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Jetboil MiniMo Review

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A profile shot of the MiniMo installed with burner, pot, fuel canister, and base support. Trees are in the background.
The MiniMo is packed full of convenient features like the sturdy handle and fuel canister support. – Photo Credit: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

Bottom Line

Among JetBoil’s many different integrated stove systems, the MiniMo is our favorite for backcountry gourmets and makes our list of the best backpacking stoves. It’s full of convenient features that make it a joy to use. Its stable, wide-base pot is perfect for cooking and eating out of while the excellent simmer control increases its capability for a wide range of cooking applications. Whether you’re cooking for a couple, sauteing veggies, or just boiling water, the MiniMo is up to the task.

As far as integrated stoves go, the MiniMo is among the more expensive options but it’s also among the highest quality so we think it is worth the price.

Quick Specs

Jetboil MiniMo

Integrated Stove System with Wide Cookpot & Simmer Control

Score: 65.8/100

Price: $170

Weight: 14 oz.(Stove & Pot)

Fuel Type: Isobutane/propane canister

Boil Time: 3m 30s

Burn Time (8 oz. fuel): 30m

Pros

  • Convenient
  • Fast boil time
  • Simmer control
  • Pot included
  • Push-button igniter
  • Performs well in wind

Cons

  • Expensive (but comes with pot)
  • Heavy & bulky for backpacking
A hiker filters water into his MiniMo pot. The pot is installed with its burner, fuel canister, and canister support. The background has trees and backpacking gear.
The wider pot of the MiniMo is a bit easier to cook with and eat out of. – Photo Credit: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

Convenience

The MiniMo is packed full of handy features that make it overall easy to use. For one, as an integrated system, it is much more stable than non-integrated pot/stove combos. This is always beneficial for a piece of equipment that boils hot water and would suck to knock over. The MiniMo also comes with a three-pronged plastic stand to help increase stability, but we rarely find ourselves using it.

The MiniMo comes with measurement notches on the inside of the pot, though we found them to be less accurate than the included measurement cup that also serves as a bowl and bottom lid. We mostly use the MiniMo to cook for two people and find its one-liter capacity works well.

Another nice feature of the MiniMo is its wider and shallower pot shape. This makes eating directly out of the pot easier and makes boiling times faster. The pot lid on the MiniMo also functions very well. It has one open spout for pouring and one spout with small slats, which is useful for draining pasta water. The lid fits on securely and is relatively easy to remove after boiling. The pour spout functions well with no leakage. The MiniMo also features sturdy metal pot handles which makes pouring much easier. It comes with a convenient push-button ignitor which makes lighting the stove very easy.

A closeup showing the measurement markings on the inside of the MiniMo pot.
The measurement markings on the pot are an appreciated addition to the MiniMo. – Photo Credit: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

Weight & Packability

Like most integrated stove systems, the weight of the MiniMo is a bit heavier than we’d prefer for our ultralight backpacking trips, but for most casual backpackers it will work well. You can definitely save some weight by choosing an ultralight stove and pot combo, but you do lose out on some of the main benefits offered by integrated stoves (i.e. stability, fuel efficiency, ease of use, and cook time)

All the MiniMo components, including a standard 100-gram isobutane fuel canister nest together nicely in the pot and make it easy to pack away. The MiniMo is wide enough that you can actually fit a larger 230-gram can inside, but that won’t leave any space for the stove. Although we like the wide pot for making meals, we think it makes it just a tad bulkier to pack than other integrated systems.

An above shot of the MiniMo burner inside its pot. Forest floor background.
Without a fuel canister, there is plenty of room to pack away the burner inside the pot. – Photo Credit: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

Power & Efficiency

Integrated stove systems usually provide the best boil times and fuel efficiency and the MiniMo has some of the fastest boil times of any stove system we’ve tested. In our testing, it took an average of three and a half minutes to boil one liter of water.

However, we were surprised to find in our testing that the flame on the MiniMo was actually pretty easy to blow out with a moderate amount of wind. That being said, we have plenty of real-life experience with the MiniMo in windy conditions and found that it usually performs just fine. Either way, we always seek out shelter when cooking just in case.

The burner and secure connection of this stove lead to a very efficient cooking system. Boiling a pot of water uses a small amount of fuel and the integrated pot system should give you better performance in wind as long as it’s not direct.

A close up of the flame on the JetBoil Minimo with a tent wall background.
The MiniMo puts out a powerful flame. – Photo Credit: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

Precision

One of the main features that sets the MiniMo apart from other JetBoil models is its fuel regulator and superior simmer control. This makes it possible to saute fresh veggies or slowly heat up a meal that has gotten cold in the pot. The wide pot bottom and heat sink of the MiniMo also assist in evenly dispersing heat. Be careful though…we’re not saying that you couldn’t burn your food on the bottom of the pot. We’ve been there.

A close up of the valve control knob on the JetBoil MiniMo with fuel canister and burner installed.
The MiniMo has a large valve control knob that’s easy to use. – Photo Credit: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

Should You Buy the Jetboil MiniMo?

If you love JetBoil or integrated stove systems in general and also love cooking, the MiniMo just might be your ideal stove. Although it shows in the price tag, the MiniMo comes with a ton of convenient features that other integrated systems lack. It’s sturdier, has better fuel regulation, and convenient cooking-centric features. The measurement markings, pour spout lid, comfortable neoprene sleeve, and sturdy handles all give us warm and fuzzies when cooking in the backcountry.

However, added features come with added weight. The MiniMo is far from the lightest backpacking stove setup – it’s not even the lightest integrated setup – and it’ll take up a fair amount of space in your pack.

A close up, angled shot of the lid of the JetBoil MiniMo with pine needles in the background.
The lid of the MiniMo features two handy spouts for pouring and straining. – Photo Credit: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)

What Other Backpacking Stoves Should You Consider?

JetBoil Flash Review: The JetBoil Flash might be a better option if you don’t see yourself doing much more than boiling water for backpacking meals. It boils quickly and efficiently and is a bit lighter than the MiniMo. Although not quite as fully featured, it is handy and easy to use.

MSR WindBurner Review: We found the MSR WindBurner to be the best integrated stove in terms of power, efficiency, and simmer control. It’s one of the heaviest options, but it works incredibly well at managing fuel consumption whether you’re boiling water or simmering.

Primus Essential Trail Review: The Primus Essential Trail gets you about as close to an integrated setup as you can get without the high price tag. It has comparable durability and stability, and decent performance for such an affordable stove. It’s also a lot lighter when paired with a titanium pot.

A hiker sits on the forest floor with his JetBoil MiniMo. He is turning the fuel valve with one hand while pushing the igniter switch with the other. Trees in the background.
The MiniMo is easy to light with its included push-button igniter. – Photo Credit: Brett Kretzer (CleverHiker.com)