The MiniMo Cooking System by Jetboil is one of the most efficient and convenient integrated stove systems on the market. With all the cooking components you’ll need in a compact package, its fast boil times will ensure you have a hot meal quickly after a long day on the trail. Some features we love in the MiniMo are its convenient push button ignitor, sturdy metal handles, wide pot shape, and secure lid with pour spouts. Weighing 14 oz, the MiniMo isn’t the lightest stove/pot combination on the market, but for its convenience and ease of use, there’s a lot to love.
Quick Specs
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Total Weight: 14 oz.
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Listed 1L Boil Time: 4 min, 30 sec
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Capacity: 1 Liter
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Packed Dimensions: 5 x 6 inches
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Fuel: Isobutane-propane canisters (100 gram size fits inside)
Pros
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Easy to use
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Very fast boil times
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Fuel efficient
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Good wind performance
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Good simmer control
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Push button ignitor
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Sturdy metal handles
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Good top lid and pour spouts
Cons
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Relatively expensive
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A bit heavy compared to ultralight stove options
MiniMo Intro Video
minimo Specs and features
INTEGRATED STOVE SYSTEMS – We refer to the Jetboil MiniMo as an “integrated stove system” throughout this review. What that means is that the MiniMo comes with a stove and a pot that attaches securely to the stove. Other stove systems sell a stove and pot separately (ex: MightyMo + FluxRing Pot). Though sometimes more expensive and a bit heavier, integrated stove systems tend to be more convenient, stable, fuel efficient, have better wind performance, and offer faster cooking times.
PRICE – Integrated stove systems, like the MiniMo, will almost always cost more than simple stoves because they include a pot as well. As far as integrated stoves go, the MiniMo is among the more expensive options, but it’s also among the highest quality. For a quality stove system that can withstand years of backcountry use, we think the MiniMo is fairly priced. For current pricing, check out these direct links to our favorite retailers: REI, Amazon, Backcountry, Moosejaw, Campsaver.
WEIGHT – 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 (ex: BRS Ultralight Stove + Snow Peak Mini Solo Cookset), but you do lose out on some of the main benefits offered by integrated stoves (stability, fuel efficiency, ease of use, cook time, etc).
JETBOIL MODELS – Jetboil makes many different integrated stove systems with a range of pros and cons. The MiniMo is the most popular and our top choice for all-around performance. The MicroMo is a roughly the same stove with a smaller pot size (.8 L vs. 1L), which makes it a good solo stove option. The Flash is less expensive and a bit lighter, but it lacks simmer control, so you can only really use it for boiling water.
QUALITY & DURABILITY –Like many Jetboil models, the MiniMo scores high marks in the quality and durability department. This stove system feels secure and its materials are strong. We’ve put several Jetboil stoves through the ringer over the years and they tend to hold up well through rough backcountry use.
EFFICIENCY – The burner, secure connection, and wind performance 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 ensures that strong winds have a minimal effect on cooking times.
WIND PERFORMANCE – Though not quite as good in heavy winds as the MSR WindBurner, the MiniMo still performs well in windy conditions. The MiniMo will certainly outperform any non-integrated stove system in the wind, and we always seek shelter when cooking anyway.
BOIL TIME – The MiniMo has some of the fastest boil times of any stove system we’ve tested. Integrated stove systems, like the MiniMo, usually provide the best boil times and fuel efficiency, which is a nice benefit. In our testing, it took an average of 1 minute and 53 seconds to boil 0.5 liters of water.
PACKABILITY – All the MiniMo components, including a separately purchased small fuel canister (100 gram isobutane), 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 230g fuel canister inside, but that won’t leave any space for the stove.
STABILITY – Integrated stove systems, like the MiniMo, tend to be 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.
MEASUREMENT – 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 1L capacity to work well. You can cook for more people with one stove, but waiting time will be required between cooking cycles.
POT & LID – One nice feature about the MiniMo is its wider and shallower pot shape. This makes eating directly out of the pot easier and makes boil 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.
PUSH IGNITOR – The MiniMo comes with a convenient push-button ignitor which makes lighting the stove very easy. Over long periods of time and with a lot of use, these ignitors tend to wear out, but we still consider this feature a nice convenience.
SIMMER CONTROL –The MiniMo has great simmer control. Though we mainly use the MiniMo for boiling water in the backcountry, this is a nice feature to have, even if it’s just to keep the pot from boiling over. If you plan to do some camp cooking, you’ll definitely appreciate the simmer control.
HANDLE – Another feature we like on the MiniMo is its sturdy metal pot handles. They feel very secure, which is key when you’re handling boiling liquid in the field.
FRENCH PRESS ATTACHMENT – The MiniMo comes with a handy french press attachment for making delicious backcountry java. Make sure you choose the “grande size” which is compatible with the wide MiniMo. Just remember, true Leave No Trace backpackers pack out all their waste, including spent coffee grounds.
MiniMo Photo Gallery
Final Thoughts
Backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts wanting a convenient, fast, packable, high-quality stove system will love the Jetboil MiniMo. We think the MiniMo is one of the best stove systems we’ve tested, which has earned it our top pick for integrated canister stoves. Our biggest complaints with the MiniMo are that we wish it was a bit lighter and a bit more affordable, but the pros of the MiniMo heavily outweigh the cons in our book.
Check our our Top Gear Picks list and Best Backpacking Stoves list for more info.
More InfoRMATION
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We purchased the MiniMo with our own funds and have no obligation to give it a positive review. Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission if purchases are made through those links. This adds no cost to our readers and helps us keep our site up and running. Our reputation is our most important asset, which is why we only provide completely honest and unbiased recommendations.