Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > Optimus Nova White Gas Stove > Test Report by S. Nelson

OPTIMUS NOVA+
TEST SERIES BY STEVE NELSON
INITIAL REPORT
October 21, 2007

TESTER INFORMATION

I've been backpacking since I was a kid, starting in the Adirondacks of upstate New York and in nearby Quebec. I now live in California, backpacking in all four seasons there, with occasional trips back to the east coast and elsewhere. I like hiking fast, and transitioned to lightweight backpacking over the past few years. I also enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, canoeing, and aviation in addition to backpacking, so my gear gets exposed to a wide variety of uses and conditions. As a design and usability expert, I love analyzing and improving products; backpacking provides a rich arena for that.

INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Optimus
Year of Manufacture: 2007
Manufacturer's Website: www.optimus.se
MSRP: US$169
Listed Weight: 15 oz (425 g) "with pump"
Measured Weights:
Stove 10.7 oz (300 g)
Pump 4.0 oz (115 g)
=>So, 14.7 oz (415 g) with the pump
Bottle 3.45 oz (100 g)
Cap .55 oz (15 g)
Windscreen 1.65 oz (45 g)
Tool 1.35 oz (40 g)
Supplies .25 oz (7 g)
Pouch 2.65 oz (75 g)
=>So, 24.6 oz (697 g) for the whole kit
Other details: can burn white gas or kerosene with no issues, supports use of diesel and gasoline with caveats including increased chance of clogging and avoidance of unhealthy additives

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The Nova+ comes packaged in a rather fancy die-cut black and green box with a fold-out lid and compartments for the stove and its components.

The full kit consists of the stove body (with rounded, folding legs and a metal fuel line with the Powerline control valve and a quick-connect fitting); a metal pump with the mate for the quick-connect on the fuel line; a green 450 ml (15 oz) fuel bottle with a black plastic cap; a multi-wrench with integrated magnet (used to clean the stove's jet by moving a needle from outside the stove); an aluminum windscreen; a spare parts kit (o-rings and lubricant); and an unusual compartmented black nylon pouch with a zipper around three sides plus an open top with a cinch cord.



I own the older Nova model and have used it successfully for years, so much about the new Nova+ was familiar. The main stove components exude quality and are all well-made and most are smooth to operate.

One very minor note: the compartments in the nylon pouch seem not quite the right size for the components as provided; in particular, the windscreen is slightly too large to fit in the compartment designated for it, stressing the seams a bit. That said, everything does fit in the pouch, and it looks to be a fairly convenient, if somewhat heavy, way to carry the stove and its bits. Here's a picture of it in its pouch, next to its fuel bottle and an architect's scale:

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

The Nova+ comes with a small, illustrated instruction booklet, as well as an insert giving an additional caution about tightening the stove's valve too far and use of the multitool if it sticks. The instructions cover setup and lighting of the stove, as well as basic troubleshooting, maintenance and use of the included cleaning magnet and tool. The instructions don't cover use of the windscreen or the zippered pouch - I figured out how best to pack the stove and its components into the latter by looking at a picture on the Optimus website.

All instructions are also available - in several languages - for download as PDF files from the website, though on a couple of occasions the website did not respond and could not be contacted by my browser (specifically the Optimus.se site - no problems loading others).

TRYING IT OUT

I gave the stove an initial tryout on our patio, using white gas as the fuel. I filled the fuel bottle up to a bit less than the maximum fill line, screwed in the pump, set up the stove on the ground, and connected the stove to the pump with the quick-connect valve. All of this worked just like it does with the older Nova I own.

The big difference on the Nova+ is the new remote Powerline control valve. I was surprised to discover that this valve works by rotating the entire fuel line. A knurled green plastic lump is fused to the line near the fuel bottle and rotates the line to open and close the valve at the stove body. This also exposed my first issue with the design of the stove: the fuel line has to be quite straight for it to be able to turn and adjust the flame. I fear I'll no longer be able to position the fuel bottle anywhere that is convenient, if that placement bends the line (more on that in a moment).

Lighting the stove was easy - especially given that I own the previous model and this one lights the same way. Pump up the fuel bottle, turn the valve open for a couple of seconds, close it, and light the fuel on the wick under the burner. Wait until it just about goes out, then crank open the valve again and make sure it lights correctly. Here it is priming:



In this case, after priming, the stove lit right up with a beautiful, clean, almost invisible but very strong blue flame.

