Tester Information:

Name:     Josh Dunning
Age:        27
Gender:   Male
Height:    5’10” (1.7m)
Weight:   180 lb (81 kg)
Email:     jdunning@cadd-tech.com
Locale:    Northern Connecticut
Date:      1/12/04

Background:

I've been spending as much time outdoors as possible for as long as I can remember. I tend to gravitate towards all manner of outdoor recreation with hiking, camping, backpacking, kayaking, and mountain biking topping off the list. I've been camping all my life, summer vacation, as a kid, was a weeks worth of car camping at the beach.  Friends of my parents used to take us hiking in the mountains with an occasional overnight trip. Since then I've been hooked. I'll hike or camp in any weather, in any season. That can range from 10 below zero F (-23C) in the snow to 100 F (38C) plus heat. That's the beauty of living in New England. I try to hike at least twice a week, more if I can make time for it.

Item Information:
        

Company:	AntiGravityGear
Item:	Mama's Kitchen Cookset
Total Weight:	14.4 oz (408 g) claimed (14 oz. actual 408 g)
MSRP:	$49.95 USD
Model Year:	2003
Kit Contents:	2 Quart pot w/ lid - 5.9 oz. (167g) 2 Quart pot cozy - 1.4 oz. (39.69g)   3 Cup pot w/ lid - 3.8 oz. (108g) 3 Cup pot cozy - 1.0 oz. (28.35g) Clamp Handle for the pots - 1.4 oz. (39.69g) A "Tin Man" alcohol stove - .4 oz. (11.34g) Windscreen - .8 oz. (22.68g)

Cookset Long Term Review:
 
Testing the AGG Mama's Cookset turned out to be a very challenging test series. I've been using cookset and stove combo's for upwards of ten years now and have used solid fuel, pressurized liquid fuel, and gas canisters. I have never tried this type of raw fuel stove, nor did I want too. I'll admit, at first I was skeptical. I didn't like carrying a bottle of explosive liquid in my pack, nor did I think that this little stove could put out enough energy to heat my gourmet Ramen and Mac & Cheese.

Boy was I wrong.

The kit is a well thought out selection of items. Each one has its own place and purpose. The smallest pot, the 1.0 oz. (28.35g) size, was all I needed if I were planning a solo trip. That,  combined with 2-4 fl oz (59-118 ml) of fuel and I was set for a one night trip. Very lightweight high performance package. I was able to use this combo a few times over the summer in the western part of Massachusetts. The temps were generally no colder than the low 70's (F) (20's C) during these trips. This set up allowed me to cook one meal with the least amount of equipment and fuss. The small pot showed minimal amounts of wear, mostly slight discoloration from the intense heat. No warping or cracking was witnessed. The small lid still fit snugly, and the grab loop worked well over the series.

The Larger pot, the 2 quart version, accompanied me when there would be other people joining me. The larger capacity allowed more water for boiling larger quantities of food. The drawback I found with this pot was the fact that I was limited as to how long I could cook. As an example, to cook regular elbow macaroni you need to bring water to a rolling boil, add your noodles, and cook for a few more minutes. Often times I found that the fuel would run out before the noodles were fully cooked. But, I did get to use the cozy on several occasions to complete the cooking. Initially I thought I'd never use them, other than a protective cover for the pots, but I became quite fond of them. If you take a look at the table below, you'll see just how useful they are. Again, as with the smaller pot, the wear was fine. I originally had a tough time with the grab loop on the larger lid, and continued to. I did however manage to grab the lid by the edge with the pot grabber and remove it safely.

As a side point, I only used these pots with the Tin Man stove and a white gas stove, so they were always over a relatively small flame. I never used the pots over an open flame, so I cannot comment on the effects that may have.

The cozies, as I mentioned, did end up coming in handy. Their thermal properties kept the pots and contents warm longer than I ever thought possible. They did start to show wear, being as delicate as they are, but they were surprisingly resilient, putting up with quite a bit of abuse and still functioning well. I would like to see a pull tab on the smaller Cozy lid like the larger one has, just to make removal easier. This of course, is an easy fix for anyone. The only alterations I had to make to the Cozies were minor. The larger of the two needed a little bit longer slot for the pot grabber to make insertion a less tense task. Other than those two small things, they were great.

The pot grabber deserves a little attention. After all the use I put mine through, it was still stiff and somewhat difficult to use. Perhaps through more use it will someday loosen up, but not yet.

The Tin Man stove is a fantastic little gadget. It still amazes me to watch it work, slowly heating up as one burner hole after another pops to life. The stove held up remarkably well for such a delicate item. I did give it extra special attention, but it took some good lumps and held up. It is difficult to find a safe stable platform for it, being so small in diameter. I often found myself searching for quite some time to find a perfect stable spot, since I'd rather not spill burning fuel or boiling water on myself. Once set up I'd usually light it with a long stick. Being new to the flammable alcohol stoves I envisioned my mother watching me, shaking her finger saying "didn't I teach you anything?!?", and, as careful as I was I never experienced any accidents. Well, other than burning myself on the hot lids. Repeatedly. The stove did quickly lose its finish taking on something akin to a 1972 Gremlin that has been sitting in the scrap yard for 25 years... Keeping the stove fed was initially a hard row to hoe. I had no idea how much fuel to use, bring, or expect to need. Then one morning while brushing my teeth, it hit me. Literally. A 2 fl. oz. bottle of saline solution fell out of the medicine cabinet. After a some slight modifications I was able to suck up exactly 2 oz. (59 ml) of fuel, the maximum amount recommended, and it was housed in a neat, easy to carry container. I also wrote on it with a sharpie so as not to confuse it with actual saline. Ouch. Of course, this is not a DOT approved fuel container, so use your own judgment.

So, onto the "lab" testing. My Lab consisted of my basement work bench. Relative temperature was about 55 F (12 C), no wind, and low humidity. I was able to accurately gauge the fuel using an old turkey baster. Yes, I bought a new one for the kitchen...

Warm up: This was an average time from ignition to flames shooting out of the side ports.

With windscreen:	40 sec
Without windscreen	60 sec

The Fuel consumption and burn times are as follows: (Please note that these are averages over 5 to 10 tests.)

Fuel:	Burn Time:
1/2 oz.	2 min 05 sec
1 oz.	3 min 15 sec
1 1/2 oz.	4 min 02 sec
2 oz	7 min 96 sec

Boil Times: Using a standard 32 oz (.95 L) Nalgene bottle and metal thermometer:

Pot:	Water:	Visible Bubbles	Time to Rolling Boil (average)	Water Temp at end of Fuel	+15 minutes in Cozy	+30 minutes in Cozy	+ 45 minute in Cozy
3 Cup pot	16 oz (473 ml)	3 min	5:28	212 F (100 C)	122 F (50 C)	77 F (25 C)	n/a
2 Quart pot	32 oz (.95 L)	4 min	7:42	212 F (100 C)	167 F (75 C)	149 F (65 C)	149 F (40 C)

Over the course of the lab test I noticed several things I hadn't in the field. One, the windscreen never got so hot I couldn't handle and move it. Second, using the small pot with a full 2 oz of fuel at full burn the flames would actually be one to two inches (2.54-5.08 cm) taller than the top of the small pot and lid creating an extremely hot lit, even with the grab loop.

To conclude, the fit and finish are great. The stove works as described and claimed. Even for a novice like me. The Cozies were the big surprise of the series and I'll continue using the entire kit for as long as possible!

Josh Dunning