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Mama's
Kitchen Cookware
Field Report by
Rick Allnutt
Product Information
Manufacturer: AntiGravity Gear
Year Manufactured 2003
Manufacturer's home page: AntiGravity
Gear
MSRP: $37.80, without stove and windscreen, as tested
Received: 2 July 2003 complete and in good condition.
Listed weight:
2 Quart pot w/ lid - 5.9 oz (167 g)
2 Quart pot cozy - 1.4 oz (40 g)
3 Cup pot w/ lid - 3.8 oz (108 g)
3 Cup pot cozy - 1.0 oz (28 g)
Clamp Handle for the pots - 1.4 oz (40 g)
Weight as delivered:
2 Quart pot w/ lid - 5.8 oz (163 g)
pot alone 4.1 oz (116 g)
lid 1.7 oz (47 g)
2 Quart pot cozy - 1.2 oz (35 g)
3 Cup pot w/ lid - 3.7 oz (105 g)
pot alone 2.5 oz (70 g)
lid 1.2 oz (35 g)
3 Cup pot cozy - 0.9 oz (25 g)
Clamp Handle for the pots - 1.2 oz (35 g)
(actual measured weight in grams, ounces are calculated)
Volume:
Volume of the 3 cup pot is 30 oz (.89 l)
Volume of the 2 quart pot is 61 oz (1.8 l)
During the field trial period, I have had the opportunity to use Mama's
kitchen for an extended week-end hike in Ohio, a week of hiking in the
White Mountains of New Hampshire, and a week of back-country canoe
camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Minnesota. I
approached packing for this last trip as an ultralite hiking
experience, as my 14 year-old son would be carrying both our packs
while I carried the canoe.
I have also used Mama's Kitchen for daily cooking of my oatmeal
breakfast at home on approximately 45 days over the last two
months.
As I mentioned in the initial report, the kit's handle is different
from what I expected. I then said "The two halves of the aluminum
pot lifter handle work against either in a way which is stiff.
The handle, therefore, will stay attached to the pot until the two
halves of the handle are pulled apart. Learning how to use one's
little finger to pry the two halves of the handle apart from one
another is the only way the handle can be removed from the pot with one
hand. It might be easier if the handle parts rotated more
smoothly on one another, allowing an easier one handed removal."
Over the time period, the two halves of the handle have loosened
somewhat, though they still stay attached to the pot until
released. I have become used to this behavior and it is not
bothersome. Only once or twice has it been difficult to get the
handle released. This is when my wood-burning stove flares and
heats the handle.
A number of other pot lifters (including using a towel) could be
substituted for the handle that comes with the set. For solo use,
this can decrease the weight by a considerable percentage. During
the extended testing period, I intend to drill a number of holes in the
handle to decrease weight. If this works well, I will supply a
template and instructions for such a modification in the long term
report.
The pieces and parts of Mama's Kitchen continue to fit together
nicely. The cozies are made from a metallic colored bubble wrap
and have survived several weeks in the field with no damage. They
are easy to clean with a cloth and water. I have used the cozies
as an insulator for the pot, and separately as an insulator for a
plastic freezer bag full of very hot water and food. I have
particularly been impressed with the lid of the smaller cozy which can
be used on the top of the pot lid while the pot is actively being
heated with a stove. The advantage to this is that the cozy
serves to keep the metal ring on the top of the pot lid upright so it
can easily be grabbed to open the pot. I find it useful to put
Mama's Kitchen in a silnylon stuff sack to keep the lids and handle all
together.
I initially reported that the pot cooked well with a Svea 123
stove. In addition, the Svea 123 fits on its side inside the
larger pot, making for a compact way to carry such a stove. I can
now report that Mama's Kitchen works well with the Brasslite Turbo
II. Both pots quickly heat water with an appropriate windscreen
and the appropriate cozy allows most food which requires simmering to
cook inside the cozy. Because the pots are different diameters, I
recommend building an adjustable windscreen which can accommodate
either pot, adjustable with a paperclip.