With the stove lit, and while adjusting the flame, I noticed the next surprise: the burner assembly was tipped off the ground at an angle; a slight bend in the fuel line forced it up as shown in this picture (in which, by the way, the stove is running at full blast):



Note that the right-hand legs of the stove are about half an inch (1 cm) off the ground. While setting a full pot on this would probably pin it down, I'm concerned about the stove being a bit tippy during lighting and when adjusting the flame (which, in this test, made the stove tip back and forth as I rotated the line to adjust the flame, due to the curvature of the line even at its straightest).

I turned the stove off as per the instructions (again, same as the older Nova): flip the fuel bottle over and let the flame burn out, then disconnect the stove line from the pump without closing the valve. When I disconnected the line from the pump, I was surprised to find a fair bit of residual fuel. I also noted a tiny bit of fuel staining around the pump shaft at the top of the fuel bottle. The former rarely happened, and the latter never, with the older model, so I will keep an eye on this in the future (and also make sure I have let all fuel and pressure bleed out of the line). I disassembled the pump and examined it, and could find no obvious issues that would cause a leak around the pump stem; the leather cup was fully lubricated and I saw no flaws in the threads. Consulting the troubleshooting section of the manual, I discovered that this could be a symptom of a faulty valve in the pump, so I plan to contact the manufacturer at this point for advice and will report back.

In any case, after my test, the stove cooled quickly, and it only took a moment to pack it into the nylon pouch.

TESTING STRATEGY

With my initial test at home out of the way, I intend to take the Nova+ out on numerous trips, both car camping and backpacking, with most of the latter in snow country. Elevations will range from sea level through at least 12,000 ft (3,660 m), and temperatures from as low as 0 F (-18 C) up into the 80s F (27+ C). Weather conditions will include snowy, windy and sunny Sierra Nevada winter conditions; coastal Pacific storms; moderate coastal California weather; and early spring sun. I also hope to bring this stove on an extended winter camping trip in Yellowstone National Park in February.

- General usability: how easy is the stove to set up, light, adjust, cook with, and break down in the field; how well do all of its components mesh; how easy is it to change fuel bottles and fuel types; how convenient and effective is the new Powerline valve (my previous Nova's fold-out metal valve stem was a bit sticky)?
- Priming and lighting: how easy and convenient; how long does it take under varying conditions; is it easy to use a match or lighter to light the pooled fuel in the primer disc?
- Cooking performance: how well does the Nova+ boil water; fry foods; simmer; saute; perform other cooking tasks; how fast does it boil water in varying conditions?
- Flame adjustment: how quickly does the flame adjust, and over what range? Will the new rotating fuel line design indeed turn out to be quirky?
- Fuel usage: how much fuel does the stove use in varying conditions (how do altitude, temperature, wind and other environmental factors affect the stove's performance)?
- Fuel types: how well does the Nova+ perform using the different types of fuel it burns; what are the differences in priming and lighting times, boil times, fuel burn, and clogging?
- Fuel bottles: how well does the provided one work? Does the Nova+ it work with the older Nova's bottles, and other brands of bottles?
- Pump: how easy is it to use; does the Flipstop feature work to completely purge the stove's lines of fuel and allow it to be disassembled without leaking fuel the vast majority of the time?
- QuickConnect valve: this has been a point of concern in the earlier design, and I see that Optimus continues to caution that it may fail to work properly in extreme cold; does the valve leak or stick as has occasionally been the case with the older design, and is it affected by environmental conditions?
- Stability: how well do the fold-out legs of the Nova+ handle different sizes of pots and weights of food?
- Environment: how much does wind affect its performance, and how much does it benefit from using the wind screen? What other weather factors affect it, and how? How is it affected by high altitude?
- Snow melting: how well does the stove serve for melting snow; how long does it take to generate a quart (liter) or two of boiling water from snow in the conditions I encounter?
- Is the stove suited for careful use in a tent vestibule (how much does it flare when properly following the priming and usage instructions in varying conditions)?
- How durable is the Nova+ and its components? (I'll pay special attention to the o-rings, which are mentioned in the manual as a point of concern in colder weather.)
- How easy is the stove to maintain? The previous Nova came with a "multitool" combined with the jet-cleaning magnet, and I see that the Nova+ does as well; how effective and usable is this tool for jet cleaning and other tasks? How useful are the maintenance supplies that came with the Nova+?

SUMMARY

So far, the Nova+ looks to be like a fine upgrade to the venerable Nova, and I was particularly impressed by the effortless priming and extremely hot, efficient flame the first time I lit it. I have some concerns about the new fuel line and valve design, and look forward to exploring those while enjoying using this stove extensively in winter conditions.

Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > Optimus Nova White Gas Stove > Test Report by S. Nelson