PSA: the $38 pocket stove that boiled water in 3 minutes beat my $120 one
I bought a cheap little canister stove at a clearance rack in Boise for $38 just to have a backup, and I finally timed it against my fancy one on a trip two weeks ago. The $38 stove got two cups of water to a rolling boil in 3 minutes flat, while my $120 stove took almost 5 minutes in the same wind. I was sure the price tag meant better heat output, but it turns out the cheap one had a wider burner head that spread the flame better. I've now used it on 11 trips this year and it still lights on the first click every time. Has anyone else found a budget stove that outperforms the expensive name brand one they already owned?
Went through the same thing with a $25 stove off Amazon three years back. It has a wider burner head too, and I noticed the flame stays put better when it's windy because the pot sits lower on the arms. The expensive one I had needed a windscreen just to keep up, and it weighed more on top of that. The cheap one has been on every trip since, and I gave the fancy one to my brother in law.