Customer Reviews

MSR Reactor Stove System

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've boiled water in 15 mph winds outside with this stove with zero issues. It boils water insanely fast and does so with minimal fuel. An 8oz fuel canister will boil more than enough water for a couple over a weekend. The only downside is that it produces a lot of carbon monoxide and is quite dangerous to use even in a tent vestibule, so if there is inclement weather, you will still be required to boil your water outside the tent. Don't try to cook with this stove, it will burn your food so fast even stirring won't help.

This stove is great for 2-3 campers. It's probably too much of a stove for just one person.

Lastly, this stove is very heavy for an ultra light setup. It packs well, an 8oz. canister fits perfectly on top of the burner for storage, and the lid had a nook to lock in the fuel canister so there is no rattling while you're hiking with your pack. Watch out for the pot handle though, it snaps pretty hard and can get your finger if you're not careful.

MSR's Reactor is a dream. Living in Oregon we can have all 4 seasons in 1 day several times a year, and this stove is amazing in all of them. First off carbon monoxide warnings are all over this unit due to the heating elements size which is up to 5 times larger than almost every stove on the market, so the CM output is about 3 times more. Complete windproof design, lower part of the pot is basically sealed with the heat element & the gases are redirected out vents on the lower sides of the pot, its very nice to the eye. 1 liter boil time for me with cold water was around 2 & a half minutes in about 15 mph winds. The unit itself is entirely contained within the pot, and once placed into the pot correctly, the unit is contained & stabilized due to a locking plug in the pots lid that attaches to the top of the propane can which eliminates rattling & loose parts. This setup is about $60 more than most other units but is by far well worth double that, the time it saves you alone is priceless. Side by side to a JetBoil in the same conditions the JetBoil went out over half a dozen times with 6 minutes longer boil time. I would recommend this stove to anybody, camping, hiking or extreme climbing. Also it comes with a small cleaning pad that is pretty thick & instruction books in 8 different languages.

I got this stove just before leaving for British Columbia to hike the Rockwall Trail with my best amigos. We have been gathering for an annual backpacking trip for many years now, and we like to make meals that require only hot water: no pots and pans. I have never used a stove that boils water so fast and efficiently as this MSR Reactor. It was a stunning improvement over anything we have used before. The warnings about carbon monoxide are a little creepy, the Reactor apparently cranks out more than most stoves, but we always use our stoves outside so ventilation is no issue. The initial design that won an Editors Choice award from Backpacker magazine had a starter which has sadly been removed, so you need to carry matches or a lighter. But it fires up easily, boils in a few short minutes, and packs up compactly. Watch your fingers with the tension cable that holds the lid in place...none of us escaped a surprising stinging thwack from it!

This is the best backpacking stove ever!
I have the msr pocket rocket, the msr windpro and the jetboil
Yes, the stove is larger than the jetboil, this can cook for 1-3 people
The jetboil will hold the 100g can of gas (small)(I dont like to run out of gas, so bigger is better, yes, I could bring 2, but....)
It cooks unbelievably fast, It will bring a 1 litre (1.5 litre cap) to a ROLLING boil in 3 minutes!! none of the others can do this!
It will hold inside the pot, a large 220g gas can (large) plus the burner and a cleaning cloth that comes with the unit
The pot will not fall off the burner, it sits on a circular channel on the burner
The other burners have problems with pots slipping, you have to have the pot centered and on level ground, which doesnt happen too often when you are camping or backpacking
The burner system has its own built in windscreen
Yes it is prpietary, ie; you can only use their pot with that stove, they do make a 3 litre pot for this stove

Great stove. Engineering and manufacture quality is superb. Every detail seems perfect (for example, the inside of lid just barely catches the fuel canister to secure it when stowed). It's too big a stove for one person (I have used it on several solo trips): more liquid capacity than 1 person needs, and too heavy. But for 2 or more people it is excellent.

Unlike other reviewers I have been able to 'simmer' with it -- I turned knob down as low as it would go and still stay lighted, I made oatmeal porridge, stirred constantly, and no burnt food. But it is at its best at full-tilt to boil water. And it is unbelievably fast. They didn't call it the Simmerer; it's the Reactor, after all.

By the way, there is no traditional flame with this stove. The converter screen and grid glow red when it's hot (it's blue when its cooler, which is only a few seconds!), but there is no "flame" when it's operating. Seems efficient. One 8-oz canister lasts me about 8 or 9 days on the trail (solo) in summer (I use it for breakfast and dinner, lots of coffee, and warm water to wash dishes). Lights easily with match.

Only the MSR Reactor pot will work with it. The top of the burner grid is dome-shaped, there are no pot-rest-arms, and you really can't balance any other pot on it. This is not a problem, I just thought you should know.

