Team SNAFU

After reading Javahed's EXCELLENT REVIEW of this product, and hearing many more rave reviews, I decided to put down the cash for one for myself. Note that this review is going to overlap a LOT with Javahed's. It's not meant to replace it in any way, but to augment it, since I think our findings are pretty identical. Anyway, on with the review.

Over here in the UK I paid £59.99 for mine, in-store (not online). This is considerably more than the cost of a JetBoil in the US, although shipping costs to the UK (along with import tax) would likely put the end price for an imported stove at about the same level. I also picked up a 125g canister of the standard butane-propane fuel mix, which fits perfectly in the cup unit and is sealable so that there is little to no movement inside. All in all it packs down to a cylinder (with a slightly wider top, due to the lid) slightly fatter than a 1l wide-mouth Nalgene bottle, but slightly shorter. It just about goes into a Blackhawk 'Aussie Kit Pouch', but only just. My stove came in a very small cardboard box, rugged enough to take some punishment, I'd imagine. The stove itself is not packed at all - it's a tight fit in the box, so it wouldn't move around during transit, but there is no padding - it simply comes in a polythene bag.

Inside the cup itself you will find the burner unit and instructions. The cup unit is very well built, with an impresive non-stick coating on the inside (seems slightly different to the usual Teflon but I may be wrong) and a neoprene 'cosy' with handstrap (complete with warnings label). Mine came with a black cosy. The lid has a drinking spout (and a good one at that) and pressure-release hole. It is made of quite flexible rubber and fits on securely. On the bottom of the cup is a plastic cover. Upon removal of this (it's a tight friction fit), you find the metal 'flux ring' (rather like the element in a grill, actually) surrounded by a metal shroud (this locks it into the burner unit).

The burner is a black thermoplastic tripod with the burner in the centre. Nice and simple. The red button is the piezo igniter button, and the knob (marker + and -) adjusts the gas output. Very simple to use indeed.

To set up the JetBoil to boil 500ml of water... First, the main component parts are laid out. The burner unit is screwed onto the thread of the gas canister, as with any other stove, making sure the output knob is set to closed before doing so. The cup is filled with water up to the 'max safe fill' level (pretty much exactly 500ml). You can boil more than this, but watch for boilover.

The output knob is then set to about half a turn, and the igniter button is pressed repeatedly until the unit lights. This usually takes a couple of presses. Make sure to press it in until it clicks. This should be done on a level surface (i.e. not like in these photos) to avoid flare-up (which WILL happen). Also be careful to light it as soon after turning the flow on as possible, else, again, it'll flare up.

With the stove alight, it's time to boil the water. Simply grab the cup, place it onto the top of the stove so that the nipples line up with the notches, and then twist clockwise slightly to lock in place. The cup lid can then be rested on top, which helps to keep the heat in and to boil the water faster.

About a minute later (on maybe 3/4 gas output), and my water was boiling. Turn off the stove using the gas output knob, detatch the cup by rotating counter-clockwise slightly, then lift it up. Put the cover back over the base of the cup to keep the water insulated. The bottom will also be fucking hot so watch out (hey, it seems obvious but you never know...). Add tea bags (we're in tea country now!) and make your brew to taste.

I'm going to get out and trail-test this thing as soon as possible. Granted, this little review was done on a nice hot, fairly windless day, but I have no doubt it'll fair just as well in windy and wet conditions, and in the cold. Future updates to follow if I get the chance to test it in other conditions. There are only two things that worry me somewhat about this stove. Firstly, the limitations of what you can cook. No doubt, if you want to cook anything less moist than a thick soup, I think you'll want to avoid this. It's very, very fierce. Secondly, the cosy. I can see the stitching going down the side. That's not to say it's poor, but it's a strees point, since when the cup is filled it pulls away at this point (due to the weight) when held by the handle. The handle is stitched so that it bridges this stitching, but you might want to have a few spares on hand just in case.

UPDATE: After about 2 to 3 months of regular but not exactly rough use, the piezo ignitor is broken. Yes, they're replaceable, but frankly I don't think it's worth it - it's just going to break again. The problem is that the ceramic insulator around the ignitor rod has cracked, leading to what is in effect a short-circuit every time you press the button. The spark jumps across in the wrong place, basically. Therefore, it won't light anything.

It's not put me off the Jetboil - it's still a fantastic piece of kit and one I'd recommend wholeheartedly, but just be careful and make sure you carry a lighter and/or some weatherproof matches with you whenever you take your Jetboil.

