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Esbit seems kind of the coolest, but I've never been able to get water to boil with it. I doubt I was doing it right, but that kind of sucked.
Those butane gas canister systems like in the OP picture are my stove of choice, but I don't really like carrying around the bulk of lots of those fucking canisters, and it's annoying to keep track of how much is left in any canister.
White gas (liquid) and stoves that can operate on gasoline are the best, but are also kind of finicky and bulky. I don't use them, but all the best backcountry chefs I know do.
I used alcohol (soda can stoves) for a while, and I think I like them the best for short trips, but they don't really pay off for long trips because you end up carrying more weight in fuel, and you can't really refill your soda can stove if you happen to run out before the water is boiled.
Wood stoves and plain wood fires with a pot set on three stones are the most annoying, and leave a ton of soot on your cookware.
Ultimately, most of my backpacking is done without a stove these days. I just use foods that don't need to be cooked. I've grown tired of eating soggy rehydrated meals out of bags anyway. My main diet in the backcountry consists of beef jerky, summer sausage, tuna in foil packets, peanuts, raisins, cheddar cheese, and a variety of bars (cliff bars, balance bars, etc.). It may be a little heavier starting out, but to me, it's worth it to not have to fuck with stoves and fuel.
