Reviews:
Currently use it, can't necessarily recommend
The design is a thing of beauty and simplicity. Unfortunately it has some inherent safety issues. First the electronic striker does not always ignite the gas as early as it should, this can cause a flash ignition (I had my first unit replaced because of faulty igniter). Second, the metal cup/pot that attaches to the burner and gas cannister presents a real problem should your boiling of ramen noodles get away from you. As the boiling liquid spills over and down the side you risk scalding while attempting to turn the flame down, and you can't just lift the pot off the flame since the cup is locked to the burner for safety purposes. Boils water super fast, lightweight, and good fuel efficiency. Just make sure it ignites, don't ever let it boil over.
No-pot cooking with Jetboil
What an incredible product. My boss warned me that it would be useful just for one person - however, I went backpacking with my wife and two of my kids, and the Jetboil stove served us extremely well. It was the Jetboil for hot cocoa, coffee, and oatmeal in the morning, and the Jetboil for hot cocoa and pre-prepared foods in the evening - using the Jetboil all we did was add boiling water to a ziploc(r) bag, shake, stir, and serve.Technically, the warnings accompanying the Jetboil are a bit scary but worth paying attention to. Occasionally finding a flat rock to put the stove on was tough to do. For someone who has had stoves "flash" in his face, I came to really appreciate the piezo lighter.90 seconds for 2 cups? Not quite that fast. But with the extra-efficient, focused heater, we did get hot food quite quickly.I chose not to cook anything in the liter top - I didn't want to spend time scrubbing anything out, and all of the meals we made fit into the ziploc(r)bag.Fuel seemed to last forever - we didn't use 2 containers in 5 nights and 6 days on the trail in Isle Royale.If I had a little more time in my life (sure, PV), I'd create a website for Jetboil recipes. Hey, that's not a bad idea, maybe someone should mention it to Jetboil, Inc.
Oh, I use it....Recommend it....Like it
Check this out...a stove that cooks your food, boils your water, and packs into the size of a Nalgene. No need for bulky, heavy pots and pans - it's all built into this sweet little cooking system. Sure, you can't fry an egg on it, but I've made some damn good poached eggs using this stove. Built in handle allows you to brew your morning coffee and sip right out of the container...no need for one of those Snow Peak Titanium mugs. Great value, great stove, great space and weight saver. Try it for yourself.
Perfect at what it was designed to do
Just spent a week with this and I have to say I love it. Having lived with just two stoves in the past 30 years - an Optimus 8R and an MSR Whisperlite - the JetBoil is what I have been looking for. If all you want to do is heat water you can't go wrong. If you like to "prepare" food in the back country keep looking. Stability is a little lacking - particularly when heating a full 4 cups of water but I had no problem. Besides, if you tip it over it's just water. I was able to boil 14 quarts of water on a week long trip with only one canister and it still has fuel!Ramen noodles need to be monitored for boil over but the flame is very adjustable and wasn't an issue.I experienced the flame blowing out at very low settings and had a couple of times when the stove didn't ignite the first time but hair on the back of my hand was a little long anyway. Seriously, with your hand so close to the flame the piezo igniter should be VERY reliable. A telescoping control knob would be nice but this thing rocks!Melting snow could be very tedious but canister stoves aren't really for winter anyway. Overall this is a WINNER!
Great for what it was designed for
Quick, easy and no mess... great for any activity, use it hiking, or just sight seeing and we keep in the car during the winter and in our earthquake kits... highly recommend it, fuel is not an issue, have used many different brands here in Japan and I feel safe with the product.
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