Comparison review: I tried using all the cooker Kochel for mountain climbing.

Monday, November 30, 2015

DUG , Kitchenware , Optimus , UNIFLAME , Hilander , Evernew , Comparison , PRIMUS , snow peak , Sea to Summit , JetBoil , EPIgas , GSI , Coleman

Written by Yasushi Hisatomi

table of contents

A thorough comparison of cookers from every angle, often only discussed based on material and weight
When selecting items for comparison
- Comparative test items
- Test environment
Detailed evaluation using field tests
Comparison of this comparison

A thorough comparison of cookers from every angle, often only discussed based on material and weight

Boiling water and cooking. There's no room for questioning these everyday actions that are so familiar to everyone. There's not much difference between cookers, and the only differences are the material and weight. If you still think so, then we highly recommend you read this special feature

Comparing 15 cookers, both major and minor, from various angles, we discovered that while lightness is certainly an important factor, it is actually only one of many values sought after in most cookers. Furthermore, the ideal cooker is one whose desired value changes depending on the usage scenario, number of people, and other factors. In this comparative test, we hope to shed light on what makes a cooker truly usable for each of these various styles

If you want to know the results right away, click here to jump to the results

When selecting items for comparison

There are many other cookers out there besides the ones we've covered here. It would be physically difficult to compare them all, so we've chosen not just the best-selling popular products, but also ones that offer as much variety as possible, as shown below

Material (weight)
Shape and size
Whether the inside or bottom is processed or treated
Lids and handles
Set contents and accessories

For this reason, even for items not featured here, you should be able to get a rough idea of their evaluation by referring to this comparison. Please note that because this test was conducted with a small number of people, there are inevitably many models intended for a smaller number of users (1-3 people)

Comparative test items

EVERNEW Ti U/L Deep Cooker, RED

Titanium Ultra Light Cooker Deep Type RED

Evernew

6,048 yen

125g

EVERNEW Titanium Cooker, Deep, Ceramic

Deep titanium cooker, ceramic

Evernew

7,452 yen

144g

Evernew Aluminum Cookware L

Aluminum Cookware L

Evernew

6,480 yen

675g

EVERNEW Ceramic Kocher Pot 15

Ceramic Kocher Pot 15

Evernew

4,212 yen

275g

EPI ATS Titanium Cooker TYPE-3M

ATS Titanium Cooker TYPE-3M

EPI

6,372 yen

183g

PRIMUS Easy Cook Solo Set S

Easy Cook Solo Set S

PRIMUS

1,944 yen

212g

PRIMUS Easy Cook NS Solo Set M

Easy Cook NS Solo Set M

PRIMUS

3,240 yen

259g

Coleman Packaway Solo Cooker Set

Packaway Solo Cooker Set

Coleman

4,104 yen

245g

Uniflame Mountain Cooker, Square Type 1

Mountain Cooker Square Type 1

Uniflame

2,800 yen

212g

Snow Peak Solo Set Extreme

Solo Set Extreme

Snow Peak

6,102 yen

146g

GSI nForm Pinnacle Soloist

nForm Pinnacle Soloist

GSI

9,504 yen

221g

DUG HEAT-I

HEAT-I

DUG

4,860 yen

223g

Optimus Terra Weekend HE

Terra Weekend HE

Optimus

5,724 yen

282g

Hilander Aluminum Cookware Set

Aluminum Cooktop Set

Hilander

2,680 yen

606g

JETBOIL MiniMo

JETBOIL

19,440 yen

310g

Test environment

The devices were tested on multiple mountain trips between May and November 2015. Tests were also conducted on the ground, including boiling, cooking rice, and stir-frying food side-by-side

