Cooker Reactor 1.7 from MSR with pot (1.7 liter) is the second smallest and lightest set in this category for 2-3 people. The award-winning Reactor technology makes it a great companion for nature trips, but also for weekend camping. Its radiant stove perfectly coupled with the vessel provides wind resistance and allows rapid cooking of water in conditions where other cooks cool. The kit does not contain a gas cartridge.
Cooker Reactor 1.7 from MSR with pot (1.7 liter) is the second smallest and lightest set in this category for 2-3 people. The award-winning Reactor technology makes it a great companion for nature trips, but also for weekend camping. Its radiant stove perfectly coupled with the vessel provides wind resistance and allows rapid cooking of water in conditions where other cooks cool. The kit does not contain a gas cartridge.
in 1 offers
last seen 17 Sept 2026
The lowest price we last saw for MSR - Reactor 1.7L Stove System was $505.11 at Gogogear Travel Gear (last seen 17 Sept 2026). Prices may have changed since.
The all-time low we recorded was $343.65 on 2 Jan 2024.
Prices last updated 17 Sept 2026.
MSR - Reactor 1.7L Stove System
Cooker Reactor 1.7 from MSR with pot (1.7 liter) is the second smallest and lightest set in this category for 2-3 people. The award-winning Reactor technology makes it a great companion for nature trips, but also for weekend camping. Its radiant stove perfectly coupled with the vessel provides wind resistance and allows rapid cooking of water in conditions where other cooks cool. The kit does not contain a gas cartridge.
Cooker Reactor 1.7 from MSR with pot (1.7 liter) is the second smallest and lightest set in this category for 2-3 people. The award-winning Reactor technology makes it a great companion for nature trips, but also for weekend camping. Its radiant stove perfectly coupled with the vessel provides wind resistance and allows rapid cooking of water in conditions where other cooks cool. The kit does not contain a gas cartridge.
Last updated at 17/09/2026 08:47:50
MSR Reactor 1.7L Stove System
Free delivery
originally posted on cascadedesigns.com
This is the world's best stove but you need to know it does one thing: boils water as QUICKLY as possible--especially ice cold mountain water and snow! Great in all weather conditions with no extra windscreen required is a huge plus. Very easy to use and packs down nicely. Do not purchase for cooking food in the pot or slow simmering food; it won't work for that purpose. It just boils water. FAST. It can keep up with a group of several people looking for hot water for morning coffee, filling their dehydrated food baggies, or just for boiling a pot of water to impress your friends on how fast it is.
originally posted on REI
This stove is very reliable and trustworthy; however there is an issue that is typically overlooked in the general instructions; the common MSR instructions for the Reactor Stove, unfortunately does not include the instructions found at the end of this review; however when communicating with MSR on the phone, in regard to the often occurring issue of the stove not getting solid red in the center, (where the MSR logo is supposed to be glowing red to be heating up properly) the MSR representative instructs to do the following: Next to the red valve handle, where you turn the fuel on and off, there are diagonal metal slits (all the rest are just circles.) They are located right next to the + and - signs. Strike your lighter, turn the fuel valve on, and then cover these ...Ā MoreThis stove is very reliable and trustworthy; however there is an issue that is typically overlooked in the general instructions; the common MSR instructions for the Reactor Stove, unfortunately does not include the instructions found at the end of this review; however when communicating with MSR on the phone, in regard to the often occurring issue of the stove not getting solid red in the center, (where the MSR logo is supposed to be glowing red to be heating up properly) the MSR representative instructs to do the following: Next to the red valve handle, where you turn the fuel on and off, there are diagonal metal slits (all the rest are just circles.) They are located right next to the + and - signs. Strike your lighter, turn the fuel valve on, and then cover these diagonal slits with your thumbs for 5 to 10 seconds. Those diagonal slits are part of the air intake, and covering them acts like a "choke" feature. In several seconds the stove should glow red.
originally posted on cascadedesigns.com
This stove is pretty amazing. Very well thought out and incredibly efficient on fuel. It's also probably one of the quietest stoves you will buy. A couple of downsides for me; it doesn't really have a low temperature setting. It is adjustable of course, but it's keeps the heat in so efficiently that the low setting still cooks very hot. I also wish it had its own spark switch on it to light automatically. A long lighter is best for lighting it.I haven't used this stove in winter yet, but because the flame is well protected from the wind I can't see it being an issue.I like the strainer in the lid and the detachable lid. Also happy that the butane canister fits inside the 1.7L with the bottom piece of the stove.All-in-all, a great stove that I would recommend for ...Ā MoreThis stove is pretty amazing. Very well thought out and incredibly efficient on fuel. It's also probably one of the quietest stoves you will buy. A couple of downsides for me; it doesn't really have a low temperature setting. It is adjustable of course, but it's keeps the heat in so efficiently that the low setting still cooks very hot. I also wish it had its own spark switch on it to light automatically. A long lighter is best for lighting it.I haven't used this stove in winter yet, but because the flame is well protected from the wind I can't see it being an issue.I like the strainer in the lid and the detachable lid. Also happy that the butane canister fits inside the 1.7L with the bottom piece of the stove.All-in-all, a great stove that I would recommend for your backpacking trips, or even car camping if you're keeping it light.
