Jetboil Micromo and Minimo are both great stoves and they're 95% identical. They have exactly the same burner, regulator, shroud, control valve, canister stabilizer and baseplate attachment. Both are "real cooking" stoves - not "quick boiling without simmering" stoves.
The only difference between the two is that Minimo comes with a pot with 1L of volume instead of the Micromo's pot with 0.8L of volume. Since the benefit you get from 0.2L of added pot volume is going to be greater than reduced weight of 2.6 oz for 90% of us, I'd recommend Minimo over Micromo without a doubt!
- #A sidenote here: I'd highly recommend you to check out REI's informative meal planning chart before you read further.
We'll compare Jetboil Micromo and Minimo on the basis of:
- Fuel efficiency (Draw),
- Compactness & Weight (Draw),
- Boiling speed (Draw),
- Versatility (Winner: Minimo),
- Simmering (Draw).
Again, because they're extremely similar products, I called a draw for all the criteria except one.
In summary, I'd recommend Jetboil Minimo over Jetboil Micromo without a doubt. Remember, having the extra 0.2L with you but NOT needing it is ALWAYS better than needing it and NOT having it!
Turn your phone sideways for a much better table display!
Overall Score | ||
Jetboil Minimo | Jetboil Micromo | |
Best for... |
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Jetboil Minimo | Jetboil Micromo | |
Pros | Very fuel efficient, amazing versatility, great simmer control, completely packs up in to one small unit, works better in the wind | Very fuel efficient, lighter, great at simmering, completely packs up into one small unit, works good in the wind |
Cons | 2.6 oz heavier (not really a "con" though...) | Small pot size (only 0.8 L) |
THE NITTY GRITTY | ||
Jetboil Minimo | Jetboil Micromo | |
Weight & Volume & Dimensions | 14.6 oz & 1 Liter & 5 in x 5.5 in (127 mm x 140 mm) | 12 oz & 0.8 Liter & 4.1 in x 6.25 in (104 mm x 159 mm) |
Gas consumption | 6 MJ/hr (AU) || 120 g/hr [1.75kW] (EU) || 6,000 BTU/hr (CA) | 6 MJ/hr (AU) || 120 g/hr [1.75kW] (EU) || 6,000 BTU/hr (CA) |
Jet size | 0.31 mm | 0.31 mm |
Jetboil Minimo | Jetboil Micromo | |
Water Boiled | 12 liters per 100 g Jetpower can | 12 liters per 100 g Jetpower can |
Boil Time | 2m 15sec per .5 liter (avg. over life of Jetpower can) | 2m 15sec per .5 liter (avg. over life of Jetpower can) |
Jetboil Minimo | Jetboil Micromo | |
User Manuals |
Short Summary
Jetboil Minimo Review
Jetboil Minimo is one of the most versatile stoves out there. It might be boiling the water slower than some of the stoves out there, it's still one of the fastest in the market. More, when the perfect conditions are removed and just a tiny bit of wind is added, it surpasses even the fastest ones due to its wider burner and FluxRing.
If you'd like to read more about this, I also compared Minimo to Flash (which holds one of the fastest boiling speeds between backpacking stoves) and in windy conditions Minimo passed Flash as expected.
Overall Score | |||||||
Jetboil Minimo | MSR Pocket Rocket 2 | Jetboil Micromo | Jetboil Flash | MSR Whisperlite Universal | MSR Whisperlite International | MSR Dragonfly | |
Best for | All-around, fuel efficient uses for precision cooking and boiling water (even in wind) | Ultralight uses | Top alternative to Minimo | Those who will boil water ONLY in non-windy conditions | Multiple fuel compatibility (White Gas, Kerosene, Unleaded Gasoline, Canister) | ||
Jetboil Minimo | MSR Pocket Rocket 2 | Jetboil Micromo | Jetboil Flash | MSR Whisperlite Universal | MSR Whisperlite International | MSR Dragonfly | |
Pros | Fuel efficient, amazing simmering, compact and light, fast boiling, great in the wind, incredibly versatile | Extremely light and compact, great at simmering, easy to use & simple | Designed identical to Minimo (except the pot) | Extremely fast boiling, completely packs up in to one small unit, light | Variety of fuels, quiet, versatile, durable | Lighter, more simple use than Dragonfly, quiet, durable | Windscreen, great at simmering, very powerful, durable |
Jetboil Minimo | MSR Pocket Rocket 2 | Jetboil Micromo | Jetboil Flash | MSR Whisperlite Universal | MSR Whisperlite International | MSR Dragonfly | |
Cons | 4.7 oz heavier than MSR Pocket Rocket 2, can be "overkill" for some | Considerably less fuel efficient than Minimo, not for wind, boils slower, small pot size | 2.1 oz heavier than MSR Pocket Rocket 2, small pot size, worse than Minimo in the wind | Can't simmer, redundant features, not for wind | Bad at simmering, less compact | Bad at simmering, no canister fuel, less compact | Very loud, no canister fuel, heavy, less compact |
Fuel Canis-ters (bought sepera-tely) |
Lastly, this stove at REI seems to be a solid alternative to MSR and Jetboil, but I'm yet to review it.
