Features (from Manufacturer's Website)

• The Hard Anodization process alters & hardens the structure of the cookware surface, making it incredibly abrasion resistant
• Twice as hard as Stainless Steel
• Combines the best attributes of a very hard surface treatment with the quick-even heat transfer of aluminum
• The process seals the aluminum preventing any direct contact between the core & food. Hard Anodized Cookware allows heat to quickly & evenly spread across the bottom & up the sides of the pot making it one of the best cooking surfaces available.
• Easy cleaning Extreme Triple Coat Non-Stick interior!

From my observations

Each pot/fry pan has a metal attachment for the pot gripper (the 1.5 qt (1.4 L) pot has one on each side). This means that the pot gripper does not grip the lip of the pot like I have seen on other models and will not scratch the non-stick finish of the pots or fry pans. The metal attachments are riveted on just like the handles on my high-end home cook set. I really like that the handles latch on to the metal attachments on the side because when a non-stick surface gets scratched food will start to stick to it.

All the pots nest together to fit inside the larger pot and lid. While nested, the elastic strap (with a hook on each end) keeps all the pots together by hooking to the same metal attachments the pot gripper latches on to. The elastic strap holds the pots together so you don’t have to bring along the mesh bag. Though since the mesh bag only adds .9 oz (25 g) I bring it along anyway—it might come in handy for other jobs. Also, when the pots are nested, the stuff inside (the smaller pot and lid and the pot gripper) moves around a little, so I always pad them with other cooking odds and ends.

I never use metal utensils with this cook set. I have mainly used MSR’s folding utensils (which fit nicely inside the pans). These utensils are plastic and designed to be used on non-stick surfaces. This has kept my non-stick surfaces from getting scratched.

Field Information

I have used this cook set while car camping and backpacking in the mountains around Southern California in elevations up to 8,000 ft (2400 m). I’ve cooked with these pots in temperatures ranging from around 40 F (5 C) to 70 F (20 C). I have only used these pots under fair, dry to dewy conditions.

I have used this cook set with my Coleman 2 burner stove while car camping and while on the trail with my MSR PocketRocket. I find that the cook set works well with both stoves. As long as my PocketRocket is on a flat surface I don’t have any real stability problems. There are circular grooves on the bottom of the pot that are designed to help the pot “grip” the stove, in my experience this has worked as designed. When on a slightly uneven surface, I make sure that I keep a close eye on it. I don't leave the pot simmering unattended while I am away from the stove.

The pot gripper works well as designed. It grips even the large pot filled with water securely allowing me to pour boiling water into my wide and small mouth Nalgene. I find that leaving the pot gripper on the pot while the pot is on my PocketRocket generally isn’t a good idea. It adds a little bit of instability to the pot, especially if there are small amounts of liquid in the pot. I’ve never overturned the pot, but the threat of spilling boiling water on myself or my hiking partner keeps me cautious. But the pot gripper is easy to take on and off the pot, so I don’t find this to be an inconvenience.

I do all my backpacking with my husband, so I only bring the 1.5 qt (1.4 L) pot and lid, the pot gripper, the strap, and the mesh bag. This cooking system weighs 17.1 oz (485 g) and leaves plenty of space inside for the rest of my cooking gear (including PocketRocket and 1 fuel canister).

At home I consider myself a foodie (or purveyor of fine foods). I like making semi-gourmet meals with more complicated cooking processes and gourmet ingredients. While car camping I make less complicated dishes, but still use fresh ingredients, multiple dishes and pans, etc. But while out on the trail, I generally stick to more basic food preparations. I do some freezer bag cooking, mixed with simple, one-pot meals. I always cook for two, and the 1.5 qt (1.4 L) pot and lid serve me well. While out on the trail these are the only cooking pots I bring. While car-camping I bring all the entire set for making multi-pot meals.

I have cooked a variety of dishes with this cook set. I have used it for ground beef, pancakes, eggs, pasta, rice, etc. In a recent time test, I boiled 2 cups of water in the 1.5 qt (1.4 L) pot with lid on my MSR PocketRocket inside my kitchen at sea level in just over 2 minutes.

For me, the best feature of this cook set is the easy cleaning. I may enjoy cooking, but I’ve never loved cleaning up after it. These pots can simply be wiped out with a pack towel. After cooking something with oil or fat, there’s usually some oily residue left in the pot after wiping it clean. This is easy to clean out with a drop of soap, a small amount of water, and the swish of a pack towel or scrubby.

Durability

So far these pots seem to be holding up well. I’ve cooked dozens of meals in them, and they’re almost as good as new. I do have a small dent in the lid of the large pot (which was probably received in my backpack), but it does not affect its function as a lid or a fry pan. The non-stick surface is holding up great. There are no scratches yet, although again, I always use utensils made for non-stick surfaces. The bottoms of the pots have gotten slightly discolored over time.

Summary

This cook set has served me well as a multi-purpose cooking system. It works well as a backpacking cook set as well as a car camping cook set. It’s easy to use and—more importantly—easy to clean. It works well for just boiling water, or for more complicated tasks. I will be using it for many backpacking trips to come.

The Good

• Extremely easy to clean
• Durable
• Good for car camping and backpacking
• Non-stick

The Bad

• Needs to be stuffed with more gear to keep pots from banging together