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Fozzils Duet Eating Set
TEST SERIES BY LARRY KIRSCHNER
INITIAL REPORT - April 4, 2010
FIELD REPORT - June 12, 2010
LONG TERM REPORT - August 22, 2010
TESTER INFORMATION
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NAME:
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Larry Kirschner
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EMAIL:
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asklarry98 at hotmail dot com
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AGE:
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46
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LOCATION:
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Columbus, OH
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GENDER:
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M
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HEIGHT:
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5' 9" (1.75 m)
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WEIGHT:
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205 lb (92 kg)
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I've been an intermittent camper/paddler since my teens, but now that my kids are avid Boy Scouts,
I've caught the backpacking bug. I typically do 8-10 weekend hikes per year, and have spent time over
the past few years backpacking the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico and canoeing the Atikaki wilderness of
Canada. I like to travel "in comfort", but I've shrunk to medium weight, and continue to work toward going
lighter and longer. With all of my investment into these ventures, I expect my wife and I will continue to trek
long after the kids are gone…
INITIAL REPORT
April 4, 2010
PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Fozzils
Year of Manufacture: 2010
Country of Manufacture: China
Manufacturer's Website: www.fozzils.com
MSRP: N/A
Measurements
ENTIRE SET:
As shown in the photo at the top, this consists of 2 spoons, 2 cups, 2 bowls, 2 dishes, and the storage folder, shown at the upper left of the picture.
Listed weight: N/A
Measured weight: 332.0 g (11.7 oz)
Listed dimensions: 285 x 240 mm (11.2 x 9.5 in)
Measured dimensions: 285 x 240 mm (11.2 x 9.5 in), Depth 0.5 in (1.2 cm)
SPOON:
Listed weight: 8 g (0.3 oz)
Measured weight: 8 g (0.3 oz)
Measured dimensions flat: 6.8 x 16 cm (2.7 x 6.3 in)
Measured dimensions assembled: 17 mm (0.6 in)
CUP:
Listed weight: 32 g (1.1 oz)
Measured weight: 32.1 g (1.1 oz)
Measured dimensions flat: 23.8 x 20.5 cm (9.4 x 8.1 in) (widest points)
Measured dimensions assembled: 10.5 x 12.2 x 8.6 cm (4.1 x 4.8 x 3.4 in)
BOWL:
Listed weight: 37 g
Measured weight: 38.8 g
Measured dimensions flat: 25.4 x 22.8 cm (10.0 x 9.0 in)
Measured dimensions assembled: 13.6 x 15.5 x 8.6 cm (5.4 x 6.1 x 3.4 in)
DISH:
Listed weight: 39 g
Measured weight: 39.2 g
Measured dimensions flat: 25.4 x 22.2 cm (10.0 x 8.7 in)
Measured dimensions assembled: 19.4 x 18.6 x 5.0 cm (7.6 x 7.3 x 2.0 in)
ITEM DESCRIPTION
The Fozzils Duet is a set of eating ware for 2 people, consisting of a pair of color-coded cups, bowls,
spoons, and dishes. One set of dishes is bright orange, and the other is light blue, so there would never be any confusion about whose is whose. The dishes are made from "high quality, recyclable, polypropylene" according to the website. This enables a product that is reported to be "non-stick, odor free, easy [to] clean" and free of BPA.
The premise of Fozzils products is to produce eating ware that can be stored and carried flat, in order
to reduce weight and enhance their packability for the trail. To achieve this, each piece comes as a
flattened sheet of plastic scored to indicate the fold lines. The corners have plastic snaps and
corresponding holes which allow the various pieces to be assembled in an intuitive manner.
The snaps are
set up so that each piece can only be assembled in a specific orientation, and there are 4 snaps on each
of the dishes and 2 on the spoon. However, just in case it isn't clear enough, each sheet is also
subtly marked "This side out" somewhere on the outside.
The bowl, cup, and spoon have the Fozzils logo
emblazoned on the side that is the outside when assembled. There is also a small version of the logo on
one edge of each piece. These are printed to allow the flattened sheets to be stored in the same
direction.
Because each piece is assembled for a flat sheet, the upper edges of each piece are rounded, and the
bottom is flat enough to rest comfortably on a flat surface. The dish has a line on the wall indicating
the maximum fill amount. This is done in order to prevent the level of liquid from reaching the snaps,
which would lead to leakage of any liquids. The cup and bowl do not have such lines. The cup is rated
to hold 11.8 oz (350 ml) and the bowl 20.5 oz (600 ml).
