SOTOSOD-371 MUKA Stove

UPDATE 11/2016 - Note about the simmer and fuel consumption: As pointed out in another review if there is enough air space under pressure in the fuel bottle the flame will be stable when throttled down even without pumping; however, at its lowest setting the SOTO Muka stove still causes substantial boiling (it won't really simmer for a typical sized meal). So if your chef intends to prepare a Carbonade flamande after a 15 mile day on the AT this stove may be problematic. Other stoves can throttle low enough to do a true simmer (Optimus Svea 123 or Nova for example). For this stove I think the point of throttling down is to reduce the fuel consumption rate. Because it is so high powered you do not need to run it at full bore to boil water and it is probably not fuel efficient to do so unless you are in a really cold, wet, and windy situation all while trying to boil a gallon of water. This stove has is uses and I have raised my rating to 5 stars.ORIGINAL:It took about a month to receive it, but the email notifications were forthright about this.The fuel bottle isn't included with the stove and has to be ordered separately. Only the SOTO fuel bottle will work with this stove because the pump unit requires a wider mouth than what standard fuel bottles have.The English instruction manual (2 pages) is available on line.The stove only burns gasoline and white gas. It has a broader flame than the MSR and Optimus stoves I have and it runs quieter. The broad flame would appear to provide more even heating than liquid stoves that just have flame spreader plates. At full throttle the flame is a tall uniform blue. The flame stability is vulnerable to winds just like other similar stoves, but its wind screen works well (thick aluminum foil like MSR & Optimus and is stored rolled up rather than folded; which I like).When it's turned down to simmer the flame remains blue with just a little orange around the generator pipe. The simmer is not as smooth as with an Optimus Nova or even my old MSR XGK, but it does throttle down ok. You have to operate the pump to keep the flame constant especially if you want to keep a low simmer going. It can still function without intermittent pumping, just not as well.In preparation this stove requires much more pumping than other similar stoves. It has an indicator on the pump unit that tells when the required start up pressure is reached.It is unique in that it produces a useable flame while the generator is still heating and it has a very short prime time. This is because the pump unit sends a fuel/air mixture to the burner when the pump unit control knob is set to Start Mode. After only ten seconds or so you can set the knob to Run Mode where it will operate similar to other liquid fuel stoves. When you are done you set the knob to Air Mode and it purges the fuel line and extinguishes the flame and also depressurizes the fuel bottle. The Optimus Nova purges similarly, but the SOTO extinguishes sooner and the bottle depressurizes much faster.I can't speak firsthand about its durability yet. The design is more complex than other stoves in its class and is not as robust as the Optimus Nova (though it is lighter); however, it is well built and accessible to maintain. The fuel hose attaches to the burner with a swivel which keeps the hose from crimping when stowed. I have the repair kit available from Amazon and though it looks like it was meant to include a new generator, one isn't included with these kits. I ordered a spare generator separately.The price is above average, but if you are pleased by well designed gear that has a lot of subtle innovations (i.e., a backpacking gearhead) this stove should fit the bill.

I collect stoves, have a large collection, from the mundane to the sublime, and use different ones for for different applications. I usually carry a little canister stove for myself. This one has become my go-to bigger-groups stove, or for when it's too cold for a canister. The priming works like a Coleman stove by letting in a little fuel and a lot of air. This is very nice, especially since you don't have to fiddle and light the stove on fire, and you can actually use that priming flame. It heats up quickly, faster than average, so you can be efficient about priming, but you will often need to pump again at some point while cooking. The controls are elegant and on the pump (away from the heat), so you don't have to fiddle with the windscreen and burn your fingers to adjust the flame. Oh yeah, the adjustable flame is really good. The Coleman-style priming and adjustability are my the main draws. Otherwise, it seems well made, and quiet for the type of stove it is. I carry the maintenance kit but haven't used it yet after four years of intermittent use. If you use it correctly, the generator should last a long time, and it gives plenty of warning rather than just failing, so you don't have to carry one and can wait to replace it. Basically if it eventually seems to be less hot than it used to be, track down a new generator, but at least it will still work in the meantime. I think people make more of this than they should. There's a cool feature where, instead of just shutting down and leaving fuel in the generator to gum it up, it blasts air through to purge the generator. Keep that in mind as a definite draw over other designs, because it will significantly extend generator life, especially when burning regular unleaded. One big thing for some people to think about is that the stove has a minimum operating temp of -4 degrees f. That's not that cold, so it's definitely not a mountaineering/ice climbing/polar exploration stove. One thing I'll add is that you can push in the control dial and it acts as a kill switch if things go sideways with the stove. I have yet to use it, but I keep this information in the back of my mind. If you are worried about safety features, this is a significant one.Why four stars? Seems about right. Five stars for a great design. Three stars for convenience (especially the time pumping). Part of me would like a little more bomb-proof simplicity, but it also appeals to my love of elegant solutions to common stove problems. I'm also not going to knock it for not burning diesel or alcohol. It burns unleaded as cleanly as white gas. That's a great design that would be compromised if it tried to do everything. If you need to burn diesel or alcohol, this stove just isn't for you.Pros:It has a Coleman-style priming, so it's instant lighting.Adjustable flame.Low maintenance.Air purge of the generator (for generator longevity).Hinged fuel hose (good for storage, but also makes pumping during operation less tricky).Cons: Takes a lot of pumps.Proprietary bottle. Yeah this isn't optimal. If your friend offers to bring fuel, you still have to carry the Soto bottle and risk spilling fuel all over yourself in the transfer.Relatively high minimum operating temperature (-20C, -4F).I can see possible long-term wear at the leg joints, but no problem yet.