Gear Review :- Esbit 985ml alcohol/solid cookset

August 29, 2014 by lymeyblimey 2 Comments

This cookset has been in my kit bag since last winter and has been used throughout the year for mainly brewing up and the occasional boil in the bag.

And for this it has been a great performer and has served me well considering its price of £34.59p from Amazon. I have read other reviews of this stove and others like it from Esbit and some have been pretty harsh with statements such as ” it took 9 minutes to boil my water in a light wind!” well yes mate it’s not a jet engine if you want it faster to the boil get your wallet out and get a faster stove! the market is filled with them. This stove does take longer than say a jetboil,I own a jetboil also and they are great! but I love this little stove its got something jetboil will never have and that’s character! as much asI do love me jetboil for its power, speed and efficiency it is the tarted up subaru impreza of stoves with all the bells and whistles you will ever need and thats what you pay for the ‘Grunt factor!’.

The Esbit is roughly the same size as a jetboil flash and is very light at 417 gram aginst the jetboil flashes 400 gram minus the fuel on both. Once it has been used a few times and cut its teeth it looks the part. The hard anodized aluminium makes it look tough and well used after a few boils, with a lid that can be used as smaller cooking pan and the choice of either solid fuel or liquid. It has also lent its self to an easy to use easy to clean design the Esbit is not the Rolls Royce of stoves but it is the Land Rover tough, well-built and tried and tested if it’s not broke don’t fix it and a lot like a Land Rover it rattles a little so top tip before you pack it pop a cleaning sponge in the top to stop those annoying rattles. Use this stove how its ment to be used and it will last a life time. You can get between 3-6 boils of a full pot from the full burner and using the fuel tables from the blister pack 1-2 should give a good boil just remember to use some common sense when using this bit of kit not in a tent as heat radiates from under side and keep it out of the wind best you can also use the snuffer provided and make sure the burner is cool before putting the lid back on as you will ruin the seals leading to spillage issues.

Price 5/5  well priced for a good product

Build 4/5  plastic feet on stove are minor let down

Function 4/5 works very well but better wind guard would help

Over all great price for great kit.

Ryan