I also now have much experience with Mama's Kitchen over a prototype
wood-burning camp stove designed to fit inside the smaller pot.
It is particularly nice for the outside color of the pot to already be
black in color, making it easier to accept the blackening that a wood
fire causes.
The pots quickly boil water, which is my usual cooking requirement in
the woods. The cozies keep food warm enough to continue cooking
after the pot comes off the fire. But, for those who like to stir
their noodles over the fire, I have also done some field testing of the
no-stick surface of the pot. I have cooked noodle dishes in the
pot and found the surface easy to clean. The same can be said
about frying fresh fish in oil. The surface has not been
scratched by my plastic spoon or by a metal fork used in cooking the
fish.
I have accidentally made several scratches of the inside of the small
pot putting my prototype stove in and out of the pot. These
scratches have not resulted in any noticeable problem with the
pot. The surface has not separated at the scratches and has not
begun to peel.
I have also put several scratches on the bottom of the pots after
cooking over a wood fire. I usually rub the bottom of the pot
over some grass or leaves to decrease the amount of soot on the pot
after cooking over wood. Occasionally, there has been a small
sharp rock in the grass or in the dirt which has left a small
scratch. These scratches have not caused any loss of
function.
Over a period of 45 days of cooking breakfast over an electric range, I
find no scratches or other problems with the inside of the pots.
Despite daily use, Mama's Kitchen is just as serviceable as it was when
I began the tests.
I have experience using the components together and separately.
The full set is well suited for support of a pair of hikers. The
most common supper scene is to use the large pot to cook 3 - 4 c (710 -
946 ml) of water for two suppers. One plastic freezer bag of
noodles or other food is placed in the cozy for the large pot and the
other is placed in the cozy of the smaller pot. Each cozy has its
own lid to keep the heat in. The smaller pot is available for
cooking 1 -2 c (237 - 473 ml) of water for breakfast. I have also
used the components singly. My favorite solo combination is to
carry just the small pot and its lid and cozy. This reduces the
weight to an ultralite minimum of 5.8 oz (165 g) (including the handle)
and is large enough to cook any solo supper. I use the cozy
separately to hold a plastic freezer bag containing the oatmeal or
noodles.
Plans: I will continue to use the small pot on backpacking trips
through the fall and early winter. I will use the cozy in
cold weather to see how well the cozy holds heat necessary for cooking
after the weather turns colder. I will continue to use the pots
almost daily at home for the next several months to simulate a long
trip similar to a thru hike. As mentioned above, I will work
on a reproducible plan that an average home mechanic could use to
decrease weight of the handle.
PERSONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Rick Allnutt
50 Year old male
6' 0'' (183 cm) in height
190 lbs (86 kg) in weight
Email address: rick at flyfisher-kayaks dot com
I live in Dayton, Ohio
BACKPACKING BACKGROUND
Over the last year, I have gone from being a heavy-weight (2
Duluth Pack) canoe camper to a three season base pack weight of
just under 10 lb (4.5 kg) and skin out weight of 20 lb (9 kg) for
a 4 day, 3 night Appalachian Trail hike. I have become an intense
advocate of hammock camping. I have done much day hiking on
the Ohio Buckeye Trail and local state forests. Backpacking trips
have included hiking the 20 mi (32 km) loop in Zalinski State Forest,
Ohio, and two section hikes of the Appalachian Trail: 67 mi (108
km) in North Carolina/Tennessee and 35 mi (56 km) in
Virginia. I have also walked a number of day hikes on and near
the AT in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Other historical
experience includes 7 backcountry canoe trips into the Minnesota
Boundary Waters Canoe Area spanning 35 years, and hiking the
Philmont Scout ranch as a 14-year-old Eagle Scout.
Read more reviews of AntiGravityGear gear
Read more gear reviews by Rick Allnutt
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