Definitely, without any question! Always remember that hexamine is toxic & must never be in contact (whether direct /indirect, residue, fumes, etc.) with food/water /anything consumed. Double bagging the fuel, stove & pot/pan bottoms, etc. is very important. Besides, the fuel needs to be kept dry. Personally, I'm not a big fan of hexamine outside emergencies... I've always got some in my survival kit but I save it for emergencies & just use the stove to burn wood for everything else. However, hexamine is always a big part of my emergency fire starting kits. It's way better then anything else for a fire starter & tinder, even if everything is wet. You can start dozens of fires with a single small block of hexamine, it's reusable, lightweight & easy to use. Failing that my self defense road flare will start any fire in any circumstances, even in a hurricane.
As a SERE Instructor, I used a folding Esbit stove for years, especially in the winter, for heating up water. I could use a standard stainless steel GI canteen cup. It was great for that, but it sure wasn't $54.
I wholeheartedly agree with you sir. I was thinking around twenty-nine bucks. Even then I would have to think about it due to the ridiculous cost of the fuel! Thanks much for sharing!
The shirt-pocket sized model, loved it. Sold everywhere when I was in the U.K. Everyone manning a post on base had one to heat up left-overs for lunch.
I like my tiny pop-up esbit stove that holds four cubes. Its small, light weight, easy to use and does the same thing. At $54 ... its a hard no for me.
I would love to see it tested as a small wood stove. I feel like it would make a good spot to then put a small pack grill over and use with other pots such as the stanley adventure series. As a kit I think those things together would be versatile and hold up well for longer trips while avoiding the need to carry any fuel at all.
The way those feet are attached to the stove box, I think they might melt and fall off if it was used to burn wood. They look like rubber. Perhaps replacing the feet with something a little more fire-proof (maybe some steel nuts and bolts) would work.
@@SageBlackthorn With a stove kit like this, you ensure to make good use of the empty space inside the pan/windshield when it's packed away - I can see myself keeping a Trangia spirit burner and a bunch of other cooking implements along with a 300ml alcohol bottle (made from a square/flat-sided pop-top juice bottle) in there for transport, but yes, he's correct that it's not for 'true' cooking due to the complete lack of non-stick coating, but rather re-hydrating freeze-dried meals and boiling water. You could never cook eggs or bacon in this thing without burning it to the surface of the pot, making it very difficult to clean while on the hike...
I bought a small folding twig stove (the one with hinges) of the Lixada type but not that brand, for use with a Trangia burner but also I can use Esbit solid fuel tablets, Firedragon gel, or twigs in it. This is the most versatile and compact solution imo although you can't make a large fire in it obviously.
About twenty or thirty or so years ago I made a similar kit just using British army rectangular mess tins. The mess tins are two different sizes and one fits inside the other, both have a folding handle. The standard issue stove was a rectangular Hexamine one, that fits inside the small mess tin. Having used the system unquestionably for years it dawned on me that I only ever used one of the mess tins for heating anything, and the other as a 'lid' to reduce boil times. So, I experimented and eventually ended up with the smaller mess tin with holes (about 8mm I guess) on every wall at the top ( about 2cm apart) and a bunch of holes on bottom on one (long) side for air circulation. I then placed the Hexi fuel block in the bottom mess tin, and placed the larger one on top with the water or whatever...the system looked a lot like this Esbit system...which makes me wonder if someone at Esbit got to playing around with some British mess tins and got the idea? It seems logical, especially considering that the large Hexamine blocks being used in the video are about the weight of British army Hexi blocks! Of course I'd lost the 'lid' to my mess tin, and so used to use lengths of folded up aluminium foil as a 'lid'... or an enamel plate or something. The thing is that the British army system I used came with the British army Pattern '58 Osprey water bottle and its plastic mug, so one would heat the water in the mess tin, pour it in the mug for a brew, and then use the mess tin to heat whatever I was going to eat (you'd need asbestos lips to drink from an aluminium mess tin straight off the heat LOL), unless I was heating the food in the boiling water. I agree, the price of this Esbit system seems exorbitant for what it is. That said, last year I bought a lightweight Esbit triangular titanium stove, weighs about 11 grams according to my scales, and cost £16 (about $22), so Lord knows how much a titanium version of the 1100ml Esbit stove would be!
I love the esbit mini folding stoves, the one that can store 4-6 fuel tabs inside it... fold up nicely. combine that with collapsing stainless steel or titanium cup... and some anti-contact gloves... and poof, you have a portable cook set you can toss in a glove compartment, in travel bags for bikes or moterbikes... Then if you have a problem, or just want to stop, you can pull over, boil some water, have a soup or coffee... then continue. yep, i kept some powdered milk, sugar, and instant coffee packs, as well as some Lipton soup with it... entirely to useful
This stove is perfect for me. My wife is a coffee drinker so it’s a convenient way to boil water for her coffee. I like the rectangular shape because MRE entrees fit perfectly. I boil water and immerse the retort pouch in the boiling water. (I know MREs come with heaters but the MRE heaters don’t work very well, especially when they’re old). It’s easy to pour out of the corners of the rectangular pot. Another pro is that you can fly on airplanes with solid fuel, but not with liquid fuel. So depending on your situation (military etc) solid fuel might be your only option. I haven’t done this, but if you throw a few twigs on top of the solid fuel tab, the twigs help heat the water. I agree $54 is steep, but for me it was worth it. It fits the way I camp.
