Got a few bits of kit from that dreaded place recently (ebay for the uninitiated) - give me something to play with whilst off work!
The first was a stainless steel alcohol stove with its own stand - see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230900484478?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
THis is not lightweight, but puts out some serious heat, and is really sturdy and nicely designed - even down to having the legs using springs and detents to fold in/out! Comes in a nice little bag as well. THe top acts as a snuffer, but won't seal the container to allow you to travel with alcohol in the stove. It is however easy to pour unused fuel back into your fuel bottle from the burner. Cost just over £13 including delivery. And lets not forget its also shiny
next is a folding pot/pan set, which works really well with the above burner/stove (which also fits inside the pot/pan set with room to spare). http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310297668612?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 I did a "make an offer" bid of £9 delivered, and got it for that. Pot holds 900ml, lid/pan holds 340 ml, and can double up as a cup (tested this with a nice cuppa - works really well, although lip is a bit hot at first)
A measured 500 ml (or two cups, as our Colonial colleagues say ) of cold water from the tap (currently snow on ground, so water really cold) - boiled in this pan on the above alcohol stove in exactly 6 minutes (hard rolling boil) - not too shabby.
Last is a copy of the Primus Eta pots with the built-in heat exchanger on the bottom - see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120713429084?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 This is a 1.7 litre pot with a lid/frying pan. Frying pan is a nice useable size too, although haven't used it as such yet, so can't comment on the efficiency of the hard anodizing or its non-stickability! Currently for sale at £19.99 on ebay including delivery, but always worth making an offer.
Just for fun, I tried boiling the 500ml of very cold tap water in this - firstly on the alcohol stove discussed above -then on a Primus Multi-fuel stove burning white gas (Aspen 4). THe alcohol stove boiled again in exactly 6 minutes (the pan is more efficient, but has a greater mass to warm up than the smaller stove above, which I'm assuming accounts for the similar boil times).
The Primus multi-fuel stove results were atonishing. Despite chilling the pan down to tap-water temp by running water into it repeatedly, it managed to boil - hard-rolling boil - the 500 ml in this pan in 2 minutes dead. So chalk one up to the eficiency of these heat-exchanger pans! Whilst boil times aren't really of key importance to me personally, it does tend to indicate the efficiency of the burner and/or the pans. Which means better use of fuel, which is good news!
The first was a stainless steel alcohol stove with its own stand - see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230900484478?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
THis is not lightweight, but puts out some serious heat, and is really sturdy and nicely designed - even down to having the legs using springs and detents to fold in/out! Comes in a nice little bag as well. THe top acts as a snuffer, but won't seal the container to allow you to travel with alcohol in the stove. It is however easy to pour unused fuel back into your fuel bottle from the burner. Cost just over £13 including delivery. And lets not forget its also shiny
next is a folding pot/pan set, which works really well with the above burner/stove (which also fits inside the pot/pan set with room to spare). http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/310297668612?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 I did a "make an offer" bid of £9 delivered, and got it for that. Pot holds 900ml, lid/pan holds 340 ml, and can double up as a cup (tested this with a nice cuppa - works really well, although lip is a bit hot at first)
A measured 500 ml (or two cups, as our Colonial colleagues say
) of cold water from the tap (currently snow on ground, so water really cold) - boiled in this pan on the above alcohol stove in exactly 6 minutes (hard rolling boil) - not too shabby.Last is a copy of the Primus Eta pots with the built-in heat exchanger on the bottom - see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120713429084?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 This is a 1.7 litre pot with a lid/frying pan. Frying pan is a nice useable size too, although haven't used it as such yet, so can't comment on the efficiency of the hard anodizing or its non-stickability! Currently for sale at £19.99 on ebay including delivery, but always worth making an offer.
Just for fun, I tried boiling the 500ml of very cold tap water in this - firstly on the alcohol stove discussed above -then on a Primus Multi-fuel stove burning white gas (Aspen 4). THe alcohol stove boiled again in exactly 6 minutes (the pan is more efficient, but has a greater mass to warm up than the smaller stove above, which I'm assuming accounts for the similar boil times).
The Primus multi-fuel stove results were atonishing. Despite chilling the pan down to tap-water temp by running water into it repeatedly, it managed to boil - hard-rolling boil - the 500 ml in this pan in 2 minutes dead. So chalk one up to the eficiency of these heat-exchanger pans! Whilst boil times aren't really of key importance to me personally, it does tend to indicate the efficiency of the burner and/or the pans. Which means better use of fuel, which is good news!
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