I’ve backpacked for most of my years, though recently it’s become a more significant part of my life. My base summer pack weight is ~25 lb (11 kg), and still holds such luxuries as a tent, yummy home-dried meals, a pressurized canister stove, a camp chair, and a Frisbee. I hike between zero and 20 mi (33 km) in a day. Trips tend to be in the mountains between the months of June and September, but there are many exceptions. Recent highlights include two month-long trips with my wife Melissa along the PCT through the nearby Oregon and Washington Cascades.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Snow Peak

Product: Titanium Middle Cooker 1800 Cook Set

Purchased new in 2002

www.snowpeak.com

Listed Weight: 9.2 oz (261 g)

Measured Weight (after 3 yrs of use): 10.5 oz (298 g)

Measured Weight, each piece: Pot 5.3 oz (150 g), Fry Pan 3 oz (85 g), Lid 2.2 oz (62 g)

Measured Dimensions: Diameter, all, 6.5” (17 cm); Pot 3.75” (10 cm) tall, Fry Pan 1.25” (3 cm) tall, Lid 0.25” (0.6 cm) tall

Material: Titanium

MSRP: $80 US

Physical Description:

This set includes one 2 qt (1.9 l) pot, one small frying pan, and one lid which fits either the pot or the pan, or functions as a small plate.

The pot has two small handles on opposite sides which flip up for use rather than out. The diameter of the pot “pinches in” 1/8” (3 mm) near the top, forming a lip for the lid to sit on, as well as lending the pot additional stiffness. The pot holds 6 cups (1.4 l) comfortably, but can hold—when perfectly level and still—8 cups (1.9 l) exactly, just as advertised.

The pan has a unique two-piece handle which, when held together by an attached clip, becomes a single fairly stout handle. The bottom of the pan is bumpy. The pan can contain two cups (470 ml) of liquid at the brim.

The lid has a handle which folds out from an anchor point about 1” (2.5 cm) from the rim. The lid has a lip about 1/8” (0.3 cm) tall.

Use conditions:

This pot set has accompanied my wife and me on all backpacking adventures in the past three years, helping us to prepare and eat about 100 dinners and 100 breakfasts. Three-quarters of these have been in the northwest Cascades in the summer time, at elevations from 3000 ft (900 m) to 7000 ft (2100 m). The remainder has been in other mountainous terrain, up to 10,000 ft (3000 m), and on several beach hikes, again mostly in the summer months. All use has been at temperatures between 25 F (-4 C) and 85 F (29 C). Weather conditions have ranged from snowing (a few days) to raining (a few weeks worth) to cloudy and sunny. The majority of heat has been provided by an MSR SuperFly stove and the remainder courtesy of an MSR WhisperLite. We supplement this cook set with an older steel 1 qt pot (not because we like the steel—it just hasn’t been replaced yet).

Evening meals are generally created from home-dried recipes, such as Shepherd’s Pie or Lentils and Dumplings, and are sometimes accompanied by an instant soup (and port and chocolate, but that’s for another review). It is in the evenings when the two pot system is important—allowing for the individual preparation of multiple courses or components (such as potatoes in one, and meat/veggies in another). The pan usually becomes one serving dish, while the other person will eat from one of the preparation pots. It is a logistically friendly system to complement the great dinner meals. Morning meals tend to include hot drinks and instant oatmeal with rehydrated fruit, without using the large pot for anything.

For packing, the pan nests inside the 2 qt pot, with lid on top. (For us, the MSR SuperFly stove fits into the 1 qt pot [sans canister], which then nests into the Snow Peak 2 qt pot with the lid; the pan turns over and rests on top. This package is then kept together with a thick rubber band.)

Why I bought this Cook Set:

Three years ago I made a deal with myself: if I could spend $100 to reduce my pack weight by 1 lb (450 g), I would. By this standard, and when compared to the weight of my old steel pots, this cook set was a bargain.

Cooking:

My wife and I have both had very positive experiences cooking with this cook set. One trouble of note: we have had trouble keeping food from burning when using the frying pan to actually cook more solid foods, such as pancakes or brownies. More oil or patience may help, but our solution has been simply to stop trying. The lid is useful for eating and preparing, as a clean surface to put stuff or as a cutting board.

The pot volume seems perfect for two—but I am a fairly big eater. We would not be able to cook for four of our appetites at a single go as the web page suggests.

Handling:

The handle on the lid is very handy. It allows the lid to be handled quickly without fear of getting burned, and is convenient to hold onto when using the lid as a plate.

The handle on the pan is well engineered, and we found it important to snap the “clip” in place if the pan is more than half-full of food. The handle can become partially detached from the pan, even accidentally. This happens rarely though, and has yet to create a spill.

The handles on the pot are clearly a compromise. They are very sturdy and add little weight, but are not nearly as convenient as a single larger handle which swings into position horizontally. They work well when transporting or pouring, but two hands must be used in most cases, and they can be difficult to “deploy” in the up position when the pot is hot. They could be used to suspend the pot over a fire using a stick or pole, though we have not attempted this.

Cleaning:

I clean with a couple drops of BioSuds and half of a standard kitchen sponge. Cleaning up has only been difficult when things have burnt onto the bottom. However, this happens rarely and after a good soak most everything has come off. I have not been shy in using the more aggressive scrubber-side of the sponge; this has not left any visible wear.

Packing & general durability:

I am surprised that the pot or the pan has not been deformed from my aggressive packing style—shoving, cramming, and wrenching on pack straps have yet to show visible consequences on this cook set. And while the set was treated gingerly in its first year, we now treat it like the steel ware before it. Remarkably, there is no scratching of significance visible on the set.

Conclusion:

This Snow Peak Titanium Cook Set offers a good balance between flexibility, volume, weight, and durability.

Top Likes:

· Weight

· Not feeling the need to treat the set gingerly—quite durable

· The convenience of having a handle on all three pieces

· A great size for fixing meals for two

Top Dislikes:

· The handles on the pot require two hands, and are difficult to deploy when the pot is already hot.

· It is difficult to prepare pancakes in the frying pan without burning them.

Owner Review by Rowdy Webb

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