Reviews > Cook Gear > Cook Sets > AntiGravityGear Mamas Kitchen Cookset > Andrew Priest > Long Term Report

Testing Location(s):

The hiking environment of the South West of Western Australia allows for hiking and backpacking from coastal plains to forested ranges. Elevation ranges from 0 to 585 metres (0 to 1,920 feet). Within this region, I hike in varying conditions from forestry roads, to sandy tracks to single-purpose walking trails, to rock hopping, to beach walking to completely off-track walking through open and dense country.

During my extended Field Testing period I have used the 3 cup pot set on 54 days during my sojourn (end to end) of the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia.  This has exposed the pot set to extensive testing in the field, as the pot was used at breakfast, on all these days. In addition it was also used at lunch, dinner and often intermediate "tea" sessions on the majority of these days.

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Weather Conditions:

During the summer period, daytime temperatures average 30 C (86 F), whereas from March through to December the daytime average temperatures range from 15 C to 26 C (59 F to 79 F). During the autumn (fall), winter, and spring periods the normal weather pattern is fairly wet with frequent heavy rainstorms evident. It does not normally snow in Western Australia.

According to The Times Atlas of the World (Concise Edition - Revised 1997) our weather is described as being "Mediterranean - rainy climates with mild winters, coolest month above 0° C (32° F), but below 18° C (64.4° F); warmest month above 10° C (50° F)." The atlas depicts the coastal area north of Los Angeles as having the same climate.

The weather during this testing period covered the ambient of weather conditions to be encountered in the south-west of Western Australian including days and days of rain and gale force winds. Apparently the Roaring 40s (trade winds) have chosen this year to return!  It should be noted that the 3 cup pot set was used with two exceptions within the confines of a Bibbulmun Track three-sided shelter and therefore was not exposed to the full force of the elements.

Report Comments:

As indicated in my Field Report, due to my decision to limit the field testing phase to the 3 cup pot set, my focus in this long term testing phase has been the 2 quart pot set. However, I have also continued to use the 3 cup pot set.  

In my Initial Report I noted a few points as a result of initial inspection and also testing points.  Each of these points is summarised below along with further comment as a result of my long term testing.

• Storage of metal items in the pot.  As I indicated in my Initial Report, I was concerned about the possible damage from the storage of metal objects in the pot during transit.  Therefore I changed my packing strategy, avoiding storing metal items in the pot.  At the end of testing, I have no evidence of damage to the interior of the pot, but I have not stored metal objects, such as my stove in the pot.

• Pot grips. As stated in my Initial Report, I have not been able to use the pot grips supplied. This situation never changed over the test period. Throughout the test, I continued to use another brand of pot grips.

• "D-ring" handles on lids are very small and fiddly.  I found the D-ring handle initially ok on the 3 cup pot set. However, once I started experiencing the tight fit of the lid, the handle was insufficient to allow the application of force to remove the lid from the pot. In these circumstances I normally made use of pocket knife to pry the lid free from the pot. By the finish of my end to end of the Bibbulmun Track, the D-ring had gone missing from the lid.  I had a similar experience with the 2 quart pot's D-ring. I find it gets very hot, and therefore difficult to handle. I have found that I have had to use a stick, pot gripper or something else to get the lid off. This bothers me, as I feel that it makes using  the pot dangerous, particularly if the lid is on tight or has "sealed." 

• The pot cozy does appear vulnerable to damage in the rough tumble of my pack.  The 3-cup pot cozy has stood up well to six months of use, including  54 days on the Bibbulmun Track. Life in the rough and tumble of my pack has damaged it, but not to the point where it is no longer effective. It does show signs of wear where the cozy folds over the lip of the stove and does appear to have shrunk a small amount or worn away around the top edge.  The cozy no longer folds over the edge of the pot.  It is also now starting to flake. I find that I sometimes get bits of "foil" in the pot/meals/water. As this is a disposable item, I am quite impressed with its durability.

•  Resistance to flame in an open fire cooking environment (less controlled). I used the 3 cup pot once in an open flame environment.  The pot did not like this!  It appears that the heat absorbed by the bars on the grill transferred to the pot to melt the pot coating. The heat may have also deformed the pot, but I am not sure about this.  I did note that about 10 days after using the pot on the fire, that the lid started to be a tighter fit, that the pot seemed to have lost some of its round shape and that the pot was no longer sitting firmly on the stove's pot supports.  Whether this was a result of the fire or just life in my pack, I cannot verify. What it does mean is that I now have to take care, to ensure the pot is safely positioned on my stove. I can recall two incidents where the pot slipped off. Thankfully no one was burnt.

• Cooking off the flame.  My experience cooking pasta as reported in my Initial Report has been extended to other meals, e.g., rice and I have continued to find that the cook in the cozy concept to be a very effective and efficient way to cook foods. I have used this method throughout my end to end without hassle.  I have become an expert at getting the food out of the pot while it is in the cozy to my bowl without spilling it. Amazing what you can do with a spoon!  Over the length of my Bibbulmun Track walk I used one less 450 g (16 oz) gas canister than I anticipated.  My budget for gas was based on a consumption rate of 50 g (2 oz)  per day which was reflective of my experience prior to using the Mama's Kitchen Cook Set and of a year or so use of my stove.  I attribute the saving in gas to the cook set, as my meals where pretty standard fare for me.

• Cleaning.  I have found the pot to be very easy to clean and that ingredients, in the main, do not stick to the pot surface.  The only exception has been where I have added milk powder to the meal or water. Where milk powder has been included in the cooking process, I generally found it necessary to clean the pot with a cloth. Otherwise it was generally a simple process of rinsing and using my fingers to remove materials from the surface.  Conclusion? Easy to clean, non-stick surface which continues to be effective. 
   
• Additional comments specific to the 2 quart pot.   I used the 2 quart pot on a trip to Prickly Bark campsite in October 2003.  When I filled the pot with six cups of water (pretty much the pot's capacity) it fell off the stove twice. I did not note any external influence which may have caused the pot to slip-off.  From my observations, I concluded that the problem seems to be (a) material that the pot is coated in - makes the pot very slippery and (b) the indentation in the base which is smaller than the stove supports on my MSR Superfly.  I did find that when I reduced the volume of water to three cups, thus doing two boils the stability was improved to the extent the pot did not fall off. This slipping off problem really limited the effectiveness of this pot for me.

In summary what do I like and dislike about the Antigravity Mama's Kitchen Cook set?

• Positives
  • The cook in a cozy approach is saving me money! I am using less gas per day than my earlier cooking style;
  • Durability of the interior of the pot;
  • Lightweight.
• Negatives
  • Found the D-ring handle to not be sufficient to allow application of force. It has now worked loose and fallen off the lid.
  • Distortion of the pot. Lid no longer fits properly;
  • The pot does not sit on my pot stands squarely.  Care needs to be taken to ensure the pot does not slide off the stove. Found the risk of the 2 quart pot slipping to high to continue use.

Overall I do like the 3 cup pot and will continue to use, particularly because of the pot-cozy arrangement.  

In conclusion, my thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and AntiGravityGear for being able to participate in this test.

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Reviews > Cook Gear > Cook Sets > AntiGravityGear Mamas Kitchen Cookset > Andrew Priest > Long Term Report