Initial Report:  Brasslite Turbo F Stove
April 12, 2004

Tester Bio

Name:  Mark Orton
Age:  27
Gender:  Male
Height:  5’7”  (1.70 m)
Weight:  175 lb  (79 kg)
E-mail:  Backpkrmn at aol dot com
City:  Vacaville
State:  California
Country:  USA
Date:  April 12, 2004


Backpacking Background

I have been hiking and backpacking my whole life.  Backpacking became a serious hobby for me in the mid 90s.  I have hiked several sections of the Appalachian Trail (AT), taking on 100+ mile (161+ km) sections at a time.  I have also hiked 100 miles (161 km) along the Vermont Long Trail.  Living in California gives me access to some great backpacking opportunities out here, such as the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).   I try to get out at least once a month on an overnight backpacking trip and at least once a week on a dayhike.  Once a year I plan an extended trip, a trip that is at least 100 miles (161 km) long and will take the better part of two weeks. 

In the past couple years I have begun converting to the ultralight way of backpacking.  I am known amongst friends as a gear head, I always have the latest and greatest lightweight gear.  I now have a basic pack weight (without food or water) of less than 10 lbs (4.5 kg). 


Product Information

Manufacturer:  Brasslite
Product Name:  Turbo F Stove
Manufacturer’s Website:  www.brasslite.com
Year of Manufacture:  2004
Listed weight:  0.8 oz (23 g)
Weight as tested:  0.8 oz (23 g)
Listed Dimensions:
  Width of chamber and stand: 2 in (50 mm)
  Height of chamber: 1.38 in (35 mm)
  Overall Height: 2.4 in (60 mm)
Dimensions as tested:  as stated
MSRP:  $25 for the stove, $4 - $6 for the fuel bottle (depending on size), and $5 for shipping.


Initial Impressions

The Brasslite Turbo F Stove arrived on Wednesday, April 7 sometime during the day.  I received it when I returned home from work to find it sitting on my doorstep.  It was shipped in a small cardboard United States Postal Service Priority Mail shipping box measuring 7 in (178 mm) cubed.  Inside the shipping box was wadded up newspaper cradling a smaller cardboard Brasslite box.  The inner box measured 4 in (102 mm) cubed.  Along with the Brasslite box, there were two other items inside the main shipping box, a 4 oz (118 ml) fuel container, and a new nozzle for a previously purchased 8 oz (237 ml) fuel container.  Opening the Brasslite box you find the two-page instruction sheet and the stove, which was very carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and additional packing materials. 

As I unwrapped the Brasslite Turbo F, I noticed how much lighter it was than my Brasslite Micro Stove.  The Turbo F is nearly half the weight of the Micro, making it the lightest production stove on the market.  The weight savings over the Micro comes at a cost of durability.  On the Brasslite website it warns that this stove needs to be babied, and I can vouch for that claim.  After unwrapping it and setting it on my desk, I left the room only to hear an awful sound.  The stove is so light that a breeze coming through the window must have blown it off the edge of my desk.  I was horrified when I saw that it had dented the bottom.  Fortunately I own quite an array of tools, including some metal working tools and I was able to shape it pretty much back to original condition.  (There was no cracking or splitting of the brass and function since has shown no impact due to the accident.)

The stove itself is very well made.  You can see the professional quality brazing along all the seams.  Also, the cuts for the holes and seams are all very straight.  I had expected as much since I have owned other Brasslite stoves in the past and from reviewing the Brasslite website.  This version of the current Brasslite Turbo stove is the “stripped down” version.  It offers no true preheat cup, nor does it offer a simmer function.  On top of the brass body of the stove, a steel hardware cloth pot stand is soldered in place. 

The fuel bottle that was included for the test was supposed to be the 8 oz (237 ml) fuel container.  Upon learning that I was selected for this test, I contacted Aaron Rosenbloom, the inventor of Brasslite, and inquired about replacing the 8 oz (237 ml) container with the company’s new 4 oz (118 ml) container, since I already owned an older version of the 8 oz (237 ml) container.  He said this would not be a problem.  I then asked about purchasing a new nozzle for my older style 8 oz (237 ml) fuel container.  Late last year Brasslite fuel containers started coming with a different design nozzle, a more convenient design than the older style which I owned.  Aaron informed me that he would not accept payment for the new nozzle, but he would include it for testing free of charge.  How’s that for customer service?!