The folding of the dishes is rather intuitive, although the arrangement of the spoon is slightly more
complicated in order to produce a spoon-shaped utensil from a flat piece of plastic.
The set comes in a clear plastic storage sheet which is really a folder with a pocket on each side in
which to place the dishes.
On the outside of the folder is a description of the set and a matching
Fozzils logo to indicate the orientation for the pieces being stored. The back of the folder has
instructions (in English and French) and some instructions. The folder has snaps at the top and bottom
of the open side so that it stays closed. There are also plastic grommets at the top and bottom, which
I suppose could be used to run a string through them if I wanted to hang this off the back of my pack.
INSTRUCTIONS AND WARRANTY
The instructions, noted on the back of the storage folder, indicate that the dishes should be washed
before using. The text also indicates that the products should be properly assembled before using, and
not disassembled during use. There is also a caution not to allow liquids to reach the levels of the
snaps. There is a caution that "hot food or liquids will soften [the] product". No instructions for
dishwashing (including whether or not the pieces can be placed in a dishwasher) are included. It is
noted in the FAQ on the website that the products are safe up to 110 C (230 F), which should be fine
for most dishwashers.
TRYING IT OUT
The Fozzils Duet arrived in a postal envelope, so it was a bit of a surprise when I opened the package
to reveal the gear. I removed everything from the package and started assembling each of the pieces. It
was very easy to figure everything out in terms of how to assemble everything. As suggested by the
manufacturer, pre-folding the plastic along the score lines made folding the pieces easier. I snapped
the pieces together, and they seemed sturdy without signs that they might come apart. I decided to put
the set aside as I had company that day, so I unsnapped everything and put it back in the plastic
storage folder. However, the unusual appearance of the Fozzils pieces naturally draws the eyes, so I
had people pulling them out, and snapping and unsnapping them all day. Fortunately, the snaps show no
sign of wear.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS and EXPECTATIONS
So far, my impression of the Fozzils eating set is quite positive. I love the concept of these pieces-no
more trying to figure out how to pack my bowl to minimize the room it takes up. Plus, these are so
light, I predict carrying will be a breeze. I'm a little concerned about how thin the plastic is,
meaning I'm worried how well the Fozzils bowl and cup will do with hot food. Hopefully, nothing will
melt, and I won't burn my hands if holding them. I will see how this goes during the test. I'm also not
sure I need three all three pieces to eat (cup/bowl/spoon), but given the low weight, it may not be an
issue at all.
THE STORY SO FAR
Impressive
- Flat eating gear-what a cool concept!
- Very lightweight
- Easy to put together and take apart
Concerns
- How will they handle hot food and drink?
- How easy is it to keep these clean on the trail if I am stacking them together to carry?
Back to TOP
FIELD REPORT
June 12, 2010
FIELD CONDITIONS
During the Field Report phase, I have used the Fozzils on 2 weekend outings. The first weekend,
in the beginning of May, was a car camping trip in central Ohio. The second weekend was a backpacking
trip to the Wayne National Forest on the Symmes Creek Trail, near Rio Grande, Ohio. Both trips began
Friday evening after dinner and ended after breakfast on Sunday morning.
FIELD EXPERIENCE
After washing the Fozzils at home, I took the set with me for the first time in early May. For this
trip, I primarily used the cup, the plate, and the spoon. I used the orange set of dishes while the
fabulous Mrs. K used the blue set.
The menu for the weekend included scrambled eggs and coffee cake for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch,
and fajitas for dinner. Dessert was angel food cake with fruit, demonstrating that my car camping menus
tend to be quite eclectic. We had bagels and cream cheese for Sunday morning breakfast. All of this
food was eaten using the plate. I also tested out the cup, drinking orange juice with breakfast and hot
tea with dinner and dessert.
Here, we were actually using the set to have "tea for two"!
The plate worked fine for all of these meals, including the scrambled eggs and coffee cake I am enjoying in
this photo.
Cleaning the plate was quite easy, as I merely unsnapped
the corners and licked it clean. The cup also functioned admirably, although I confess that there is not
a lot of insulation in the cup. When I tried drinking hot tea, it was pretty hot on my hands.
