Cooking pots, pans etc
 

Did the usual searches and found stoves/burners etc but could not find anything on the pots and pans used on them. I know it will be in the archives somewhere, just couldn't find it.

Need some recommendations of what type/brand is the go. It's not hard to work out that the aluminium ones would lose any protective coating real quick. I realise the good gear will be expensive, that's why I only want to do it once.

Help!

MSR has some good stuff.
Most times, cook kits are similar to tool kits. There are things included that you don't want and will never use.

I have a set of MSR stainless pots, called "Alpine". Excellent durability, easy to clean because you can use steel wool pads, usefull sizes for 2 hungry guys and not too heavy (about 700 grams IIRC). Decent price (€30-40?)

On my last backpacking trip a friend brought a set of SnowPeak titanium pots. Very light (about half of Alpine would be my estimate), a bit smaller sized and also harder to cook with. You have to constantly stir the food because heat doesn't distribute evenly. We used lots of oil and luckily had a Primus Omnifuel stove that allows for accurate heat regulation. Expensive (€70+)

Of course I am a lightweight gear freak so I am now also looking for titanium pots. Haven't decided which one yet, although I like the one by Trangia. It has the same weight and sizes as the MSR titanium but includes a lid and cost €65 compared to €120.

Cheers,
Lukas

Another vote for the MSR Alpine cookset, and I'm also looking at the Ti set too, but it IS expensive. I feel the quality of the MSR Ti kit is better than thre trangia: it just feels stiffer, and less likely to be bent/dented

a

I agree on the titanium pots. They are lightweight, but they do not conduct heat effectively or evenly. I have had to watch out for burning food in the pot's hot spot.

Doing it over again, I'd go with stainless steel.

Good to know. I haven't seen either of them, but what you say makes sense since the weight of the Trangia including the lid is the same as the MSR without.

I will go and visit my local camping/outdoor shop this weekend, they are very knowledgeable and test all the products they sell. I'll keep you guys informed on what they say.

Lukas

Forget the few grammes difference ;-) I'd go for the stainless steel any day. Reckon it's easier (and cheaper) to save weight by reducing nonessential luggage. All you need is 2 pots fitting into each other, the smaller with a normal lid, the larger with a saucepan as lid.

What kind of stove have you got? Stainless steel has the further advantage that it can be used on petrol stoves. The alu pots don't cope with the higher temps.

I am with Vaufi on this one, my saucepans cost less than 10Euros from the local supermarket. they have been fine.. stainless with alu sandwich. dont burn easy. same applies to teh frying pan. Only snag i have had is they do tend to slide off the gaz stove if on even a little slope... so i need to roughen the stoves arms. Unles some one has a better fix?? they could be used on wood embers or charcoal too.

Stainless for me
 

I’ve tried most materials for pots over the years and still tend to go back to my old Peak stainless set, they have a close fitting lid to help speed up water boiling, and can be used on any cooker that you are likely to take on a trip, even been known to use them on open fires, and as LucasM said they are easy to clean with wire wool or pan scrubs, (which is a good thing with my cooking) and seem to last forever. Must have had my set some 14 or so years now.

Iain

aluminium?
 

I didn't understand why not aluminium?

Thanks,
Helias

Bike vibrations can kill Teflon very quickly ,take as few pans as possible and pack them with a buffer between the teflon surfaces .

I have a real nice set of teflon coated pots and pans and a real cheap stainless steel ones but guess what, seems I'm always using the cheapies. The stainless steel is more durable, don't worry about damaging coating and like others say you can clean them with some steel wool. My teflon ones cook better and more evenly but the stainless is so much easier that its what I use.

Like a marriage of many many years that only gets better with time, alas, how to ever part with my Svea 123 stove coupled with its specifically made Sigg pots? I bought the two together in 1969 and have used it ever since in every possible situation imaginable. Saudi desert, Indonesian jungle, camping numerous times in the Pyrenees mountains at 3,000 feet in the winter, twice across Afghanistan and in driving rain in Iran on an MZ 250 sport bike, in a New York hotel room, among much other unforgettable craziness. With time, as with a lady, one's eyes wander, but you know how it is, you just keep coming back. About 15 years ago I bought a Coleman Multi-fuel stove, and it's true, it works perfectly like a blowtorch and is very reliable, but who needs a blowtorch to save 3 minutes? Plus the Coleman runs badly on unleaded petrol. Then about 10 years I bought the "new" Svea 123R Climber, lord knows why. It in principle cleans the jet with a little needle, and is much more difficult to adjust when lit. I still use a little strand of copper wire to clean my original Svea 123 after each use. My Sigg cook set is in aluminium, anathema for those concerned about Alzheimer disease, yet I'll bet that for those who seek adventure this isn't a first consideration. During 50,000 kilometres on my MZ in Iran I only used unleaded petrol in my Svea, and it seemed to clog after a few years. So I simply rinsed the tank about 5 times with white gas when it was finally available in Turkey, and it ran like new. If ever less is better, or was, then the Svea 123 is it, at least the Svea without the integrated cleaning needle, available on e-Bay; even the corresponding Sigg pots can be found. New parts are readily available everywhere by mail order. I've included a clip from YouTube, but if that doesn't pass I can post photos. Hope this helps….

YouTube - Sigg Tourest & Svea 123

cooking vessels
 

If I didn't have a lightweight Peak set from 20 years ago I would buy two stainless "nesting" saucepans from a supermarket. A sandwich constuction to avoid the hot spot from petrol stoves. A big bonus if they can sit on eachother, and the other way round where you put one inside the other and heat water inbetween the two. Slower, but unburnt food for a change. The Peak is so thin its almost impossible to not carbonise the bottom layer of food if not using lots of water or oil.
Aluminium is hard to clean, and there is this problem with Alz...Alz...Alz. Personally I distrust all miracle coatings, can't use proper tools and not sure whats released at high temperatures.
I have a 25 cm stainless wok, folding handle, very handy, have actually made some good meals. Works OK for european cooking, not only asian.

Peter, in Oslo

Too much of a good thing....is just wonderful. Mae West

Trangia all the way
 

I can't speak highly enough of my Trangia - I went for the teflon coated version and after a year or so of use the surface does seem to be 'gritting' slightly.

I'm thinking now I should have gone for the stainless steel jobbies - but I don't think I could be without my non-stick frying pan!

Neat package which combined with multi-fuel burner is simply perfect.