Detailed evaluation using field tests

Evaluation comparison

Overall ranking	1st place	2nd place	3rd place	4th place	5th place	6th place	6th place	6th place	9th place	9th place	11th place	12th place	13th place	14th place	15th place
item	PRIMUS Easy Cook NS Solo Set M	Uniflame Mountain Cooker, Square Type 1	EPI ATS Titanium Cooker TYPE-3M	EVERNEW Titanium Cooker, Deep, Ceramic	Coleman Packaway Solo Cooker Set	GSI nForm Pinnacle Soloist	PRIMUS Easy Cook Solo Set S	EVERNEW Ceramic Kocher Pot 15	Optimus Terra Weekend HE	Hilander Aluminum Cookware Set	JETBOIL MiniMo	Evernew Aluminum Cookware L	Snow Peak Solo Set Extreme	DUG HEAT-I	EVERNEW Ti U/L Deep Cooker, RED
This is ◎	High performance in all aspects	Easy to cook, easy to use, and easy to store	Weight and good balance	Durability, weight and balance	Ease of cooking	Sophisticated functionality and ease of cooking	Storage capacity, price	Ease of cooking	Thermal efficiency	price	Thermal efficiency, functionality	Expandability and ease of cooking	Weight, storage capacity	Thermal efficiency	weight
This is △	None in particular	Weight, thermal efficiency	None in particular	price	Scalability, thermal efficiency	Price and scalability	Thermal efficiency and ease of cooking	Expandability and functionality	Weight, expandability	Thermal efficiency, functionality	Price and scalability	Thermal efficiency, weight, functionality	Ease of cooking and functionality	Ease of cooking and expandability	Ease of cooking, scalability, and price
Thermal efficiency (20)	14	12	14	14	12	13	11	14	17	12	18	12	14	16	13
weight (20)	14	16	18	18	14	15	16	13	13	13	12	12	18	15	19
Ease of cooking (20)	18	17	12	12	18	16	11	16	15	12	16	16	6	10	7
Durability (10)	6	5	7	8	6	6	6	6	5	6	5	5	7	6	6
Functionality (10)	7	7	7	6	7	8	6	5	7	6	8	5	5	5	6
Extensibility (10)	6	5	7	7	2	5	6	4	2	7	3	8	6	2	2
price (10)	8	8	4	3	7	2	9	7	5	8	1	4	5	6	5
General (100)	73	70	69	68	66	65	65	65	64	64	63	62	61	60	58

Spec comparison

item	PRIMUS Easy Cook NS Solo Set M	Uniflame Mountain Cooker, Square Type 1	EPI ATS Titanium Cooker TYPE-3M	EVERNEW Titanium Cooker, Deep, Ceramic	Coleman Packaway Solo Cooker Set	GSI nForm Pinnacle Soloist	PRIMUS Easy Cook Solo Set S	EVERNEW Ceramic Kocher Pot 15	Optimus Terra Weekend HE	Hilander Aluminum Cookware Set	JETBOIL MiniMo	Evernew Aluminum Cookware L	Snow Peak Solo Set Extreme	DUG HEAT-I	EVERNEW Ti U/L Deep Cooker, RED
material	aluminum	aluminum	titanium	titanium	aluminum	aluminum	aluminum	aluminum	aluminum	aluminum	aluminum	aluminum	titanium	aluminum	titanium
weight	259g	212g	183g	144g	245g	221g	212g	275g	282g	606g	310g	675g	146g	223g	125g
container 1	900ml	1000ml	900ml	900ml	900ml	1100ml	630ml	1200ml	950ml	1450ml	1000ml	2800ml	830ml	1000ml	900ml
container 2	400ml	─	280ml	250ml	400ml	─	395ml	─	400ml	900ml	─	1800ml	330ml	─	250ml
container 3	─	─	─	─	─	─	─	─	─	550ml	─	─	─	─	─
container 4	─	─	─	─	─	─	─	─	─	340ml	─	─	─	─	─
Reference price	3,240 yen	2,800 yen	6,372 yen	7,452 yen	4,104 yen	9,504 yen	1,944 yen	4,212 yen	5,724 yen	2,680 yen	19,440 yen	6,480 yen	6,102 yen	4,860 yen	6,048 yen
Corrosion resistance	Hard anodized	Anodized aluminum processing	titanium	titanium	Hard anodized	Anodized alloy	Hard anodized	Anodized aluminum processing	Anodized aluminum processing	Hard anodized	Anodized aluminum processing	Anodized aluminum processing	titanium	Hard anodized	titanium
Inside processing	Non-stick coating	─	─	Ceramic resin coating	Non-stick coating	3-layer Teflon coating	─	Ceramic baked coating	─	─	─	─	─	─	─
Bottom processing	Anti-slip processing	─	ATS processing	─	Spiral Processing	─	Anti-slip processing	─	Heat exchanger	─	Heat exchanger	─	─	Heat exchanger	─
Handle	silicon	stainless	stainless	silicon	silicon	silicon	silicon	plastic	silicon	silicon	silicon	plastic	stainless	silicon	silicon
spout	〇	〇	〇	×	〇	×	×	×	〇	×	×	×	×	×	×
Scale display	〇	×	〇	〇	〇	×	〇	×	〇	〇	〇	×	×	〇	〇
case	〇	〇	〇	〇	〇	〇	〇	〇	〇	〇	〇	〇	〇	〇	〇
accessories	Mesh storage	Mesh storage	Staff bag	Mesh storage	Mesh storage	Coated Stuff Bag Bowl Mag Spoke Stove Bag	Mesh storage	Mesh storage	Mesh storage	Mesh storage	Burner head, bottom cover, stabilizer , pot support (trivet)	Staff bag	Mesh storage	Mesh storage	Staff bag

