Best Value Standalone Stove

If you haven’t heard of the Soto Windmaster, think of it like a better version of the MSR Pocket Rocket II, only more wind resistant and with better fuel economy. It is comparable to the Pocket Rocket II Deluxe, but $20 less expensive.

• Price: $65
• Stove Weight: 3.1 oz
• Trail Weight with 3.7 oz .9L Titanium Pot: 6.8 oz
• Boil Time 1L: 4 min 2 sec
• BTUs: 11000
• Ignitor: Piezoelectric
• Pressure Regulator: yes
• Water boiled per 100g fuel, max output, no wind: 8.9 L
• Wind Tolerance: light-to-moderate
• Pros: Lightweight. Wind resistant. Stable. Performs in cold. Integrated lighter.
• Cons: Fuel inefficient. Finicky setup.

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Features

For a standalone burner, the Soto Windmaster Stove is both lightweight and fully-featured.

Its namesake wind mastery is derived from two design elements. First is the cupped burner, which protects the base of the flame and prevents it from blowing out. This is a smart design choice and one we’d like to see used in literally every stove. Honestly why not?

The second level of wind defense is the way that the arms hold the pot very, very close to the flame, ensuring that little heat is lost. The only downside to this is that with narrow pots, you will notice the flame wrap around the edges and lick the sides. We recommend using a wide pot with the WindMaster Stove.

If you’ve read anything about the Soto WindMaster, then you probably saw it has the best-in-class pietzoelectric integrated ignitor. This is a user friendly, nice to have feature that creates redundancy in case your bic lighter runs out of fuel or goes missing. That said, it’s not strictly necessary.

Next, we love the micro pressure regulator, that helps maintain performance as the fuel canister begins to run low or temperatures drop. This is extra important for camping in spring and fall when you are camping in freezing conditions.

We have two knocks against the WindMaster. First and foremost is its mid-tier fuel economy, about 33% less effective than Jetboil Stash, which sets the bar. Boiling 2L per day for two people, the WindMaster can reliably manage a 4 day trip on one 100g canister, whereas Jetboil Stash is reliable for a 5-6 day trip.

Our other complaint, much smaller than fuel economy, is the detached stove arms. They are somewhat bulky, and a bit finicky to set up. Not a big deal, but worth noting.

Verdict

If you want the best standalone, fully-featured backpacking stove for use in fair to moderately cold/windy conditions, grab the Soto Windmaster.

Compare this to more great options in our guide to stoves for backpacking.