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booyah 
Group: Members
Posts: 1796
Joined: Jun. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 28 2013, 1:12 pm |
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Looking for input from anyone here who has one. I'm in the market for a new white gas stove, and I'm giving serious thought to the whisperlite universal, or possibly the dragonfly as I need a stove that simmers well.
My breakfast of choice is pancakes, and we will often fry up fish, or caramelize apples we find, so I absolutely need a stove that simmers well.
Previously I've sworn by my old Coleman Apex, but parts are getting awfully hard to find these days for it, and its in need of repair.
So, opinions from anyone who owns a whisperlite universal, can you get it to a really low simmer? Would you consider it a real cooking stove?
I know you can make a normal whisperlite simmer, but its very touchy, and needs to be closely minded. I dont want to deal with that if I dont have to.
Thanks, I've already searched but couldnt find the info I was looking for so I thought I would just ask directly. I know a dragonfly will do what I want, but the burner head looks small, and if a whisperlite universal will do what I want I'd rather the larger burner head.
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| Post Number: 2
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big_load
Group: Members
Posts: 21819
Joined: Jun. 2004
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Posted on: Jan. 28 2013, 1:24 pm |
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I've made good pancakes on a Whisperlite with white gas, but I used a cast iron griddle. (I've also made bad pancakes with a packpacking pan). It's not great at simmering, but if you carefully ride the fuel supply it can be done. It wouldn't be my first choice. I don't know what to recommend.
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| Post Number: 3
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GoBlueHiker
Obsessive Island Hopper...
Group: Members
Posts: 14069
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Jan. 28 2013, 1:35 pm |
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Edit: Nevermind. I see they've added a "simmering" feature to this Whisperlite Universal stove. Although they say it simmers great with isobutane and propane, but only "good" with white gas. I have no personal experience with how well "good" means. Best of luck!
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www.RainForestTreks.com
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| Post Number: 5
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oiboyroi
Group: Members
Posts: 25
Joined: Feb. 2008
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Posted on: Jan. 28 2013, 7:22 pm |
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The best simmering WG stove I ever had was the Optimus Nova. Tried several others but they were more like on or off - good for boiling. Never tried the Universal but I'd go a different route.
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| Post Number: 6
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HikingJim
Group: Members
Posts: 49
Joined: Jun. 2012
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Posted on: Feb. 07 2013, 1:59 am |
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The Whisperlite Universal is the best simmering Whisperlite since the shaker jet Whisperlites came out. I have been able to get very good simmers even on kerosene, which is tougher to get a good simmer with than white gas. I've got a lot of photos and such on my blog: Adventures In Stoving.
HOWEVER, you do have to employ tricks (bottle half full, only 1/3 the regular number of pumps) if you want to simmer. For really good simmering, you need a stove with a valve at the burner like the Primus Omnifuel or the MSR Dragonfly. The Optimus Nova also has such a valve but went through a recall a couple of years ago. Supposedly they've got the problems worked out now. If it were me and I wanted to do real cooking on white gas, then I'd go with a valve at the burner type stove (like a Coleman Apex). Oh, and the new Primus OmniLite Ti has a valve at the burner, but it's a bit pricey. I have reviews of the Nova and Omnifuel on my blog. I haven't yet reviewed the Dragonfly or OmniLite Ti.
HJ
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Adventures In Stoving
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| Post Number: 7
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booyah
Group: Members
Posts: 1796
Joined: Jun. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 07 2013, 10:27 am |
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Thanks Jim, I saw your videos/blog while I was googling for this info. I also emailed your gmail account on it 
I'm leaning towods the dragonfly at this point for my needs, but I wanted to eliminate the whisperlite first.
Thanks again
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| Post Number: 8
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edkras1
Group: Members
Posts: 464
Joined: Jun. 2002
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Posted on: Feb. 07 2013, 9:05 pm |
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I know someone with a whisperlite universal and it is a bit of a chore to get it to simmer. I have a dragonfly and it does simmer well.
