UL fuel efficient cook system

[35WhelenAI]

I'll pick up a G2 pot, compare to the ramen pot using the Windmaster.

 

[Dobermann]

Here's a link to some good pot geeking:

Best Heat Exchanger Pot For Backpacking Ultralight 2026

This buyer's guide will help you find the best heat exchanger pot for backpacking. Ultralight and fuel efficient, perfect for boiling water.

www.adventurealan.com

Thanks for that link - that's an updated post/list from one of the three or four main sources that were doing comparisons a year or so ago.

And they were one of the main proponents of the JetBoil Stash as being superior to the other pot offerings; seems like their stance may have changed a bit, with them now leaning towards the Petrel G2 or Ramen pots.

Still, the Stash is a bit lighter.

And one of the tricks with their site is that they tend to offer some generic observations and 'likes' rather than the actual testing that Jon Fong and others have done (linked in this thread in Jan/Feb last year).

Would be good if Jon or someone did boil time and fuel use comparisons between the Stash, G2, and Ramen pot.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Yeah, that link has been here before in one form or another. It's been a while, 380 posts later I doubt folks are reading the whole thread. Figured it was worth putting up again.

 

[Dobermann]

Yeah, that link has been here before in one form or another. It's been a while, 380 posts later I doubt folks are reading the whole thread. Figured it was worth putting up again.

I think the last tine we linked it (could be wrong, though), it was for an earlier assessment, which didn't included the Ramen pot - so thanks for the updated one.

Having just read it through in a bit more detail, though, it does seem a bit muddled, as it talks about the Olicamp as their 'top pick' in the text, but gives three 'top picks', which aren't the 'two best' ... so a bit confusing! But some good info in there.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Just pulled the trigger on a G2 pot with cozy sleeve and Green Peak II stove combo. Cost less than the Soto windmaster stove itself. Looking forward to doing some comparisons.

 

[35WhelenAI]

IMO, the Olicamp pot was given a "top pick" vs "Editors choice" as there are not slots to stabilize the pot and bring the burner head closer to the pot which allows a lower flame setting to potentially accomplish the same thing. Just and observation and opinion.

Ramen pot with wider base is going to win most boiling competitions, more surface area giving all else equal is going to boil faster. A wider pot is more versatile if doing more than boiling water. G2 has a cozy sleeve.

 

[Macintosh]

@Macintosh, found this. May be helpful if it works with your era Giga stove.

I don't like giving up things that I've used for years and years, even if something else can work better or even marginally better. Maybe you can give this a try and stay with your old stove and find an HX pot that fits it.

GigaPower Windscreen

An essential backpacking accessory, the stainless steel GigaPower Windscreen is designed to maximize GigaPower Stove output. The GigaPower Windscreen directs heat towards the cookset and protects the flame from the elements, quickening boil time for easier outdoor cooking. Pair the GigaPower...

www.snowpeak.com

Thanks. I actually have one somewhere if I can dig it up. I stopped using it just to save space, as I didnt really have the impression it was doing much. BUT I never did a comparison or paid too much attention. Maybe I ought to try and see.

@BBob if you do dig it out Id be curious how it mates with these heat exchanger pots. Thats a concern I guess, its not at all clear to me what pots will be stable vs which will be super precarious.

 

[BBob]

as I didnt really have the impression it was doing much.

It’s better in the wind for sure with it but the Giga and it’s windscreen on a regular pot in poor conditions still sucks bad compared to any heat exchanger pot stove combo. One particular very cold and windy trip I couldn’t get it to boil let alone even heat very well at all. A friend with the new on the market Jetboil boiled water in no time and both he and his girlfriend were eating and drinking coffee while I was still waiting to get water hot enough to use. I ended up dumping my water into the Jetboil to finish it. It wasn’t the first time I experienced slow to heat in bad conditions. That trip spelled the end of my Giga MSR kettle days. Take note that was with a wider than a typically used lightweight pot like the Toaks and it still had performance issues on bad days.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Felt like having some Ramen as a mid-morning snack. Did a comparison of the Soto Windmaster (WM) and recently acquired Fire Maple Green Peak 2 (GP2) stove with respect to fuel usage and boiling time.

WM with four prong support weighs in at 86g, GP2 weighs in at 99g. GP2 is around $34, the WM $69. Both are pressure regulated valve stoves.

For what it is worth, the GP2 Piezo igniter failed right out of the box, flat out doesn't work. There is a visible spark when holding the stove in my hand however when the gas is turned on, can't see a spark. Which really doesn't matter one way or the other if there actually is one because it doesn't light the gas. External routing for igniter, it is an afterthought design even if it did work.

WM piezo is dead reliable, much better design with internal routing.

Some stoves are (much) lower BTU output at max power and that has an effect on boiling time, which is the standard that gets tossed around for how good a stove is or not. The GP2 in round numbers is rated at 8,900 btu vs the WM at 11,000. From the GP2 to the WM is almost 24% difference in max output.

Both of them boiled water at max output in basically identical times in the kitchen @7200' elevation. Call it 1:37 min for half quart of tap water in the Fire Maple Ramen HX pot. 65% full 230g fuel canister used back to back for both comparisons.

I mentioned in a previous post I had a G2 pot coming, however it has not arrived. Looks like the stove and cozy were in stock on the west coast, the G2 pot is coming from across the pacific. The stove and cozy for said pot are what showed up in the mail. I look forward to comparing the two pots when the time is right and I have both pots on hand.

Fuel use favored the GP2 at max output to boil (4.5 g vs 5.1 g). Granted, this is for one boil, however it was weighing the canister before putting the stove on, weighing the canister after I took the stove off. I did a test weighing the canister after putting the stove on then taking it back off. Both stoves "leak" .3g, no difference in favor of either one. I wanted to measure in case it made a difference.

A run with the WM at what I gauged as similar flame on the bottom of the pot to the GP2 at max power, was about 75% power on the WM. Which correlates to similar BTU output (if I gauged power close to accurately) as the GP2 at max power. 1:43 boil time and 4.4 g used. The best I can come up with from the results are max power with the WM is wasting a bunch of heat even with this HX pot. Based on the fuel consumption/boil time comparison, I feel I was pretty close to 75% on the WM. Keep in mind any mechanical device has a sweet spot for efficiency, have to play around a bit to find it.

GP2 is noticeably louder at max power than the WM and the flame is more sporadic and coarse whereas the WM has a smoother and more refined flame pattern. Doesn't seem to matter in the grand scheme from what I can tell.

GP2 pot 3 prong support slotted right into the Fire Maple Ramen pot. This pot is slotted for three and four prongs support systems. WM was a little more fiddly with the four prong support however I judge it to be more stable all else equal as the support is wider and has four points of contact.

I'm going to contact fire Maple and ask for a refund/return on the stove. But I wanted to do the comparison with it even though it had a failed Piezo igniter out of the box.

 

[BBob]

@BBob if you do dig it out Id be curious how it mates with these heat exchanger pots. Thats a concern I guess, it’s not at all clear to me what pots will be stable vs which will be super precarious.

The Giga w/windscreen doesn’t mate well at all with the smaller HX pots. Too big of a gap. IMO Probably not worth the time to mess with it. The HX pot that might work would be the Ramen pot that’s probably close in diameter to the MSR Kettle but you’re still going to have a sizable gap.

Edit: The Petrel Ramen pot is slotted for 3 and 4 prong support stoves. I’d be curious how it would mate up to the Giga and its windscreen. Might actually work if it’d close that gap.

Edit to add: The stability is completely fine with the pots on top of the Giga. Totally usable there.

Petrel G3
Sterno Inferno
MSR Kettle (non hx)