Sometimes you got to think outside of the square cook pot. I have this cook set it is compatible with a trangia burner. Also can be used over fire. Also used it for cooking veggies sausage patties fried egg. Make sure to use oil in your cooking. Elbow grease to clean. I digg the square also doubles for storage. Mine is packed with my spice kit cooking oil packable speculate spoon and fork and a scrubber pad. Don't forget the bio camp soap. Think inside the square
Thank you 👍. Agree re: your comment about the smell of the fuel. I will NOT use Esbit fuel for that reason. I had fuel cubes in back pack in the original packaging and the smell still permeated into my clothing in pack. It smells like dead fish.
Ah good old Esbit... brings back memories of heating up MRE dehydrated pork and beef patties in my canteen cup after crumbling them into a package of ramen noodles. Nothing smells quite like it. Most of us in my Army unit had the folding stoves which they still make.
At least somebody else here knows how these things are to be used... Scares the crap out of me how many idiots are recommending to grill /cook directly over the burning fuel, then eat their poisonous food. Like, even if you weren't taught in the military like us, the bloody box the stove & fuel comes in, as well as inserts, all warn never to let the fuel come in contact with food, whether residue, fumes, new fuel, etc! I am beginning to question the wisdom of military surplus/transition to civilian markets, it seems too many people are too stupid to be trusted with anything remotely dangerous. Though it's an interesting Darwin level trap, if you're too stupid to read/ comprehend a single 8 word sentence or even the skull & crossed bones symbol; maybe, just maybe, the problem isn't with the product. What happened? People who can't be safe by themselves, always used to have responsible adults watching them... Where did all the adults go & why are the clients being allowed to play with poisonous flammable fuel, flames & food by themselves?
I have been using, for a long time, a solid fuel folding Army stove. It holds a large packet of solid fuel and it all fits into a pair of nesting rectangular mess kits, that have folding handles.
Great review! I agree the shape, weight, and lack of non-stick surface, and price are a deal breakers. Maybe a good option for day trips, because it can be kept at the ready with little maintenance. Definitely, it looks like gear for a specific use, where flexibility isn't the priority. Thank you!
As for a wind break. I used a sheet of aluminium 14 inches high by 4 feet long. Mark into 4 X 14" X 1 foot segments, then cut each piece off. Take 6 X very small hinges, then alIgn the aluminium again. Mark the hinge layout with 2 on each join, leaving no gap when flat. Plus leave all hinge joints/rods facing up. Rivet all hinges, from outside to in, so the rivet head faces under and the squeezed side showing up. Once that's done the whole thing just folds up and can be manipulated, around many different sized burners. Works fantastic, and I never bothered painting mine because I like the colour of the aluminium against the darker grey hinges.
I bought the stove because I liked its uniqueness. I've seen other reviews (mostly from Japan) where it was used for ramen, rice, and tea. Most reviews were positive, although many lamented that the lid was not also a fry pan (that would have been nice). I see that it heats more efficiently than the narrow round Esbit Kit. The price, you are right ....very expensive for what you get. Thanks for another informative review.
a thought...would it not make more sense to have 2 smaller tabs spaced evenly on the bottom instead of the one in the middle? might make for easier use...and leave the spot in the middle as well..
I have some of these for fire starters..(very small packages). When I was in scouts we used to use sterno stoves, not sure if that is still a thing, or not.
I have the Esbit E-CS585HA, works well enough for hot coffee, oatmeal and instant soup. I didn't get the Esbit fuel tabs though, twice the price of the Coghlan's. I am not sure how the Esbit smells but the Coghlan's is fine. Bigger trouble is purchasing the solid fuel, most weeks retailers are out of stock on these and have been for most of this year here where I am in Canada. Even Amazon goes weeks between inventory.
I like the Kelly kettle. Free fuel, super versatile too. The stainless version will last year's. I have the full base camp kit £99 in stainless steel and the smallest, traveller for back pack 1 man use.
it is what it is! the tight design, flat pan/pot, and included lid, probably makes this the fastest and most most efficient hexamine cooker there is. it wont fit in your pocket, and wont be available as dirt cheap suplus though. not what i'd take on a hike. but perfect to have in the emergency box of your vehicle, next to freeze dried meals and instant coffee. but worth the price, just for the "i told you so" factor, in the prepper pack in your car, next to some rations of freeze dried meals.