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| Post Number: 10
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Uberman
Group: Members
Posts: 8
Joined: Sep. 2010
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Posted on: Feb. 09 2013, 1:12 pm |
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(HikingJim @ Feb. 08 2013, 2:28 pm)
QUOTE
(booyah @ Feb. 07 2013, 7:27 am)
QUOTE Thanks Jim, I saw your videos/blog while I was googling for this info. I also emailed your gmail account on it I'm leaning towods the dragonfly at this point for my needs, but I wanted to eliminate the whisperlite first. Thanks again Sorry if didn't reply. I get an awful lot of questions, and I haven't been blogging much lately. I've needed to focus on finances. The Universal is a good stove, and it simmers WAY better than the Whisperlites of a couple of years ago, but there's no comparison to the Dragonfly. The D'Fly simmers like a dream. The Dragonfly does require more maintenance though and is a less reliable (mean time between maintenance) stove. HJ
You sounded knowledgeable on MSR stoves, so: I've fried an early MSR Multi-fuel (heat melts things), I've a 20 year old Whisperlight (It works fine) and I just bought MSR Dragonfly. How do I make it simmer? Is this accomplished by reducing the first stage of the regulator or the second stage? How'd you do it? Interesting you mentioned that it is high maintenance. Thanks for any suggestions.
PS: I bought a new stove (Dragonfly) to try something different. I'm unhappy about the large pot surface area it requires. I carry it around to make espresso and cappachino a couple times a week. It doesn't handle small pots well. I'm looking for a cure.
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| Post Number: 11
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HikingJim
Group: Members
Posts: 49
Joined: Jun. 2012
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Posted on: Feb. 28 2013, 8:33 pm |
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(Uberman @ Feb. 09 2013, 10:12 am)
QUOTE You sounded knowledgeable on MSR stoves, so: I've fried an early MSR Multi-fuel (heat melts things), I've a 20 year old Whisperlight (It works fine) and I just bought MSR Dragonfly. How do I make it simmer? Is this accomplished by reducing the first stage of the regulator or the second stage? How'd you do it? Interesting you mentioned that it is high maintenance. Thanks for any suggestions.
PS: I bought a new stove (Dragonfly) to try something different. I'm unhappy about the large pot surface area it requires. I carry it around to make espresso and cappachino a couple times a week. It doesn't handle small pots well. I'm looking for a cure.
Sorry not to reply sooner. Missed this one.
The Dragonfly simmers like a dream; all you have to do is adjust the valve at the burner, so I assume you mean how do you simmer with a Whisperlite. Simmering with a Whisperlite is typically not easy, although it's better with the 2012 and later version of the Whisperlite Internationale and the Whisperlite Universal.
Here's how to get the best simmer possible (again, it's not a great simmer):
1. Only fill the fuel bottle about half way.
2. Only pump the bottle 1/3 the normal number of pumps. You should give it less than 10 pumps.
3. Prime it well, open up the valve, and let it get good and hot.
4. Then start turning it down in small increments. Pause after each increment and let the flame "catch up."
If you turn it down too far, it will go off. Open up the valve slightly and quickly relight before the stove cools.
You can get a sort of simmer this way. If you attend the pot closely and do some stirring, then you can usually do some decent cooking. The Whisperlite Classic and pre-2012 Whisperlite Internationale just aren't all that good at simmering.
HJ
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Adventures In Stoving
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| Post Number: 12
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QCHIKER
Group: Members
Posts: 1728
Joined: Oct. 2009
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Posted on: Feb. 28 2013, 9:41 pm |
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I'd go with the Dragonfly as I've been reading some posts on a canoeing forum and a lot of people that use the Outback Oven use a Dragonfly.
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| Post Number: 13
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HikingJim
Group: Members
Posts: 49
Joined: Jun. 2012
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Posted on: Mar. 01 2013, 7:37 pm |
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(QCHIKER @ Feb. 28 2013, 6:41 pm)
QUOTE I'd go with the Dragonfly as I've been reading some posts on a canoeing forum and a lot of people that use the Outback Oven use a Dragonfly.
So would I, but as Uberman wrote above:
QUOTE I bought a new stove (Dragonfly) to try something different. I'm unhappy about the large pot surface area it requires. I carry it around to make espresso and cappachino a couple times a week. It doesn't handle small pots well. I'm looking for a cure.
A W'lite will handle small pots better, especially if you have an MSR Espresso Star. The trick is to get it to simmer, which it can do if you're willing to play with it.
HJ
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Adventures In Stoving
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