Optimus
Optimus Nova
- Weight: 1/10 How much it adds to your pack.
- Packed size: 4/10 How much room it takes in your rucksack.
- Boil speed (still air): 7/10 How fast the maker says it boils 1 litre in still air. Wind slows every stove: see Wind performance.
- Wind performance: 5/10 How well it keeps boiling in a breeze, as sold, without an extra windshield.
Winter and expedition cooking: liquid fuel keeps working in freezing air
- Fuel
- Liquid
- Weight
- 460 g
- Boil 1 L, still air
- 3:30
- Windshield in the box
- Yes
Packed size 1.078 L, 14 x 11 x 7 cm Compare with a 2-litre bottle
Shorter than a 2-litre bottle and about as wide as one. Drawn to scale.
Where to buy
Alpinetrek £137.56 In stock. Free delivery. Struck-through £171.95 on the page; price includes duties and taxes; free UK delivery, 5-7 working days.
View at shop: AlpinetrekHardloop UK £146.60 In stock. Delivery £7.95. Struck-through £179.90 on the page; price includes duties and taxes; ships from France.
View at shop: Hardloop UKUltralight Outdoor Gear £199.99 Out of stock.
View at shop: Ultralight Outdoor GearPrices checked 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Weight
From maker's figures 1/10How much it adds to your pack. 1: A real weak point.
Katadyn (Optimus) gives 460 g including the pump and 330 g without it. The method counts the pump on a liquid-fuel stove, so 460 g, in the 300 g+ band. Ultralight Outdoor Gear weighs the stove at 324 g and the pump at 126 g (450 g together). The fuel bottle is not included.
Packed size
From maker's figures 4/10How much room it takes in your rucksack. 4: A bit below average.
Katadyn's fact sheet gives a packing size of 140 x 110 x 70 mm. As a box that is 14 x 11 x 7 = 1,078 cm3, about 1.08 L, in the 0.6-1.59 L band. In operation it measures 14 x 8 x 6.5 cm.
Boil speed (still air)
From maker's figures 7/10How fast the maker says it boils 1 litre in still air. Wind slows every stove: see Wind performance. 7: Better than most.
Katadyn gives about 3.5 minutes for 1 litre of water (210 s), depending on climate and altitude, in the 190-229 s band. MyOutdoors timed 1 litre in a little over 4 minutes with the windshield.
Wind performance
Estimate from maker's specs: windshield in the box 5/10How well it keeps boiling in a breeze, as sold, without an extra windshield. 5: Does the job. Average for wild-camping gear.
Estimate from maker's specs
In short
Good for
- Winter and expedition cooking: liquid fuel keeps working in freezing air
- Cooking for two to four with big pots on its stable, low legs
Strengths
- Burns white gas, kerosene, diesel and jet fuel through the same jet, and Katadyn's page adds unleaded petrol
- Katadyn gives 2,850 W and about 3.5 minutes for 1 litre
- Separate simmer valve (OutdoorGearLab) and a built-in cleaning needle for the jet
- Very stable: low centre of gravity and wide-spreading legs (MyOutdoors)
- Windshield, multitool, transport bag, wear parts and lubricant come with it (Katadyn)
Weaknesses
- 460 g with the pump (Katadyn); OutdoorGearLab called it the heaviest liquid-fuel stove it reviewed at about 434 g, and it packs to 14 x 11 x 7 cm
- Needs priming and pumping, and MyOutdoors found it fiddly to light for newcomers
- MyOutdoors warns the heat from the underside can scorch grass
- No fuel bottle in the box; no independent test of wind or simmering found for the current stove
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.
ShowHide sources (5)
- Katadyn Group (Optimus): Optimus Nova, product page (article 8016276)
- Katadyn Group (Optimus): Optimus Nova fact sheet (weights, sizes, accessories)
- OutdoorGearLab (Chris McNamara): Optimus Nova review
- MyOutdoors: Optimus Nova, Tested & Reviewed (stove sent by Webtogs)
- Ultralight Outdoor Gear: Nova Multi-Fuel Stove (stove and pump weights)