Jet boil?

[Brooke]

I just got the jet boil! Any one have an opinion on this little stove? someone just told me its just for boiling and not cooking is this true?

[atmilkman]

I just got the jet boil! Any one have an opinion on this little stove? someone just told me its just for boiling and not cooking is this true?

Not completely but that is all I use it for. You can turn it way down low and cook in it but it's kinda hard cause you gotta constantly stir to keep stuff from sticking.

[Karma13]

I love my Jetboil Sol Ti. (I also have a Flash, which weighs a bit more. I love that one, too.)

Certainly you can cook in it! (Depending, of course, on what your definition of cooking is.) You might need a larger pan if you want to do things like fry; I'm not sure. I'm content with freezer bag cooking, etc.

Here are some recipe sources:
http://www.jetboil.com/recipes
http://www.antigravitygear.com/Cache-Lake-Cookbook.pdf

[atmilkman]

Not completely but that is all I use it for. You can turn it way down low and cook in it but it's kinda hard cause you gotta constantly stir to keep stuff from sticking.

Cooking stuff that has a lot of liquid content becomes less of an issue. They make a fry pan for it with the dissapating heat fins that you see on the botton of your cup but it's quite expensive. You can use aftermarket pots and pans with the adapter that's included but you have to be careful not to exceed 7in. diameter or the heat bounce back will melt the plastic on the burner. Jetboil also recommends not to snug the lid on when boiling water, just put it on loosely, then snug it up after you've made coffee or broth to drink out of it.

[G-FOURce]

I have one and really like it. I only use it for boiling water and will be carrying it on my section hike in March.

[atmilkman]

I love my Jetboil Sol Ti. (I also have a Flash, which weighs a bit more. I love that one, too.)

Certainly you can cook in it! (Depending, of course, on what your definition of cooking is.) You might need a larger pan if you want to do things like fry; I'm not sure. I'm content with freezer bag cooking, etc.

Here are some recipe sources:
http://www.jetboil.com/recipes
http://www.antigravitygear.com/Cache-Lake-Cookbook.pdf

Nice links. That pot roast sounds really good.

[Pedaling Fool]

I cook pretty elaborate rice stew meals with it, so yes, it's ok for cooking; actually it simmers very well compared to a lot of stoves I've seen.

Jetboil also recommends not to snug the lid on when boiling water, just put it on loosely, then snug it up after you've made coffee or broth to drink out of it.

I saw some guy's stove "explode" because he snugged his lid down and forgot about it -- it doesn't take long.

[atmilkman]

I saw some guy's stove "explode" because he snugged his lid down and forgot about it -- it doesn't take long.

I've seen the same thing along with a few other fiascos. It's definitely not a "toy". You pretty much gotta stay with it, can't turn your back on it. Like you said it doesn't take long. It's fast. Boils water right at 2 min. flat. Even a little faster with a brand new cannister. Must have something to do with the "full" pressure. To the OP be careful and you'll grow to love it.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I just got the jet boil! Any one have an opinion on this little stove? someone just told me its just for boiling and not cooking is this true?

They are largely correct. The Jetboil is one of the most accurately named products I've ever seen. The system was designed for boiling and does so at speeds that are far faster than any other stove I have seen. This makes it awesome for hot drinks, freezer bag cooking and mountain house type meals. It is also the best canister stove for melting snow that I've seen.

With practice, you CAN cook on it, however it requires frequently turning the stove on and off in short bursts and letting the food sit and heat inside the neoprene cozy. I highly recommend that you get used to using this stove in the comfort of your back yard, don't just bring it and try to figure it out on the trail. The stove also needs to be watched closely when being used. Because of how quickly it heats up, the water/contents can quickly boil over which will then drip down and extinguish the flame. Because the cup is designed to be attached to the stove when cooking, you can't just reach out and pull the pot off when it starts to boil over, you have to actually reach under and turn off the stove.

All that said, I've owned mine since 2008 and the more I use it, the more I like it. If It ever needs replacing, I would probably buy a jetboil again.

[DeerPath]

not completely but that is all i use it for. You can turn it way down low and cook in it but it's kinda hard cause you gotta constantly stir to keep stuff from sticking.

ditto.....

