Jetboil MiNimo vs Jetboil Flash: Which Is Better To Have?

When you’re out camping, don’t expect yourself to settle into camp and not crave a hot comforting bowl of food. A camping stove is a quick, simple cooking system that will relieve your hunger in no time, even if you’re in the middle of nowhere.

These Jetboil stoves, the Jetboil MiniMo and Jetboil Flash are two reliable, portable camping stoves designed to heat rapidly with compact, convenient designs built perfectly for the campsite.

The Jetboil MiniMo is our choice for the winner of this product comparison.

Let me tell you why.

First is its fuel efficiency. It reaches boiling in just 2 minutes and 15 seconds with a very low fuel consumption footprint.

The heat level can be adjusted all the way from lightly simmering to a roiling boil, so the MiniMo is undoubtedly the most versatile option. It is ergonomically designed and built with transportability in mind as well.

On the other hand…

…the Jetboil Flash truly lives up to its name. If you are looking for the ultimate fastest way to boil water, the Flash would be your best option here, as it can have your water boiling in just 100 seconds.

The Flash is another compact stove that is easy to transport. This way, you can easily prepare water for soup, hot cocoa, or dehydrated meals with intense speed.

Below, you will find a full product comparison between the Jetboil Minimo vs Flash. This guide will help you pick the best camping stove for your awesome adventures to prepare your meals with ease.

Jetboil as a Company

Founded in 2001 in New Hampshire, Jetboil designs and builds camping stoves that promise to set up quickly and easily while achieving boiling water at rapid speeds when you need it most.

Jetboil’s stoves are constructed with compact, lightweight body styles that are easy to travel and camp with. These are the ultimate stoves for backpacking and camping.

Jetboil MiniMo

The Jetboil MiniMo is the standout model thanks to its versatility in cooking styles, usefulness in even harsh winds, and extremely low fuel consumption footprint.

The presence of a fuel regulator means that you are able to adjust the intensity of the fuel once the water has boiled. This allows you to cook precisely in temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thanks to the fuel regulator…

…this convenient little stove packs a punch. The MiniMo can be used for everything from lightly simmering your food to creating a full roiling boil in a little more than two minutes.

Plus, it does all of this while consuming half of the fuel that a traditional stove would, so it is much more environmentally friendly and easier on your wallet.

The Minimo also has a much more efficient burner design, which is wider and lower to the ground and, therefore, less impacted by wind disruption. It is a true four-season stove.

The MiniMo is equipped with an easy-to-use push-button ignitor and a FluxRing cooking cup that is convenient to stir and eat from. Also, the wider FluxRing surface area is able to boil more water while using less fuel.

Weighing 14.6 ounces, the Jetboil Minimo is heavier than many other compact stoves on the market.

However…

…it is still a great option for camping and can be easily transported with its easy burner storage design that limits the space it takes up in your pack. It holds up to 1 liter of water.

The Jetboil Minimo’s power consumption is 6000 BTU/h (1.75 kW). It can boil 12 liters of water per 100-gram Jetpower can, which is a cartridge mixture of isobutane-propane gas under vapor pressure. The cartridges are sold separately.

Pros

• Heat level can be incrementally adjusted from simmer to full boil (more versatile)
• Uses less energy (lower fuel consumption rating)
• Can precision cook even in temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit
• Heats better in the wind (four-season stove)

Cons

• Heavier than many other stoves on the market (also heavier than the Flash)
• More expensive

Jetboil Flash

The Jetboil Flash is specially designed, as its name suggests, to boil your water in a flash. It reaches a boil in a mere 100 seconds, making the Flash the fastest stove that Jetboil has ever created.

This little stove is perfect for rapidly preparing soups, heating water for coffee for a quick pick-me-up, or boiling water for your dehydrated meals.

Because it is designed with a specific purpose at hand…

…which is to boil your water as quickly as humanly possible, the Jetboil Flash was not designed with a fuel regulator. This means it always runs at full power, and the fuel level can’t be decreased.

The absence of a fuel regulator means that you cannot adjust the fuel intensity after the water has reached the boiling point, as the Flash will continue to boil at full power for its entire usage.

This clearly leads to higher fuel consumption and also means that you can’t cook precisely, unlike the Minimo. Also, this means the Flash is not a good option for simmering.

But like the Minimo…

…the Flash has a push-button ignition system. It also has a “thermochromatic color-change heat indicator” that easily shows you whether or not the water is fully boiling at 100 degrees Celsius.

The Flash weighs slightly less than the Minimo, at 13.1 ounces. It has a power consumption of 9000 BTU/h (2.6 kW) and boils 10 liters of water per 100-gram JetPower gas canister. It has a 1-liter water capacity.