<<< Back to Articles	Written by HaVoC, 1st February 2007
PRODUCT REVIEW: JETBOIL PCS
CLICK TO ENLARGE	After reading Javahed's EXCELLENT REVIEW of this product, and hearing many more rave reviews, I decided to put down the cash for one for myself. Note that this review is going to overlap a LOT with Javahed's. It's not meant to replace it in any way, but to augment it, since I think our findings are pretty identical. Anyway, on with the review. Over here in the UK I paid £59.99 for mine, in-store (not online). This is considerably more than the cost of a JetBoil in the US, although shipping costs to the UK (along with import tax) would likely put the end price for an imported stove at about the same level. I also picked up a 125g canister of the standard butane-propane fuel mix, which fits perfectly in the cup unit and is sealable so that there is little to no movement inside. All in all it packs down to a cylinder (with a slightly wider top, due to the lid) slightly fatter than a 1l wide-mouth Nalgene bottle, but slightly shorter. It just about goes into a Blackhawk 'Aussie Kit Pouch', but only just. My stove came in a very small cardboard box, rugged enough to take some punishment, I'd imagine. The stove itself is not packed at all - it's a tight fit in the box, so it wouldn't move around during transit, but there is no padding - it simply comes in a polythene bag. Inside the cup itself you will find the burner unit and instructions. The cup unit is very well built, with an impresive non-stick coating on the inside (seems slightly different to the usual Teflon but I may be wrong) and a neoprene 'cosy' with handstrap (complete with warnings label). Mine came with a black cosy. The lid has a drinking spout (and a good one at that) and pressure-release hole. It is made of quite flexible rubber and fits on securely. On the bottom of the cup is a plastic cover. Upon removal of this (it's a tight friction fit), you find the metal 'flux ring' (rather like the element in a grill, actually) surrounded by a metal shroud (this locks it into the burner unit). The burner is a black thermoplastic tripod with the burner in the centre. Nice and simple. The red button is the piezo igniter button, and the knob (marker + and -) adjusts the gas output. Very simple to use indeed. To set up the JetBoil to boil 500ml of water... First, the main component parts are laid out. The burner unit is screwed onto the thread of the gas canister, as with any other stove, making sure the output knob is set to closed before doing so. The cup is filled with water up to the 'max safe fill' level (pretty much exactly 500ml). You can boil more than this, but watch for boilover. The output knob is then set to about half a turn, and the igniter button is pressed repeatedly until the unit lights. This usually takes a couple of presses. Make sure to press it in until it clicks. This should be done on a level surface (i.e. not like in these photos) to avoid flare-up (which WILL happen). Also be careful to light it as soon after turning the flow on as possible, else, again, it'll flare up. With the stove alight, it's time to boil the water. Simply grab the cup, place it onto the top of the stove so that the nipples line up with the notches, and then twist clockwise slightly to lock in place. The cup lid can then be rested on top, which helps to keep the heat in and to boil the water faster. About a minute later (on maybe 3/4 gas output), and my water was boiling. Turn off the stove using the gas output knob, detatch the cup by rotating counter-clockwise slightly, then lift it up. Put the cover back over the base of the cup to keep the water insulated. The bottom will also be fucking hot so watch out (hey, it seems obvious but you never know...). Add tea bags (we're in tea country now!) and make your brew to taste. I'm going to get out and trail-test this thing as soon as possible. Granted, this little review was done on a nice hot, fairly windless day, but I have no doubt it'll fair just as well in windy and wet conditions, and in the cold. Future updates to follow if I get the chance to test it in other conditions. There are only two things that worry me somewhat about this stove. Firstly, the limitations of what you can cook. No doubt, if you want to cook anything less moist than a thick soup, I think you'll want to avoid this. It's very, very fierce. Secondly, the cosy. I can see the stitching going down the side. That's not to say it's poor, but it's a strees point, since when the cup is filled it pulls away at this point (due to the weight) when held by the handle. The handle is stitched so that it bridges this stitching, but you might want to have a few spares on hand just in case. UPDATE: After about 2 to 3 months of regular but not exactly rough use, the piezo ignitor is broken. Yes, they're replaceable, but frankly I don't think it's worth it - it's just going to break again. The problem is that the ceramic insulator around the ignitor rod has cracked, leading to what is in effect a short-circuit every time you press the button. The spark jumps across in the wrong place, basically. Therefore, it won't light anything. It's not put me off the Jetboil - it's still a fantastic piece of kit and one I'd recommend wholeheartedly, but just be careful and make sure you carry a lighter and/or some weatherproof matches with you whenever you take your Jetboil.