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Style | 1.7l |
| fuel-type | Isobutane-propane |
| Length | 8 inches |
| Number of Pieces | 5 |
MSR Reactor 1.7L Stove System
Free delivery
This is the world's best stove but you need to know it does one thing: boils water as QUICKLY as possible--especially ice cold mountain water and snow! Great in all weather conditions with no extra windscreen required is a huge plus. Very easy to use and packs down nicely. Do not purchase for cooking food in the pot or slow simmering food; it won't work for that purpose. It just boils water. FAST. It can keep up with a group of several people looking for hot water for morning coffee, filling their dehydrated food baggies, or just for boiling a pot of water to impress your friends on how fast it is.
This stove is very reliable and trustworthy; however there is an issue that is typically overlooked in the general instructions; the common MSR instructions for the Reactor Stove, unfortunately does not include the instructions found at the end of this review; however when communicating with MSR on the phone, in regard to the often occurring issue of the stove not getting solid red in the center, (where the MSR logo is supposed to be glowing red to be heating up properly) the MSR representative instructs to do the following: Next to the red valve handle, where you turn the fuel on and off, there are diagonal metal slits (all the rest are just circles.) They are located right next to the + and - signs. Strike your lighter, turn the fuel valve on, and then cover these ...Ā MoreThis stove is very reliable and trustworthy; however there is an issue that is typically overlooked in the general instructions; the common MSR instructions for the Reactor Stove, unfortunately does not include the instructions found at the end of this review; however when communicating with MSR on the phone, in regard to the often occurring issue of the stove not getting solid red in the center, (where the MSR logo is supposed to be glowing red to be heating up properly) the MSR representative instructs to do the following: Next to the red valve handle, where you turn the fuel on and off, there are diagonal metal slits (all the rest are just circles.) They are located right next to the + and - signs. Strike your lighter, turn the fuel valve on, and then cover these diagonal slits with your thumbs for 5 to 10 seconds. Those diagonal slits are part of the air intake, and covering them acts like a "choke" feature. In several seconds the stove should glow red.
This stove is pretty amazing. Very well thought out and incredibly efficient on fuel. It's also probably one of the quietest stoves you will buy. A couple of downsides for me; it doesn't really have a low temperature setting. It is adjustable of course, but it's keeps the heat in so efficiently that the low setting still cooks very hot. I also wish it had its own spark switch on it to light automatically. A long lighter is best for lighting it.I haven't used this stove in winter yet, but because the flame is well protected from the wind I can't see it being an issue.I like the strainer in the lid and the detachable lid. Also happy that the butane canister fits inside the 1.7L with the bottom piece of the stove.All-in-all, a great stove that I would recommend for ...Ā MoreThis stove is pretty amazing. Very well thought out and incredibly efficient on fuel. It's also probably one of the quietest stoves you will buy. A couple of downsides for me; it doesn't really have a low temperature setting. It is adjustable of course, but it's keeps the heat in so efficiently that the low setting still cooks very hot. I also wish it had its own spark switch on it to light automatically. A long lighter is best for lighting it.I haven't used this stove in winter yet, but because the flame is well protected from the wind I can't see it being an issue.I like the strainer in the lid and the detachable lid. Also happy that the butane canister fits inside the 1.7L with the bottom piece of the stove.All-in-all, a great stove that I would recommend for your backpacking trips, or even car camping if you're keeping it light.
This stove is great for its intended use, melting snow and boiling water. I've used it on climbing/skiing trips around the world, including high altitude. It is becoming the new standard for high altitude or mountaineering stoves. The 1.7L size is my preferred as it works great for two people. This stove doesn't do great in the wind, but for the trips that I bring this stove I generally have shelter of some kind. Works great in a tent, especially with the hanging kit. Make sure you have adequate venting to keep yourself safe. I see two areas for design improvement, first resize this to around 1.6L, or whatever is required to make a snug fit for the stove, an 8oz fuel canister and possibly a bit of extra room for a standard lighter. The current design allows ...Ā MoreThis stove is great for its intended use, melting snow and boiling water. I've used it on climbing/skiing trips around the world, including high altitude. It is becoming the new standard for high altitude or mountaineering stoves. The 1.7L size is my preferred as it works great for two people. This stove doesn't do great in the wind, but for the trips that I bring this stove I generally have shelter of some kind. Works great in a tent, especially with the hanging kit. Make sure you have adequate venting to keep yourself safe. I see two areas for design improvement, first resize this to around 1.6L, or whatever is required to make a snug fit for the stove, an 8oz fuel canister and possibly a bit of extra room for a standard lighter. The current design allows excessive room for movement which creates rattling while the stove is in your backpack. Slimming the fit down would allow for a better fit and less movement, similar to most other canister stoves on the market. This should be a fairly easy design change. The second recommendation would likely be harder to implement, which is to recess the attachment on the stove to the fuel canister. Currently this attachment sticks out and is the only item on the bottom of the stove, which creates a pressure point that I have seen damage the bottom of the pot during transit (due to the movement I mentioned earlier). Another solution would be to add a few small additional protrusions on the bottom OD of the stove to help support the stove while resting in the pot, as to distribute the load. I think this would make a stronger and more reliable product. Overall, a great stove for its intended use. Probably not the best for car camping, unless you only need hot water. But for melting snow, boiling water, in a tent, this can't be beat. The hanging kit works really well also when cooking in a tight alpine tent.
This thing is a real gem. Itās anwesome and does everything it claims.On trips with my friends it impresses with its speed and the integrated system looks great. I gave it a 2 because after 3-4 years (sadly thatās only 5 trips) it overheated and failed. 5 uses only!! I wasnāt cooking a turkey dinner either.. just heating water. Unfortunately that means it was off warranty and I had to pay to ship it to a repair center and pay for a new head because itās not fixable (about 1/4 the cost). The repair process was speedy and well done. For only 5 uses that makes it a very expensive product per use.If you google it, I believe this heat fail is fairly common. My friends with the cheaper models have had them 10 years without issue. So I guessā¦ itās really great but I ...Ā MoreThis thing is a real gem. Itās anwesome and does everything it claims.On trips with my friends it impresses with its speed and the integrated system looks great. I gave it a 2 because after 3-4 years (sadly thatās only 5 trips) it overheated and failed. 5 uses only!! I wasnāt cooking a turkey dinner either.. just heating water. Unfortunately that means it was off warranty and I had to pay to ship it to a repair center and pay for a new head because itās not fixable (about 1/4 the cost). The repair process was speedy and well done. For only 5 uses that makes it a very expensive product per use.If you google it, I believe this heat fail is fairly common. My friends with the cheaper models have had them 10 years without issue. So I guessā¦ itās really great but I donāt think it will last.Itās a Ferrari but for backpacking Iād recommend a Toyota.
Only had a few chances to use this stove and not in as cold a weather as I would have liked but overall this does seem to be a good stove for fast water boiling in wind proof conditions. Tried it twice now - low 30's F and 8-12 mph direct winds with a very low 200g canister that I did not warm or tweak in any way and it boiled 1L of water as fast as advertised. Only 2 "concerns" I had were that it is hard to tell in bright sun if you actually lit it initially because it takes a moment for the burner to glow red. Would have loved a piezo mechanism to light as well. I also would have liked to see a lock mechanism of some sort for the pot to the burner like Jetboils have. The pot is large enough that on less than level ground it feels a bit unstable, especially with ...Ā MoreOnly had a few chances to use this stove and not in as cold a weather as I would have liked but overall this does seem to be a good stove for fast water boiling in wind proof conditions. Tried it twice now - low 30's F and 8-12 mph direct winds with a very low 200g canister that I did not warm or tweak in any way and it boiled 1L of water as fast as advertised. Only 2 "concerns" I had were that it is hard to tell in bright sun if you actually lit it initially because it takes a moment for the burner to glow red. Would have loved a piezo mechanism to light as well. I also would have liked to see a lock mechanism of some sort for the pot to the burner like Jetboils have. The pot is large enough that on less than level ground it feels a bit unstable, especially with 1L+ of water. Overall though it seems like an excellent stove for cold and windy weather.
