Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > Coleman Fyrestorm Ti Stove > Josh Cormier > Initial Report

Coleman Exponent Fyrestorm Stove – Initial Report

Personal biographical information:

·                                Name:  Josh Cormier

·                                Age: 26

·                                Gender: Male

·                                Height: 5’ 11” (1.80 m)

·                                Weight: 175 lb (79 kg)

·                                Email address:  swifteagle1 at hotmail dot com

·                                City: Los Gatos, California

·                                Date: 2-Jun-06

Backpacking background:

I started backpacking with the Boy Scouts when was 11 and have been camping and backpacking ever since. I’m now geared toward more challenging trips ranging from week-long to weekend in mountainous areas covering from 7-14 miles (11 - 22 km) a day. I would classify my gear as mid weight although now I am trying to move more toward lightweight. I go backpacking at least once a year in the Sierra Nevada Mountains as well as monthly car camping trips with the Scouts.

Product Information: (information taken from Coleman website)

- Item Description: Coleman Fyrestorm Stove 

- Listed Stove weight: 7.7 oz (218 g)

- Measured Stove weight: 7.8 oz (221 g)

- Listed Stove & pump unit weight: 10.7 oz (303 g)

- Measured Stove & pump unit weight: 15.1 oz (428 g)

- Listed Stove & canister adapter weight: 11.0 oz (312 g)

- Measured Stove & canister adapter weight: 11.2 oz (318 g)

- Measured reflector and windscreen weight: 3.1 oz (88 g)

- BTUs Canister: 14,000

- Boil Time Canister: 3.2 min

- Burn Time Canister: 45 min

- BTUs Liquid: 10,000

- Boil Time Liquid: 3.5 min

- Burn Time Liquid: 75 min

- Dimensions—3 1/4" h x 6 3/4" w x 6 1/4" d (83mm h x 171 mm w x 159 mm d)

- Pack Size—3 1/4" h x 5 3/4" w x 3 3/4" d (83mm h x 146 mm w x 95 mm d)

- Fuel used: Runs on Coleman® fuel, unleaded gasoline, or butane/propane

- Manufactures web site: http://www.coleman.com

- Year of Manufacture: 2006

- MSRP: $189.99

- Item Received: 24-May-06

- Initial Condition: The product arrived in new condition

- Item Completeness: The item was well packaged and included all required pieces.

- Package Includes: 22 oz. fuel bottle, liquid fuel pump, canister fuel stand, stove, spare parts, liquid fuel bottle lid, storage sack, and instructions in three languages.

Packaging:

The stove arrived in brown cardboard box that was 2-3 times larger that the stove box inside. After removing the ample padding I saw a stylish Coleman Exponent box that gives stats on the size, burn time and weight of the stove. The box also has pictures of the stove completely set up with the liquid fuel bottle setup and canister setup. Inside the box the stove components are separated by cardboard loops and chambers. The instructions for setting up the stove were located on the top of everything and came in booklet form, written in English, French, and Spanish.

Initial Impressions:

The stove is lightweight but still has a sturdy feel to it thanks to the titanium parts including the serrated pot stand and the burner head. The stove legs and those on the canister stand look somewhat like plastic but are in fact a powder coated magnesium alloy material. The legs on both the stove and the canister stand fold together to make packing into the included sack easier. All connections are made of brass and are easy to connect since the outside of all screw-in pieces were knurled for non slip use. The included repair kit seems to include all the pieces that might be needed to complete any minor repair on the stove. All of the connectors came to me covered with plastic caps to keep dirt and grime from clogging the fuel pathways. The included fuel bottle and pump look sturdy and seem to be well designed.

First Time Setup (Reflector and Windscreen):

The reflector and windscreen are made of a sturdy aluminum that looks like it can take a lot of use. Initially the factory folds were a bit tough to get out of the reflector and windscreen to make them open all the way. Over time with careful folding I think that I can keep from putting such deep creases in the material. Other than that initial observation, the reflector and windscreen unfolded easily and were simple to setup. The reflector unfolds into a circle shape and lays flat under the stove with the stove’s legs sitting on top of it. The windscreen should be shaped into a circle with the ends folded over each other to keep the circle closed. There is an opening on a small portion of the bottom section of the windscreen for the fuel line to fit through. This allows the user to make adjustments using the flame adjustor located on the stove through the windscreen.

First Time Setup (Canister fuel):

The setup of the stove using the canister fuel source was straight forward. First I unfolded the legs of the stove and the canister stand. Then making sure that the fuel valve was closed, I screwed the fuel canister into the top of the fuel canister stand. Next I connected the fuel line which is covered with a stainless steel mesh from the stove into the canister stand, connecting the two together.

First Time Cooking (Canister fuel):

Seeing as this was a new stove to me and wanting to test it as the manufacture intended, I decided to read the instructions before my first use. Following the directions I turned the flame adjustor to the Open/Light position and then opened the fuel valve while holding my lighter over the burner holes. The stove immediately ignited with a whoosh and started sending some sparks out of the burner area. I let the stove burn for a while with the fuel adjustor in the full open position to let the stove warm up. I noticed during this time that the Titanium pot stands were getting red hot at the tips and the generator was also glowing bright orange. Now turning the fuel adjustor to low I noticed a slight decrease in the output of the stove. Notice I said slight as it does not seem that the fuel adjustor will turn the burner down to anything close to a simmer. I will try cooking something that requires a lower heat to see if simmering is possible when cooking with the with canister fuel source.

The first test I ran for this stove was to boil a quart of water in my titanium pot, utilizing both the reflector as well as the wind screen. I used a candy thermometer to measure the temperature of the water to determine when it was truly boiling. The water used was distilled water, room temperature, I measured the amount of water using the graduated marks on my Nalgene. I found that with the flame adjustor on high, the stove was able to boil a quart of water in about 5 minutes. For the boiling water test I used my titanium pot that holds a little over a quart, I found that on level ground the stove was stable and had no problem supporting the weight of that much water.

First Time Setup (Liquid fuel):

The setup of the stove using the liquid fuel source was simple enough. First I filled the fuel bottle with Coleman fuel to the 2/3rds mark. The directions state that this is important, otherwise the stove will not light correctly. Next I gave the bottle 40 pumps after making sure the valve was closed all the way. The hose connected the stove to the bottle easily completing the setup. The instructions for setup and lighting the stove are conveniently printed on the fuel bottle where they can’t be lost and for quick reference. For the boiling water test I again used my titanium pot that holds a little over a quart. The entire setup took only a few minutes and was very easy to figure out even without directions.

First Time Cooking (Liquid fuel):

I’ve had some experience with white gas stoves, mostly with the fireball startup so common to them. With these experiences and Coleman’s claim of a new white gas startup technology, I decided to it would be in my best interest to read and follow Coleman’s instructions on how to light the stove. The instructions say to turn the fuel adjustor to Open/Light and to open the fuel valve while holding a match over the stove burner. I was doubtful that this was really the correct way to light the stove and envisioned fuel spurting all over the place. Putting all that aside I proceeded to light the stove just as the instructions on the bottle dictated and was pleasantly surprised at the results. As soon as I turned the fuel valve on and the burner lit there was some yellow flame followed closely by a blue flame. This pattern repeated several seconds before the yellow flame disappeared and the blue flame took over. I gave the fuel bottle another 20 pumps to keep pressure up till the generator took over and opened the fuel valve all the way. Overall it took less than a minute for the stove to reach a steady blue cooking flame. With the flame adjustor on high the output is somewhat less than that of the canister but still hot enough to turn the pot supports a glowing orange. With the flame adjustor on low it looks as if the stove may be able to simmer. I will have to test this and report on it in my next report.

The first test I ran for this stove using Coleman fuel was to boil a quart of water in my titanium pot, utilizing both the reflector as well as the wind screen. I used a candy thermometer to measure the temperature of the water to determine when it was truly boiling. The water used was distilled water, room temperature, I measured the amount of water using the graduated marks on my Nalgene. I found that with the flame adjustor on high, the stove was able to boil a quart of water in just under 4 minutes.

My test plan:

I plan on testing the gear based on several different objectives. First and most importantly is dependability, does the gear work when it counts. Secondly is efficiency, does the gear do its job well. Lastly would be ease of use, is the gear easy to put together and easy to use. Throughout the test I will seek to answer the following questions.

I’d like to try cooking some of those more delicate foods on this stove that I can’t seem to keep from burning on my “Afterburner” stove. This would include pancakes, bacon, and maybe an omelet or two. For proper testing this cooking will be done changing between the different fuel sources.

Dependability:

Does the stove consistently fire up without any repair or adjustments?

Does the stove hold up well under use?

Will the stove be able to hold a 1 Quart pot with stability?

Does the stove keep from getting carbon clogged when using white gas?

Is the stove easy to take apart and repair?

Does the stove work with the butane fuel in cold weather?

Efficiency:

Is the stoves flame fully adjustable to conserve fuel?

Is the weight to dependability/usefulness ratio favorable?

Does the stove cool down quickly so it can be packed away?

Do I constantly have to pump the white gas when I am cooking?

Ease of Use:

Is the stove well thought out?

Is the stove easy to setup and takedown?

Is the stove easy to light?

Is the process of connecting the stove to the fuel source straight forward?

Is the instant start for the white gas easy to use and prevents overfilling primers?

Thank you to Coleman and BackpackGearTest for allowing me to test this fine item,

Josh Cormier

Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > Coleman Fyrestorm Ti Stove > Josh Cormier > Initial Report