Snow Peak GigaPower 2.0 ($50)
One tester cringed when he heard that the Japanese company was changing its beloved bestseller. But not only did Snow Peak maintain the original’s beautiful simplicity—namely, the sturdy folding top—it also made a few improvements, including finer simmer controls and a simpler piezo ignition.
Esbit Pocket ($13)
We balked at the fact that the Pocket runs on smoke-free, hexamine-based fuel tabs. (We prefer canisters.) But we ate our words, along with a piping-hot bowl of ramen, after a single tab made quick work of our noodles and still had enough combustion left for a hot toddy.
MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe ($70)
This update to one of MSR’s best backpacking stoves is still plenty light at 2.9 ounces, but it’s easier to use than its predecessor. A button ignition allowed us to poke one hand out of the tent in the morning to get coffee brewing, and the simmer controls were useful when cooking finicky dishes like risotto.
Primus Aeril ($130)
Yes, you can pile a bunch of rocks under a grate when cooking in an open flame pit. Or you can pack the far more reliable Aeril. The three wide, adjustable legs are designed to block wind and provide stable support for the large triangular grill. We felt like real chefs while charring steaks to perfection.
Eureka Ignite ($100)
The Ignite is everything you could want in a straightforward car-camping stove. It has two 10,000-BTU burners, a piezo igniter that we used a hundred times without a hiccup, and space for two ten-inch pans as we cooked up pancakes and bacon. We dig the retro styling and classy color options.
Camp Chef Mountaineer ($240)
The shiny, 16-pound aluminum Mountaineer is hot—its 40,000 BTUs boiled a 16-quart pot of water minutes faster than any other stove we tested. The responsive temperature dials and ample 302 square inches of cooking space let us whip up a three-course feast from the tailgate.