Firedragon is not easily available in the U.S. He did a review of a FD stove a few weeks ago. Liked it, I but admitted that getting fuel for it was difficult.
RUclipsr Greencraft from the U.K. demos a survival kit he's packaged up in one of these -- and it does seem to be a good size and shape for that purpose . . . to keep in your car or "Bergen", where weight is secondary to function. But for carrying and cooking maybe not so much . . .
A lot of people compare this to folding one. Yes those are cheap and smaller, but this has a HA cup, better windshield, can be used also with wood and add fancy feast etc to use liquid fuel. So most important this is mess tin made in HA not plain aluminium like those kidney shaped cups are and are also lighter than tin + foldable esbit stoves. If you don't store your fuel inside this, there is also room to keep 1/3 to ½ of daily food ration in it. Bars candies etc. in a pocket and freeze dried stuff inside this pack. Few things I would change: 1 make it little bit higher 10cm/4" or so and it fits better in battle belt pocket (keeping volume same or makin it little bit larger) and then burner would be better for burning wood.
I like it. Serves a purpose. For $54 should have non stick. First thing I think of(looking at this product) is heating a 2-person main course. Which I never actually do😁. The fuel tab is an uncontrollable animal. It’s Hell fire or nothing. I still use solid fuel sometimes. Usually as my ultra light set up. I really don’t care about weight but I do like to go very minimal on certain trips. Literally use a piece of heavy foil on a rock, the top of my mini Solo stove, some fuel tabs and a cup.
This thing needs 2 things like you mentioned. 1 add on tray that is non-stick and a cris-cross aluminium stacks that can hold other smaller / medium sized pots and pans. This should go directly onto the top of the fuel chamber.
With a stove kit like this, you ensure to make good use of the empty space inside the pan/windshield when it's packed away - I can see myself keeping a Trangia spirit burner and a bunch of other cooking implements along with a 300ml alcohol bottle (made from a square/flat-sided pop-top juice bottle) in there for transport, but yes, you're correct when you say it's not for 'true' cooking due to the complete lack of non-stick coating, but rather re-hydrating freeze-dried meals and boiling water. You could never cook eggs or bacon in this thing without burning it to the surface of the pot...
I wonder how this would work as a "hold out" stove for basement use. Imagine there is no power, you can't just leave your home yet due to external circumstances. Would you recommend this as a "basement" stove since it is "smokeless". Use to boil water for quick meals like Ramen, oatmeal, macaroni, canned goods etc.
Thanks for the candor Have had a folding Esbit for years, but use Sterno, or a Trangia most of the time. Solid fuel pellets are a bit too pricy, and emanate a putrid odor.
Solid review. I like how you can like a product but open mindedly point out its cons, which influences our opinions. If you only talked about how great it is, a lot of people would buy this only to realize it's not necessarily the right tool for most situations
54 dollars to boil water. Even if all you were doing was freeze dried, it still seems a little pricy. The capacity is nice, especially if you need 4 cups of water for 2 different meals @2 cups each. I can't decide if the pros outweigh the cons on this one. Nice, thorough review as always.
looks like you could also just feed some wood into it. or use the trangia gel holder and just cram that into it. Worst case scenario it's still a solid mess kit. But what i love about the new esbit line is the BBQ, which is basically a giant esbit burner that uses coal... which is still a giant solid fuel! i love it!
reminds me, i have a large normal esbit burner (the foldable one in a new design) which also uses 27g tabs too, but also fits 3 strips of the normal ones
I agree with your review Luke. I find the BCB crusader MKII pretty good and fire dragon gel very inexpensive. It is way less bulky than this one. I guess it just looks good!!
Good video. If that stove is made by titanium or steel. Then it maybe work with wood too. And that stove needs a modifications. If you can put here a multifuel burner, then you can use it many ways.
Are esbit fuel cubes available in walmart? The only pros I can see for esbit stoves are compactness and you always know how much fuel you have. Otherwise I'm not sure why would anyone use them over rocket stoves. Strength and honor.
I never cook on aluminum. Too many studies say health risk. Yea, I know we need things light for backpacking but nope. Some say food should never touch aluminum. Thoughts?
at 12 minutes of burn time, that means the esbit fuel costs about $3 for 25 minutes. An 8oz MSR fuel can has a burn time of about 25 minutes and costs $6, so surprisingly the esbit is cheaper on burn time. The MSR boils in a little over 2 minutes so you get 12 boils/can. It seems like the esbit would take about 6 cubes (or around $8-$9) for as many boils. So the fuel can is cheaper on boils.
You could use this with two alcohol burners inside instead of the fuel tabs. For outdoor emergencies The stove part needs to be made of steel so wood can be used when the tabs are gone. If this were steel like the folding Esbit stoves you could use wood or charcoal as a fuel but aluminum will melt. When I was a kid I used Esbit fuel tabs to power my steam engine and neither I nor my family ever objected to the smell so I wonder if these tabs are different. I have small Esbit folding stoves I keep for emergency use but they are made of steel and I can use wood in them If i need to, or even put a small alcohol stove in them. I see this large aluminum stove as an emergency stove stored in a home or building, Red Cross tent, etc..
That would be really cool for keeping in my T100 for emergencies and basic preparedness, but that price will almost buy a Caldera Cone and Gram Cracker stove. Kind of a bummer, because hexamine is my go-to UL stove setup.
its nice but i would think only suited to specific situations..day at camp or the beach maybe. it reminds me of the 2 billy can and folding hexamine stove kit the british army used to use. bcb crusader all the way for my choice of pack stove. great review all the same.
Very interesting system, I've seen some survival type kits made in army surplus containers similar to that. One test I would like to see is can it work as a twig stove in a pinch? I bet you can make some pot stand parts like a twig stove has to use other sized pots/cups. Looks like a good emergency kit kinda thing to me more than an every trip use item. Still a cool product regardless, even if its expensive.
Yes it is suitable for twig stove. A little bit low, but with twigs you never have shortage on fuel so you can make embers before putting mess tin on top of it. Also this is much easier tin to eat than those kidney shaped canteen cups and doesn't fell so easily. Army in Finland it is quite common to eat outside so this is better than those narrow canteens, especially in snow. Aluminium vs Titanium. What makes people so willing to pay double or even quadruple prices for titanium cups and save few grams, when titanium is basicaly just for boiling water. Non Stick, another waste of money in camping gear, especially used in army style situations. Increases price scratches easily and then it is just plain aluminium.
Great review! Can be used as a twig stove? It looks like it could be since it has a large feed port on one side... could you try it that way? The graduation marks on the side probably don't go to 1100ml for two reasons, lack of "print " space in one area (could put marks on the other end?) And also, why would you need marks to go to 1100lm? Have you ever needed anything that asked for more than 700ml? I haven't used any mre/freeze dried meals that required more than 750ml... and to be honest... i have not seen one single pot/cup that has graduated lines up to the full rated capacity... they are always lower...
I've seen this and been wondering about it, its always solid advice to double bag it 😉👍
Definitely, without any question!
Always remember that hexamine is toxic & must never be in contact (whether direct /indirect, residue, fumes, etc.) with food/water /anything consumed.
Double bagging the fuel, stove & pot/pan bottoms, etc. is very important. Besides, the fuel needs to be kept dry.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of hexamine outside emergencies... I've always got some in my survival kit but I save it for emergencies & just use the stove to burn wood for everything else.
However, hexamine is always a big part of my emergency fire starting kits. It's way better then anything else for a fire starter & tinder, even if everything is wet.
You can start dozens of fires with a single small block of hexamine, it's reusable, lightweight & easy to use.
Failing that my self defense road flare will start any fire in any circumstances, even in a hurricane.
As a SERE Instructor, I used a folding Esbit stove for years, especially in the winter, for heating up water. I could use a standard stainless steel GI canteen cup. It was great for that, but it sure wasn't $54.
Just baught this kit recently. Used it last weekend on a backpacking trip. Loved it. Worked very well for heating up water. I give it an A+. 👍👍
I wholeheartedly agree with you sir. I was thinking around twenty-nine bucks. Even then I would have to think about it due to the ridiculous cost of the fuel! Thanks much for sharing!
Good points! Extra cost upfront; extra cost for fuel. It's a 'nonstarter' for me.
I had a pocket-size Esbit heater when I lived in Germany. It was great for heating water or a small meal, but it was a lot cheaper than this.
The shirt-pocket sized model, loved it. Sold everywhere when I was in the U.K. Everyone manning a post on base had one to heat up left-overs for lunch.
@@jkocol leftovers? C rats in the can. B Unit can for coffee.
I like my tiny pop-up esbit stove that holds four cubes. Its small, light weight, easy to use and does the same thing. At $54 ... its a hard no for me.
Weber lighter cubes at Home Depot I use to light my grill- and they do not smell-highly recommended! Cheers!
I would love to see it tested as a small wood stove. I feel like it would make a good spot to then put a small pack grill over and use with other pots such as the stanley adventure series. As a kit I think those things together would be versatile and hold up well for longer trips while avoiding the need to carry any fuel at all.
THANKS for an interesting post! I had not considered using this Esbit kit with a pack grill.
The way those feet are attached to the stove box, I think they might melt and fall off if it was used to burn wood. They look like rubber. Perhaps replacing the feet with something a little more fire-proof (maybe some steel nuts and bolts) would work.
@@SageBlackthorn With a stove kit like this, you ensure to make good use of the empty space inside the pan/windshield when it's packed away - I can see myself keeping a Trangia spirit burner and a bunch of other cooking implements along with a 300ml alcohol bottle (made from a square/flat-sided pop-top juice bottle) in there for transport, but yes, he's correct that it's not for 'true' cooking due to the complete lack of non-stick coating, but rather re-hydrating freeze-dried meals and boiling water. You could never cook eggs or bacon in this thing without burning it to the surface of the pot, making it very difficult to clean while on the hike...
I bought a small folding twig stove (the one with hinges) of the Lixada type but not that brand, for use with a Trangia burner but also I can use Esbit solid fuel tablets, Firedragon gel, or twigs in it. This is the most versatile and compact solution imo although you can't make a large fire in it obviously.
If you want a small wood stove, just get an Emberlit stove
I suspect you can put tent pegs through the holes in the stove so you could rest a cup over the fuel.
i was thinking stainless steel skewers . light , strong and you can get them just about any length .
@@pappy451 yeah, although for that kind of thing i dont think lightness would be a requirement
@@JorvikBerserkir hey it was just a thought . no need to analyze it .
and besides , weight is ALWAYS a factor .
I’m not keen on packing a dirty esbit stove inside a cookpot.
Good morning brother from Syracuse NY and thank you for sharing your thoughts and adventures brother
Another great review Luke. Yes I agree the price is high for this. Strength and Honor brother.
About twenty or thirty or so years ago I made a similar kit just using British army rectangular mess tins.
The mess tins are two different sizes and one fits inside the other, both have a folding handle. The standard issue stove was a rectangular Hexamine one, that fits inside the small mess tin.
Having used the system unquestionably for years it dawned on me that I only ever used one of the mess tins for heating anything, and the other as a 'lid' to reduce boil times. So, I experimented and eventually ended up with the smaller mess tin with holes (about 8mm I guess) on every wall at the top ( about 2cm apart) and a bunch of holes on bottom on one (long) side for air circulation.
I then placed the Hexi fuel block in the bottom mess tin, and placed the larger one on top with the water or whatever...the system looked a lot like this Esbit system...which makes me wonder if someone at Esbit got to playing around with some British mess tins and got the idea? It seems logical, especially considering that the large Hexamine blocks being used in the video are about the weight of British army Hexi blocks!
Of course I'd lost the 'lid' to my mess tin, and so used to use lengths of folded up aluminium foil as a 'lid'... or an enamel plate or something.
The thing is that the British army system I used came with the British army Pattern '58 Osprey water bottle and its plastic mug, so one would heat the water in the mess tin, pour it in the mug for a brew, and then use the mess tin to heat whatever I was going to eat (you'd need asbestos lips to drink from an aluminium mess tin straight off the heat LOL), unless I was heating the food in the boiling water.
I agree, the price of this Esbit system seems exorbitant for what it is. That said, last year I bought a lightweight Esbit triangular titanium stove, weighs about 11 grams according to my scales, and cost £16 (about $22), so Lord knows how much a titanium version of the 1100ml Esbit stove would be!
I love the esbit mini folding stoves, the one that can store 4-6 fuel tabs inside it... fold up nicely. combine that with collapsing stainless steel or titanium cup... and some anti-contact gloves...
and poof, you have a portable cook set you can toss in a glove compartment, in travel bags for bikes or moterbikes... Then if you have a problem, or just want to stop, you can pull over, boil some water, have a soup or coffee... then continue. yep, i kept some powdered milk, sugar, and instant coffee packs, as well as some Lipton soup with it... entirely to useful
Pretty neat stove i like the compact design. That gel is neat as well
That system looks perfect for heating up pouch meals, such as from ration packs.
Thanks for this review. I was thinking about buying the stove and glad your review gave me some extra insight. 👍
This stove is perfect for me. My wife is a coffee drinker so it’s a convenient way to boil water for her coffee. I like the rectangular shape because MRE entrees fit perfectly. I boil water and immerse the retort pouch in the boiling water. (I know MREs come with heaters but the MRE heaters don’t work very well, especially when they’re old). It’s easy to pour out of the corners of the rectangular pot. Another pro is that you can fly on airplanes with solid fuel, but not with liquid fuel. So depending on your situation (military etc) solid fuel might be your only option. I haven’t done this, but if you throw a few twigs on top of the solid fuel tab, the twigs help heat the water. I agree $54 is steep, but for me it was worth it. It fits the way I camp.
Sometimes you got to think outside of the square cook pot. I have this cook set it is compatible with a trangia burner. Also can be used over fire. Also used it for cooking veggies sausage patties fried egg. Make sure to use oil in your cooking. Elbow grease to clean. I digg the square also doubles for storage. Mine is packed with my spice kit cooking oil packable speculate spoon and fork and a scrubber pad. Don't forget the bio camp soap. Think inside the square
Thank you 👍. Agree re: your comment about the smell of the fuel. I will NOT use Esbit fuel for that reason. I had fuel cubes in back pack in the original packaging and the smell still permeated into my clothing in pack. It smells like dead fish.
When's round 3 of the Coleman tent review?
