Jetboil Minimo and MSR Pocket Rocket 2 are both excellent backpacking stoves. Although it's almost impossible to go wrong with either of them, they do have some minor differences worth mentioning.
- In summary; in terms of fuel efficiency, boil time and versatility; it's a no brainer to get Jetboil Minimo over MSR Pocket Rocket 2.
- In the weight department, though, including its compatible .75 L pot, Pocket Rocket 2 weighs in at an impressive 9.9 oz, which is 4.7 oz lighter than Minimo.
- Lastly, for simmering abilities of these stoves, it's a draw...
It's the weight WITHOUT THE POT! That's why, to make this comparison reasonable, in this post I'll review MSR Pocket Rocket 2 Mini Stove Kit (stove + pot), but everything you read is also applicable to the stove only product MSR Pocket Rocket 2 (Stove only) as well.
In the end, if 4.7 oz of extra weight is very important you AND you're absolutely sure you'd never use your stove in the wind, I'd recommend MSR Pocket Rocket 2 Mini Stove Kit (Stove + Pot). For all others (90% of us), Jetboil Minimo is the way to go.
...so don't. 2 is the updated model and better in terms of everything.
Also, product images below can be misleading. NEITHER OF THESE STOVES COME WITH A CANISTER!!! They come with the stove and pot only.
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Overall Score | ||
This product is a CrunchPick!: Best Backpacking Stove of 2019 | ||
Jetboil Minimo | MSR Pocket Rocket 2 | |
Best for |
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Jetboil Minimo | MSR Pocket Rocket 2 | |
Pros | Very fuel efficient, amazing simmering control, completely packs up into the pot, works incredible in the wind, boils faster, perfect cup size (1L), can cook for 2, light | Extremely light, great at simmering, easy to use & simple, can be purchased without the pot |
Cons | 4.7 oz heavier than MSR Pocket Rocket 2, can be "overkill" for some | Unstable, less fuel efficient, doesn't work well in the wind, boils slower, smaller pot |
THE NITTY GRITTY | ||
Jetboil Minimo | MSR Pocket Rocket 2 | |
Total Weight & Pot Volume | 14.6 oz & 1 Liter (larger can be purchased separately) | 9.9 oz & 0.75 Liter (larger can be purchased separately) |
Packed (Pot) Dimensions | 5 in (DIA) x 5.5 in (height) | 4 in (DIA) x 5 in (height) |
Jetboil Minimo | MSR Pocket Rocket 2 | |
Water Boiled | 12 liters per 100 g Jetpower can | 7 liters per 100 g MSR IsoPro can |
Boil Time | 2m 15sec per .5 liter | 3m per .5 liter |
Jetboil Minimo | MSR Pocket Rocket 2 | |
User Manuals | ||
These stoves DON'T come with the canisters | 100 g size required to pack it into the pot | 100 g size required to pack it into the pot |
Short Summary
Jetboil Minimo Review
Jetboil Minimo is one of the most fuel efficient and versatile stoves out there which also offers very fast boiling.
More, when the perfect conditions are removed and just a tiny bit of wind is added, with the help of its wider burner and FluxRing, it surpasses even the fastest boiling stoves out there.
If you'd like to read more about this, I also compared it to Jetboil Flash (which holds one of the quickest boil time between all backpacking stoves) and in windy conditions, Minimo even passed Flash!
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. 
You can simmer perfectly well by adjusting the fuel regulator - even in windy conditions (thanks to its wider burner and hence better guard).
It's not only better than Pocket Rocket 2, but also all the other backpacking stoves out there in 2019.
MSR Pocket Rocket 2 Review
MSR Pocket Rocket 2 is an amazing ultralight backpacking stove that performs very well for its simple design unless you're out in the wind.
While there are some other larger and more complex stoves that can't simmer well (for example, Jetboil Flash) Pocket Rocket 2 does so surprisingly well because MSR didn't half-ass equipping a great fuel regulator to it.
If weight is the most important factor for you and you're absolutely sure you won't have to use your stove in a windy environment, MSR Pocket Rocket 2 can be an excellent stove for you.
If you'd like to purchase the stove only (without the pot), this is your product:
There's a confusion I often see about these stoves, so I'd like to clear that in advance before we get to the bolts and nuts.
As you see, you can customize both stoves with different cups, canisters and cook sets - but it can be difficult & misleading to understand (especially for MSR Pocket Rocket 2).
Customization
MSR Pocket Rocket 2
You do have the option to purchase the stove only - which you can't with Jetboil Minimo.
