MSR Windburner- Is it worth it?

I'm currently considering picking up a MSR Windburner for mountaineering(lower 48)/backpacking. It's a pretty expensive set up and I've already got a MSR Pocket Rocket. For those that have the windburner, what have been your experiences with it and do you think it would be worth getting when I already have an ultralight set stove set up? Is the wind resistance and fuel efficiency that much greater?
Thanks in advance!

Don’t have the MSR Windburner, but my bud’s MSR Reactor is our go-to 3-season mountaineering stove, way better than my old Jet Boil.

There is a lot to be said for not worrying about wind screens if you are cooking out in the open.  Very expensive, but worth it. 

Yep it’s really that awesome.  I’ve got a reactor and my friend has a wind burner.  Both great stoves.  Fast,  efficient,  compact.

The go to stove for mountaineering and melting water on climbs.    Wayyyyy better than dealing with a pocket rocket

Absolutley worth it (this from a recently departed REI employee). It's better than any Jetboils. The burner is larger and more BTU's, the wind-blockers around the flame are welded on as opposed to glued on like all Jetboils (many have been known to come apart after a while, even mid-trip I have heard), it's easier to twist the container off the base and has an efficient hand guard to pour your boiling water (I have burned myself many times on my Jetboil and usually just end up pouring it with the gas tank and everything still attached as it's too hard to get undone when hot). All in all the Windburner is a better design and worth the extra money. Jetboil did a great job inventing a great tool but once their patent ran out MSR had created a better design while JB kind of sat on their laurels in my opinion. You really can't go wrong with anything MSR.

It's fantastic used it as my only stove for 2 months of dirtbagging and doing mountain stuff in chamonix and it was flawless, sips fuel and completely uneffected by the wind. 

I love mine.  If you already have an ultralight and want to buy something to use when a few ounces more isn't a problem, go for it!  

For the impatient, I don't think there is a better stove out there.

If you are a cheapskate, bear in mind the fuel is about 4 times as expensive than standard 1 lb propane cylinders.  A single burner Coleman stove is bulkier, but much less expensive to use.  

I've used a windburner for three years, now.  Its really not appreciably heavier than your pocket-rocket plus pot.  I particularly like it as a bivvy stove since cartridge is attached to pot while cooking - I've drilled three small holes at the rim of the pot to accept tiny hooks for hanging the stove from an anchor.  it is not quite as extraordinarily fast as the reactor, but its far cheaper, and beats hell out of anything else I've owned.  the thing I don't use it for is expedition cooking.  I like real food, so I carry an xgk and pressure-cooker for those trips.

All you can do with it is boil water. If that’s your thing it can’t be beat. Wife and daughter used it for 20 days on the CO Trail and only used 1 1/2 250 Gm gas cylinders. Now that’s efficient!

Fantastic responses and info everyone. Thank you! Any thoughts on the duo? It looks like a versatile system with being able to run the fuel remotely.

The duo takes bigger pots than the regular windburned, which is nice for groups. I found that I could tilt the gas cartridge for better gas flow in really cold weather ( < 20 degrees F), but be VERY careful doing this, and understand that MSR recommends against this. The remote fuel canister is easier to warm with your hands, too. The 1.8 liter pot that comes with the duo will hold a 250 gram cartridge together with the burner, which is nice for longer trips.

yes! next question

I've had my wind boiler humming right along at -20f and at 14k. If you know the right tricks it works great and is exceedingly reliable in any weather. I wouldn't buy any other stove. 

I have both and I'm gonna go against the grain and say for most folks - no. Absolutely NOT worth it IMO. What I dislike about the Windburner is that you have to take the top off to light it, then screw the top on while it's lit while yer soup is in it. Easy to spill and the stove is not cooking anything but it's burning. Many Jetboils have little sparkers on them where you have it all set to go with water or soup in it or whatever, pop the igniter and woof, Bob's yer Uncle.

They use to make a lightweight MSR WindBurner Hanging Kit for it that worked good for Portaledge use.

Billcoe wrote: I have both and I'm gonna go against the grain and say for most folks - no. Absolutely NOT worth it IMO. What I dislike about the Windburner is that you have to take the top off to light it, then screw the top on while it's lit while yer soup is in it. Easy to spill and the stove is not cooking anything but it's burning. Many Jetboils have little sparkers on them where you have it all set to go with water or soup in it or whatever, pop the igniter and woof, Bob's yer Uncle.

They use to make a lightweight MSR WindBurner Hanging Kit for it that worked good for Portaledge use.

The WIndburner does not seem like a good option if you want to actually cook in it.  It's designed to melt snow and boil water.

Nick Sweeney wrote:

The WIndburner does not seem like a good option if you want to actually cook in it.  It's designed to melt snow and boil water.

This *10 

Billcoe wrote: I have both and I'm gonna go against the grain and say for most folks - no. Absolutely NOT worth it IMO. What I dislike about the Windburner is that you have to take the top off to light it, then screw the top on while it's lit while yer soup is in it. Easy to spill and the stove is not cooking anything but it's burning. Many Jetboils have little sparkers on them where you have it all set to go with water or soup in it or whatever, pop the igniter and woof, Bob's yer Uncle.

They use to make a lightweight MSR WindBurner Hanging Kit for it that worked good for Portaledge use.

Hanging kits are still available for the Windburner and the Reactor, check the MSR website.

Nick Sweeney wrote:

The WIndburner does not seem like a good option if you want to actually cook in it.  It's designed to melt snow and boil water.

This. If you’re just melting snow and boiling water, the windburner is great.

Maybe this is user error, but the duos pot does not seem to lock onto the base which is my only complaint with the stove.

If you're unwilling to look into whether boiled Ziplocks get plastic in your mouth, you can do a lot more than just drink boiled water. Put your food item in the bag, press the air out sous-vide style, and throw the bag in the hot water. Bonus points if you're reusing water from previous cooking. Double extra bonus points if you throw a little ghee in with your lame-ass sous-vide.

I've also seen a friend scramble eggs and cook bacon in a Windburner, but that's beyond me.

Everett wrote:I've also seen a friend scramble eggs and cook bacon in a Windburner, but that's beyond me.

The 1.8l is perfect size for fried eggs, it's also great for making soup and frying up chorizo and fried rice. It's a handy little stove. I wouldn't want to souvide in it I'd be spooked about the plastic but for most other things it's fine. 

Nick Sweeney wrote:

The WIndburner does not seem like a good option if you want to actually cook in it.  It's designed to melt snow and boil water.

It takes a gentle touch, but I used to use my reactor for all sorts of cooking. You just have to barely turn the gas on.

psssh ...Ive used mine for eggs n bacon, pancake, steak(yep!), hamburgers, ramen, coffee, etc.... they work great!
AND they actually lite in the wind unlike their competitors.