Alpine & Mountaineering, Reviews, Travel & Lifestyle

Review: MSR Windburner Group Stove

With the introduction of the new Windburner Stove System (Duo & Group versions), MSR has taken the popular and efficient Windburner system and made it compatible for larger groups. Similar in design to the original Windburner Personal Stove the new Duo & Group system have one huge difference, the burner isn’t attached to the canister. It’s still a portable, lightweight, weather-proof, high efficiency canister stove but by separating the stove from the canister it’s much more stable and so can handle bigger pots without the risk of tipping. A small innovation really but it has big rewards. Not surprising coming from MSR though. They have about as strong a pedigree in camping stoves as can be found in the outdoor industry.

MSR Windburner with Skillet
Testing out the Windburner’s ability to cook instead of just boil water.

Features:

  • Style: Canister
  • Weight: 250g (as tested w/o canister & pot)
  • Output: 7000BTU (claimed)
  • Has a Pressure Regulator
  • Compatible with all Windburner accessories
  • Options*:
    • 1.8L, 2.5L & 4.5L pots
    • Skillet

* The 2.5L pot & skillet were tested as part of this review.

Now I reviewed the original Windburner Personal stove system a little while back which of course covered the burner assembly. As the new Windburner with the remote canister has kept the same burner I won’t rehash that part of the review. If you’re interested you can check it out here. It’s also worth checking out if you’re looking into the personal system (stove & 1L pot). Now if you’re interested in either the Windburner Duo (2 person kit with 1.8L pot) or the Windburner Group (2+ person kit with 2.5L pot) you’re in the right place.

MSR WindBurner Stove
The Windburner stove assembly and small 4 oz. canister inside the 2.5L pot. I couldn’t close the lid with a 6 oz. canister. Also, a small sac for the stove would be nice to both protect the non-stick coating on the pot and eliminate rattling.

Differences between the Original & Remote Canister Versions:

So what are the differences, benefits and costs with the new remote canister system? Well the real difference has to do with the remote canister. Basically the fuel canister doesn’t screw onto the bottom of the stove but is connected though a braided steel hose. As a result the burner assembly sits closer to the ground which is much more stable. Of course this then permits bigger pots to be used making the stove system much more versatile. MSR took advantage of this to create some larger pots including a 2.5L and monstrous 4.5L option!MSR WindBurner Stove

The downside to the remote canister version is that it’s slightly heavier (250g vs. 200g). A small trade-off really given the increased versatility and efficiency and the fact that you will likely have more people to pack gear if you’re looking for a multi-person stove system. The larger pots are also not insulated and have more surface area making them less efficient to use in cold or windy environments.

MSR WindBurner Stove
The legs retract for storage.

The remote burner features a pressure regulator. This actually makes simmering a real option! The other benefit of the pressure regulator is that it allows for more efficient and consistent fuel use in cold temps and with low fuel canisters. Of course it’s still a good idea to keep the canister from freezing as the fuel level gets low stove use will cool the canister well below ambient temps. An easy fix is described in my Canister Stove Freezing Fix article.

MSR WindBurner Stove
The handle on all larger pots and the skillet is removable for packing.

Simmering & Cooking:

As mentioned above, the inclusion of the pressure regulator allows the stove system to be used for actually cooking. Not just for boiling water. It still takes a little playing with the valve to drop the heat low enough without the stove going out all together when simmering though. It also helps to use either the skillet or 2.5L pot. They don’t have a heat exchanger mounted to the bottom so don’t get as hot and also feature a non-stick ceramic coating on the inside.

MSR WindBurner Stove
The 1L insulated pot on the left has the heat exchanger while the 2.5L sauce pot on the right features the heat ring. The heat ring is designed for cooking, not just heating up water.

Windburner Accessories:

I tested the Windburner Group system which comes with the 2.5L Sauce Pot but was also given the updated skillet to review as well. However, for completeness, I’m going to touch briefly on each option.

MSR WindBurner Stove
1L Insulated Pot

Personal Pot:

  • 1.0L insulated pot
  • Integrated plastic bowl
  • Max fill is 0.6L
  • Includes a heat exchanger
  • Plastic lid
  • Best use: boil water for 1-2 people

Duo Pot:

  • 1.8L Insulated pot
  • Integrated plastic bowl
  • Includes a heat exchanger
  • Plastic lid
  • Best use: boil water for 2-3 people

Sauce Pot:

MSR WindBurner Stove
2.5L non-insulated sauce pot
  • 2.5L non-insulated pot
  • Includes a heat ring (not a heat exchanger)
  • Non-stick ceramic coating
  • Aluminum lid with lock & strainer
  • Best use: actually cooking food!

Stock Pot:

  • 4.5L non-insulated pot
  • Includes a heat exchanger
  • Aluminum lid with lock & strainer
  • Best use: boil water for 3+ people

Skillet:

MSR WindBurner Stove
Skillet
  • 1.5L aluminum skillet
  • Non-stick ceramic coating
  • Includes a heat ring (not a heat exchanger)
  • Foldable, removable handle
  • Best use: cooking food!

 

Summary:

Pros: Versatile, efficient, works well in poor weather

Cons: No storage bag for the stove

Overall: An absolutely fantastic modular stove system that can be expanded or made smaller depending on the trip, definitely my personal go-to. I much prefer the Windburner stove unit over the Jet Boil as it’s faster, more efficient and more wind resistant.

A test sample was provided for review but of course this didn’t influence us in any way.