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Mama's Kitchen Cook Set by AntiGravityGear
Field Report - September 7, 2003
Contents
Reviewer Information [return to top]
Name: Chuck Kime
Nickname: Fuzzy
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Height: 5'8" (1.72 m)
Weight: 229 lb (104 kg)
Email address: ckime AT nelsononline DOT com
City, State, Country: Norwood (Philadelphia suburb), PA, U.S.A.
Date: September 7, 2003
Product Information [return to top]
Manufacturer: AntiGravityGear
Model: Mama's Kitchen Cook Set
Year of Manufacture: 2003
URL: http://www.antigravitygear.com
Listed weight: 14.4 oz (408 g) total
Measured weight: 14.3 oz (405 g), scale accurate to 0.1 oz
MSRP: $49.95 USD
Features (from web site) [return to top]
- 2 Quart pot w/ lid - 5.9 oz.
- 2 Quart pot cozy - 1.4 oz.
- 3 Cup pot w/ lid - 3.8 oz.
- 3 Cup pot cozy - 1.0 oz.
- Clamp Handle for the pots - 1.4 oz.
- A "Tin Man" alcohol stove - .4 oz.
- Windscreen - .8 oz.
Description [return to top]
AntiGravityGear has some of the best, most detailed photos of gear I have seen on a website. Any details I may have missed in my descriptions should be readily answered by simply visiting their site.
Mama’s Kitchen consists of two pots with lids, two cozies with lids (one for each pot), and a clamp handle (pot lifter). I am testing the set with the optional Tin Man alcohol stove and windscreen. Both pots are constructed of lightweight aluminum with a non-stick coating inside and out. The lip on each pot is rolled outward to prevent getting food, or other material, stuck under the lip. The pot lids are made from uncoated aluminum with fold-down wire handles, and rest on top of the pot rather than wrapping slightly down the sides. The cozies are fabricated from “very light weight foil backed insulation” and foil tape, and are designed with the upper edge extending above the lid so it may be folded over the lid for sealing during use. The stove is a relatively standard two-wall soda-can (Pepsi in my case, although AntiGravityGear uses various other beverages, depending on availability) design, with “manufacturer” information engraved on the bottom – something I missed on first examination. The windscreen is made from lightweight uncoated aluminum and, when in use, is slightly larger around than the large pot. All of the components nest within one another, providing a relatively compact cook set, especially considering everything that is included.
For a more detailed description of Mama’s Kitchen, including individual weights and measurements, please see my Initial Report.
Field Testing [return to top]
I have been testing Mama’s Kitchen on Boy Scout troop or leader training camping outings. I also spent a week in late July at Philmont Scout Ranch, elevation 6,500’ - 12,441' (1,981 m - 3,792 m), that culminated in a summit attempt on Pikes Peak, elevation 14,110’ (4,301 m). While my son and I didn’t manage to hike to the summit, the cook set did allow a nice lunch of Ramen noodles with crackers at 10,200’ (3,109 m) before the hike back down. Side note: if you are unaccustomed to altitude, believe the guides when they say to plan for two days on Pikes Peak – we only managed 1 mph (1.6 kph) on the way up.
In rather un-scientific testing, I brought 2 cups (473 ml) of water to boil in the small pot in about 5 minutes, using ¾ oz (23 ml) of fuel, then dumped in a package of Ramen noodles and set it in the cozy. About 4 minutes later the noodles were fully rehydrated and ready to go, if not actually too hot to eat right away. This was done twice – once per pack of noodles – in a controlled environment (preparing Saturday’s dinner in our hotel room in Colorado Springs, practicing for our hike the next day), and twice on a rock at the fire ring at Barr Camp on Pikes Peak for Sunday’s lunch. I did find it rather difficult at lunch time – bright sun that day – to determine whether the stove was still lit or not, until my weary brain (I had been up since 3:00 am and was hungry) hit upon the idea of poking a small stick between the pot and windscreen to see if it flared. When the flame went out, I was able to use the same stick to lift the lid off of the pot to add the noodles. Multi-use from a found object – cool.
I am/will be testing/evaluating the following items:
- Boil times for a given (identical) quantity of water in each pot on the “Tin Man” stove. Variables will include quantity of water, height of pot above stove (from zero to ??) and amount of fuel used. This will be to determine which combination will be best for each situation. Additionally, I will compare the results from Mama’s Kitchen to my existing set-up, and also use my homemade pot stand (cut-down fruit can) with each test combination. Note: I may skip the pot stand – based on an email from Tin Man – and just set the pots directly on the stove.
- Size of meals that can be prepared in each pot. My son (12 years old) also attends these outings, and may be joining me when I hike without the troop. While we (leaders) usually try to get the boys fed first, so we can prepare and eat our meals in peace (yeah… right), I think it would be nice for my son and I to eat together when it is just the two of us. I will cook a variety of meals – including oatmeal, Ramen noodles, and some dehydrated stews and pasta meals – to try to find a functional limit to the set.
- Effectiveness of the cozy(s). How hot will they keep food for how long? Will it be enough to fully prepare the meals I am making?
