11.   For temperature readings, a Thermocouple was used hooked to a digital multimeter.

12.   Air temperature was 75 degrees with the stove fan running to simulate a light wind.  

13.   Scale used was a Royal EX3.

Solo Performance:

Micro Performance:

Some conclusions based on these tests.

1.  Normally I use non-pressurized alcohol stoves. These stoves rely on lots of air flow and the fuel achieving a boil to vaporize better. These stoves operate well with fuel levels below 18 ml because they rely on simple air + fuel = flame. Nothing fancy. They are easy to make and don't require much durability in the materials.

2. The Brasslite stoves are pressurized systems. The fuel heats up inside the chamber creating pressure and jets the fuel out like a pressurized gas stove. The more fuel, the greater the starting pressure; the less fuel, the worse the starting pressure. The pressure is a great way to enhance performance but requires sturdier material. There are some soda can models of alcohol stoves that do pressurize, but they do not last because the aluminum cannot survive the sustained heat and pressure they create.

3. Because a non-pressurized stove only needs fuel and air - a small amount of fuel (like 6 or 12 ml) can cook efficiently for heating water to minimum cooking temps (175 degrees) and actually achieves temperatures faster at lower fuel amounts because there is less pressure to counteract the fuel boiling at lower amounts.

4. Because a pressurized stove needs pressure, lower fuel amounts (12 ml and below) perform poorly because the fail to create pressure. Both pressurized and non-pressurized stoves seem to have a middle performance level where they equal out - 18 ml. Following up that thought, the Brasslite stoves perform exceptionally well at fuel amounts above 18 ml.

5. Selection between the two stove philosophies depends on some factors. If you want to go very weight economical and heat water to just 175 degrees, then maybe a homemade stove is what you want. But if you want to get a really hot boil going on, and maybe are using a pot and cooking meals that are bigger than 1 pint - then a Brasslite Solo would be a great choice. It's light, heats great, and works better the more fuel you add. To verify this I put a pot with 1 liter of water over the Solo using 36 ml of alcohol. It achieved true boil and kept going for quite a while.

6. The Brasslite Micro is designed to improve on the pressurized stove design for better fuel efficiency for solo hikers by reducing burn chamber size, thus increasing pressure at lower fuel amounts. Because it is smaller - it is a little lighter, but because it is smaller it is a lot more efficient at lower fuel amounts and can achieve the higher temperatures the non-pressurized stoves achieve at fuel levels of 6 and 12 ml.

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Using my time Hiking vs. Weight scenario here are the numbers:

Red = Worst performer

Yellow = #3 Performer

Blue = #2 performer

Green = Best performer

**Note. For purposes of this illustration I am considering my fuel bottle a 20 ounce soda bottle. The example demonstrates making two hot meals a day.

The Micro and the Solo are both lighter over time than a MSR Pocket Rocket over the same period. And if you set a re-supply system that is even shorter than 14 days, you can achieve very, very low overall weight over time. The main choice in deciding is whether you plan to go solo or as a pair. If you go solo and want fancy meals or as a pair with minimum requirements, then the Solo is the right choice. If you're solo and want the lowest possible weight and only need simple boil and cook, use the Micro.

Comparing both the Solo and Micro to the other manufactured alcohol stove out there (the Trangia) they beat it hands down in weight over time.

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Trail Test

The real test is using the stove on the trail and seeing if the stove is too complicated, fragile, or if there are any other problems that would make it a pain to use on a day to day basis. Admittedly I didn't get to test this stove on a real trail, but I did get to put it through some of the toughest field conditions possible - a JRTC training rotation at Fort Polk, LA.

I did not get to use this stove every single day, but I did get to use it regularly. When I did it performed like a champ. The Brasslite Solo was always consistent in regards to boil times and fuel usage. With the windscreen it did well even in light breezes but required a little extra wind break in higher winds.

One thing that should be mentioned is that there is a little extra set up time involved in using this stove that I don't see with some other alcohol stoves. With the Brasslite you must pour fuel from your bottle into the filler bottle, then put fuel into the stove. It takes a few extra seconds but isn't a show stopper.

In November my unit went to Gunnery training and the Solo came with me. It has become a part of my normal field gear. I also have a Bettix bottle which eliminates the need for a separate measuring bottle.

The guys in my Troop love the Brasslite Solo (formally Duo). I had so many questions asked about it; people were highly impressed by the weight and performance. What nailed it though was the morning the cooks didn’t make coffee. I had some filter packs I scarfed from the cooks earlier, so I fired up a one liter pot with a filter pack using the Brasslite and made pots of coffee for them while serving breakfast chow. I was boiling pot after pot using about 18ml of fuel at a time in 40 degree weather with cold water and made GREAT COFFEE! Using the Bettix bottles, I could to quickly measure, fill, and light the stove. I went through about 4 pots of coffee that morning, then I did it again about 3 days later when we ran out of coffee again.

The only concern I had was the soot seems to build up on the top of the stove. If you notice the picture from the manufacturer and my pictures (taken after MANY uses) the shiny stove is almost black. My concern is that over time the burner holes MAY become clogged, but time will tell. Honestly I believe the pressure the stove creates while in use will keep the holes blown clean, but just in case it might be wise to have a small piece of metal wire that would weigh almost nothing to clean the holes with in the event of a clog. A trick I tried, that worked, was a sewing needle from my repair kit which worked, but I'm afraid the larger diameter needle may accidentally enlarge the burner holes over time which would alter stove performance.

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Conclusion

The stove's weak point in my opinion is simmering. While I've seen some homemade stoves that can simmer 10-15 minutes on a 6 ml of alcohol, the Brasslite simmer isn't adjustable and may get about 7-8 minutes off the same fuel. It runs at a very hot simmer (about 175 degrees) - and any attempt I made to reduce the heat put the stove out. To carry that further, I don't recommend simmering with alcohol stoves anyway - a pot cozy is more efficient weight and fuel wise. So if I were using the stove, I would leave the simmer ring behind anyway.

Would I recommend this stove? Well yes I would. It is slightly higher in price than some other manufactured stove, but the weight and quality is great. For a person that doesn't want to screw around with making a stove, wants a quality made stove, and wants a durable stove, the Brasslite is just right. Personally I'm happy building my own stoves and can live with the less durable soda can models, but not everyone wants to do that. I will say that I am very tempted to ditch my Turbo V8 stove for the Brasslite Micro.

So if you are going to get one, the big decision is which one - after all they both cost the same.

If you are planning to do most of your hiking with a partner, then the size and performance of the Solo (especially when full or close to full) is vastly better than my homemade stoves, and makes it MUCH BETTER suited to hiking with a partner. It will heat a 1.5 liter pot with 48 ml of fuel just fine where most other alcohol stoves could not.

If you plan to hike solo, then the Micro stove is a better choice IMHO. It's smaller burn chamber allows maximum efficiency at lower fuel amounts where a solo hiker can cook almost any meal without needing a true boil. Yet it still has the ability to cook at higher temperatures like the Solo if needed.

My recommendations:

If you buy either of these stoves, I would recommend a) making a windscreen from an oven liner, b) ditching the simmer plate and making a pot cozy,

And for the Solo:

c) keeping your pot size about 1 to 1.5  liters and always using 18 ml alcohol or more.

And for the Micro:

c) keeping your pot size about a liter or less and always using 12 - 24 ml alcohol.

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