Ah good old Esbit... brings back memories of heating up MRE dehydrated pork and beef patties in my canteen cup after crumbling them into a package of ramen noodles. Nothing smells quite like it. Most of us in my Army unit had the folding stoves which they still make.
At least somebody else here knows how these things are to be used...
Scares the crap out of me how many idiots are recommending to grill /cook directly over the burning fuel, then eat their poisonous food.
Like, even if you weren't taught in the military like us, the bloody box the stove & fuel comes in, as well as inserts, all warn never to let the fuel come in contact with food, whether residue, fumes, new fuel, etc!
I am beginning to question the wisdom of military surplus/transition to civilian markets, it seems too many people are too stupid to be trusted with anything remotely dangerous.
Though it's an interesting Darwin level trap, if you're too stupid to read/ comprehend a single 8 word sentence or even the skull & crossed bones symbol; maybe, just maybe, the problem isn't with the product.
What happened? People who can't be safe by themselves, always used to have responsible adults watching them... Where did all the adults go & why are the clients being allowed to play with poisonous flammable fuel, flames & food by themselves?
I have been using, for a long time, a solid fuel folding Army stove. It holds a large packet of solid fuel and it all fits into a pair of nesting rectangular mess kits, that have folding handles.
Great review! I agree the shape, weight, and lack of non-stick surface, and price are a deal breakers. Maybe a good option for day trips, because it can be kept at the ready with little maintenance. Definitely, it looks like gear for a specific use, where flexibility isn't the priority. Thank you!
As for a wind break.
I used a sheet of aluminium 14 inches high by 4 feet long.
Mark into 4 X 14" X 1 foot segments, then cut each piece off.
Take 6 X very small hinges, then alIgn the aluminium again.
Mark the hinge layout with 2 on each join, leaving no gap when flat.
Plus leave all hinge joints/rods facing up.
Rivet all hinges, from outside to in, so the rivet head faces under and the squeezed side showing up.
Once that's done the whole thing just folds up and can be manipulated, around many different sized burners.
Works fantastic, and I never bothered painting mine because I like the colour of the aluminium against the darker grey hinges.
I bought the stove because I liked its uniqueness. I've seen other reviews (mostly from Japan) where it was used for ramen, rice, and tea. Most reviews were positive, although many lamented that the lid was not also a fry pan (that would have been nice). I see that it heats more efficiently than the narrow round Esbit Kit. The price, you are right ....very expensive for what you get. Thanks for another informative review.
ESBIT,
Erich Schromms Brennstoff in Tablettenform.
So simple.
Excellent review Luke. Decision made.
Another agenda free review in the books. Keep up the great work, Luke 👊
I like the Cons section of the vid. All my nagging doubts, addressed...
a thought...would it not make more sense to have 2 smaller tabs spaced evenly on the bottom instead of the one in the middle? might make for easier use...and leave the spot in the middle as well..
I have the basic Esbit sove. But I'm going to look for this one. It's usually just a back up. But that one would be good for 2 people. 👍👍👍
I have the 585ml set. It works great for my needs and it is much smaller. Perfect for hot drinks and dehydrated meals.
I have some of these for fire starters..(very small packages). When I was in scouts we used to use sterno stoves, not sure if that is still a thing, or not.
Sterno green jell is still sold on Amazon (and probably elsewhere.)
Sterno & stoves are still readily available at many Sporting Good stores. I, too, had one when in the Boy Scouts back in the late 40's.
I keep some in my emergency kit for fire starters, but I have to Saran wrap then put it in a zip lock bag so it doesn't make my kit stink.
Nice review Luke. I like the fuel tabs for their stealthiness. :)
Well another great revue thank you Luke for all you do and Susie as well …. S & H
I have the Esbit E-CS585HA, works well enough for hot coffee, oatmeal and instant soup. I didn't get the Esbit fuel tabs though, twice the price of the Coghlan's. I am not sure how the Esbit smells but the Coghlan's is fine. Bigger trouble is purchasing the solid fuel, most weeks retailers are out of stock on these and have been for most of this year here where I am in Canada. Even Amazon goes weeks between inventory.
I like the Kelly kettle. Free fuel, super versatile too. The stainless version will last year's. I have the full base camp kit £99 in stainless steel and the smallest, traveller for back pack 1 man use.
it is what it is! the tight design, flat pan/pot, and included lid, probably makes this the fastest and most most efficient hexamine cooker there is. it wont fit in your pocket, and wont be available as dirt cheap suplus though.
not what i'd take on a hike. but perfect to have in the emergency box of your vehicle, next to freeze dried meals and instant coffee.
but worth the price, just for the "i told you so" factor, in the prepper pack in your car, next to some rations of freeze dried meals.
I've no idea why you'd use that fuel when BCB Firedragon cubes are a thing. Love that fuel.
I use Firedragon cubes, too. They cost a bit, but they are worth it.