It also has a fuel regulator, which allows simmering perfectly, and comes with a 1L of standard pot volume.
Unless 1.1 oz of extra weight compared to Micromo is a deal breaker for you, I'd recommend Minimo without a doubt.
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Jetboil Micromo Review
Jetboil Micromo is completely identical to Minimo - except the pot size. It comes with a smaller pot at 0.8 L - which is quite small for most of us.
If going 1.1 oz ligther is super important to you (which I'd highly doubt it) and you're sure you won't really need to cook for two or anything "bulky", Micromo can be an excellent stove choice for you.
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Still, you can get the famous Jetboil 1.8L spare tall cup (or the 1L version for Micromo) separately if you'd like to increase the volume of either of these stoves. They are compatible with both Minimo and Micromo. (more on this later).
Before we get down to the bolts and nuts, I'd like to make it clear one more time that most of the criteria is going to be the same for both stoves, because they're very much identical:
If you'd like to read about their differences only, navigate to the short summaries/table/introduction section above or the compactness and versatility headings below.
Fuel efficiency
Minimo and Micromo are identical and great in terms of fuel efficiency. Their gas consumption is only 6 MJ/hr (AU) || 120 g/hr [1.75kW] (EU) || 6,000 BTU/hr (CA) - which means that per 100 g Jetpower can, you can boil 12 liters of water with them.
Also, both stoves work with Butane-Propane Gas mixture under vapor pressure, and both can be used with 100g/230g/450g Jetboil Jetpower Isobutane/Propane Gas Cartridges only [see the manuals in the table at the top].
It may be hazardous to attempt to fit other types of gas containers or cooking vessels.
Also, Jetboil service says that they don't test their stoves with each and every canister out there - so try to use it with the Jetpower brand of fuel. But, canisters of Brunton, Gigapower, MSR, Primus and Snowpeak use the same mixture and valves and are compatible with Minimo and Micromo. If you have an MSR canister and would prefer an MSR stove with it, check out MSR Whisperlite vs Dragonfly article of mine.
Beware: All of these canisters are sold separately, including the Jetpower! You DON'T GET ANY CANISTER WITH EITHER OF THESE STOVES! You can purchase them on Amazon separately:
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If you want your canister to be packed into the pot as well, make sure you go with the smallest (100 g) one. More on this later (with diagrams) under the compactness heading.
An additional advantage canister fuels have over liquids is that they don’t require priming, preheating or pumping! If you prefer using these canisters, make sure you read my post about the things you should know about butane canisters as a hiker, though.
They also don't expire or go bad - although the valve can start to deteriorate (probably would take almost decades though)... Regardless, you can think of investing in a Jetboil CrunchIt to ensure emptying the cans completely and making them recycling bin ready.
Boiling Speed
Both Minimo and Micromo stand at 2m 15sec per .5 liter (avg. over life of Jetpower can).
Yes, there are faster boiling stoves out there but 2m 15sec is very good. But more importantly, the fast boiling system of stoves such as Jetboil Flash goes out the window then the perfect conditions are removed and some wind/cold weather is brought to the environment.
On the other hand, both Minimo and Micromo do a perfect job sticking fairly close to 2m 15sec even in nearly 10 mph of decent wind.
Not when you start seeing bubbles.
This is why both stoves are demonstrated as 4 season stoves.