[RedBeerd]

I love mine. I just boil water with it so after a third year I am switching to an alcohol stove for the weight savings. I've got the 16oz flash. I've cooked in it before, nothing crazy and like already mentioned you've just got to stir stir stir. I learned the hard way - I still taste the stew I burned to the bottom awhile back..

[SOBO_Pace]

I guess ill be the guy who says that they hate this stove! It really does boil the crap out of some water but I was unable to cook anything else with it. Some other posts said they could simmer with it but I had no such luck.I used a snowpeak cup and not the jetboil cup. I liked the option of cooking on a open fire to save fuel. I would personally go with a pocket rocket.
Mine also broke during my trip and I didn't really use it that long ( harpers- damascus). The threaded part was all aluminium and slowly ate all the threads off or the brass piece fell out not sure.

[SOBO_Pace]

I guess ill be the guy who says that they hate this stove! It really does boil the crap out of some water but I was unable to cook anything else with it. Some other posts said they could simmer with it but I had no such luck.I used a snowpeak cup and not the jetboil cup. I liked the option of cooking on a open fire to save fuel. I would personally go with a pocket rocket.
Mine also broke during my trip and I didn't really use it that long ( harpers- damascus). The threaded part was all aluminium and slowly ate all the threads off or the brass piece fell out not sure.

Just wanted to add that everyone else I saw using one loved theirs.

[Starchild]

The Ti models (Sol Ti and Sumo Ti) have been recently 'relabeled' for boiling water only, the other models are still OK with cooking in them. It appears the aluminum heat fin connection to the titanium pot can too easily break loose if overheated.

[Dash]

I bought the "Jetboil flash and the Jetboil pot ' and will be bringing both the pot will be for hearty soups and chili and such.

[leaftye]

I've used mine with the adapter to cook with a thin steel pot. I used plenty of olive oil and low heat to keep the food from sticking. My pot was greater than 7 inches in diameter, so I guess it's a good thing I used low heat to avoid the melting that atmilkman mentioned.

This was on trail work trips where I could easily wash up afterwards. I'm anti dish cleaning when I'm hiking, so I'd never cook directly in a pot while backpacking.

[snowblind]

I find the jet boil great for both boiling and cooking. I've also used it on an alcohol burner when I ran out of cannister fuel.

I'm actually considering moving my jet boil to use alcohol burner rather than cannister when I go back out, since seeing how well it worked out. Was surprised at how little alcohol it took to boil 1/4-1/2L water in the jetboil. Of course, you still have more control with the cannister.

[Zmaidment]

I've cooked soups in my sol ti. Left some discoloration where the ring attached. Other than that it was fine. Im planning on bouncing a small pan in my bounce box. That way I can do some serious fryin and such when staying at hostels

[colorado_rob]

... Im planning on bouncing a small pan in my bounce box. That way I can do some serious fryin and such when staying at hostels

I have a 4.5 ounce Ti fry pan, non-stick surface, sits right on top of the JetBoil adapter thingie, I'm seriously considering "eating" tis extra weight to enjoy some trail burritos, soups, chili, maybe a burger now and then. That being said, I won't cook anything but water in the std. JetBoil pot.

[Starchild]

I find the jet boil great for both boiling and cooking. I've also used it on an alcohol burner when I ran out of cannister fuel.

I'm actually considering moving my jet boil to use alcohol burner rather than cannister when I go back out, since seeing how well it worked out. Was surprised at how little alcohol it took to boil 1/4-1/2L water in the jetboil. Of course, you still have more control with the cannister.

I'm experimenting with this now, just using a empty tealight container as my alcohol stove and very impressed with its performance, efficiency and weight savings. I can only get 1.5 cups to boil off of a tealight, but 2 cups can get pretty hot, hot enough to use for re-hydrating FD food. I'm seeing some very nice weight savings:

My entire kitchen including pot, lid, stove, cup (jetboil base cup and protector of the tealight), lighter, spork, small shammy towel (about the size of a AT blaze), & windscreen at 8.2 oz. + fuel weight.

With enough fuel to boil 6.5 L that gets me to 16 oz, including bottle weight, that will last me 6.5 days. Though persistent wind, even with the screen, may cut this down to 5.

The tealight container does not even register on my scale which goes to the gram (or 0.1 oz), actually 4 of them still register 0 grams. I think I discovered a weightless stove.

The above compares favorably with the Jetboil as intended weight of 16 oz with a full canister and 13 with a empty one with the ability to boil 10 L of water.