I recently read the "what's your go to stove" thread and found a lot of people like the dragonfly because of the simmer function..... How well does is simmer?

I cook eggs, pancakes, and occasionally fish (if no campfire) on my whisperlite, essentially using the wind screen as an elevated stand and my FryBake pan to cook. I will also do a twiggy fire on top to bake brownies or cake or sweet potatoes pie (again generally over a campfire). I haven't had a total collapse yet, but it does require someone to help with cooking, as I am gripping the pan with my pot grippers and holding 4-6" off the burner so I don't warp the pan and burn the food.

Long story short- If I bought a dragon fly would I be able to skip the balancing act and just cook those food with the pan resting right on the burner, or will I not be able to get the flame that low? I figure I waste a bunch of fuel by using my elevated method, but it was how I learned to use it.

Yes the Dragonfly goes THAT low!


butthead

Longtime Whisperlite user. Now carry a Dragonfly as my main stove due to it's ability to simmer. Nearly all my meals require a 15-20 minute simmer and the Dragonfly performs the task flawlessly.

It is possible to simmer with the Whisperlite but it requires great patience and frequent adjustment of valve and pressure. There is considerable delay between valve adjustment and change in flame level, one must work in incremental adjustment followed by a thirty second to a minute wait for the results of adjustment.

As butthead shows, with the Dragonfly you will have a highly controllable flame that will allow you to place your Fry Bake pan directly on the stove to simmer. I absolutely love my Dragonfly for this reason. Incidentally, in the video he is preheating the unit with denatured alcohol, which burns much cleaner than using the white gas.

I'm a longtime Dragonfly fan and former MSR sales rep. Used to clinic outdoor stores on MSR stove use and maintenance.

The Dragonfly will simmer all the way down to a candle flame.

The Dragonfly is LOUD.

I prefer the Whisperlite for most uses because it is lighter and quieter.

If you know the Whisperlite trick you can simmer pretty effectively with the stove. Prime the stove, get it up and running, turn it off, blow out the flame, burp the fuel bottle and relight at the burner. With no air pressure in the bottle the stove will still draw fuel and will burn at a VERY low simmer.
I'll attach a link to a review with a video that shows this process.

I like to use a heat diffuser between my fry bake and stove, regardless of whether I'm using a Dragonfly or Whisperlite. It spreads out the heat across the pan and makes for more even cooking.

A simple heat diffuser is the top of an MSR Alpine Cookset placed on the stove with the opening upward. This creates an air space between the stove and transfers heat to the pan more evenly. This will burn and warp the heck out of the lid but it does work. Even with an XGK.

I currently use an old Outback Oven diffuser that is excellent if a little heavy.

Whisperlite Review with "Simmer Trick"

Fry Bake Review with Heat Diffuser

Brian

Maybe I just got lucky, but my Dragonfly is not that loud.

Banksiana: "Maybe I just got lucky, but my Dragonfly is not that loud."

Loud? Vivid memories of a SVEA 123 "taking off"

The dragonfly is a bit of a jet engine roar without dragontamer. It simmers wonderfully for hours, reliably, without fuss. I agree with the alcohol preheat. Never any soot. Would like to find the alcohol paste in a squeeze tube.

Serious question... what specifically are you cooking that requires a "simmer" on your stove? I'm not suggesting that you could or should be on "full blast" or nothing. I'm just curious, because one person's simmer might be someone else's medium flame or maybe more.

Sauces, rice, some soups, and jmo baked goods - pizza, cake, brownies. A cake may take 30-40 minutes at a very low level.

As the author of the previous thread, I agree with everything stated here. The Dragonfly is amazing for simmering and temp control! I still have my whisperlite and will never get rid of it, and I will check out the video on the simmer trick that was posted above. I have used the diffuser plate technique as well.

Thanks for the trick, Brian. Tried it last night with my Whisperlite, and it worked like a charm! I might even take the Whisperlite on my next trip instead of the Dragonfly!

gotwins: "Thanks for the trick, Brian. Tried it last night with my Whisperlite, and it worked like a charm! I might even take the Whisperlite on my next trip instead of the Dragonfly!"

You're welcome! Pretty slick isn't it? Never imagined you could get the Whisperlite to simmer that well.

Brian

Own both, rarely use the Whisper. Regarding how loud the Dragon is, get a tamer; it works and does not negatively impact cooking.