Some might say that taller cup of Micromo can be an issue in the wind because it'll be more prone to being tilted easily. However, the difference is not even an inch, so I'd doubt you'd notice a difference there. If you go ahead and purchase an additional, larger, taller pot such as the famous Jetboil 1.8 L Spare Cup:
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...it absolutely becomes something to take into account though.
Compactness and Weight
First things first: Neither of these stoves are truly lightweight nor compact.
At 14.6 oz (Minimo) and 12 oz (Micromo), they're in the same weight ballpark - which had been considered light for many years. But lately, some other stoves such as BSR | No products found. and MSR Pocket Rocket 2 start becoming more and more popular in the ultralight community although they have their downsides as well which I won't go into detail under this post. They weigh as low as 10 oz (including the pot). See my Jetboil Minimo vs MSR Pocket Rocket comparison for more information.
Recently, this is considered the only major disadvantage of most Jetboil stoves - not just these two.
Still, this doesn't mean they aren't really for a solo backpacker but more for car camping or a large group or an expedition. They're being used by thousands of people for almost a decade and hence wouldn't really be a deal breaker! Just make sure you know how to pack your backpack the optimal way for a better weight distribution and you should do perfectly fine.
Another thing to note on the weight department is that even though these stoves can be regarded somewhat "heavier" after other brands came up with very light models, you still get to control the amount of fuel you carry. You have the option to carry the exact amount you need after you do the math. MSR Blog has a good article about it here as to how much fuel you should carry for your trip.
Now here's how to pack them into their pot:
Both are easily packed up into one small unit as you see above. Plus points for both stoves as you can fit the entire assembly into the pot.
Simmering
Both of these stoves are "precision cooking" type of stoves and NOT "boil quick and boil only water" type of stoves. They're both equipped with a fuel regulator and have great simmer control.
If you're unaware, this means that you can adjust the fuel intensity once the water is boiled - so you can simmer.
Getting yourself a stove with the fuel regulator and hence the option to simmer has two main advantages:
- You get to cook precisely (duh). This means that you can literally cook with both of these stoves as if you're cooking with your oven at home
- You get to control gas consumption. You can consume less fuel once the water boils at 100 Celsius (212 Fahrenheit) Degrees
This adds to their versatility a lot.
Versatility
Simmering ability alone is enough to make both stoves quite versatile.
Minimo's larger pot at 1 L helps with its versatility a lot. Micromo's 0.8 L pot can be insufficient at times especially either you're cooking for two or cooking something bulkier.
As mentioned earlier having the extra 0.2L with you but not needing is ALWAYS better than needing it and not having it!
Still, there is something you can do if you go with Micromo and/or you'd like something even bigger than Minimo's 1 L pot. There's the famous 1.8 L Spare Cup (with FluxRing for fuel efficient heating!), and somewhat more "infamous" 1.5 L cooking pot (again with FluxRing):
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And here is the 1 L pot if you'd like to equalize the volume of your Micromo to the standard Minimo:
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Highly recommended if you think you'd cook for more than two at times.
For other accessories, check out Jetboil's site for Minimo and Micromo.
Conclusion
These stoves are literally 90% identical and are great for precise cooking. For 90% of us, I'd recommend Minimo over Micromo for increased cup size.
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The truth is, cup size of Micromo is just too small for most of us. While it’s certainly lighter and can be more effective, for thru-hikers or those who "compete", for most of us it's obviously the less preferred choice.
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Product Videos
Jetboil Minimo:
Jetboil Micromo:
Guide: Backpacks
Start here:
Complete list:
- Osprey Atmos AG 50
- Osprey Atmos AG 65
- Osprey Aura AG 50
- Osprey Aura AG 65
- Osprey Aether AG 60
- Osprey Aether AG 70
- Osprey Aether AG 85
- Osprey Aether PRO 70
- Osprey Ariel AG 55
- Osprey Ariel AG 65
- Osprey Ariel AG 75
- Osprey Ariel PRO 65
- Osprey Xenith 75, 88 & 105
- Gregory Baltoro 65, 75, 85, 95 PRO
- Osprey Kestrel 38
- Osprey Kestrel 48
- Osprey Kyte 36
- Osprey Kyte 46
- Kelty Redwing 50
- Teton Sports Scout 3400