Pros

• Heats up faster (quicker boiling times)
• Lighter in weight than the Jetboil Minimo
• Thermochromatic color-change heat indicator is easy to read.
• Less expensive

Cons

• No fuel regulator (must always use full power) and can’t simmer.
• Only a three-season stove (not good in the wind)

Jetboil Flash vs MiniMo Features Face to Face

Weight and Portability

While both Jetboil stoves are heavier than many other compact camping stoves on the market today, and they may not be the best lightweight stoves for long backpacking trips, they are both still very useful in terms of portability and functionality at the campsite itself.

The Jetboil MiniMo weighs 14.6 ounces, which isn’t terribly heavy but maybe cumbersome on a long trail.

If you choose to carry a smaller amount of fuel, of course, this will help in the heaviness department. The Jetboil Flash weighs slightly less than the Minimo, at 13.1 ounces, so it is a slight improvement.

Both of these portable stoves are relatively compact.

While the Jetboil Minimo measures 5 x 6 inches, the Flash is 4.1 x 7.1 inches. They both can hold one liter of water.

Thankfully, each of these stoves can easily be packed down into a single smaller unit, meaning that the Jetpower fuel canister, the burner, and the fuel canister stabilizer all fit under the lid inside the FluxRing mug.

In fact…

…the measuring cup fits directly onto the bottom of the mug as well. This makes for fairly easy portability and convenience, as you won’t need to pack and carry separate pieces.

In the end, although neither of these stoves are the ultimate in lightweight options, the Jetboil Flash has a slight edge in this category due to its slightly less hefty weight compared to the MiniMo.

More: How To Clean Your Hydration Pack Like A Pro

Heating Times

As the Jetboil Flash is designed as a “fast boil” stove type, it is the ultimate option for quickly and easily boiling water on the go.

Jetboil advertises that with the Jetboil Flash, 0.5 liters of water will reach a full boil (100 degrees Celsius) in 100 seconds, compared to the Jetboil MiniMo’s two minutes 15 seconds boiling time.

Remember…

…that these times are the average boiling time for each device over a JetPower fuel canister life, so there may be some variation depending on other factors.

In icy conditions, the faster boiling time of the Jetboil Flash may make a major difference in comfort level or safety. However, it is also true that in high winds, the Jetboil Flash will lose more of its heating effectiveness than the Minimo, because it is built with a taller design that is more susceptible to heat loss.

In this case, the Minimo will likely boil the water faster.

With that in mind, the Jetboil Flash is the winner of this category due to its much faster boiling speeds in most situations, as long as you don’t find yourself in very windy conditions.

More: The Best Camping Stove To Cook Your Meal In The Outdoor

Versatility

The main reason for the versatility differences between these two stoves is the fuel regulator, which is featured in the Jetboil Minimo but is absent in the Jetboil Flash.

In case you’re wondering…

A fuel regulator is a small component that acts as a valve to control the flame by adjusting the amount (or intensity) of fuel pressure that the stove receives.

The fuel regulator enables optimal performance of the stove at precise pressure levels while using up the lowest amount of fuel necessary.

So what does this really mean for you?

Thanks to the fuel regulator’s presence, you can cook much more precisely with the Jetboil Minimo. In fact, the Minimo is marketed to cook precisely at temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, so it will still be effective in the cold.

You can also limit how much fuel you use, making your cooking more efficient and less costly.

Moreover…

The fuel regulator also enables the Jetboil Minimo to have more settings than simply reaching a full boil.

For example, you will be able to not only boil liquids quickly but you can also simmer fish, meat, or sauces, or you can easily saute some veggies for a more versatile, well-rounded cooking experience.

Because it lacks a fuel regulator…

…the Jetboil Flash is built solely for quickly boiling water and staying at full throttle. This means that the Flash is unable to simmer.

Versatility also comes into play in season rating, as the Jetboil MiniMo is a four-season stove while the Flash is a three-season stove. This is because the Minimo is much shorter, so the flame is more protected, and it’s lower to the ground so that the whole unit is also less at risk of tilting over.

The Minimo’s wider burner style is also less susceptible to heat loss.

Overall…

…because it can do much more than simply boil your water – specifically, it can do anything from a simmer to a full boil – and because it is rated as a four-season stove, the Jetboil MiniMo easily wins in the versatility category.

More: Jetboil Mini cooking system Vs MSR WindBurner Personal Stove System: In-depth Comparison

Fuel Consumption

The Jetboil Minimo uses only 6,000 BTU/hr, compared to the 9,000 BTU/hr consumption of the Jetboil Flash.

This translates to a single 100-gram gas canisters of fuel boiling 12 liters of water in the Minimo, compared to 10 liters in the Flash. As you can see, Minimo is much more efficient and will lead to less fuel consumption overall.

