Gear Review: Jet Boil stove

[thrasher]

I bought one of these at REI and used it for a few years now and really like it. The JetBoil is basically a propane stove with an insulated cooking cup. It packs very small (all parts including the propane canister fit in the cup) and is pretty versatile which is very important to me for motocamping or backpacking. A huge benefit in this stove is that the cooking cup is insulated,... therefore it holds in heat and the water boils very quickly, and, therefore, it uses much less propane.

JetBoil markets it here as a coffee kit, but it can be used for cooking in as well. It does come with a French press to prepare coffee. For breakfast when camping, I usually have a Backpacker's Pantry breakfast or instant oatmeal,... and fresh coffee. Either way, just boil water in the cup and pour into the bag to cook. After that, boil more water, stir in coffee grounds and steep for 5-6 minutes. Push the press down and you have a fantastic cup of very hot fresh coffee.

To minimize packing space and preparation time for coffee at the campsite, I grind the beans at home, premeasure the grounds for each coffee serving and pack each in a ZipLock snack bag. Pack all snack bags in a larger ZipLock bag to keep everything together and avoid spillage.

http://www.rei.com/product/791310

BTW, I've dealt with JetBoil's customer service before about an igniter issue, and they were fantastic and painless to deal with. They resolved the issue immediately. JetBoil is made in the U.S.A.

[griffin]

excellent product.packs easy and covers all bases !

[huckinfog]

Great product & review, thanks!

gotta have one.

[Ancient Iron]

That is very cool and practical!

I could get away from the hard-boiled eggs and cold beer for camp breakfast.

[71baldboy]

Originally Posted by huckinfog

Great product & review, thanks!

gotta have one.

Ditto. I'm really liking that.

[BillyB]

I've seen the Jet Boil in action on the Mud Bug run last year. It was very impressive and if I was a coffee drinker, I would order one in a heartbeat!

[RoadWolf]

Originally Posted by BillyB

I've seen the Jet Boil in action on the Mud Bug run last year. It was very impressive and if I was a coffee drinker, I would order one in a heartbeat!

That is a handy looking device.

I wonder if the Margarator has a comparable model?

[PeaceKeeper]

Looks interesting, never tried one but may pic one up and give it a shot. I use the Snow Peak stoves, carry two of these with me on every trip. They use the butane mix and they are flamethrowers. I carefully heat my tent with them too if it gets to cold. Use a metal coffee pot of camp fry to cook when not using the grill.

http://www.rei.com/product/660004

http://www.rei.com/product/668815

[BillyB]

Originally Posted by RoadWolf

I wonder if the Margarator has a comparable model?

If not, there certainly is a market opportunity

[ms_tapestry]

Good review, thanks! I am wondering how many uses do you get from the propane canister?

[griffin]

well there's your french press........it heats water so fast you coudd get a long weekend out of one can of fuel.....

[thrasher]

Originally Posted by ms_tapestry

Good review, thanks! I am wondering how many uses do you get from the propane canister?

Originally Posted by griffin

well there's your french press........it heats water so fast you coudd get a long weekend out of one can of fuel.....

Hard to say how many really but its far far more than I ever expected. It boils water in 2-1/2 minutes. its all about the insulated cup. The insulation is not very thick but you can still pick up the cup of boiling water without the handle without burning yourself.

I kept on bringing extra propane canisters and not need them. I only bring one now but I make sure its a full one. One for 4 days and I had a lot left over in that can.

[Infidel!]

Looks like a good deal. I've been using an MSR superfly, but it looks like that thing will make a cup of coffee a lot quicker. Might have to look into one.