Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > JetBoil Flash Stove > Test Report by Andrew Henrichs

Jetboil Flash Stove

Test Series by Andy Henrichs

September 19, 2009

Initial Report - 9-19-09

The Jetboil Flash all packed up and ready to go

Initial Report

Product Description

The Jetboil Flash is a new version of the self-contained cook system. It consists of a 1 L (4 cups) cup with insulated cozy, a burner with piezoelectric igniter, a translucent plastic lid, a translucent plastic base cover (which doubles as a 1 cup (.25 L) measuring cup), and an orange fuel canister tripod. When packed, the Jetboil Flash measures 7.25 in (18.5 cm) tall and 4.25 in (11 cm) in diameter. Attached to the bottom of the cup and enclosed by some thin metal is a "FluxRing." This is a wavy section of metal that serves as a heat exchanger to improve the efficiency of the stove. According to the packaging, this FluxRing "cooks faster and uses half the fuel." The burner assembly is nice and compact. There is a small black button that triggers the piezoelectric igniter. When pushed, it produces a solid "click" and a small spark is visible over the burner. The flame output is controlled by a small rectangular section of wire. When not in use, the wire folds back underneath the burner body and stows away nicely. The neoprene cozy that surrounds the metal cup has a webbing handle and hang loop on one side. On the opposite side, it has a small webbing loop for slotting utensils. Between the two lies a color changing heat indicator. According to Jetboil, the three lines that constitute the Jetboil logo on the cozy turn orange when the contents of the stove are hot. The cup attaches securely to the burner assembly and the orange tripod serves to add more stability to the system. The tripod, burner, and 100 g (3.5 oz) Jetboil fuel canister (not included) stow easily inside the cup. According to the manufacturer, the Jetboil Flash boils 2 C (.5 L) of liquid in 2 minutes; a 100 g (3.5 oz) Jetboil fuel canister lasts for 60 minutes; and a 100 g (3.5 oz) fuel canister will boil 12 L (406 oz) of water.

A labeled view of the Jetboil Flash and its components

A look inside the Flash with the tripod and burner packed away	The fuel canister tripod unfolded

A lateral view of the FluxRing

The flame control wire folded away	The flame control wire unfolded

Initial Impressions

When I first unpacked the Jetboil, I was very impressed with how well everything was stowed away. The legs on the orange tripod fold inwards and take up very little space when packing. The tripod attaches very firmly to small or large fuel canisters. When first trying it out, it actually took some prying before I could get the tripod to release the canister. The tripod, burner, and a small fuel canister fit inside the cup with about .5 in (1.3 cm) to spare. The burner and fuel canister can be stowed connected or separated. The burner uses standard thread screw-on style fuel canisters. The base cover attaches to the base of the cup with three small plastic tabs. Slot them into corresponding holes in the base of the cup, give it a quarter turn, and the base cover is attached. This cover also serves as a measuring cup with a small lip that marks 1 C (250 mL). On the interior of the cup, there is an engraved line halfway up the side with the words "Max Safe Fill 2 Cups." While the cup can hold 1 L (4 cups) of liquid, this much liquid would likely boil over when heated.

When assembled, the unit is quite solid. The burner attaches to the cup by slotting some small metal bumps into corresponding grooves and twisting to lock. I was impressed that the Jetboil Flash is quite stable even when the cup is filled with water. When the Flash arrived I found a previously used fuel canister from another stove manufacturer, screwed it onto the Jetboil, and lit it up. It ignited without any problems, but I was less than impressed with the heat output. It just sounded wimpy. I soon realized that was because the fuel canister I was using was nearly empty. I proceeded to use the Flash three times over the next two days while camping and hiking. Each use, I boiled 2 C (.5 L) of water for tea and timed how long the water took to boil. The first two uses were with the nearly-empty fuel canister. Both of these uses took place at an elevation of approximately 8,300 ft (2,500 m). Temperatures were approximately 40 F (4 C). The water took six minutes and 50 seconds to boil during the first use and seven minutes and 30 seconds to boil during the second use. I used 10 g (.4 oz) of fuel to boil these 4 C (1 L). The final use was with a brand new Jetboil fuel canister at an elevation of 12,000 ft (3,700 m). The air temperature was approximately 65 F (18 C). The new canister made a huge difference. The stove lit with a roar and the 2 C (.5 L) of water boiled in three minutes. Not what Jetboil claims, but not bad nonetheless. I found that the temperature indicator does indeed turn orange when the contents are hot, but it completes the change before the contents are actually boiling. During the next phase of the test, I will measure the temperature of the water to determine at what temperature the indicator is totally orange. When hiking, I stowed the Flash in a water bottle pocket on the side of my fanny pack. It would occasionally rattle as my travels led me over rocks and around logs, but this could easily be remedied by stuffing a bandanna in the top of the Flash before I put the lid on. So far I've been very happy with the Jetboil, but I have a lot more testing to do.

This concludes my Initial Report.  I will append this report with my Field Report in approximately two months.  Check back then for further details.

Thank you to Jetboil and BackpackGearTest.org for giving me the opportunity to test this stove.

Reviews > Cook Gear > Stoves > JetBoil Flash Stove > Test Report by Andrew Henrichs