This difference is largely due to the Jetboil Minimo’s wider Flux Ring, which features a greater surface area that boils water more efficiently, as well as the fuel regulator that allows you to control the amount of fuel used, as discussed earlier.

Of course…

…because it is built to boil water with the ultimate speed, the Jetboil Flash will undoubtedly use up fuel more quickly and it will be much less fuel-efficient.

Also, the Flash is taller, and therefore the flame is less protected from the wind. This contributes to even lower fuel efficiency in these conditions, although this is the case for many stoves.

Thanks to its fuel regulator and more efficient Flux Ring design that leads to a much lower fuel consumption, the Jetboil MiniMo is the clear winner of this category.

More: Top 7 Backpacking Cookware Sets: Review & Buying Guide

Extra Features

In terms of extra features, the Jetboil Flash has a thermochromatic color-changing heat indicator along the side of its body.

This indicator gradually changes color to orange to tell you when the water is truly ready to use (at 100 degrees Celsius) rather than looking for the presence of bubbles.

The Jetboil MiniMo lacks this feature, making the Flash the winner of this category.

Standout Features of the Jetboil MiniMo

More versatile in terms of cooking styles: Thanks to its fuel regulator, with the Jetboil Minimo, you can easily cook in a wide variety of styles to produce a more well-rounded, versatile meal. You can incrementally adjust the heat level so that you have the option of simmering or sauteing your foods, along with quickly and easily boiling your water.

Precision cooking: Another feature of the fuel regulator is that it allows the Jetboil Minimo to cook precisely in a wider variety of temperatures, even down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of this, the Minimo is designed to retain its boiling speed and abilities even considerably below freezing.

Much more fuel-efficient: The Jetboil Minimo uses only 6,000 BTU/hr, which is much less than the Flash as well as many other camping stoves. This means that you will save money by needing to buy the fuel canisters less frequently. The Minimo’s lower fuel consumption also means that it has less negative impact on the environment.

More stable and more effective in the wind: The Jetboil MiniMo is designed to withstand windy conditions, as it features a sturdier standing base that is lower to the ground. Because of this, the flame on the MiniMo is much more shielded from the wind and, therefore, less likely to lose heat, preventing a loss of effectiveness.

Standout Features of the Jetboil Flash

Quickest boiling time: The Jetboil Flash is designed and constructed to boil water as quickly as possible, with a boiling time of only 100 seconds. This is the fastest stove that Jetboil has designed, making it the most effective stove for preparing soups or water for dehydrated foods when time is truly of the essence.

Lighter in weight and slightly more packable: Because it weighs slightly less than the Minimo, the Flash (at 13.1 ounces) is slightly easier to pack away and transport.

Thermochromatic color-changing feature: Because you need water to reach its boiling point (100 degrees Celsius), the thermochromatic color-changing heat indicator on the body of the stove tells you exactly when the water is ready. It turns from black to orange to indicate that the water is hot enough to use.

Slightly less expensive: The Jetboil Flash, coming in at $119.95, is slightly less expensive than the Minimo, which will set you back $149.95.

Conclusion

Choose the Jetboil MiniMo if:

• You want to be able to cook and prepare meals that involve more than just boiling water as rapidly as possible (simmering and sauteing, for instance).
• You want to buy a camping stove in which the flame is better shielded from the wind and the stove has less risk of falling over.
• You will be cooking outside in extremely cold temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
• You are environmentally conscious and would like to buy the most fuel-efficient stove possible.

If you are looking for a camping stove that is extremely versatile and reliable and is built with fuel efficiency in mind, check out the Jetboil MiniMo.

Choose the Jetboil Flash if:

• You are looking for a camping stove that will boil your water in the fastest possible time with the smallest amount of effort.
• You plan to eat mostly soups, coffee, hot cocoa, and dehydrated meals when on the trails and don’t need a stove that features “fancier” cooking options, such as simmering.
• You are budget-conscious.
• You want the slightly more lightweight option for slightly easier transportability.

For the ultimate option in simplicity, ease, and speed of boiling your water as rapidly as possible with a more bearable price tag, consider buying the Jetboil Flash.

Conclusion: Jetboi Stoves: Which one is better to have?

The Jetboil Flash and Jetboil MiniMo may seem similar at one glance but our tests proved that their differences is quite stark.

If you’re looking for a quick fix that’s easy to carry and can do the bare minimum- that is, to heat your dehydrated foods and boil water for you- then the Flash is your best friend.

On the flip side…

…if you’re looking to make more elaborate dishes that require more temperature and heat adjustments, the MiniMo is for you.

What’s important in choosing the best Jetboil stove for you is to take a look at your camping style to be able to weigh in what backpacking stove will work best with you.

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