The 4 oz (118 ml) fuel bottle is a smaller fuel additive-style bottle than either of the larger bottles offered by Brasslite (8 oz (237 ml) and 16 oz (473 ml)).  It is similar in design to each of the other bottles, as it is a dual-chambered container.  The main chamber is used for fuel storage, while the secondary chamber is used to measure and dispense the fuel for use in the stove.  The nozzle on the 4 oz (118 ml) fuel container is slightly different than that of the 8 oz (237 ml) or 16 oz (437 ml) containers.  The nozzle for this fuel container is a flip up design, whereas the other containers feature a twist type design.  The nozzle for the 4 oz (118 ml) fuel container resembles that of a dispenser cap for a small bottle of soap.  Measurements of 5 ml (.17 oz), 7.5 ml (.25 oz), 10 ml (.34 oz) and 12.5 ml (.42 oz) are located on the secondary chamber.  To measure out the correct amount of fuel, I open the nozzle, squeeze the main chamber which will force fuel through the tube connecting the two chambers into the secondary chamber and I stop squeezing when the level of the fuel reaches my desired quantity. 

Above I also mentioned that Aaron had included the new nozzle for my previously purchased 8 oz (237 ml) fuel container.  This new nozzle replaces an older version which had a red cap on top of the nozzle.  This was an area of concern because once that cap is lost there is no way to seal the nozzle, except to replace the nozzle with a cap when it’s not being used.  The new, updated version of the nozzle features a twist to close feature which eliminates the small, and easily lost, red cap.  The nozzle is very easy to operate.  Simply twist it counterclockwise three-quarters of a turn to open it.  To close it twist it three-quarters of a turn clockwise. 

The instructions included with the stove are printed double-sided on two sheets of paper.  These instruction cover: page 1)  Brasslite Stove Instructions – Brasslite Turbo F, featuring warnings and cautions, legal disclaimer, stove warranty and the stove return policy, page 2)  Instruction for making the Brasslite Windscreen/Heat reflector and stove tips including maintenance and cook pot size, page 3)  Filling and Lighting Stove and the quantity needed for the amount of water being used, and cold weather tips, and page 4)  Instruction for making your own Pot Cozy and Brasslite contact information.


Initial Testing

After a thorough review of the instruction manual, I felt confident that I could safely operate the Brasslite Turbo F.  The instructions are plainly written and easy to follow.  After constructing a windscreen and reflector for the new stove using the instructions provided by Brasslite, I set out to my backyard for the first trial run of the Turbo F. 

For this test I would be using an MSR Titan Kettle as my cook pot.  This cook pot is right at the lower end of size requirements to be used with this stove.  The pot measures 4.25 in (108 mm) wide by 3.5 in (89 mm) high and has a maximum capacity of .85L (28.7 oz).  The smallest recommended width for the Turbo F is 4 in (102 mm).  In this test I set out to boil 16 oz (480 ml) of cold tap water.  For this test I filled the stove with .75 oz (22 ml) of denatured alcohol, as this is the recommended amount for 16 oz (480 ml) of water.  I found that adding fuel to the Turbo F is a much easier task than adding fuel to the Micro.  This is a definite time saver.

Using the lighting instructions for the stove I poured a small amount of denatured alcohol on top of the stove and used a lighter to ignite it.  Immediately I could see the blue flame rising from the center hole of the stove and the alcohol in the body was beginning to boil.  At about 20 seconds the flames started to come out of the side holes of the stove and I set the pot onto the stove’s integrated pot stand.  Soon I could see the flames change to a green color, this is something I have never seen before with homemade alcohol stoves or previous Brasslite models.  After approximately 5 minutes there was quite a bit of steam coming from under the lid of the pot.  By 5:40 (5:20 actual time on the stove) the water was at a full hard boil.  The stove finally burned out at 9:43.  While performing this test I was at 114 feet (35 m) above sea level.  The temperature was approximately 60 F (15.5 C).  The wind was at about 5 mph (8 kph) with peak gusts of 17 mph (27 kph).

This initial test gave me complete confidence that the recommended fuel quantities listed in the instruction manual would be more than enough.  Although the conditions were not perfect because of the wind, I was still able to achieve a full boil and the stove continued to burn for many minutes after the boil was reached.  This paved the way for follow up testing with less fuel.

After the stove went out I tested the effect of an immediate refuel.  I had heard that it is not safe to immediately refuel an alcohol stove when it’s still hot; however I had never tried to do this before.  I immediately removed the cook pot and poured fuel from the fill nozzle of the fuel container into the body of the stove, I even intentionally spilled the fuel on the outside and all around the stove.  The result was that it did not ignite; there were no flames or combustion. 

