove but prefer the smaller stove for size & weight.Over all,

23.9.2014

This is an outstanding snow melter and water boiler. It is very fast and very efficient and it is also reasonably lightweight and compact for the capacity. The tradeoff's are it does not scale down well for solo use, it does not work well for cooking or simmering, and the pot/cookware is specific. It may be possible but not practical to use with a regular pot.I use mine to boil water to reconstitute dehydrated food for a family of four people. I typically only boil 1 liter of water, but the extra capacity is useful and will be used more as my children grow to eat more in a meal. I understand the 1 liter size does not pack as well as this 1.7L.

4.2.2017

Love love love this stove. Have also bought a 1.0 liter pot for lighter camping trips and invested in an MSR deep dish bowl for sub freezing temperature camping, you put water in the bowl and set the fuel container inside when using it so it doesn't freeze. This stove is a workhorse that boiled water fast even at 10,000' camping, and it's much more fuel efficient than stoves with open flames. If you're camping in freezing temps, keep your fuel container warm in your clothes or sleeping bag and use the water tip otherwise you'll have greatly reduced performance from the fuel container.

19.1.2018

Far superior to Jet boil. This is my second stove (gift for my son), first one I have had and continue to use since it was introduced. Never had a failure or issue in temperatures from -20 F to 90 F. I use it primarily when backpack bowhunting in Montana wilderness for a week and when boat camping on Yellowstone Lake. Also used on alpine back packs of ten days or more. It has taken rugged use and abuse and continues to heat quickly and efficiently whenever I need it. Fuel consumption is reasonable and predictable, especially with the contained heat system.MSR really got this right.

12.8.2019

I bought this stove earlier this season and couldn't be happier with it's performance. It boils water quickly, efficiently and reliably. I've used it in high wind settings, rainy conditions and on extended trips with great success. I like that all the attachments fold into to each other. I also purchased the coffee press and this was a good investment. It makes reliable coffee that tastes great. Check out my video for a close up look at the MSR Reactor and the coffee press attachment.Check out my video on my YouTube channel Lone Crow Adventures to see this system in action!

13.6.2011

I would not retype all that pluses you've already read in other comments. But I was curious whether it is possible to really boil things with this stove - not just water but a soup or porridge, etc. Now I've tried it although in really easy conditions - no wind, high temperature, and can say that in fact you can boil dinner with this stove, but I should note that boiling could be done only at a 0.5 speed(flame power) out of 5 - so you should be careful not to turn it off.Other than that fast and handy. Now I need around 20 minutes timeout for dinner and I'm good to go again.

18.4.2016

used it on the pacific trail ... was able to make my meals relatively quick, the measurement markup on the inside proved to be a G-d sent ... boiled up water fine and was able to handle soups, stews and of course chilly of every type. Cleaned up easy with a wipe and I used one of those rubber spreading spatulas to clean the corners ... I got 16 boils from the fuel can and I brought a larger one in-case I needed it. I would recommend this one ... oh I will be buying the stabilizer though as I was concerned about setting it on uneven surfaces with it being top heavy

22.1.2020

I had the competitor and did not like the plastic parts and set up. This system boils water super fast in all conditions saving on gas and weight. I like the set up and simplicity of the system and the way it is put together it looks like it will last. My sole complaint is when you try to nest the gas canister in with the burner it is a very tight fit. A little pricey for a water boiler but it is the turbo of all water boilers!Not a complaint but it would be nice if MSR would make a cup that would nest in the pot with the burner.

MSR Reactor Stove - Reviews

Info

Analysis