- Effectiveness of the windscreen with different pot diameters. How adjustable is the windscreen, and how well does it pack into the set?
- Cleanability. With the lip on each pot rolled out instead of in, and a non-stick coating, there should be very little clean-up necessary besides a wipe and rinse after each use.
- Packability. I keep my current pot inside a cut-off 1-gallon (3.8 liter) plastic milk jug, which serves as a wash basin. I am interested to see if Mama’s Kitchen will fit inside my sink. :-)
My findings so far:
- Packability: The complete set does not quite fit in my wash basin. However, if I bring just the small pot and cozy, with the windscreen wrapped around the outside, everything fits together quite nicely.
- Cleanability: A little water and a small piece of paper towel (from my hygiene kit) are sufficient to wipe out the pot in the field. Dish soap can be used when I get to town for a more thorough cleaning.
- Windscreen: The windscreen fits nicely between the large cozy and large pot. As the fit between the small pot and small cozy is a little tighter, I prefer to wrap the windscreen around the outside of the small cozy (inside my wash basin) when I am carrying only the small pot.
- Effectiveness of the cozy(s): After 4-5 minutes in the cozy, the Ramen noodles were still too hot to eat, but otherwise fully prepared.
- Size of meals: The small pot is large enough for a single serving of Ramen noodles or oatmeal, but I would hesitate to put anything larger in, since the noodles bring the water level pretty close to the top of the pot.
- Boil times: As seen in the table below, boil times didn't seem to vary from one pot to the other, or amount of fuel used, but did change relatively predictably with an increase in water being heated. Experience tells me that boil times will increase when the set is exposed to colder and/or windier conditions, but should decrease somewhat with the use of a windscreen and/or pot lid, neither of which I used so that I could observe the water.
Heating Water - Comparative Results
| Variables |
|
Times |
| Water |
Fuel |
Pot |
|
Pot On |
Bubbles S/H |
Full Boil |
Total Burn |
|
Boil Time |
|
8 oz
(240 ml) |
½ oz (15 ml) |
Sml |
|
0:45 |
2:30/2:35 |
3:35 |
5:35 |
|
2:00 |
| Lg |
|
0:45 |
2:25/2:30 |
3:40 |
4:45 |
|
1:05 |
|
| ¾ oz (23 ml) |
Sml |
|
0:50 |
2:25/2:30 |
3:40 |
6:05 |
|
2:25 |
| Lg |
|
0:50 |
2:20/2:25 |
3:45 |
6:25 |
|
2:40 |
|
16 oz
(480 ml) |
½ oz (15 ml) |
Sml |
|
0:45 |
2:55/5:05 |
-:-- |
5:10 |
|
-:-- |
| Lg |
|
0:45 |
4:05/5:15 |
-:-- |
5:25 |
|
-:-- |
|
| ¾ oz (23 ml) |
Sml |
|
0:50 |
3:00/5:30 |
6:25 |
6:45 |
|
0:20 |
| Lg |
|
0:50 |
3:45/5:45 |
6:35 |
6:55 |
|
0:20 |
|
| 1 oz (30 ml) |
Sml |
|
1:00 |
3:05/6:05 |
6:50 |
9:20 |
|
2:30 |
| Lg |
|
1:00 |
3:10/6:05 |
6:30 |
9:15 |
|
2:45 |
|
24 oz
(720 ml) |
¾ oz (23 ml) |
Sml |
|
0:50 |
3:05/-:-- |
-:-- |
7:05 |
|
-:-- |
| Lg |
|
0:50 |
3:10/-:-- |
-:-- |
7:20 |
|
-:-- |
|
| 1 oz (30 ml) |
Sml |
|
1:00 |
3:05/7:45 |
8:50 |
9:20 |
|
0:30 |
| Lg |
|
1:00 |
3:05/7:40 |
8:35 |
9:10 |
|
0:35 |
|
32 oz
(960 ml) |
1 oz (30 ml) |
Lg |
|
1:00 |
3:10/-:-- |
-:-- |
9:20 |
|
-:-- |
| 1¼ oz (38 ml) |
Lg |
|
1:20 |
3:30/11:10 |
-:-- |
11:55 |
|
-:-- |
| 1½ oz (45 ml) |
Lg |
|
1:05 |
3:15/11:00 |
11:45 |
13:20 |
|
1:35 |
|
40 oz
(1200 ml) |
1½ oz (45 ml) |
Lg |
|
1:00 |
3:10/13:30 |
-:-- |
13:40 |
|
-:-- |
| 1¾ oz (53 ml) |
Lg |
|
1:10 |
3:30/12:30 |
13:30 |
15:00 |
|
1:30 |
| 2 oz (60 ml) |
Lg |
|
* Problem during test - see table notes, below * |
Table Notes:
- All of the tests above were performed under what could be considered ideal conditions (room temperature water and fuel, indoors, no wind, on my kitchen range top), but without pot lids or windscreen.
- All tests were performed by lighting the stove, then waiting until there were strong flames from the side jet holes before placing the pot directly on the stove.