Dragontamer

I have 2 dragonflies, both with the tamer caps that I just got last summer after getting tired of the noise. I was re reading the instructions on lighting them, and didn't remember you were supposed to let the priming flame die out, then relight at the burner. I had been using my technique of trying to light the main burner just as the flames of the priming are dying out. Does everyone else let it die out completely, then relight? I think the idea is to prevent the "underburn" where the flame burns under the cap.

I use alcohol and let it burn out completely, then open gas and light. Perfect blue flame instantly.

I also use the alcohol, and I guess I’ll start letting it burn out. Old habit from my whisperlite days, trying to “catch” the ignition from the dying primer flame.

A flame burning inside/under the cap is underburn and can damage the cap and stove. That is why I always let the prime burn till fully out. Then light the burner at the top of the cap with a low setting on the flame control.

Simmering with a Whisperlight can be done, but is somewhat tricky. Low fuel pressure is the key. This also works with XGK's and Simmerlight's.
May be a quirk with my stoves but I have found removing the "shaker Jet" needle to help simmer and general stove function. I have pulled the needles from all my MSR stoves since. I do regular maintenance on them and have no clogging issues.

butthead

I love the way my dragonfly simmers. I made my own dragon tamer cap years ago too so now I have the best of both. I really have no idea why MSR just doesn’t redesign just the burner part to be quiet?

Savage Voyageur: "I really have no idea why MSR just doesn’t redesign just the burner part to be quiet? "

MSR builds white gas stove parts in house and there is a lot of conservation of parts across the MSR stove family with ported burners used on Whisperlite family of stoves and bell/plate burners used on the XGK and Dragonfly.

They've been making these parts for YEARS and I anticipate the reason they haven't gone to a redesign is an effort to keep the cost, complexity and weight of the final product down.

The Dragon Tamer seems like a cool accessory.

Brian

BrianDay: "

Savage Voyageur: "I really have no idea why MSR just doesn’t redesign just the burner part to be quiet? "

MSR builds white gas stove parts in house and there is a lot of conservation of parts across the MSR stove family with ported burners used on Whisperlite family of stoves and bell/plate burners used on the XGK and Dragonfly.


They've been making these parts for YEARS and I anticipate the reason they haven't gone to a redesign is an effort to keep the cost, complexity and weight of the final product down.


The Dragon Tamer seems like a cool accessory.


Brian"

That's the reason. All the bell&plate burners Firefly/XGK/Dragonfly share dimensions, with the XGK (Model 9) released in 1973. Add to that the cap does make maintenance and the lighting procedure more complicated. MSR is also quite serious about liability, which is why the parts are difficult to source.

butthead

butthead: "A flame burning inside/under the cap is underburn and can damage the cap and stove. That is why I always let the prime burn till fully out. Then light the burner at the top of the cap with a low setting on the flame control.


Simmering with a Whisperlight can be done, but is somewhat tricky. Low fuel pressure is the key. This also works with XGK's and Simmerlight's.
May be a quirk with my stoves but I have found removing the "shaker Jet" needle to help simmer and general stove function. I have pulled the needles from all my MSR stoves since. I do regular maintenance on them and have no clogging issues.


butthead"

My whisperlite is so old it is pre shaker jet!

Like this early Whisperlight with the small fuel tube and rubber fuel line?

I had to replace the original hose due to leakage hence the red abrasion sleeve.

butthead

butthead: "Like this early Whisperlight with the small fuel tube and rubber fuel line?

I had to replace the original hose due to leakage hence the red abrasion sleeve.


butthead"

A little later than that, circa 1995. It has the brass braided fuel line, but no shaker. It’s also the standard Whisperlite, not International.

@butthead,
Here it is. The tank I bought with it says 25th anniversary of MSR, which based on Wikipedia, would date this as 1994 (started in 1969). Since I have the 25th anniversary tank, I decided I needed the 50th anniversary tank they made a couple years ago and ordered it last night. :)

Trusty old bugger stove! The old Whisperlights use a few different parts the fuel air mix rtube is a small diameter, the jets are referred to at "golf tee" style, use no jet cleaning needle built in the jet. A very good runner and a good simmering potential if worked at.
I will suggest a new style "seahorse" pump. Those old grey pumps get brittle, the new ones at a nylon impregnated plastic and more durable, in spite having a bit less compression.

Newer "seahorse"

New just under $40 or look thru Ebay, you may find a new pump in a used stove combined under $50. All MSR pumps are the same except for the Dragonfly which has an internal fuel disconnect and fuel line fitting.
Old Dragonfly pump
Newer Dragonfly pump

butthead

Thanks BH. I’d add that pump to my list, along with a replacement for my Dragonfly pump that stripped out on this spring’s trip (details in the other thread, but you already know that story).