On the second trip in mid-May, I brought the whole set in its folder but only used my set, since my wife
decided to bring her own dishes. Anyway, on this trip, I pretty much exclusively used the bowl. Since
this was a backpacking trip, breakfast and lunch the first day were cold. For dinner, we had macaroni
and cheese with chicken, which went well in the bowl. For breakfast on Sunday, I had my favorite
oatmeal/hot cocoa combination, which I also ate out of the bowl. I particularly like it when the hot
cocoa has mini-marshmallows!
Again, cleaning the bowl and spoon was a snap
WEAR AND TEAR
I have not noticed any real problems with the Fozzils so far, although I will point out that I had some
trouble getting the snaps to stay together on the second trip. This might have been due to the fact that
I hadn't used the bowl before. The folder is holding up admirably so far as a place to store the whole kit
and caboodle.
FIELD IMPRESSIONS
To date, I like the Fozzils. As enumerated above, I have used each of the pieces and haven't
found any problems using the various components.
They are particularly easy to lick clean, which is my preferred cleaning method on the trail. I also have
begun to appreciate the fact that flat kitchen ware packs very nicely in my backpack. Due to space
problems caused by a bulky pot, I didn't use the hydration sleeve in my pack for water, so that
proved to be an excellent place to store the Fozzils.
Back to Top
LONG-TERM REPORT
August 22, 2010
FIELD CONDITIONS
For the LTR, I took the Fozzils set on another 2-day backpacking trip in mid-August, this time on the Twin Valley Backpacking Trail in Germantown,
Ohio. Weather on this trip was very nice, with highs around 84 F (29 C) and overnight lows around 64 F (18 C). I took the set with me on an my trip to
Fort AP Hill, in Bowling Green, Virginia, in late July-early August, but I didn't use them on that
trip. They did get to spend the 2 weeks in my car, though, with outside temperatures reaching over 106 F (41 C).
All told, I have used the Fozzils set on 3 trips, totaling 8 days in the field. Plus, they have also spent 2 weeks in my car with plenty of heat and humidity.
FIELD EXPERIENCE
On the final trip, my wife and I took the Fozzils Duet set for our dishes/cups. As before, I stored the set flat in the hydration pocket of my
backpack, because there wasn't enough room in there for my hydration bladder. On this trip, we only had one hot meal, which was a dinner of spaghetti and
chicken with red sauce. To eat this delicacy, I used the bowl and the spoon. I initially had some trouble getting the spaghetti with the spoon,
but I was able to manage with some practice. Of course, since I normally only carry a spoon anyway, I have had plenty of practice in this technique.
When I was finished with eating, I unfolded the snaps and licked the spoon and the bowl completely clean.
I mentioned the fact that the Fozzils got to spend 2 weeks in my car, with temperatures outside over 106 F (41 C). Inside the car, I'm sure the
temperatures reached well over 120 F (49 C), because the interior of my canvas tent surpassed this mark. Despite this extreme temperature, there
were no ill effects on the Fozzils that I could notice.
As of this writing, the plastic of the Fozzils set shows essentially no wear. There are no scratches or other defects visible. The snaps still
work well, and do a solid job of holding the sides together. They also remain easy to un-snap when I am putting them away.
SUMMARY
Overall, I like the ingenuity of the Fozzils set, and the fact that everything packs flat is terrific. However, I think the set as constituted is
excessive. I plan to continue to use the Fozzils for my backpacking trips, but only in part. My current plan is to take only the bowl with me, and
leave everything else at home. I don't see a need for a plate and a bowl, so the plate stays home. If I really need a flatter surface, I can
always unsnap the sides of the bowl and use it that way. I don't like the Fozzils cup as much as I like my plastic cup-the Fozzils is smaller and less
stable. Plus, I don't have to worry about overfilling my old cup. Finally, I will leave the folder at home in order to save weight. A Ziploc
bag will work just fine to store the bowl and will weigh less. Plus, by carrying only 1 piece of the set, I will avoid the concern I have about
the fact that the dishes in the Fozzils set lay on each other, meaning that 1 dirty plate will rapidly become 2 (or more).
Things I liked about the Fozzils:
- Ingenious and functional design
- Lightweight
- Flat, and therefore easily packable
- Durable
Things I disliked about the Fozzils:
- Too many pieces includes extra weight
- Folder also adds extra weight
This concludes my report on the Fozzils Duet Eating Set. My thanks once again to
Fozzils for providing this equipment for testing, and to BackpackGearTest.org
for allowing me to participate in the evaluation process.
-larry kirschner
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Read more reviews of Fozzils gear
Read more gear reviews by Larry Kirschner
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