by Seth Levy
A first look at the Soto Muka atomizing stove
The Japanese stove manufacturer Soto was heating up Outdoor Retailer with a fully functioning model of their new Muka (Japanese for "atomize") liquid fuel stove.
The Muka stove is unique in that it atomizes the fuel rather than evaporating it. Most pump-type liquid fuel stoves push fuel under low-pressure through a generating coil that boils the fuel into vapor. It is the vapor that burns. In order to heat the fuel to boiling, the stove needs to be primed, a messy, potentially dangerous process.
The Muka stove instead sprays fuel under high pressure into a specially designed burner that atomizes the fuel into millions of microscopic droplets, which are burned directly.
What does this mean for hikers? The stove starts immediately, with no need for priming.
Trailspace saw the stove at last summer's OR show, but couldn't photograph it then, due to patent negotiations. Saturday, Soto told me I was the first in America to photograph the stove in operation (check out the video below too).
Soto Muka Features:
- Pressure indicator shows when the canister is pressurized.
- Integrated legs and pot stand are simple, stable, and elegant.
- Fuel hose is super-flexible, allowing the burner to be positioned variously.
- Burns both white gas and unleaded gasoline.
- Flame is fully adjustable.
- Emergency shut-off button cuts fuel rapidly.
- Shut-down process clears unburned fuel from the fuel line.
Soto Muka Specs:
- Weight: 11 oz
- Burns: white gas, unleaded gasoline
- Output: 15,800 BTU
- MSRP: $148
- Available: April 2011
Tomo Sekiguchi of Soto demonstrated the new Muka stove at Outdoor Retailer for us:
