Optimus Nova review

This source-based assessment covers the Optimus Nova, exact manufacturer item 8016276 / EAN 7391812000825. The product page and 2021 English fact sheet identify the model and its fuel-bottle stove design, but do not establish a current US seller package or live stock. A safety caveat belongs near the top: a US CPSC notice recalled Optimus Nova and Nova+ stoves with serial numbers QA000011 through QA007313. The current page does not reveal a particular unit’s serial number or clear an older item. Check the actual stove and follow the recall notice; do not use a unit in the affected range unless Katadyn has completed the specified remedy.

A remote burner for named liquid fuels

The Nova separates its burner from a pump-equipped fuel bottle by a hose. Optimus lists white gas, kerosene, diesel and jet fuel for this model, along with a single multi-fuel jet, a cleaning needle and precise flame control. Fuel choice still changes priming and operation; use only the fuel names and procedures in the exact manual. This is a liquid-fuel system, not a threaded canister burner, and its documentation does not establish MSR 80/20 or Jetboil JetPower cartridge compatibility.

The fact sheet gives 2,850 W, an approximate 3.5-minute boil for one liter and up to 150 minutes at full output from 450 ml of fuel. These are manufacturer specifications and are explicitly dependent on climate, altitude and other conditions. They should not be read as independent tests or as a guarantee for every fuel. The manual describes a priming step and fuel-specific operation; a liquid-fuel expedition stove is less convenient than simply screwing on a canister, and it asks for more attention to the fuel, pump, seals and setup.

Separate stove, pump and bottle weights

Optimus lists 330 g without the pump and 460 g including the pump. It also lists a wind shield, multitool, transport bag, wear parts and lubricant among the accessories, but the captured US product page does not itemize a definitive seller package or total kit weight. The fuel bottle is explicitly not included. Do not mistake either listed figure for a complete fueled carry weight or infer that a compatible bottle is in the box. The packed dimensions are 140 × 110 × 70 mm; in use, the burner body is 140 × 80 × 65 mm, with the bottle outside that measurement.

Cookware and screen clearance are linked

The manual prohibits pans wider than 280 mm. With the maker-approved Optimus windscreen, it also requires at least 15 cm between the fuel bottle and the pot or pan to prevent overheating the bottle. That clearance is not a pot-to-screen gap and does not permit covering the bottle. The product instructions allow only windscreens approved for the Nova, so a generic shield is not a safe substitute. A pot under the stated width still has to sit stably, and no maximum pot-plus-food weight was found in the reviewed documents.

At 330 g before the pump, the stove alone is already above this finder’s 300 g maximum bare-stove-weight setting. Its tradeoff is capability, not an ultralight claim: the user can service the jet and use the model’s listed liquid fuels, but carries a pump, a separately sourced bottle and fuel while following manual-specific priming and maintenance steps.

Do not overlook the serial-number recall

The CPSC recall concerns Nova and Nova+ units with the stated QA serial range and reports a fuel-line or O-ring leak hazard. The notice directs affected consumers to stop using the stove and contact Katadyn for a free repair. An item number alone cannot establish whether a particular used, old-stock or replacement unit is in that range; the manufacturer’s current page does not say that every listed unit has been repaired. If the serial cannot be checked, treat the unit’s status as unresolved and ask Katadyn before purchase or use. The exact listing’s model number and the broad Nova name are not substitutes for the serial check.

Who may consider it?

The Nova is a candidate for someone who wants one adjustable remote burner and can safely handle its documented liquid-fuel system, separate bottle and maintenance needs. It is a poor fit for someone who requires a sub-300 g bare stove, a matched included fuel bottle, a cartridge stove or a unit with unverified recall status. Verify the exact 8016276 model, pump and screen package, approved windscreen, fuel bottle, serial number, manual revision and seller terms. No price, seller availability or unaffected serial status is claimed here.