HAd the postie drop this to me today so did a quick test and compare to see if I had a winner or a doorstop. So out of the bag it seems pretty big but then I have been using the MSI ultralite pot recently and got used to how small that was, so a quick shot of the pot, it's sleeve, lid and the carry bag. Then a size comparison with a jetboil 100g canister and a no brand 200g can.
Big Image
Big ImageOne thing that was nice is that it comes with four marked points already so no need to add your own.
Big ImageThe stove I use is a Vango clone of the MSI type, there's hundreds of em about and cost a fraction of the MSI one, happily this pot sits perfectly on the arms, with the raised baffles sitting nicely above.
Big Image
Big ImageSo decided to fire up a quick test against the MSI ultralite pot, now it will be slightly unfair as the MSI pot is only 600ml so it has a smaller base area to heat from, but the difference is less than 25% and so should still give comparable results. Both pots were filled with 500ml of tap water, the stove was fired up to full power and both had lids on.
Big ImageThe camera doesn't show the flame very well but there was zero flame loss around the edge of the pot, those baffles did work to keep everything focused on the base only.
So for timings, the MSI pot came in at 3:02 for a full boil and the Alpkit pot clocked in at :134 for a full boil. I was shocked at just how fast it was, and there must be some truth to those baffles in how they work. Looking at that kind of difference it would also save me around 50% of my gas costs as I am using less gas for each boil.
Overall I am impressed by this pot for how it works, the price tag of £20 including delivery is great and lower than you can pay for some standard mugs alone. Due to how fast it boils it means you can put the lid on while boiling (though just resting, not clipped), and it does not suffer any melting. The coated handles are a nice touch as no need for gloves when removing from the heat, and though I forgot to check the weight the I can't believe it clocks in more than 240g for the total package (website states 222g), this keeps things in the lightweight group. The pot happily takes a 200g no brand gas can inside and would likely take a 400g if you needed it to do so.
However I have seen instantly a couple of issues, firstly the lid does have a drinking slot cut though having just tried it when empty it feels wrong somehow, it doesn't quite fit your mouth and requires some acrobatics of your lids to cover properly, It may become annoying enough that I will just modify the lid or print a new one that has a proper drinking spout, time will tell there. Secondly the neoprene sleeve has potential issues. Due to the pot having handles you have a cut out on the sleeve, this means you need to fiddle with it a few times when empty at home to get a method that works easiest. There seems to be no easy way to get it on. I would say if you do not have a flat surface for the pot while fitting a sleeve it would be near dangerous when filled with boiled water, when on flat ground it is just awkward and could be compounded by either gloves or cold hands.
Finally there is an issue with cost here, not of this pot but of the full Brukit pack they sell which has a stove with built in fins to cover the flame. The Brukit retails for £35 so you are paying £15 for that cover. That also adds more than 100% to the total weight of the kit. My concern is just how much heat is being lost to the sides of the pot with any standard stove. I was able to happily hold my hands around the sides at a fair distance without feeling them getting too hot. That must mean the pot baffles do at least 90% of the work to retain heat. In that regard unless someone does not own any sort of gas stove burner, then you have to think about how much gas the cover saves you, then work out how long before that saved gas pays for the burner. That is assuming the burner does not break before costs have been recouped and you need a replacement.
If someone does not own any sort of gas burner then by all means get the Brukit as it is a great deal, for anyone else I would say save the £15 and get the pot on it's own.
Follow NI-Wild
Author
Topic: Alpkit Brupot (Read 20179 times)