- Time started with the lighting of the stove. The time was recorded
- when the pot was placed on the stove
- when bubbles first appeared on the bottom of the pot
- when I could hear the bubbles
- when full boil was achieved
- when the fuel ran out
- As seen in the table, some fuel quantities were insufficient to produce a boil under my conditions.
- I had some difficulties with larger fuel quantities. Each time I used in excess of 1 oz (30 ml), the stove was snuffed out the first time I put the pot on it. I was successful only when lowering the pot slowly onto the stove. In my opinion, this could be caused by
- the larger volume of water being used in those tests acting as a more efficient heat sink, drawing too much heat away from the stove for it to continue functioning properly, or
- the higher fuel level in the stove reducing the amount of air in the outer chamber available to the jets until the flame separates from the stove body, or
- both of the above.
- When testing with 2 oz (60 ml) of fuel, a puddle of burning fuel started forming around the stove about a minute or two after I placed the pot on the stove. I attribute this to the fuel level in the stove being nearly at the level of the jet holes when filling, and the fuel then being forced out of the jets too quickly for it to burn off. Needless to say, I will probably not be attempting this particular test again in my kitchen.
I will continue to test the cook set on upcoming Boy Scout troop or leader-training camping outings, approximately once or twice per month, and try to get in a few 5-10 mile (8-16 km) hikes with the boys, both separately and during the outings. All of these outings, other than standalone hikes, should include a minimum of 2 nights of camping, with temperatures expected to be from lows around 30 to 35 ºF (-1 to 2 ºC) to highs around 95 to 100 ºF (35 to 38 ºC). Elevations will range from sea level on a day hike to approximately 2,000’ (610 m). Even though the troop brings cooking gear (i.e. two-burner propane stoves and huge pots), I pack for these trips as I would on a solo or 2-person hike, in addition to what I need for troop camping, so that I can test the suitability of the set for this purpose, and to help introduce the boys to the lightweight concept.
Things I like [return to top]
- Lightweight.
- Compact.
- Good use of space.
- Company benefits Boy Scouts and hiking/trail organizations.
Things I don't/didn't like [return to top]
- Difficulties with fuel volumes in excess of 1 oz (30 ml) of fuel.
- Potentially dangerous overflow when using 2 oz (60 ml) of fuel.
- I have never used tent stakes for a pot stand, instead using a cut-off fruit can. I’m not sure how this will work out. See note, below.
Note: Following delivery of Mama’s Kitchen, Tin Man sent an email to the testers with the following attachment (highlighting is mine):
Stove Instructions Update - July 2003
Several people have expressed confusion as to operation and performance results other than expected. Because of this the instructions that come with the BCS-2 stove are in the process of being rewritten.
The superior performance of the BCS-2 stove has prompted many people to tell me they have sold their other type stoves or retired them to the closet shelve. If your stove is not performing as expected, here are some tips to try. Of course you can email me and I will be happy to help you one-on-one but try these items first.
Excessive fuel consumption:
- Place the pot directly on top of the stove. Using the stove as the pot support will cause the stove to burn less fuel and operate more efficiently. Remember to allow the stove to come up to full operating temperature before setting the pot down on top or you will snuff out the flame. I no longer recommend using the windscreen as a pot support. You can do that but it keeps the pot higher than the top of the stove and the flame is very large.
Wild or Large Flame:
- Loosen the windscreen to allow more air to flow to the stove. Moving the screen away from the stove will reflect less heat back to the stove and 'tame' it down a bit. It is desirable to reflect the heat in very cold weather as that improves operation.
- Try a tiny twig or two under the edge of the screen to allow for air to move under the bottom edge of the screen. Using the screen on a smooth surface won't allow airflow and too much heat is reflected back to the stove. Let it breathe.
Let me know how your stove works for you.
Tin Man
|
I had not yet placed the pot (either pot) directly on the stove, although this was in my plans. This method was incorporated into the table of results shown above.
Backpacking Background [return to top]
I started car/trailer camping with the family when I was about 5. I enlisted in the Army Reserve during my first year of college and spent 17 years fine-tuning my packing methodology - by the time I separated from the service, I was down to what I thought was a respectable 75-80 lb (34-36 kg) load. When my son started Cub Scouts, I brought my 60 lb (27 kg) ALICE pack (review may be found here) for a weekend. We got to Boy Scouts in the Spring of 2002. We camp, monthly, in locations ranging from the Chesapeake Bay area (flat and lightly wooded), to the Pocono Mts (flat spots hard to find and very wooded), and in all seasons.
Lightweight (and ultralightweight) sites have led me to seriously rethink my gear choices. I plan to start doing more hiking/backpacking on our monthly scout trips, taking along as many scouts as are willing, to a) get in shape (yeah, yeah, I know... round IS a shape), and b) determine what I really need to take along. I am relatively confident that I will be able to reduce my 3-season pack to 20 lb (9 kg), before food, fuel and water, by the time this season is over.
Thank you for your time.
Chuck Kime
a.k.a. Fuzzy
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