This is the stove you want for boiling water. So efficient! Couple that with the fact that fuel canisters can be recycled ā»ļø and you have a stove that does exactly what you need it to do and has the least amount of impact on the environment from a canister stove. I've had this thing on every trip with me this year and I have not found one thing to gripe about. I did manage on 2 occasions to disconnect the handle from the pot (my fault) and putting it back on is not easy if you try to put it back while the handle is in the "open" position, as it would be when you use the handle while pouring water. It is MUCH easier to put it back onto the retaining tangs on the pot when you attempt it from the CLOSED position, that is the position that you would have the handle in ...Ā MoreThis is the stove you want for boiling water. So efficient! Couple that with the fact that fuel canisters can be recycled ā»ļø and you have a stove that does exactly what you need it to do and has the least amount of impact on the environment from a canister stove. I've had this thing on every trip with me this year and I have not found one thing to gripe about. I did manage on 2 occasions to disconnect the handle from the pot (my fault) and putting it back on is not easy if you try to put it back while the handle is in the "open" position, as it would be when you use the handle while pouring water. It is MUCH easier to put it back onto the retaining tangs on the pot when you attempt it from the CLOSED position, that is the position that you would have the handle in when the stove is packed up. Also, another helpful hint is after you light the stove, sometimes it will start off with a rather loose, blue colored flame instead of be coming the mighty orange radiant glow that make this stove so great. What you can do if the stove operates like this initially is to use your thumbs to cover the slats on either side of the burner control valve. This acts as a choke if you will to bring the stove to operating with it's radiant qualities. Take 5 seconds or so to do this. Other than that, nothing bad to report. It's a separate product, so I won't get into a full review of it, but this stove is also available with a French press attachment, and let me tell you it is the best I have ever used. Not just on a camp stove, but all French presses I have used, so in my opinion that is a must. They also have a hanging kit for this which is very minimalist. This saves your back if you hang it from a gear line or even a tree branch, and also is very nice for hammock camping use.All in all, I can say this stove does exactly what it says it will do. I did the calculations and I think one 8oz canister of fuel will boil something like 5.5 gallons of water. That's a lot!!
I'v had my 1L Reactor for 6+ years now. Never had an issue with it. It's extremely durable as I have used and abused it and it still acts like it will work for decades with no maintenance. It always lights very easy, and always boils water faster than every other stove, especially in the wind! The design is brilliant. Thank you MSR! Seriously I'm getting tired of people thinking their jetboil is something special when this stove beats it in every way. The MSR Reactor is a stove that will last a long long time. Get the MSR windburner if you climb bigwalls or do winter alpine ascents and want a stove you can hang inside a tent. Otherwise this is the best. The handle is plenty sturdy fyi. 6 out of 5 stars.
I had one for a few successful years, then it failed completely on a remote AK trip in winter. It took six months to get a resolution to the issue, which consisted of MSR offering me a new burner for $90. I bought a new burner this summer, and have used it three times. Last time I went out it took twelve minutes to get a liter of water warm (not boiling), at air temps in the 40ās, with a brand new canister and no wind. I wrote them two weeks ago and havenāt heard anything back yet. Despite occasional success with it and strong hopes, Iām pretty uninterested in counting on it again for a real trip; I really need something reliable. I expect my Whisperlite will probably be fine for the rest of my life, so perhaps I should quit trying with the Reactor.
I've been using the MSR Reactor since 2016 and it's still one of my favorite stoves. I can fit a small fuel canister nicely in the 1.5L pot with a lighter at the bottom and the stove on top.Pros:Burner works- I mean it works even in horrible alpine conditions. the built in wind blocker and the way the pot vents the heat against the pot gets you boiling water in no time. I've been along with people who brough Jet Boils and had to borrow my stove to cook because of the wind and cold. This stove worked perfectly for things like Rainier and The Ice cap slam in the north cascades.Tight fit- with a small fuel canister and lighter inside the 1.5L pot with the stove I have almost no waisted space. maybe I could stuff a couple sour patch kids in the gap at the bottom... ...Ā MoreI've been using the MSR Reactor since 2016 and it's still one of my favorite stoves. I can fit a small fuel canister nicely in the 1.5L pot with a lighter at the bottom and the stove on top.Pros:Burner works- I mean it works even in horrible alpine conditions. the built in wind blocker and the way the pot vents the heat against the pot gets you boiling water in no time. I've been along with people who brough Jet Boils and had to borrow my stove to cook because of the wind and cold. This stove worked perfectly for things like Rainier and The Ice cap slam in the north cascades.Tight fit- with a small fuel canister and lighter inside the 1.5L pot with the stove I have almost no waisted space. maybe I could stuff a couple sour patch kids in the gap at the bottom... maybe.Cons:My only gripe about this stove is my envy of the things the wind burner can do. A pot that latches onto the stove and a system that can hang from the inside of the tent can make your life so much nicer in bad conditions. When comparing the reactor and wind burner for alpine adventures. there's almost no situation where id prefer the reactor. This is the only reason I'm leaving 4/5 stars for my beloved Reactor.
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Style | 1.7l |
| fuel-type | Isobutane-propane |
| Length | 8 inches |
| Number of Pieces | 5 |