Firedragon is not easily available in the U.S.
He did a review of a FD stove a few weeks ago. Liked it, I but admitted that getting fuel for it was difficult.
It looks like it’s made for Fire Dragon tabs.
Could you potentially use wood in that kit in place of the cubes?
RUclipsr Greencraft from the U.K. demos a survival kit he's packaged up in one of these -- and it does seem to be a good size and shape for that purpose . . . to keep in your car or "Bergen", where weight is secondary to function. But for carrying and cooking maybe not so much . . .
how do you stop the flame? blow on it? snuff it out? how would you stop the flame and reuse it?
A lot of people compare this to folding one. Yes those are cheap and smaller, but this has a HA cup, better windshield, can be used also with wood and add fancy feast etc to use liquid fuel.
So most important this is mess tin made in HA not plain aluminium like those kidney shaped cups are and are also lighter than tin + foldable esbit stoves. If you don't store your fuel inside this, there is also room to keep 1/3 to ½ of daily food ration in it. Bars candies etc. in a pocket and freeze dried stuff inside this pack.
Few things I would change: 1 make it little bit higher 10cm/4" or so and it fits better in battle belt pocket (keeping volume same or makin it little bit larger) and then burner would be better for burning wood.
I like it. Serves a purpose. For $54 should have non stick. First thing I think of(looking at this product) is heating a 2-person main course. Which I never actually do😁. The fuel tab is an uncontrollable animal. It’s Hell fire or nothing. I still use solid fuel sometimes. Usually as my ultra light set up. I really don’t care about weight but I do like to go very minimal on certain trips. Literally use a piece of heavy foil on a rock, the top of my mini Solo stove, some fuel tabs and a cup.
I found the hexamine had a tendency to evaporate similar to camphor blocks do, if not sealed air tight.
Looks like a good bento box meal warmer. Good for freeze dried foods, canned goods, and the likes.
I'd like to see what the bottom looks like after hundreds of cubes burned. Doses that crud build up?
You could put a small grill grate over it to use any shape pot or cup..
empty can of tuna fish and a heat tab,and canteen cup also works. how much is a can of tuna,
Thanks Luke, great review!👍
quite a bit better than the old esbit stove.
This thing needs 2 things like you mentioned. 1 add on tray that is non-stick and a cris-cross aluminium stacks that can hold other smaller / medium sized pots and pans. This should go directly onto the top of the fuel chamber.
You can get a small cookset from Walmart for under $6 - a couple more for Hex tablets and you're set. Or make your own little alcohol burner...
With a stove kit like this, you ensure to make good use of the empty space inside the pan/windshield when it's packed away - I can see myself keeping a Trangia spirit burner and a bunch of other cooking implements along with a 300ml alcohol bottle (made from a square/flat-sided pop-top juice bottle) in there for transport, but yes, you're correct when you say it's not for 'true' cooking due to the complete lack of non-stick coating, but rather re-hydrating freeze-dried meals and boiling water. You could never cook eggs or bacon in this thing without burning it to the surface of the pot...
I wonder how this would work as a "hold out" stove for basement use. Imagine there is no power, you can't just leave your home yet due to external circumstances. Would you recommend this as a "basement" stove since it is "smokeless". Use to boil water for quick meals like Ramen, oatmeal, macaroni, canned goods etc.
Thanks for the candor Have had a folding Esbit for years, but use Sterno, or a Trangia most of the time. Solid fuel pellets are a bit too pricy, and emanate a putrid odor.
Thanks for another informative review.
GREAT DESIGN
Would be good for heating up MREs or other retort bags.
Great video, can i use two cans of Sterno, thanks.
Solid review. I like how you can like a product but open mindedly point out its cons, which influences our opinions. If you only talked about how great it is, a lot of people would buy this only to realize it's not necessarily the right tool for most situations
Great review.The stink, is a deal-breaker for me.
Please consider doing a mosquito, no see um, repellent, like themacell or smudge pot.
hello is it possible to replace the fuel with wood?
54 dollars to boil water. Even if all you were doing was freeze dried, it still seems a little pricy. The capacity is nice, especially if you need 4 cups of water for 2 different meals @2 cups each. I can't decide if the pros outweigh the cons on this one. Nice, thorough review as always.
Looking forward to overnight adventures. Thank you!
looks like you could also just feed some wood into it. or use the trangia gel holder and just cram that into it. Worst case scenario it's still a solid mess kit. But what i love about the new esbit line is the BBQ, which is basically a giant esbit burner that uses coal... which is still a giant solid fuel! i love it!
reminds me, i have a large normal esbit burner (the foldable one in a new design) which also uses 27g tabs too, but also fits 3 strips of the normal ones
Hey ,can I make an normal Fire with Wood in it ? Thanks for answer.Wishes from Hermany
I agree with your review Luke. I find the BCB crusader MKII pretty good and fire dragon gel very inexpensive. It is way less bulky than this one. I guess it just looks good!!
