It's been quite some time since my last posting here, but I suppose I can add my .02 to the discussion...

For honest trail "cooking", I'd suggest an MSR Dragonfly. I had one and sold to a friend b/c I rarely "cook" on the trail. It simmered better than any other liquid-fuel stove I've used.

This then begs the question of which stove fuel you prefer. Generally speaking canister stoves are easier to maintain a simmer than with liquid-fuel stoves (internal, constant pressure in the canister does that for us). To me, fuel choice is a matter of season/temperatures which then dictates the stove which will be used.

I don't regard Esbit/trioxane/solid-fuel stoves very highly so I'll refrain from commenting on that type. However, they are an alternative to canister or liquid-fuel stoves if you're wanting something different than what your currently using.

I have an MSR Pocket Rocket and being a canister stove it simmers well. I also have a Primus "EtaPower" stove/pot/heat-exchanger which, while not light-weight by any definition, surpasses the MSR Pocket Rocket's performance by a large margin in all categories except weight-saving. This is, generally, my preferred 3-season stove and it performs admirably.

However, my personal favorite "cook stove" is an old Primus Himalaya "Vari-Fuel" stove. I prefer winter/snow camping and use white gas/"Coleman Fuel" exclusively b/c *nothing* works in cold temps as well as it does. In my 30-odd years of that sort of activity, having used every major brand of stove, my Primus Himalaya "Vari-Fuel" has stood the test of time and hard use (abuse?).

For weekend use, I think you're best served with a canister stove - though maybe an upgrade is in order for you?

Admittedly, it is a lot of fun buying new gear