Reader Reviews

Rating: 3 / 5

It's light, I use it when I have to melt snow and take it on long trips when I'm cooking for 4-5 people (and the large fuel bottle is advantagous so I don't have to bring 3 x 8oz propane canisters with 12oz of dead weight). However I nearly always couple it with a light propane stove so I can actually simmer (simmerlight is an oxymoron) and have a second stove to start the soup while the main course is cooking. If you could actually simmer with it I'd give it a 5.

Rating: 4 / 5

It's still the lightest white gas stove on the market, and the bottom line is this: you can't melt meaningful quantities of snow (2+ liters at a sitting, as you might need to do 2-3x/day for drinking water and cooking) with any lighter stove in a reasonable amount of time.

It's not a cure-all for winter stoves: weight could certainly be saved on the steel parts and the feed tube causes the stove to tip a little cockeyed until a heavy pot on it.

Finally, a lighter rig than the trillium base would sure be nice for cooking directly on the snow - that's got to be an essential component of a winter stove.

Rating: 3 / 5

I was disappointed in its inability to simmer but for the times a white gas stove is necessary it is a great choice. Like most MSR stoves it appears to be very reliable and packs small, fits easily inside my small solo cook pot.

Rating: 4 / 5

I find the Whisperlite to be MSR's easiest liquid stove to use, and certainly the nicest to lug, bulk and weight-wise.

Simmering performance is best with a light touch on the fuel pump--try using less pressure if you're having difficulty achieving a simmer (although it necessitates frequent pumping during use).

MSR doesn't seem interested in a making lighter version, and perhaps there's insufficient market for it. Certainly, some Ti bits could shave a couple ounces w/o affecting performance or ruggedness.

I'll also note that by MSR's own performance specs, the Simmerlite is one of their least efficient LF stoves.

If my arithmetic is correct, the Snow Peak WG stove is virtually the same weight as the Simmerlite, once you subtract the fuel bottle's weight from the published kit weight. So there's an option for those who want something different. I've not used one, myself.

Rating: 4 / 5

I used an MSW Whisperlite for many years. When the Simmerlite came out, I was interested in the lighter weight and the purported improved ability to simmer well.

I've been please with the lighter weight. Sure, it's no beer can alcohol stove, but at 8.5 ozs (advertised), it's not bad. Especially for someone who enjoys cooking and eating really well.

I wish the Simmerlite lived up to its name in its ability to simmer. Yes, I can get the flame lower than the Whisperlite's, but it still won't sustain a really nice, slow simmer.

Rating: 5 / 5

I needed a stove that would melt enough snow for 4L of water every morning. The simmerlight seems to fit that bill nicely. I havn't used it on a camping trip yet, buy when it arrived, I took my 4L aluminum pot, filled it with ice cubes and added water until it was full. I primed the stove and lit it, recording the time. It boiled in 24 minutes. The company claims it boils a Liter in 6 minutes so I was greatly impressed since their ratings don't normally start with water that cold. I know it will take much longer to melt snow, but it greatly improves my efficeincy. I don't normally need to simmer but it has got to be better than the old blast plate design and I could get a decent simmer with the Svea 123.