You can fly with hexamine, which is an advantage over liquid fuel.
Is it built that size to take a whole MRE pouch to heat up
How does the fuel work for the espresso Esbit they are crazy expensive too
Good review. Thanks.
Great, fair-minded review. Thanks!
Can you put an Esbit alcohol burner inside?
Good video. If that stove is made by titanium or steel. Then it maybe work with wood too. And that stove needs a modifications. If you can put here a multifuel burner, then you can use it many ways.
Luke with the dry wither what do you think would be butter. the
seems really big and $$$ for what it does. How sooty does it get with esbit cubes?
Doesn’t hexamine makes cyanide when it burns? Or is it negligible even using inside a tent?
Could I cook with this if i use multiple fuel tabs?
Maybe clip one of those grill plates off cheap one off barbecue charcoal burners to fit on top?
That seems more a walker day trip kind of store kick!
can use wood fuel "sticks" with this ? isee a door which would work good. any thoughts?
Are esbit fuel cubes available in walmart? The only pros I can see for esbit stoves are compactness and you always know how much fuel you have. Otherwise I'm not sure why would anyone use them over rocket stoves. Strength and honor.
I never cook on aluminum. Too many studies say health risk. Yea, I know we need things light for backpacking but nope. Some say food should never touch aluminum. Thoughts?
I would really like this in a ROUND system option. Just not a fan of the rectangle pot.
at 12 minutes of burn time, that means the esbit fuel costs about $3 for 25 minutes. An 8oz MSR fuel can has a burn time of about 25 minutes and costs $6, so surprisingly the esbit is cheaper on burn time. The MSR boils in a little over 2 minutes so you get 12 boils/can. It seems like the esbit would take about 6 cubes (or around $8-$9) for as many boils. So the fuel can is cheaper on boils.
You could use this with two alcohol burners inside instead of the fuel tabs. For outdoor emergencies The stove part needs to be made of steel so wood can be used when the tabs are gone. If this were steel like the folding Esbit stoves you could use wood or charcoal as a fuel but aluminum will melt.
When I was a kid I used Esbit fuel tabs to power my steam engine and neither I nor my family ever objected to the smell so I wonder if these tabs are different. I have small Esbit folding stoves I keep for emergency use but they are made of steel and I can use wood in them If i need to, or even put a small alcohol stove in them. I see this large aluminum stove as an emergency stove stored in a home or building, Red Cross tent, etc..
That would be really cool for keeping in my T100 for emergencies and basic preparedness, but that price will almost buy a Caldera Cone and Gram Cracker stove.
Kind of a bummer, because hexamine is my go-to UL stove setup.
I was curious. Did you even went and investigate the the morning after. I heard it. Something was definitely out there with you.
With the opening in it could you burn wood in it ?
Can you use a esbit alcohol stove in it or can you use twigs
Great review. Is the cook pot hard anodized?
Have you done a review of your favorite cook system?
So which stove would you take if all you had were the ILBE Assault Pack?
I wonder if the stove could be modified to use wood? Where I live, there is wood everywhere.
its nice but i would think only suited to specific situations..day at camp or the beach maybe. it reminds me of the 2 billy can and folding hexamine stove kit the british army used to use. bcb crusader all the way for my choice of pack stove. great review all the same.
Very interesting system, I've seen some survival type kits made in army surplus containers similar to that. One test I would like to see is can it work as a twig stove in a pinch? I bet you can make some pot stand parts like a twig stove has to use other sized pots/cups. Looks like a good emergency kit kinda thing to me more than an every trip use item. Still a cool product regardless, even if its expensive.
Yes it is suitable for twig stove. A little bit low, but with twigs you never have shortage on fuel so you can make embers before putting mess tin on top of it.
Also this is much easier tin to eat than those kidney shaped canteen cups and doesn't fell so easily. Army in Finland it is quite common to eat outside so this is better than those narrow canteens, especially in snow.
Aluminium vs Titanium. What makes people so willing to pay double or even quadruple prices for titanium cups and save few grams, when titanium is basicaly just for boiling water. Non Stick, another waste of money in camping gear, especially used in army style situations. Increases price scratches easily and then it is just plain aluminium.
Can a can of sterno be used with this set up
Esbit is nice to pre- heat an Optimus 8r or svea 123...everything stays clean... Now a nice copy..lixada stainless steel gasoline burner...
Great review! Can be used as a twig stove? It looks like it could be since it has a large feed port on one side... could you try it that way?
The graduation marks on the side probably don't go to 1100ml for two reasons, lack of "print " space in one area (could put marks on the other end?) And also, why would you need marks to go to 1100lm? Have you ever needed anything that asked for more than 700ml? I haven't used any mre/freeze dried meals that required more than 750ml... and to be honest... i have not seen one single pot/cup that has graduated lines up to the full rated capacity... they are always lower...