Thermal efficiency

Cooking is one of the most important functions of a cooker, so it's best to have it transfer heat as quickly as possible with the same heat output. Furthermore, faster heat transfer also reduces fuel consumption and makes equipment lighter, so this becomes even more important the more severe the environment

When comparing this item, we measured how quickly water boiled under as similar conditions as possible (same environment, same heat level). As expected, the JETBOIL MiniMo . Thanks to the heat exchanger on the bottom and the neoprene rubber covering around the cooktop, it's incredibly difficult for heat to escape. We were also looking forward to seeing how the DUG HEAT-I and Optimus Terra Weekend HE , which are general-purpose cooktops with heat exchangers that are compatible with any stove, performed poorly against the JETBOIL. However, compared to cooktops without heat exchangers, the boiling time was about 30% faster, so it can be said that they demonstrated their full potential.

The EPI ATS Titanium Cooker TYPE-3M which has been treated with ATS to improve the poor thermal conductivity of titanium, did not show much difference in this test (using about 500ml of water).However, when used for long periods of time, it has the same characteristic as aluminum of transferring heat to the entire bottom surface, and we felt that its thermal efficiency was (personally) superior.

weight

Weight varies depending on the product, as some are sold separately and others are sold as a set, so we've compared the weight of the main cup and lid set. Generally, titanium cookware wins . However, the one that undoubtedly catches the eye is the Evernew Ti U/L Deep Cookware RED . Its extraordinary lightness and thinness are immediately apparent when you hold it, and it's extremely appealing; aluminum cannot be made this thin to maintain its durability. However, it's a shame that there aren't many other positive aspects to praise about the Ti U/L Deep Cookware RED other than its incredible lightness.

Other notable aluminum products include the Uniflame Mountain Cooker Square 1 the PRIMUS Easy Cook Solo Set S (212g), which is compact and can be separated into two cups

Ease of cooking

The extent of cooking using a cooker will vary depending on the purpose and situation, so the importance of this item may vary from user to user. If you are aiming for a fast hike, you will only need to boil water, but if you plan to boil or fry ingredients, or even cook rice, for example, while camping, this item is extremely important

Ease of cooking can be somewhat subjective, but here we will focus on the following points in particular to make an as objective evaluation as possible

Surface resistance to burning

The resistance to burning varies greatly depending on the inner surface treatment. From the left: hard anodized (somewhat burns), ceramic baked coating (less likely to burn), titanium (more likely to burn), non-stick coating (less likely to burn)

Stability when the container is on fire

The top is the bottom surface with no processing, the bottom left is spiral processed, and the bottom right is ATS processed

Ease of gripping the handle and whether or not it has a cover

Although titanium has low thermal conductivity, the handles get hot while cooking and you'll need gloves. If they're covered with silicone or plastic, you can hold them with your bare hands while cooking, making them more comfortable

With or without spout

The top shelf has spouts on both sides, making it easy to pour out even small amounts of liquid (although it's a little hard to see)

Shape (shallow or deep)

The PRIMUS EasyCook NS Solo Set M and the Coleman PackAway Solo Cooker Set stood out for their overall quality in the above respects . What they all have in common is the excellent non-stick coating on the inside, the stability provided by the spiral processing on the bottom, the wide size that makes it easy to insert chopsticks, and the handle cover and spout that make it easy to hold without getting too hot .

