What struck me first of all was the quality of the materials, and second of all, the intricacy of the design. Take the shape of the burner head itself: it’s uniquely dish-shaped with a metal lip that surrounds the circumference of the rim. This small but mighty detail helps protect the burner and the electrode from the effects of the wind, giving the stove its very name.

“Precision, we learnt after several attempts, is key.”

The design of the pot supports (4-Flex or TriFlex) also helps the WindMaster battle against the elements by hooking into the burner crown itself. The arms then extend widely outwards and ever so slightly upwards. This keeps your cooking pot as close to the flame as possible, leaving very little room for the wind to surge through. 

Another unique aspect to SOTO’s WindMaster stove – that us techy gear nerds will enjoy – is the micro regulator valve system. This works by taking the high pressure gas from the gas canister and converting it into a constant, low-pressured, output of gas. This, in turn, prevents the fluctuations in the power of your stove that normally happens when gas canisters get cold.

It’s all very well learning all of the theory behind one of these stoves, but when you get a glimpse behind the scenes at all of the people it takes to theorise and experiment and construct, and well, bring a vision to life; it’s impressive stuff. 

Passing each worker adding, what appears to the untrained eye, as the smallest of details to each and every stove really brings home just how much effort and attention-to-detail goes into building one of these things. 

How Hard Is It To Build A Stove?

And the construction? Well, it’s as intricate as the design itself. We tried our hand at putting together a section of the WindMaster stove and it isn’t as easy as you might think, especially if you’re doing it at speed. 

First we secured the piezo ignition, which is fitted in the burner stem as close to the electrode as possible. The piezo unit and button mechanism is then screwed into the side of the burner near the base, and a small metal lip is folded against the metal for further reinforcement. 

Next we fitted the burner head to the stem. This required a little more delicacy in order to align the burner hole and the stem hole together perfectly. A screw is then passed through both holes with a very level and directional force. Precision, we learnt after several attempts, is key. 

Lastly, we went through the testing process which all SOTO stoves have to pass. Crucially, this ensured that there were no gas leaks throughout the stove and, additionally, that the famous blue flame was ever-present. 

Made in Japan

After getting to know the who, and getting to grips with the how, the final portion of our trip really cemented the why. The Shinfuji burner and the WindMaster were invented to create burners that could withstand the Japanese climate, and where better to understand this climate than on Mount Fuji, Japan’s tallest mountain.