I have tried both the MSR and the JetBoil. Same price roughly same heating (MSR a little faster) and the same basic volume for the backpacker. The MSR requires you carry a good lighter as there is no auto igniter. When it comes to the operation at elevation, I think the MSR is a little more robust. Either way you cannot go wrong with either.

After about three weeks with this stove and a couple of day hikes, my early take on this stove is that it is all it is advertised to be. It packs well, assembles without any hassle and, as others have posted, boils a litre of water unbelievably fast. On one trip, I set up the stove, lit it and poured my coffee water into the pot. put the lid on the pot, then turned to load and light a pipefull of cherry cavendish. When I turned back, the water was already at a rapid boil (this on a 35dF day, in a swirling 10-14 knot breeze, out in an open space!). My impression is that it is very good at one thing, boiling water. I haven't as yet tried actual cooking in the pot, but even on low setting this would seem to be a challenge due to the sheer amount of heat produced. I'll update my review once I've had the opportunity to try that.

PROS:
1) compact (stove and capped canister fit neatly into the 1.7L pot), lid snugs down securely and prevents rattling
2) ease of use/convenience; screw on a canister, set it on a solid surface and light it, simple as that
3) integral windscreen/heat sync coupled with the infrared heating element does a great job of transferring maximum energy to heat the pot contents
4) pot top fits well, has both a vent hole and a strainer built in
5) attached handle is sturdy and easy to operate (fold up, fold down)
6) interior of pot has a smooth bottom, a boon to clean-up if you do cook in it
7) very clean burning (no smoke, no soot, no fuel odor), so once cool you just disassemble and store for the next use
8) manufactured by MSR and backed by their (in my experiences) excellent customer service and product warranties

CONS:
1) weight is on the high side for canister stoves
2) COST/VALUE - price is high for a canister stove, but is somewhat justified by the innovative design and quality of construction
3) SAFETY - like most canister stoves, it is a little "tippy", so be careful in set up and strongly consider using one of several available universal leg/base units
4) limited to using pots designed to fit the domed/convex burner surface which, to my knowledge, limits you to the included 1.7L or available 2.5L pots
5) SAFETY - some reports indicate that this stove creates higher levels of carbon monoxide (CO) than some competitors (I suggest thorough personal research if considering), so using in a vestibule is questionable, in a tent a no-no!
6) the attendant limitations of canister stoves in cold weather and at high altitude

BOTTOM LINE: Most of my trips these days are in 20 degree temps or above and altitudes under 7,000 feet, so a canister stove works for me 95% of the time. I started backpacking in the 70s with a Camping Gaz canister model and this is a huge improvement over that. If weight on a given trip is a real issue I'll carry my MSR SuperFly (same cartridges) and a titanium kettle, for extreme cold and/or altitude I'll use my Svea 123 or MSR XGK.

I like it, I'll carry it, and I recommend it for the average Joe/Julie backpacker...

Upgraded to this from my Whisperlite Internationale, and probably one of the better purchases I've made. Recently took it on a short 3 day backpacking trip, the other two members brought a Jetboil and a MSR Windpro, respectively.

Boil times? It's stupid fast. We easily made full meals (3 entrees + plus 2 sides mountain house freeze dried) with the supplied pot in 1 boil. 1.5L of water easily boiled in 3 minutes or less after the burner was allowed to heat up.

No clean up, simply allow to cool (15 mins) and wipe the lid dry with the supplied towel, then pack it up.

I've yet to find a fault with the system. Follow common knowledge, i.e place on stable ground etc and the system will perform flawlessly.

**I did find, that if you turn the fuel control lever a quarter of the turn on, then use the supplied pack towel to wrap the burner from underneath, the corners will fold over the lip of the burner. You can then press your fuel canister (8oz) down until it lightly pops, and the entire system is secured for storage. When the lid is placed on, the rubber handle lightly presses down on the fuel cannister top, creating a snug fit that prevents rattling during transport.**

I am a fly fishing guide on the Deschutes River where the winds blow every day and howl on many days. I love my MSR Reactor stove for its portability, and efficiency. When I want to make a little hot coffee for the afternoon fishing session, the stove heats water in about two minutes - even under windy conditions. We use large stoves on our overnight trips, but this little MSR Reactor stove system is always in my gear bag as a back up to the big systems.
This is a great unit for hikers, backpackers, and any kind of camper. I traveled around the world a few years ago with a MSR stove which used many types of fuel, but this stove is cleaner, easier to use, and safer. The only drawback is that you cannot fly with these fuel canisters in your luggage, so you must find them at each new destination.
I don't want to end this on a negative note...the stove is perfect for all of my uses of it on the river and will not disappoint.

The strongest side wind or rain doesn't affect the performance of this mighty stove. Literally a flash flood would be the only event that could put this stove out of commission. This stove boils a liter of water in less than 2 minutes and has been tested at various altitudes. The Reactor fits nicely into a backpack and stores securely. No need to ramble on; you get what you pay for.