I then relit the stove and burned off the remaining fuel.  The stove took about 1 minute to burn out from the fuel I had added.  After it burned out, I wanted to see how fast the stove cooled.  I found that by 45 seconds it was cool enough to pick up and move quickly.  By 1 minute it was cool enough to comfortably hold and by 1 minute and 30 seconds it was cool to the touch. 

Over the next two days I conducted many more tests of the Brasslite Turbo F.  These tests ranged from indoor testing to testing on the trail.  I also did tests to compare the efficiency and speed of the Brasslite Turbo F to the older, pressurized Brasslite Micro. 

The first set of tests I conducted were indoors.  The temperature was 73 F (23 C).  Again I was using the MSR Titan Kettle as my cook pot.  I conducted two burns of each stove, the Turbo F and the Micro, each with .5 oz (15 ml) of denatured alcohol and 16 oz (480 ml) of cold tap water in the cook pot.  Each stove and the cook pot were cooled completely before the test was started. 

In the first test the Turbo F boiled the water in 5:10 and burned out in 5:30.  The Micro failed to achieve a full boil and burned out at 6:45.  From the first test I also noticed that the flames from the Micro were much larger than those of the Turbo F.  They shot up the sides of the cook pot and over the top, wasting much of the heat of the flames.  In the second test neither stove was able to achieve a full boil.  The Turbo F burned out at 5:43 and the Micro burned out at 4:15. 

The next test that I conducted was also indoors.  I added .75 oz (22 ml) to the stove.  In the pot I once again added 16 oz (480 ml) of cold tap water.  The Turbo F brought the water in the cook pot to a hard boil at 5:32.  The stove continued to burn and finally burned out at 6:39.  Again, following the test I timed the cool down.  My results mirrored my outside results, 45 seconds it was hot but I was able to pick it up to move it.  By 1 minute it was cool enough to hold and by 1 minute 30 seconds it was relatively cool.

I returned to my backyard to conduct some more tests of this stove.  The winds were at approximately 7 mph (11 kph) and the temperature was 63 F (17 C).  This test was conducted on a large rock.  I conducted two tests outside, both with 16 oz (480 ml) of cold tap water in the MSR Titan Kettle.  First I added .5 oz (15 ml) of denatured alcohol to the Turbo F.  This amount was able to bring the water to the point where it was steaming and bubbles were present, but not quite to a boil in these conditions.  The stove did burn for 5:50.  Second I added .75 oz (22 ml) of fuel to the stove.  This amount of fuel was able to bring the water to a boil in 5:50 and continued to burn until 7:30. 

Immediately following this test I once again tried the hot refuel test.  Again the results were that there was no combustion, no flame and no danger. 

I then conducted a third burn test of the Turbo F.  I added 24 oz (710 ml) to the MSR Titan Kettle.  This amount of water in the kettle just about filled it to the top.  I used 1 oz  (30 ml) of denatured alcohol.  The stove burned out at 8:04 without bringing the water to a full boil.  I believe the reason for this was that the surface area of the bottom of the pot was insufficient to boil that much water in that pot.

That evening I was hiking with a friend at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.  I conducted one test of the Turbo F while we were there.  I added .75 oz (22 ml) of fuel to the stove and 16 oz (480 ml) to the MSR Titan Kettle and lit the stove.  The wind was at about 5 mph (8 kph) with gusts of about 10 mph (16 kph).  The temperature was about 65 F (18 C) and we were at an altitude of approximately 1200 ft (366 m) on top of Coyote Peak.  The water boiled at 5:40 and the stove burned out at 7:10.

The next day I took the Turbo F with me on a dayhike in a local park.  I found a nice rocky area and a nice flat rock to test the stove on.  The weather was beautiful, it was 70 F (21 C) and there was just a light breeze.  On this hike I was carrying a different cook pot.  The pot I was carrying for this hike was an Evernew Titanium 1.5 L (51 oz) pot.  The dimensions of this pot are 7 in (178 mm) wide by 3.75 in (95 mm) high. 

I conducted three tests, two of which the cook pot contained 16 oz (480 ml) of cool pond water and the third in which the cook pot contained 24 oz (710 ml) of cool pond water.  For the first test I added .5 oz (15 ml) of fuel to the stove.  It was able to bring the water to a boil in 6:40, just 10 seconds before the stove burned out.  I then allowed both the stove and the pot to cool before performing the next test.  After the stove had cooled I added .75 oz (22 ml) of fuel to the stove and 16 oz (480 ml) of water to the pot.  During this test the water boiled in 5:00 and then the stove continued to burn until 8:16.  For the final test during this hike, I added 1 oz (30 ml) of fuel to the stove.  In my cook pot I added 24 oz (710 ml) of cool pond water.  The water began to boil at 8:10 and the stove burned out at 9:25.  This final test proved that 1 oz (30 ml) of fuel could boil 24 oz (710 ml) of water, showing that it was most likely the smaller surface area of the MSR Titan Kettle that kept the 24 oz (710 ml) of water from boiling in a previous test.

