This is a step by step guide to cleaning the burner on your Jetboil stove. It applies to the stoves that come with the Jetboil MiniMo, MicroMo, and SuMo cook systems.
There may be times when you are using your Jetboil stove to cook soups, sauces, and hot chocolate, and for whatever reason, the contents of your pot boil over and coat the stove with food residue that is sticky and dries hard on your stove burner. And if you’re in the backcountry, you likely don’t have the immediate resources to clean your stove thoroughly, and that food residue ends up setting in, before you have time to thoroughly wash it off.
However, once you are home, it’s a good idea to clean off any food residue left on the burner and surrounding housing of your stove, to keep it working as efficiently as possible for your next trip into the wild.
Step 1 – Disassemble Your Jetboil Stove
For the stove assemblies that come with the MiniMo, MicroMo, and SuMo cook systems, there is a cotter pin that holds the upper assembly of the stove to the bottom section that contains the fuel regulator/valve assembly. Using a pair of need nose pliers, grab a hold of the looped section of the cotter pin and pull the pin out to divorce this top section from its bottom section.
Set aside the regulator/valve assembly, as we’re only concerned with cleaning the top section that has the burner right now.
Step 2 – Make a Water Bath to Soak the Stove In
Use a bowl or container large enough that it holds a sufficient amount of water to submerge just the burner section of the assembly. If there is caked on food on the metal support ring around the burner it is okay to submerge this section as well. However, I would not add so much water to the container, that it submerges the igniter switch on the lower part of this assembly.
Fill your container/bowl with warm or hot tap water from the sink. Do not boil or microwave water to heat it. Add in a little dish soap and allow it to dissolve in the water bath. Do not add bleach or other chemical cleaners that lower the pH of the water bath, as this may corrode the stainless parts of the stove.
Step 3 – Soak Your Burner For a While
Soak your burner in the water bath for long enough that it rehydrates and loosens the food residue on it. This could be anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes. Replace cold bathwater with warm water as needed.
It’s okay to add diluted vinegar to the bath, if needed, to remove food oils and fats.
Step 4 – Scrub the Burner
Use a soapy sponge, rag, or even old toothbrush to remove the food residue from the burner and surrounding parts of the stove. Avoid using abrasive cleaning tools like steel wool or its plastic equivalent, as you don’t want to scratch the stove and burner’s surfaces, potentially reducing the stove’s lifespan.
It’s okay to momentarily use a baking soda paste on the surrounding support ring of the stove. But work as lightly as possible, and thoroughly rinse this paste off as soon as possible. I wouldn’t use this baking soda paste on the burner though, as you don’t want a permanent baking soda residue to form inside of it, possibly causing corrosion over time.
Step 5 – Blow Compressed Air Through the Burner’s Pipe
If you notice food particles have traveled inside the burner through its holes and wire mesh netting underneath them, then you may try to expel them using a air compressor gun, or computer keyboard cleaner compressed air canister that has a long, narrow, straw-like hose. Try both from the top of the burner and from its pipe underneath. A Q-tip may also be of use in wiping out food that has traveled inside the burner. It is likely though that any food near the burners wire mesh will just be incinerated next time you use the stove.
Side Note: If you have dropped your stove in fine powder dirt, then you may want to use your air compressor, or compressed air cleaning canister before you start your general cleaning.
Step 6 – Rinse the Burner and Surrounding Ring
I’ve rinsed my burner and surrounding ring under running water before without any problems. You can do that, or dip it back into a bath of clean water. Just make sure it’s completely free of soap or baking soda before you let it dry.
Step 7 – Dry the Jetboil Burner and Its Assembly
Either use your air compressor or towel it off with a buff that doesn’t leave fibers behind when using. Then let the inside and nooks and crannies completely dry.
Step 8 – Rejoin the Jetboil Upper and Lower Stove Assemblies
Merge the burner assembly back to the regulator/valve assembly and replace the cotter pin to hold the full stove assembly together.
Step 9 – Test the Jetboil Stove With a Gas Canister
Make sure your o-ring is in place and that no residue is in the screw threads. Then screw on a gas canister and test to see if your stove still ignites properly and is working properly.
Conclusion
Hopefully this helped in your Jetboil stove cleaning efforts. I have other Jetboil articles, featuring the MiniMo (but applicable to cook systems with the same stove, like the MicroMo, an SuMo). You can find them here: basic operation, field operation, and accessories. Also check out my hiking gear and camping gear pages for more info!