So I have had the Jetboil Flash for a few weeks now and although I’ve not had it out as much as I’d like, a proper review seems overdue. I’ll not rehash the basics which you can read in the pre-review here, I’ll just talk about my actual experiences.
The Jetboil Flash Unpacked
It’s fair to say that as a unit the Jetboil Flash is pretty awesome. Being a self-contained cooking system that packs tightly into its own 1L pot and only weighs 400g, on the surface it’s a real dream – easy to stow and reasonably light plus it’s been cunningly designed to give the best possible boil time for a gas stove. It does have the drawback that it’s only really any good for boiling water or reheating ready meals, technically it has a pot stand but once you have to bring a second pot or pan the weight and pack size suddenly doesn’t seem as attractive. So what are my thoughts after a few outings? I still think the Jetboil system is a brilliant concept and I’m not suprised that other manufacturers have seized on the idea and created their own versions but for me it hasn’t really proved practical. If I’m out on a day hike it’s great because it stores easily and makes coffee and dried meals in a flash (pun intended) but for longer trips where every gram counts, some time with the kitchen scales produced some suprising numbers. The Jetboil weighs over 400g including the fuel stabilizer feet which are pretty essential for safety. However, when I tried a test weighing of my Vango Compact stove with Trangia Mini Pot / Pan / Lifter along with a titanium mug and the stabilizer feet it all weighed less. So the alternate cooking system definitely didn’t pack as snugly but for being a lighter weight it gave me so many more options. With a proper pot and pan I could cook normally or boil water and as one of the Jetboils weaknesses is it’s plastic cup is mostly useless, with the compact stove setup I also had a proper mug to drink from. In fact I could actually boil water directly in the titanium cup if needs be! Technically the Jetboil would work much faster and perform better in blustery conditions but while I’m happy for cooking to move along as quickly as possible, a minute or two either way doesn’t really bother me that much and as far as wind issues go, shelter can always be found.
One other issue worth mentioning is the spiffy coffee press accessory that Jetboil supply. I’ve used it 3 times and twice I’ve ended up with lots of coffee grounds in the cup, although once it did seem to work fine. I may be using it incorrectly or maybe there’s a knack of some sort but at this point I’m thinking that the Mugmate Coffee Filter from MSR seems an all round easier option with the upside that it also keeps the pot cleaner.
MSR Mugmate Coffee Filter
In conclusion, my thoughts on the Jetboil haven’t really changed. I still think it’s a great bit of kit, if a little pricey. However, for me the better, more versatile, lighter and cheaper alternative of the compact stove setup is just better every time. It is worth noting that Jetboil have other versions of the personal cooking system, namely the Jetboil Sol and Jetboil Zip which may prove lighter but for me the loss of versatility still seems too much of a tradeoff.
Buy the Jetboil Flash Personal Cooking System from Amazon.co.uk
