Owner Review-MSR Alpine Classic Cookware Set

Jennifer Koles

January 23, 2006

Photo obtained from manufacturer website.

 

Reviewer Information

 

Name:  Jennifer Koles

Age:  31

Gender:  Female

Height:  5’ 5” (1.65 m)

Weight: 140 lb (64 kg)

Email address: jennksnowy@yahoo.com

City, State, and Country:  Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

 

 

Backpacking Background

 

I started taking overnight backpacking trips this past summer in the Uinta Mountain Range in Utah.  I already owned some backpacking gear that I had purchased over the past few years. Although I enjoyed my backpacking experience this summer, I found myself taking entirely too much gear. I am finding out slowly how to minimize my needs and not require extra luxuries. My previous outdoor experiences consisted of 4 wheel-drive camping in primitive areas and day hiking. I plan to take more trips, increase my duration, and reduce my pack weight from 45 lb (20.41 kg).

 

Product Information

 

Manufacturer: MSR

Year of Manufacture: approximately 1999

Manufacturer’s Website: http://www.msrcorp.com/

Listed Weight: 26 oz (733 g)      

Weight as Delivered: 20.45 oz (580 g) measured on digital scale

                        PanHandler: 1.6 oz  (45.36 g)

                        Lid:  4.8 oz (136 g)

                        1.5 L (51 fl oz) pot:  6.08 oz  (1.72 g)

                        2 L (68 fl oz) pot: 7.04 oz  (200 g)

                        Stuff sack:  1.25 oz (35.44 g)

MSRP:  $39.95 US currency

 

Product Description

 

The Alpine Classic Cookware Set is crafted of 18-10 Stainless Steel.  This set includes the following: 

• 1.5 L  (51 fl oz) pot
• 2 L  (68 fl oz) pot
• PanHandler
• Multi-Use Lid
• Nylon stuff sack

 

This cookware set does not have a non - stick surface. 

 

Features: 

 

The multi-use lid fits on both the 1.5 L (51 fl oz) and the 2 L (68 fl oz) pot.  The lid can be used as a frying pan or a plate.

 

The pots have a rolled lip to prevent warping and to maintain proper lid fit. This also enables the PanHandler to maintain a better grip when grasping the pot.

 

The PanHandler enables the user to securely grasp the rim of the pot or lid.  The manufacturer reports that it is capable of grasping 10 lb (4.5 kg) of weight.

 

Crafted of scratch and dent resistant 18-10 stainless steel.

 

The rounded corners in the pots help heat travel up sides of pot more quickly.  This also makes cleanup easier.

 

The pots easily nest together for storage inside the included stuff sack.  Some stoves will fit inside the pots for easier storage and transport.

 

 

Field Information

 

For the past 6 years I have utililized this cookware from the Pacific Coast to the Wasatch Mountain Range at elevations from 15 ft - 13,000 ft (4.6 m - 3962 m) and in desert to mountain climates in temperature ranges from 90 F (32 C) to 40 F (4 C).

 

When I initially started to use the cook set I did not think about saving space, but now I nest my MSR WhisperLite stove inside the smaller pot and try to fit whatever other cookware items I can into the stuff sack.

 

I have dropped the cookware too many times to count on various surfaces (rocks, concrete, tree stumps, gravel, and the list goes on and on).  Generally while cooking I use a wooden multi-purpose camp spoon, so this helps prevent scratching, and looking at my cookware today it looks almost brand new. There are just a few small scratches inside one of the pots, but no dings or dents.

 

The bottoms of the pots are blackened, which will occur from frequent use.  The manufacturer reports that this allows heat to be absorbed better than a lighter colored pot. 

 

While cooking if I have the gas turned up too high on my stove sometimes I will hear a popping sound from the pot.  This makes me feel I need to learn to operate my stove better. I have not noticed any warping of any sort due to this.

 

I have cooked various types of foods in this cook set.  Some examples of the types of foods I have prepared are:  bacon, eggs, pancakes, oatmeal, pre-packaged backcountry foods, pasta, rice, instant potatoes, sauces, canned vegetables, canned beans, soups, small pieces of chicken and red meat. The food appears to cook evenly in both of pots and the fry pan. 

 

Some foods are difficult to clean completely from the surface of the pots and the lid.  This is partially due to the lack of a non-stick surface on the stainless steel. I resolve this problem by boiling a little water in the pot and then I scrape the food out with my multi-purpose camp spoon.  Or I wait until I get home and I give the cookware a good scrubbing.  The foods that I have the most difficulty cleaning from the cook set are eggs and foods with a higher fat or grease content. No food has permanently stuck to the inside of the pot. 

 

The feature I like the most while using this cook set is the functionality of the PanHandler.  It grabs onto the pot near the lip and enables me to lift the pot or the lid without getting burned.  It also makes this task easier than attempting to hold the pot with my hands.  To use the PanHandler I just open the handles enough to place it on the pot or the lid where I want to and then I grip the handles together with my hand. The manufacturer reports that it is capable of holding 10 lb (4.5 kg).  I never attempted holding that much weight.  In the field the most I held was approximately 5 lb (2.27 kg) with no difficulty noted.

 

I use the lid included in the set as a fry pan and as a plate.  The lid is not flat on the surface so making a nice fried egg or any food item that can run like pancakes can be challenging. I use the lid placed on the pot to decrease the amount of cooking time required to fully cook or heat up my food, enabling me to save stove fuel. The lid can also be placed on the pot to keep excess food warm for short periods of time (approximately 10 minutes).

 

Summary

 

I have been very satisfied with this cookware set.  I just pack the set nested into the stuff sack, place my stove inside and stuff it into my pack.  At times I have difficulty cleaning the pots and the lid in the backcountry. However, I can wait until I return home to scrub my cookware.  I like the functionality of the PanHandler to grasp the pots and the lid.  It allows me to handle the pot and lid safely without the risk of getting burned or the need to carry extra gear.  This cook set is by no means the lightest on the market, but it is durable, disperses heat well, and functions well for the price.

 

 

 

Things I like:

 

• Ease of storage (nesting the pots together)
• Scratch and dent resistant features
• Using the PanHandler
• The price

 

 

Things I do not like:

 

• Sometimes cleanup in the field can be difficult due to the stainless steel surface.