Along with the stove, I also am testing the 4 oz (118 ml) fuel bottle.  I have found that this is the perfect size for trips where I’ll only be using the stove a few times, such as daytrips or one- or two- night backpacking trips.  Anything longer than that and I’d carry the 8 oz (237 ml) fuel container.  I have found the fuel containers both to be very easy to use and have yet to have one open inadvertently or spill in my backpack. 

The only problem I have encountered with the fuel container so far involves pressure changes.  Upon reaching Coyote Peak I retrieved the fuel bottle from my backpack and opened it to add fuel to my stove.  I immediately opened the nozzle, this was a mistake, pressure had built up inside from the 1200 feet of elevation we had gained from my house and forced fuel into the secondary chamber.  When I opened the nozzle the pressure escaped out the nozzle forcing fuel out with it.  The solution is simple enough, if you slightly open the cap on the primary chamber before opening the nozzle, it equalizes the pressure and you can safely open the nozzle.

Here’s my bottom line so far:  The Brasslite Turbo F boils water very efficiently and is a very light alternative to homemade versions of the alcohol stove.  I am very pleased with the performance so far, both in the field and home testing.  Below you will find tables summarizing the average results with the two different cook pots I’ve tested with so far.

MSR Titan Kettle .85 L (28.7 oz) Results (Average)

Amount of Fuel	.5 oz (15 ml)	.75 oz (22 ml)	1 oz (30 ml)
Boil Time	5:10 *	5:40	N/A **
Burnout Time	5:41	7:45	8:04
Amount of Water	16 oz (480 ml)	16 oz (480 ml)	24 oz (710 ml)

*  Only achieved a boil in one of three attempts with .5 oz (15 ml) of fuel.
**  Was unable to achieve full boil.

Evernew Titanium Pot 1.5 L (51 oz) Results (Average)

Amount of Fuel	.5 oz (15 ml)	.75 oz (22 ml)	1 oz (30 ml)
Boil Time	6:03	5:00	8:10
Burnout Time	6:51	8:16	9:25
Amount of Water	16 oz (480 ml)	16 oz (480 ml)	24 oz (710 ml)

So far these results have led me to conclude that the larger surface area of the Evernew Titanium 1.5 L (51 oz) makes it a more efficient cook pot for the Turbo F.  While in the first test I noted that the burn time was quite long, this seemed to be a random occurrence which I have not seen duplicated in the more thorough testing.    


Testing Plan

I will be testing the Brasslite Turbo F in a variety of settings and conditions.  I currently have three upcoming trips planned where the Turbo F will be my primary stove for cooking dinner.  I will be spending three days in Big Basin Redwoods State Park with my family.  I am also planning a backpacking trip along the Skyline to the Sea Trail with a group of friends.  Most of the friends will be utilizing other types of alcohol stoves and will provide me with a great chance to compare performance with other stoves.  The final trip I have currently planned is a trip to Yosemite with some friends.  This will be at a higher altitude than either of the previously mentioned trips and will likely involve lower temperatures.  This will allow me to see the flexibility of environments where the Turbo F can successfully be utilized as my sole stove. 

I will continue to test different cook pots with the stove to see if there is a big difference in both speed and efficiency.  I will continue to look at the question of durability.  Will the stove stand up to the day to day use on the trail?  I will continue to document every time it is used the times to boil, the quantity of fuel and the quantity of water boiled.  I will also continue to record the temperature and wind velocity as I use the stove.  I am going to test the stove on a variety of surfaces to see if the surface plays a factor in performance.  Also, based on a recommendation from a friend, I am going to try various types of fuel in the stove, from different brands of denatured alcohol to Everclear, to see what performs the best. 

Finally, I am going to continue to use the 4 oz (118 ml) and 8 oz (237 ml) fuel containers to see their durability.  I want to see if they will hold up to being in the pack, whether they leak or not and how easy they are to use in the dark and when it’s colder out and I’m wearing gloves.

Thanks to BackpackGearTest and Brasslite for giving me the opportunity to test the Turbo F Stove.