Who would have thought that something has humble as little gas canister stove would create as much of a stir as the Jetboil has. Mention this funky little cooker to someone who owns one and they’ll likely go cross-eyed and start talking about it like a lover or friend, not a darned canister stove.
Time Magazine features it among the “most amazing inventions of 2004”; Popular Science Magazine gave an innovation award to its inventors — and I haven’t even started on the climbing and outdoor press!
Outside Magazine says “the folks at JetBoil have taken the simple concept of heating water to the next level, putting out the most efficient stove ever made”.
So what is it that makes the Jetboil so special?
The designers have done some nifty work, integrating a canister, stove and pot. It’s also got some neat design tweaks. Under the pot is a heat exchanger that helps capture more warmth from the burner, while the pot itself has a built-in insulating blanket. Taken together these mean you use less gas to heat your water. The manufacturer claims an efficiency of 75 percent. You’d be hard pressed to find another stove than comes close.
I can’t argue with the concept, but I’ve always had two reservations about the Jetboil.
The first is that it’s not really suited to cooking anything more complex two cups of boiling water. It’s great if you’re camping on your own and are happy to eat freeze-dried food out of the packet, but not so cool if you’ve got a buddy and want to cook real food for two.
The second reservation is that it’s also not the useful for melting snow because it’s pot is just too darned small.
With a list of brags as long as the Jetboil’s, I just had to set aside my prejudice and check one out.
The thing I liked most about it, and this you have to see for yourself, is that it’s really light and compact. It has a listed weight of 425 grams (15 oz), which is less than the weight of many single pots. It also stows into a really compact package that’s about the size of a Nalgene bottle. All in all less than half the volume and weight of my MSR Dragonfly stove and Alpine cookset.
The pot cover and grab-handle are also a lot more robust than I’d thought. But I still like the flexibility of a liquid-fuel stove.
All in all this is a great product – but has it converted me?
Sorry, but I’m the spoilsport at this party. If I was doing big wall climbing or solo hiking and cycle touring then it could make a great choice. I prefer to get into the hills with my friends and go places where they don’t always stock gas canisters but have plenty of gasoline and kerosene. And finally I like to eat real food cooked in a real pot – not in an oversized rubberized beer mug. Call me caveman if you will and tell me that I’m turning my back on progress. Whatever. I’m sticking with my thundering MSR
Sorry, but I’m the spoilsport at this party. If I was doing big wall climbing or solo hiking and cycle touring then it could make a great choice. I prefer to get into the hills with my friends and go places where they don’t always stock gas canisters but have plenty of gasoline and kerosene. And finally I like to eat real food cooked in a real pot – not in an oversized rubberized beer mug. Call me caveman if you will and tell me that I’m turning my back on progress. Whatever. I’m sticking with my thundering MSR
Just to be fair, this is what some other folks have been saying about the Jetboil:
Backpacker Magazine says:
What makes Jetboil so lovable is its ultra-efficient design, which integrates a 1-liter insulated pot, wind-protected burner, and heat exchanger into a single rugged unit.
Rebecca Sowards-Emmerd at Backpackergeartest.org gives this summary:
Pros:– It sure boils water fast!– It pours well with good control when the cup is used by itself.– It melts snow very well.– It packs together very well as a system.Cons:– Removal of the bottom cover is extremely difficult.– It is difficult to remove the cup from the stove/fuel after use.– Retains some color from coffee, but so far this is just cosmetic – it hasn’t affected the flavor of the water being boiled inside.
Michael Briski also reviews the Jetboil on his website and gives it a favorable review, adding that:
the down side to this cooking system is that you have to be comfortable with doing one pot meals. If you are a great one-pot chef – this is the system for you.
So there we have it. What do you think. If you own one, give me your thoughts.
And if you must have one they are available here:
And if you must have one they are available here:
Anonymous says
I’m curious to know your thoughts given the new GCS jetboil product soon to come out for about $100.