Not sure what a Lipton side dish is, but you can cook comfortably for one person with a good appetite, one grown up and a child easily, two adults would need to fight over the food but it would still be enough! They are a good solo pot IMO, giving you flexibility to make a large stew of sorts and have it for two meals perhaps, just leave it high over the fire to keep it warm and it will be good for later. As for how much water you can boil, fill it up. It'll boil eventually!