MSR Windburner vs Jetboil Micromo

Eating hot and juicy meals during your camping trips can be an irreplaceable luxury.

Long walks in harsh natural conditions through different weather conditions can end with a pleasant lunch or dinner break thanks to a good canister stove. Either you’re a frequent camper or a complete novice, you will need a warm meal or a well-made coffee at the end of the day. 

The evaluation between MSR Windburner vs Jetboil Micromo and the choice for this purpose will be beneficial for campers who try to decide for the most suitable alternative for their travels. In this article, I will explain the pros and cons of both of these systems so you may reach a final conclusion.

Detailed Overview of MSR Windburner and Jetboil Micromo 

MSR Windburner Review

True to his name, MSR Windburner is built-in with a remarkable radiant burner technology. These types of heat exchanger burners ignite without flames so they are perfect in windy conditions.

This creates a very efficient performance in terms of prolonged heat and fuel consumption. If your destination is an open valley or upland soil, you might not have very good wind protection. Luckily MSR Windburner does not require external protection.

Check the latest Price of MSR Windburner

Jetboil Micromo Review

Jetboil Micromo distinguishes itself from its alternatives based on its power, in contrast to its size. It’s superior in terms of lightness and efficiency.

 If you are looking for a lighter stove that is completely packed into one small unit Jetboil Micromo might fulfill this need.

This little powerhouse is one of the fastest stove systems without forsaking great simmer control. Even smaller than another Jetboil favorite Minimo; Jetboil Micromo’s pot size is only 0.8 L.; a good choice if you would like to save more space and weight in your backpack.

Check the latest price of Jetboil MicroMo

Compactness

All-in-one sturdy stove MSR Windburner is relatively heavier and it packs the stove burner, separate fuel canister, folding canister stand, and PackTowl into the compact 1 L pot. The gas canister is a separate item and 110g and 227g canisters can fit inside the Windburner.

It is compatible with other Windburner cookware such as 1.0 Personal Pot, optional 1.8 Duo pot. You cannot use it with WindBurner Stock Pot or Sauce Pot though. The pot, which safely locks onto the stove and canister, has also an insulated cozy.

Jetboil Micromo also has a compact design, you can pack the main stove, main burner head, 100 gr fuel canister, and canister stabilizer into the 0.8L pot.

Weight & Capacity

MSR Windburner weighs 15.5 oz with a liquid capacity of 1 liter (33.8 fluid oz) in contrast with Jetboil Micromo’s 12 oz weight with 0.8-liter liquid capacity (27.05 fluid oz).

Micromo is perfect for one person cooking. Those who want to travel with as little weight as possible might prefer Jetboil Micromo.

Features

MSR Windburner has, no doubt, a compact design. But this feature might bring its shortcomings. It’s best to note that MSR Windburner does not have a built-in piezo igniter so you need to use a lighter or a match to light the stove. 

Jetboil Micromo comes with a built-in Piezo igniter so you won’t need a piece of additional lighting equipment. Every part including the fuel canister fits into the cup.

It’s very powerful thanks to its 6000 BTU burner but since it’s tight in design, it might be harder to fit drink-through lid into place and you may have issues shutting the stove. This stove also comes with a built-in pot cozy and preserver lid to save heat.

MSR Windburner comes with its own three-legged plastic canister stand to provide additional stability to the stove system. On the other hand, Jetboil Micromo comes with a fuel canister stabilizer as one solid plastic piece for additional stability.

Simmer Control 

I have to go on and just say Jetboil Micromo is a winner in this category. If great simmer control with complete stability is crucial for you, you might consider Jetboil Micromo which easily provides this with gradual heating through controlled burners.

Although its heat adjustments might be sensitive, it is designed to not just boil water but cooking food with help from its regulated valve.

MSR Windburner on the other hand has more power in his ignition capacity and it quickly reaches boiling temperature. This requires a little bit more attention to the boiling.

Both systems offer good simmer control but if speed is primary for you, you may go with MSR Windburner, if light simmering control for intricate meals and lengthy cooking processes is preferable then Jetboil Micromo is the one.   

The Verdict

Both MSR Windburner and Jetboil Micromo are great all-in-one stove systems. I have listed their prominent features in this article. 

If you prefer a wind-resistant all-in-one versatile stove system for serious backcountry trips for every season, you may go with MSR Windburner; if you want a lightweight, cheaper option that has added simmer control for your one-person daylong hiking you may go with Jetboil Micromo. In this case, since it is a good combination of integrated stove parts, you might be willing to pay the extra dollar to buy a Windburner to never have to think about challenging winds and cold weather on camping trips again. Higher altitudes and negative temperatures will not reduce MSR Windburner’s efficiency and performance.

Even though the MSR Windburner is slightly heavier and bigger with harder simmer control compared to Jetboil Micromo, I would think that its fuel-efficient design and sturdy composition is well worth its price to put into use through long years.

If you have a pot, you don’t need to purchase the whole stove system. You can just buy the Jetboil Mightymo and MSR Pocket Rocket Stoves separately.

Last but not least, neither of the stoves systems comes with the canister. Check out the latest prices of Jetboil Jetpower Fuel and MSR Isopro Canister Fuel.