You also do have the option to purchase the pot only - (which you can also do so with Jetboil Minimo - see below sub-heading). 1.3L and 0.8L respectively (see "Best Pot for MSR Pocket Rocket 2" heading).
You can also purchase the full kit with the cookware & utensils, BUT IT'S NOT THIS PRODUCT:
Because this kit comes with Pocket Rocket 1, NOT POCKET ROCKET 2. Navigate to "Weight and Compactness" heading to see your cook set options in detail.
All the products mentioned so far nest perfectly well. Customization is better than Jetboil Minimo as you'll see now.
Jetboil Minimo
You can get the cups separately (see "Versatility" heading for more info). But unlike Pocket Rocket 2, you can't get the stove of Minimo separately.
This isn't a disadvantage if you're already looking to buy the stove with the pot though.
Now let's get down to the bolts and nuts.
Fuel efficiency
Compared to Pocket Rocket 2, Minimo is almost twice as efficient in terms of fuel consumption.
Minimo boils 12 liters of water per 100 g Jetpower can compared to MSR Pocket Rocket's 7 liters of water per 100 g MSR IsoPro can. And the reason behind this difference is Minimo's FluxRing:
FluxRing technology demonstrated here is located around the burner. It's designed to increase efficiency through increasing the metal surface area by bending them. As a result, less heat provided by the burner is lost to the air and more of it is captured by these extra surface area & delivered to the cup to boil the liquid.
MSR Pocket Rocket 2 doesn't have a similar technology as its burner is open to the environment.
Besides fuel efficiency in perfect conditions, this difference also causes the Minimo to outscore Pocket Rocket 2 in windy conditions as well.
As you see, there is so-called MSR WindClip at the top of the burner which is meant to guard the wind, but to be honest, it fails to make a big difference as you can guess.
On the other hand, on top of its FluxRing, pot support of Minimo (shown below) also works as a guard:
As a result, wind is barricaded with a lot of strong obstacles until it can reach the burner (the center). MSR Pocket Rocket 2 isn't equipped with any strong obstacle for that matter.
Also, both stoves work with Butane-Propane Gas mixture under vapor pressure, and both can be used with 100g/230g/450g Isobutane/Propane Gas Cartridges only [see the manuals in the table at the top].
If you'd like a stove that also works with liquid fuel, check out my MSR Whisperlite vs Dragonfly comparison.
Make sure your canister conforms to the EN417 or AS2278 standard.
Now let's get to their compatibility. In short, you can use MSR IsoPro with Jetboil Minimo, and Jetpower with MSR Pocket Rocket 2. Their valves are compatible as well.
As you see, MSR IsoPro fuel contains Isobutane/Propane Mixture - which is compatible with Jetboil Minimo as well [see the manuals in the table at the top]. It’s a high quality blend of 80% isobutane and 20% propane. It comes in 4, 8 or 16 oz. cans. I took this photo in Naturkompaniet when I was in Sweden, but you can also order it online on MSR's site or on Amazon.
Also, Jetpower is compatible with MSR stoves as well. As you can also read in their manuals, you can pretty much use any brand of fuel canister on any brand of canister stove.
But 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:
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.
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 make them recycling bin ready.
Boiling Speed
It takes Minimo 2m 15sec and Pocket Rocket 2 3m to boil .5 L of water.
45 sec isn't a deal breaker for most of us, so I wouldn't attribute too much meaning to this difference unless you're in the wind.
Not when you start seeing bubbles.
Minimo does a perfect job sticking fairly close to 2m 15sec even in nearly 10 mph of decent wind, whereas Pocket Rocket 2 is much worse.
When looking for additional pots, though, absolutely consider the cup/pot height. The taller they are, the more prone they are going to be to being tilted easily due to the wind.
Weight and Compactness
Weight
There's one thing I'd like to clarify in advance.
At 14.6 oz, Minimo is 4.7 oz heavier than Pocket Rocket 2. MSR Pocket Rocket 2 DOES NOT weigh 2.6 oz or something like that - because as already explained in the introduction, it's the weight without the pot. Don't let the commercial posts deceive you.
Glad we got that out of our way. Now you know that their weight difference is 4.7 oz.
This might sound like a minor difference, and I'm not going to argue with that if you're a medium distance hiker.
If you're not, however; and if you're going to hike anything longer than, say, 8-10 miles a day; it might be a good idea to take weight into consideration as a more important criteria because even 2-3 oz of extra weight is going to feel ten times worse at the end of the day.
