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Reviews > Cook and Food Storage Gear > Cook Sets > REI Ti Ware .9 L Pot > Owner Review by Steven M Kidd
REI TI WARE NONSTICK TITANIUM POT - 0.9 LITER
January 27, 2010
TESTER INFORMATION
Backpacking Background: I've been a backpacker on and off for over 25 years. I backpacked as a Boy Scout, and then again almost every month in my twenties, while packing an average weight of 50+ lbs (23+kg). In the last two years I have gained a renewed enthusiasm for the back country. I generally go on one or two night outings and now try to average a 30 lb (14 kg) pack. PRODUCT INFORMATION
FIELD USE
FIELD CONDITIONS: OBSERVATIONS: After embarking on a goal to cut weight, the Ti Ware pot was one of my first weight saving purchases. It replaced my previous cook kit, a World War II stainless steel military mess kit circa 1944, which I had used since my Scouting days. Interestingly, the entire Ti Ware pot weighed less than the lid alone of the old kit. This pot is certainly much lighter, but I never feared cooking on open flame or beating my old kit against a rock to remove the lid. Although titanium is a strong metal, I doubted I would be treating this pot in a similar fashion.
On my first cooking experience I decided to make a Tuna Helper kit, as I had done in my old mess kit numerous times. The amount of water and ingredients for the meal exceeded the 0.9 L (30.4 fl oz) size of the pot. Rather than halving the portions, I proceeded to cook the entire meal. In overfilling the pot and not properly controlling the flame setting on the MSR stove I ended up with tuna and noodles stuck to my new 'nonstick' pot. So on a cold night with a temperature around 34 F (1 C) I made my way to a creek with a green scouring pad for a cleaning job. It took five to ten minutes to loosen the residue and scrub the pot clean. To my surprise the nonstick coating was not damaged by my initial mistreatment of the pot. Most often I boil water in the pot to add to dehydrated meals or for coffee. Though I rarely boil this much, it will boil right at 1 liter (33.8 oz) in five to seven minutes using either of my stoves when the lid is secured. I have cooked other meals in the pot, ranging from oatmeal to Raman Noodles. After using the pot as an eating container, it can easily be wiped clean with a damp rag or handkerchief leaving little to no residue. After having cooked approximately forty meals in the pot, I see no compromise in the silicon ceramic coating. It always comes clean when I return home from the field, and save some scorch marks on the bottom it is hard to tell the pot has been used. The silicone handles make grabbing it while hot safe, and they have never had an adverse reaction to open flame. The lid handle is also handily silicone wrapped as well. The pot itself cools very quickly after being removed from a flame. I can easily eat from the pot within a minute or two after cooking. The 5.6 in (142 mm) diameter base has made it quite stable for both stoves. I've never experienced a balance issue while cooking with it. REI makes several sizes of the Ti Ware pot and a cook set, but I've found this an ideal size for solo one-piece-fits-all use. I can cook with it, boil water and eat right out of the pot comfortably. The only size drawback I could foresee would be attempting to fry with this pot. I've fashioned a homemade windscreen for my Snow Peak Giga Power stove from an aluminum pie pan based on the schematics of their stainless steel version. This nests perfectly in the bottom of the pot. The stove and a folding spork also easily fit inside as well. I typically store some coffee in a Ziploc bag while it is in my pack, so these items don't rattle around inside the pot on the trail.
My only negative statement concerning the vessel is the one and only right handed pour spout. I made notice of it when I first purchased it, and have found it to be somewhat of an inconvenience in the field. In order to pour water into a dehydrated meal pouch or a coffee mug, I have to either pour with my right hand (again, I am left handed) or awkwardly attempt to do so by pouring away from myself with my dominate hand. This may seem like a minor inconvenience for the average user, but has caused me more than one spill to date. It doesn't seem that it would be too difficult for the manufacturer to stamp a pour spout on both sides of the pot without adding undo weight. SUMMARY
In conclusion, I've found the REI Ti Ware pot to be both lightweight and durable, as variety of meals and drinks can be quickly prepared and eaten right out of the pot itself. I foresee it being my only needed piece of cookware for the distant future. The only key improvement I would suggest to the makers would be to place a pour spout on both sides of the pot. THINGS I LIKE
Lightweight THINGS I DON'T LIKE Lack of a pour spout on both sides SIGNATURE Steven M. Kidd This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1.5 Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.Read more reviews of REI gear Read more gear reviews by Steven M Kidd Reviews > Cook and Food Storage Gear > Cook Sets > REI Ti Ware .9 L Pot > Owner Review by Steven M Kidd |