Supplement: "Can you cook rice in a titanium cooktop?"

Nowadays, convenient methods such as instant rice and retort rice are available, but no matter what anyone says, freshly cooked rice in the mountains is always special. It used to be a given that you could cook rice in any old aluminum cooker, but did you know that these days there are some cookers that just won't cook rice?

A typical example is a titanium cooktop. Titanium is a material with very low thermal conductivity, so even when boiling, only the part of the pot that is in contact with the heat will boil, and the water and rice will not circulate around inside the pot. As a result, the rice in the part that is in contact with the heat will be burnt black. Of course, the rice itself will be cooked to the core. In the test, we had hoped that there might be some titanium cooktops that would cook well depending on the surface treatment, but although there were some cooktops that came close to success, the results were more or less disastrous..

This is a fairly successful example of a titanium cooker. The rice cooked well, but it still burned easily. It takes a lot of skill and dedication to cook delicious rice with a titanium cooker

However, the reason why it doesn't work is clear (although I haven't tried everything),

Use a gas stove that spreads the flame over the entire bottom of the cooker, rather than a stove that emits flames from a single point
Make sure the bottom of the cooker is not too wide so that there are no areas that are not exposed to the heat
While waiting for the rice to boil, open the lid and stir the rice to prevent it from touching the bottom
Wrap the cooker in a towel or similar to prevent the temperature from dropping while steaming over low heat

It requires a high level of skill and know-how (and cooking rice to perfection is even more difficult). However, it's not impossible, so I think it's worth the challenge for those with a knack for it. However, if you use an aluminum cooker with a non-stick coating, you can easily make delicious, chewy rice with a nice crust, and the inside of the cooker doesn't stick at all, so I personally recommend this for cooking rice

If you use a non-stick aluminum cooker, you can easily cook fluffy rice like this with a nice browned texture

Incidentally, apart from the ingredients, another thing to consider when cooking delicious rice is the shape of the lid. Lids with drainage holes (strainers) are not suitable for cooking rice, even if they are made of aluminum, as they allow moisture to escape. For this reason, if you are cooking rice in a cooker with such a lid, be sure to seal the holes in some way

Drainage holes (strainers) are useful in some ways, but you need to be careful when cooking rice

Durability

In terms of the materials themselves, titanium is harder, more resistant to rust, and more durable . However, in recent years, advances in surface processing technology (anodizing and hard anodizing) have made it possible to cover up the weaker durability of aluminum, so it doesn't seem like there's a huge difference. For this reason, the conclusion of this comparison is that there's no need to be too concerned about durability. While it's difficult to conduct special durability tests, our subjective evaluation is as follows:

Simple anodizing < Anodizing + ceramic baked coating = Hard anodizing < Titanium < Titanium + ceramic resin coating

Functionality

This section summarizes the general ease of use, including ease of use, storage, and convenient accessories, which have not been covered in the previous discussions (for example, as shown below)

Can the lid be used as a frying pan (can multiple cups be used)?
Scale display or not
Whether or not there is a drain hole (strainer)
Can it accommodate gas cartridges?
Practicality of the case and other accessories

The two notable examples here are the JETBOIL MiniMo and the GSI nForm Pinnacle Soloist . the JETBOIL series is that it offers a functional and streamlined system that integrates all the cooking tools you need, except for the fuel, from the gas stove to the cooktop and cups. This is only natural, then. The GSI nForm Pinnacle Soloist is also a wonderfully sophisticated integrated cooking system. It's compatible with any stove manufacturer, has a non-stick cooktop that's easy to use, and includes an included spork (a combined spoon and fork cutlery). As a standalone cooktop, it's just as high-quality as the JETBOIL

the Uniflame Mountain Cooker Square 1 , which is irreplaceable for those who love it I've reviewed this model , and I often take it with me on day trips to the mountains. Its square shape makes it easy to pack, and it can hold instant ramen noodles and is easy to cook in. Its unique ease of use has earned it many hidden fans, making it a cooker not to be missed from a functionality standpoint.

