Which stove?

[TacticalUnderpant]

Here is my experience with canister, alcohol, and esbit stoves. Keep in mind I usually do solo or 2-person trips.

Esbit: I use as an emergency backup. Like an above post mentioned, it is low heat output and not the most efficient cooking fuel on the planet. They are also the hardest to light. That said, I do find them to be reliable (as long as the esbit is dry and not below freezing), and they are the easiest to pack since you won't have fuel canisters or bottles of alcohol to carry. They are only good for boiling water in my experience.

Alcohol: I use a beer can that was turned into a stove. The guy that makes them has a website. hit me up if you want more info. This is my personal favorite if i'm just boiling water for drinks or re-hydrating food. They use very little fuel, the fuel is the cheapest of all three and the most widely available, and I feel it is the most efficient in terms of fuel used versus heat output. It is also very light. Beer can stove and a small bottle of denatured alcohol for fuel. Also I find alcohol stoves the most reliable in below freezing conditions

Canister: Definitely the most versatile and the best to cook with. The ability to control temperature allows you to cook pretty much anything for 2 people. The big one for me is the ability to cook rice and buckwheat perfectly or re-heat soup and chili without burning it. It is the bulkiest to pack, but not by too much. Not a fan of MSR stoves, because you can get the exact same stove un-branded off amazon for 1/4 of the price.