| |
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
|
Jetboil Group Cooking System (GCS)
Field Report – July 26, 2006
Tester Information:
Name: Jason Boyle
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 6"/ 1.68 m
Weight: 170 lb/ 77 kg
Email address: c4jc "at" hotmail "dot" com
City, State, Country: Snoqualmie, Washington, U. S.
Backpacking Background:
I have been camping and backpacking for about 18 years. My introduction to the outdoors started with the Boy Scouts of America and has continued as an adult. I have hiked mostly in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. I am generally a lightweight hiker, but will carry extras to keep me comfortable. I have recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest and spend most of my time hiking and backpacking in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, but I can be found exploring the other wild areas of Washington!
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Jetboil
Model: Group Cooking System (GCS)
Components: Stove/Burner, 1.5 L pot, Pot Supports, Base Stabilizers, Neoprene Pot Cozy
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL: www.jetboil.com
| Listed weight: |
Total 19 oz (540 g) |
| Pot Support: |
1.2 oz (35 g) |
| Stabilizer (canister feet): |
.9 oz (27 g) |
| 1.5 L cooking pot: |
7.5 oz min/12 oz max (213 g to 369 g) includes lid, cozy, handles, cover |
| Measured weight: |
Total: 19.7 oz (558 g) not including fuel |
| Pot Support: |
1.2 oz (34 g) |
| Stabilizer (canister feet): |
.95 oz (27 g) |
| Lid: |
1.8 oz (51 g) |
| Cover (bottom): |
1.6 oz (45 g) |
| 1.5 L pot: |
8.2 oz (232 g) includes pot, cozy, and handles |
| Jetboil Burner: |
5.95 oz (169 oz) |
| New Jetpower Canister: |
6.75 oz (191 g) |
**Disclaimer: my scale is accurate to +/- .05 oz (1 g)**
| Listed Dimensions: |
7” x 4.5” (17.5 cm x 11 cm) |
| Measured Dimensions: |
6.5” x 3.25” (16.5 cm x 8 cm) interior pot dimensions |
|
7” x 4.5” (17.5 cm x 11 cm) entire kit including lids |
MSRP: $109.95 US
Country of Manufacture: Made in the USA
Product Description:
From the Jetboil Website:
Simmer, fry, or sauté for groups with this flexible 1.5 liter system. Ideal for gourmet cooking, scouts, family camping, snow melting.
The Jetboil CGS is marketed as a fuel efficient stove for group use. For more information and detailed product description please see my initial report.
Summary:
So far the Jetboil GCS has performed well. With any stove/pot combo there are limitations to what the system is best used for. I have been able to use the stove/pot combo to make rice and bean mixes, boil water, and make breakfast foods. However, the tall sidewalls of the pot make it nearly impossible to flip food, like pancakes for example. As I continue to learn what will and won’t work, I will be able to better tailor my meals to the capabilities of this system.
Field Conditions:
I have used the Jetboil GCS on 4 trips over the past two months: a mountaineering slog up Mt. Colchuck, a three day backpacking trip, and an overnight trip. All of the trips took place in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Mt. Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest. Elevation ranged from sea level to 8507’ (2593 m), temperatures ranged from 92 F to 31 F (33 C to -1C), no precipitation was experienced on any of these trips.
Field Test Results:
The durability of the Jetboil GCS when used as directed has been stellar thus far. All of the pieces and parts have operated properly with no issues. There are a couple of pieces that are not in good working order anymore. One morning at Rainbow Lake, my hiking buddy decided he would make coffee while I was still asleep. He safely started the stove and placed a pot full of water onto the lit burner. He failed to notice that the plastic cover to protect the flux ring was still on the pot. Several minutes later he checked on the stove and low and behold there was a melted plastic mess everywhere. The bottom cover is destroyed. Additionally, he placed the pot lid on top of the stove right side up and once the water boiled the pressure sucked the lid down and caused it to be deformed. Normally, I place the lid on upside down and have not experienced any deformation. This is just one of the many reasons why friends should not let friends use their Jetboil!
|
 |
The Jetboil Group Cooking System includes most everything that I need to prepare food at camp. I think the system works best if I stick to simple meals that require only one pot. If I try to make something more complicated I usually need more than one pot. Also if I need to flip something like an omelet or pancakes the 1.5L pot does not work because of the tall sidewalls on the pot. I tried to make pancakes for breakfast one morning and it was a disaster. I was not able to get under the pancake to flip it, so it just became a gooey stirred mess. Also the concentrated flame caused the middle of the pot to become hotter than the rest of the pot and caused pancake batter to burn to the middle. The system worked really well when I heated up some precooked frozen sausages and made scrambled eggs. The eggs stuck to middle of the pot but I was able to keep most of it from burning by stirring. It also worked really well making a black beans, rice and chicken dish. I brought everything to a boil and turned off the system. The pot cozy kept the pot hot and in about 15 minutes everything was nice and tender including the beans. I have also used the burner and pot supports to successfully make Jiffy Pop popcorn.
I have been a bit disappointed by the amount of use I was able to get out of a single Jetpower canister. I felt like it should have last longer. I used it to make the following items: a pot of hot water on top of Mt. Colchuck, two pots of water for coffee, heating up sausage and cooking scrambled eggs, a pot of water for black beans and rice, and making pancake balls. All of the food was made over one, three day trip except for the one pot of water on Mt. Colchuck.
Most of the components of the system work well. The pot holders that I thought would be flimsy are indeed sturdy and quite useful. The piezo electric lighter usually lights the stove on the first or second push of the button. The lid before it was deformed by my buddy did not fit very well. It was very difficult to get on top of the pot and if I was able to get it on, the moment I put it inside of my pack it would pop off and all of the Jetboil GCS parts would spill into my pack. I am not sure why the pot lid doesn’t fit well. I will continue to monitor this with the deformed lid.
Improvements:
A lid to the top of the pot that is easier to get on and stays on.
Testing Plan:
I evaluated the Jetboil GCS on the following characteristics in over the last two months. My answers are in blue.
Durable:
- How durable are the metal components of the stove; to include the pot, pot handles, pot supports, canister feet, heat exchanger ring, and the metal railing on the burner itself? So far I have had no problems with the system.
- How durable is the neoprene cozy? So far it has been good. I leave it on the pot when I run it through the dishwasher at home and it shows no signs of wear.
- Is it easily torn while being stuffed into my pack or setting on the ground around camp? No.
- Will anything be damaged by the loose fit of the components inside of the 1.5L pot? Nothing has been damaged yet.
Usefulness:
- The Jetboil GCS claims to be an integrated system; is it all that I will need to bring on group led trips or will I need to carry additional pots/pans to meet my group cooking needs? If I keep my meals to simple one pot meals then the included pot is sufficient.
- Will I be so blown away by its usefulness that I am I willing to take the extra weight of the 1.5L pot on solo trips? Not when I can take the single person cup.
- I am not a gourmet cook by any means but I do like to do more than boil water. One of the things I like to do while camping is to make pancakes. I use all types of mixes when doing this, muffin mixes, cornbread, and biscuits. All of these require flipping and an even temperature. Will the Jetboil GCS allow me to easily flip pancakes and will it provide me a nice even temperature throughout the bottom of the pot? Not really. The center of the pot is still much hotter than the rest of the pot.
- Many of the bean dishes that I make like Zatarans Black Beans and Rice call for simmering. Can the stove create a nice simmer without burning my beans and rice to the bottom of the pot? Yes.
- Another camp favorite is Quesadillas, which require even heat or else they burn. The reason I keep bringing up even heat is because of the concentrated burner, I wonder if the flux ring will actually distribute the heat for a consistent temperature on the pot bottom. Have not made Quesadillas yet.
- How quickly does the stove boil water for those times when I need water for coffee, tea or dehydrated meals? Did not use a stop watch, but I can usually get the water going and work on a camp chore or two and by the time I am ready to drink my beverage the water is ready.
- One of my favorite things to do especially on day hikes is to carry my stove and make some tea at my destination. Is this set up light enough and convenient enough for me to carry on day hikes to make tea? Not when a smaller pot is available.
- Is it really more fuel efficient than other stoves? The Jetpower canister did not last as long as I though it would.
- How useful are the fold out pot holders? From the pictures on the website they look flimsy especially if the pot is full of water. They are very sturdy.
- How well does the piezo electric lighter work? It usually lights the stove on the first or second push.
- Is it affected by altitude? It worked fine at 8507’ (2593 m) although it seemed a bit slower than normal.
- Will the system work with other canisters? Yes, any canister that has a Lindal valve will work with the burner.
- Is there a noticeable difference if another canister fuel is used? Not so far.
Thanks to Jetboil and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to participate in this test.
Read more reviews of Jetboil gear
Read more gear reviews by Jason Boyle
|