Extensibility

Whether the lineup includes models that are sized so that cookers can be stacked on top of each other for storage. In fact, depending on your purpose and desired style, this may not be necessary. However, for the average user who doesn't narrow down their purpose in detail and usually goes camping or hiking with one or two people, or in some cases with a large group, such a stackable model will allow for very smart packing in the future

The featured model here, the Evernew Aluminum Cookware series, has a familiar shape that has been around for over 20 years, and is reliably expandable, allowing you to stack everything from small 450ml pots to large 4000ml pots.So even if you start with a single-person size, you can later expand it to accommodate parties of four or six, as your mountaineering style changes.

All sizes of Evernew's aluminum cookware series are calculated so that they can be stacked neatly for storage, as shown in the photo

the EPI ATS Titanium Cooker TYPE-3M and the Evernew Titanium Cooker Deep Ceramic are noteworthy models that offer stacking systems on a small scale . By purchasing the next size larger model, these can be used for one or three people.

Comparison of this comparison

Finally, we will introduce the editorial team's recommended models for each scene, which were highlighted in this comparison test

A versatile cooker recommended for beginners and experts alike: PRIMUS Easy Cook NS Solo Set M

It received high marks in almost every category in this test, and although it's not particularly light, it's easy to use in every way, and above all, it's available at a relatively reasonable price, making it undoubtedly the best. There are many more expensive items that boast more advanced features, but overall, this is an excellent product with a high level of quality and perfection in every detail that far surpasses them. It's very appealing not only for non-experts, but especially for beginners, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to choose a cooker

Easy Cook NS Solo Set M

PRIMUS

3,240 yen

259g

Recommended for solo hikers: JETBOIL MiniMo / EPI ATS Titanium Cooker TYPE-3M

When we focus on the limited style of solo hiking, our perspective changes slightly. If we subtract "expandability" and "price" from this evaluation, these two items come in first and second. Many media outlets and users have reported that the JETBOIL MiniMo is an unparalleled model in terms of thermal efficiency, functionality, and refinement, and this review reaffirms that reputation. With just this one item, you're guaranteed unbeatable comfort when hiking alone in the snow-free season

JETBOIL MiniMO

JETBOIL

19,440 yen

310g

Another product we'd like to mention is the EPI ATS Titanium Cooker TYPE-3 M, a clever item that combines the lightness of titanium with the ability to overcome its weak point, poor thermal efficiency. This is what sets it apart from other titanium products and earned it such high praise this time around. Its simple and functional usability even evokes a sense of functional beauty, stripped away from all unnecessary elements

ATS Titanium Cooker TYPE-3M

EPI

6,372 yen

183g

Essential for multi-person mountain climbing parties: EVERNEW Aluminum Cookpot L

This product has been around for a long time. It doesn't have any particularly outstanding features, and it's made of traditional materials and has a traditional shape (although there have been repeated changes in the finer details). However, that's precisely why it's so easy to use and extremely reliable. While we didn't feature other companies' large pot products this time, if you're looking for a cooker for a large group of people, you can't go wrong with this series, which is widely used by university mountaineering clubs and adult mountaineering clubs

Aluminum Cookware L

Evernew

6,480 yen

675g

Don't miss out on the ease of cooking and ease of use: Uniflame Mountain Cooker Square 1

While it's true that the weight and thermal efficiency aren't outstanding in terms of numerical performance, I can't help but recommend this one for its ease of use and ease of cooking (and its reasonable price) (please see this review ). I'd be lying if I said it had no quirks, but it certainly has its own unique merits that can't be compared with detailed figures. When you actually use it, you'll feel that (for those who are into it) it has a value on a different level from the current competition to get down to every gram and kilocalorie. Incidentally, I personally use the "Mountain Cooker Square 2," a more versatile version of this series that comes as a set of two cookers, one large and one small.

Mountain Cooker Square Type 1

Uniflame

2,800 yen

212g

Mountain Cooker Square Type 2

Uniflame

4,600 yen

343g