The MSR Reactor Stove boils water faster than you can get your coffee out of your pack and into the coffee press. With other stoves I've used in the past, it takes much longer to boil the same amount of water. MSR claims it takes 3 minutes for the Reactor Stove to boil 1 liter of water, and I wouldn't argue with that.

MSR Reactor Stove Pack Size

The Reactor Stove is designed to pack tight and light. As you can see from the picture it packs up about half the size of my sleeping bag(which has compression sack dimensions of 9 in. x 12 in.). The stove burner, fuel tank and damping cloth all pack within the cooking pot. The burner and pot weight is 21 oz. (595 g), plus the 8 oz. (227 g) fuel tank. The packed unit (including the MSR IsoPro fuel tank) felt about as heavy as a full 32 oz. Nalgene bottle.

MSR Reactor Stove in Sand Storm

I tested this stove in the desert sands of southern Utah. We had a few strong wind gusts come up that blew sand all over the stove. It was simple to light in these windy/dusty conditions and the radiant stove stayed lit. The heat exchangers in the bottom of the cooking pot got sand in them and still worked without a problem.

Backpacking in Southern Utah Wilderness

PROS

For the weight, and pack size, there probably is no better way (other than a similar system by Jetboil) to boil water. Very little fuel is used, so you can pack lighter and take less fuel on longer excursions. It's great to have boiling water ready fast, both in the morning and during meal times. I would recommend only boiling water in the pot, then pouring that water onto your noodles, oatmeal, coffee, etc..

CONS

Unfortunately the MSR Reactor Stove is a one trick pony. It boils water fast and furious. Cooking in it is a different story. I put some noodles in the pot once the water started to boil. Within a minute the pot was overflowing. I tried to turn the heat down, but it still was at a furious boil. There were a few noodles cooked to the bottom. If you need to cook in the Reactor Stove pot, just remember not fill the pot beyond the halfway mark and stir often.

The MSR Reactor Stove has received a number of awards from magazines like Rock and Ice, and Backpacker. I agree this is a great stove to have, but it depends on what you plan on doing. If you looking to save weight, and only plan on drinking coffee and eating Ramen noodles and oatmeal, then this stove will work for you. If you want to use a frying pan (or any other cookware), it will not fit on the reactor burner, so you'll need to bring another stove along (or stove adapter for the IsoPro fuel tank). I'm sure someday MSR will have more cookware that is compatible with the Reactor Stove, because this radiant burner/heat exchanger technology is so efficient.

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BOILS WATER LIKE NO OTHER STOVE