Regardless, you should always calculate the amount of fuel you'll need before hitting the trail. MSR Blog has a good article about it here for the math.
Still, this doesn't mean Jetboil Minimo isn't really for a solo thru-hiker. The truth is whatever Minimo lacks in weight compared to Pocket Rocket 2 it makes up and even outscores by far in fuel efficiency, boiling speed and versatility. Make sure you know how to pack your backpack the optimal way for a better weight distribution and you should be perfectly fine.
Compactness
If terminology for Pocket Rocket 2 is confusing for you:
- MSR Pocket Rocket 2: Just the stove
- MSR Pocket Rocket 2 Mini Stove Kit: Stove + .75 L pot
But that's INCORRECT! That includes the Pocket Rocket as the stove, NOT POCKET ROCKET 2.
If you'd like to see the Cook Sets which are designed to nest perfectly with your Pocket Rocket 2, here they are:
Trail Lite (first one) can be a good choice if you won't cook for more than 2.
Now let's see how they nest:
MSR Pocket Rocket 2 Mini Stove Kit. Click on image to enlarge.
MSR Trail Lite Duo. Click on image to enlarge.
Easily fit your MSR Pocket Rocket 2 inside one of the mugs of Trail Lite Duo and you have your entire cook set in one small unit after you fold it as follows:
3 pot supports shown in this video had left pointy in Pocket Rocket 1 and enhanced in the upgraded most recent model Pocket Rocket 2. They now don't chafe into whatever pack you decide to put it into.
Jetboil Minimo. Click on image to enlarge.
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 - but extra points for Pocket Rocket 2 for being super tiny when folded.
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 offer great simmer control.
The little difference you need to know between them is that MSR Pocket Rocket 2 simmers better in perfect conditions (without any wind). Minimo is still amazing at simmering in these perfect conditions, but just shy of Pocket Rocket 2.
However, if you add a tiny bit of wind, the difference between these stoves get larger than perfect conditions and thanks to its FluxRing and better protected & guarded burner, Minimo makes a much better job than Pocket Rocket 2 in terms of simmering (as well as everything else!).
Regardless, getting yourself a stove with the fuel regulator is highly recommended as it 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.
Maybe it's a little off-topic but there are stoves out there without this feature such as Jetboil Flash. They're designed to get your liquid hot as quickly as possible (you can't simmer with them), so I wouldn't recommend them for any other purposes.
So it's probably a good idea that you're stuck deciding between two stoves that both can simmer greatly.
Versatility
Simmering ability alone is enough to make both stoves quite versatile.
Both stoves are recommended to be used with cookware smaller than 9.5 inches (23 cm) diameter and lighter than 6.5 lbs (3 kg). Check out my best backpacking frying pans article for more information.
Minimo's larger pot at 1 L helps with its versatility a lot, whereas Pocket Rocket's 0.75 L pot can be insufficient at times especially either you're cooking for two or cooking something bulkier.
Having the extra 0.25 L with you but not needing is ALWAYS better than needing it and not having it!
But, actually... Since Pocket Rocket 2 offers high customization, you can get the stove separately and then add either .75 L or 1.2 L pot size (more on this under following heading).
For Minimo, there's the famous 1.8 L Spare Cup, somewhat more "infamous" 1.5 L cooking pot, and the 1 L spare cup if you'd like to have two of it:
I also compared Jetboil Micromo to Minimo, as Micromo offers a .8 L pot instead of Minimo's 1 L pot and everything else remains the same.
Best Pot for MSR Pocket Rocket 2
As mentioned earlier, you have two options, either .75 L (solo) or 1.3 L (duo): No products found.
I'd absolutely recommend 1.3 L if you might need to cook either something bulkier or for 2. If not, .75 L can do fine for you.
If you aren't sure, remember; having the extra volume with you but not needing is ALWAYS better than needing it and not having it!
Conclusion
Both backpacking stoves are great and hence neither of them are "bad". I'd highly doubt you'll regret buying either of these stoves because they're two of the best backpacking stoves out there for most of us.
For 90% of us, I'd recommend Minimo over Pocket Rocket 2 because of its higher fuel efficiency, versatility and boil speed.
The truth is advantages (being 4.7 oz lighter and better simmering in non-windy conditions) are just too niche and unnecessary for most of us. While it’s certainly a lot lighter and can be more effective for thru-hikers, I'd probably recommend Minimo if you're a recreational hiker/camper.
If you'd like to purchase the stove only (without the pot), this is your product:
Product Videos
Jetboil Minimo:
MSR Pocket Rocket 2:
