Owner Review: MSR Alpine Folding Utensils

 
Reviewer Information

 
Name:  Rachel Zurer

Age: 22

Gender:  Female

Height: 5'5" (1.65 Meters)

Weight: 145 lbs (66 kilos)

Email address: rachel@zurer.com

City, State, Country: Silver Spring, MD, US

Date: February 5, 2005

 
Backpacking Background:  I started backpacking in the spring of 2002 and I've hardly stopped since. I've done a bunch of 1-2 week trips in the hilly green forests of Western North Carolina, spent an October in the canyons of Southern Utah, and spent nights all over Yellowstone and other parts of Northwestern Wyoming. I tend to go for long-term comfort over light-weightedness, since I'm often out for a long-haul. I have experience in pretty much every weather condition except perhaps hot and dry, and a wide variety of terrain. I like versatile gear that will do well for me wherever my next trip happens to be.

 Product Information

 Manufacturer: Mountain Safety Research (MSR)

Year: 2004

URL:  http://www.msrcorp.com/

MSRP: $10.95 US for the set (items can be purchased separately)

Listed weight: 2.95 oz (85 g)

Actual weight:  2.9 oz (82 g)

Material: plastic

Strainer:

         -weight: 1.2 oz (34 g)                                                          -MSRP: $2.95 US

         -folded size: 5.7" x 2.6" x .4" (14.5 cm x 6.5 cm x 1 cm)        

Spatula:

         -weight: .8 oz (23 g)                                                            -MSRP: $3.95 US    

         -folded size:  5.9" x  2.6" x .4" (15 cm x 6.5 cm x 1 cm) 

Spoon:

         -weight: 1 oz (28 g)                                                             -MSRP: $4.95 US    

         -folded size:  5.7" x 2.6" x 1.2" (14.5 cm x 6.5 cm x 3 cm)      -volume: 1/3 cup (80 ml, 2.71 oz)

 
Because they can be purchased separately, each piece of this set really deserves individual consideration. Each is made of black plastic and folds at a joint where the handle meets the working-end of the utensil. The handles have holes cut out of them to reduce total weight (a nice trick MSR is good about using). 

The strainer consists of a flat semi-circle that extends parallel to the plane of the handle. The arc of the circle has a lip to help stabilize it against the edge of a pot, and the semi-circle itself has rows of small holes. The idea is that you hold the strainer with the lip on the outside edge of a pot so the holey piece partly covers the pot, and tilt the pot to drain water through the holes while the strainer keeps your food in your pot.  If you tilt the pot away from you, then you hold the pot with you right hand and the strainer with your left; the opposite is true for pouring towards yourself. The handle doesn't lock into place, but the strainer is designed so that as you push it against the pot you're also keeping the handle extended.

The spatula is the simplest of the three utensils. When extended, the handle locks into place by means of a little clip. The spatula blade itself is a slightly hexagonal flat piece with a hole cut in the middle (again to reduce weight). Unlike your typical pancake-turner, the spatula blade is pretty much in line with the handle.

The spoon has a locking handle like its buddy the spatula. The spoon's cup is not-quite teardrop shaped (part of one edge is flat), with a flat bottom (so you can put it down and it will stay balanced). The inside of the cup has measurement lines drawn all around it (contour-style) at 1 tbsp, 2 tbsp, 1/4c, and 1/3c (15 mL, 30 mL, 60 mL, 80 mL).

 I've spent a lot of time cooking in the back-country (several hundred meals, at least), but for most of that time I used a variety of utensils (metal spoons, pancake turners, Lexan cups), none of which were designed for backpacking.  I've only had the opportunity to bring these utensils on a few one-night trips since I've acquired them, but I've also depended on them in my front-country arsenal. Therefore, I have a very good idea of how they perform compared to some other cookware options, and I've used them to make a whole lot of different foods. They are lighter than the non-backpacking tools I've used (in part thanks to the clever removal of unnecessary plastic, i.e. the funny holes everywhere), and I really like that they fit easily inside my pots.  As advertised, they are non-stick friendly and haven't left a scratch yet.  After 3-4 months of constant kitchen use (especially for the spatula), they still look as good as new.

 The strainer is the least impressive of these tools.  While it's definitely handy for it's intended task, it doesn't work with all pots: they have to be the right shape and have the right sort of lip for it to be at its best. Unsurprisingly, MSR's pots work perfectly, but if that's not what you've got, it can slip off easily. The holes are big enough that spaghetti and other thin/small items slip through, which is especially uncool in the back-country.  If your pots aren't easy to hold with one hand, then you're out of luck (though in theory you could recruit a hiking buddy, I guess). It seems pretty extravagant to carry such a specific tool around; you're much better off learning to hold your pot lid on to act as a strainer than wasting precious space and ounces on a tool that will only get used once every few meals, at that.

 The spatula is a handy little guy that is definitely on the invite-list for all trips where the cooking includes anything more than boiling water. It's strong enough to scrape the crud off my pans, but since it's plastic I don't have to worry about it scratching them. It works great as an all-purpose stirrer, especially for frying things. It's main drawback is that because the spatula part is only at a slight angle to the handle, it's a bit hard to use as a pancake-turner/hamburger flipper, particularly if your pot is deep. If you strive for immaculate back-country crepes, then perhaps this tool is not for you. If you're content to have your pancakes occasionally turn into batter-scramble, then this spatula will do you well.

The spoon is my favorite of the three utensils. Obviously, it can accomplish the basic task of stirring (so can that stick you're sitting next to).  What makes it particularly useful is its ability to morph into a measuring cup and a ladle, as needed. Even if all you're doing is boiling water, it presents a nice alternative to having to aim the flow of potentially scalding liquid from a heavy pot into your cup/bowl/nalgene. Like any spoon/ladle, it's scooping abilities reach a limit as the pot gets emptier, but at that point I'm more comfortable with pouring. Its relatively low volume could get frustrating if you were using it to scoop a lot of water, but on the other hand that's a great asset when you're trying to divvy out equal portions to a hungry crowd.  The measuring lines might seem like overkill to the less gourmet back-country cook, but it's very nice to have some way to quantify what you're putting in your meal. Finally, the spoon's flat-bottom means that it will stand by itself.

 Summary

The Alpine utensils are thoughtfully designed and may a good choice for many back-county cooks. They're lighter than normal kitchen tools, safe for non-stick, and because they fold, can be easier to pack. Unless you're really enamored with the idea of the strainer, I recommend ditching it and buying the spoon and/or the spatula separately.

 Strainer:

         -Pros: makes straining easier

         -Cons: some things slip through, awkward to use, too specialized to make sense in the back-country

Spatula:

         -Pros: strong enough for scraping, great for stirring/scrambling/frying

         -Cons: angle makes flipping a little tricky

 Spoon:

         -Pros: deep enough to use as a ladle, marked for measuring, will stand straight when set down

         -Cons: angle makes scooping into the bottom of a narrow/deep pot tricky