Jetboil Personal Cooking System - 2007

You have to appreciate a truly unique, functional, and innovative product when it comes along. I was quite happy with my SnowPeak GigaPower canister stove and titanium cook pot but once I tried the JetBoil I was hooked. I am all about fast and easy backcountry cooking, so I lean heavily toward freeze-dried foods prepared in-pouch; not a big fan of full-blown cooked meals requiring extensive clean-up. If you like cooking from scratch, pan-frying, etc., the pot support and stabilizer kits are essential; they add tremendous versatility to your stove. Some of the "safety issues" mentioned in other reviews can be avoided simply by following instructions; it clearly states that the cup should be removed before ignition (although it is tempting to cheat, I admit) and there is a line in the cup denoting max safe water level (not max safe water-plus-pack-of-noodles level). Heed those guidelines and it's quite safe and trouble-free. The only very minor criticism is that the cup is not super-easy to detach/attach to the burner, especially when it is lit (which is why it's tempting to cheat by attaching it prior to igniting). Like all canisters not great for very high altitude, very cold conditions, but I've used mine at 10,000+ feet in late October with excellent results. Have fun with your JetBoil; another cup of tea anyone?

this thing does not mess around i looked around alot befor buying and this seemed like the best bang for the buck thanx to reviews like this one and let me tell u this stove is flawless easy to use ingenious design and very cool accessories def check out the maint kit the sleeve with a spoon and fork and the kit that allows u to stabalize the unit and also cook with non jet boil cookware all of these items along with the gas fit inside the jet boil its amazing.. dont look elsewhere

It boils fast, it packs small but Beware of boil over and make sure that you are not relying on the internal igniter.

I used to be addicted to my Dragonfly; I thought it was the most amazing thing to happen to backcountry cooking. THEN I went on a camping trip with a guy who had a Jetboil... next thing I knew, I was ready to sell my dragonfly on gear trade and pick up a Jetboil. I've used this on camping trips (car and backcountry) and its so easy to use, clean and store.

I used to be addicted to my Dragonfly; I thought it was the most amazing thing to happen to backcountry cooking. THEN I went on a camping trip with a guy who had a Jetboil... next thing I knew, I was ready to sell my dragonfly on geartrade and pick up a Jetboil. I've used this on camping trips (car and backcountry) and its so easy to use, clean and store.

It doesn't get any better and faster at boiling. Because it's so fast you have to watch out for it boiling over! Once my beans started boiling over, tip the stove in an angle away from the control knob otherwise scorching dinner comes flying towards you. By attaching the cup then starting the gas, ignites much faster—just watch out for the flash. What’s next, jet pan? That would be nice!

The design is a thing of beauty and simplicity. Unfortunately it has some inherent safety issues. First the electronic striker does not always ignite the gas as early as it should, this can cause a flash ignition (I had my first unit replaced because of faulty igniter). Second, the metal cup/pot that attaches to the burner and gas cannister presents a real problem should your boiling of ramen noodles get away from you. As the boiling liquid spills over and down the side you risk scalding while attempting to turn the flame down, and you can't just lift the pot off the flame since the cup is locked to the burner for safety purposes. Boils water super fast, lightweight, and good fuel efficiency. Just make sure it ignites, don't ever let it boil over.

This is a great device. I got mine when my Snowy Peak Piezo igniter stopped working, and have been totally pleased. It's really fast with one cup of water, and fairly fast with a full pot. It's a bit heavier than the SP, but eliminates the need to carry separate pan and cup, so that's probably a wash.

I took this on a camping trip in southern Utah where the fire danger has been high. As a result, the rangers did not allow any camp fires. But no big deal, because I cooked all of my meals using my JetBoil! The water literally was boiling before I even sat down. Amazing!

I just got back from a five day backpacking trip on the AT, and it was my first chance to fire up my new Jetboil. Two people cooked on it, made coffee, as well as green tea and the single fuel canister I carried still feels about half full. In my 15+ years of backpacking experience, this is the best cooking setup I've ever used. It packs small, is fairly light (though you could get lighter with an alcohol setup), and really can boil two cups of water in two minutes and change. If you use this little guy with Mountain House type meals or freezer bag cooking, you'll have quick meals, very minimal cleanup and low weight. Combine this with a pot cozy and you’ll be able to save even more fuel. This is replacing my white gas and alcohol stoves for most trips.

Quick, easy and no mess... great for any activity, use it hiking, or just sight seeing and we keep in the car during the winter and in our earthquake kits... highly recommend it, fuel is not an issue, have used many different brands here in Japan and I feel safe with the product.

What an incredible product. My boss warned me that it would be useful just for one person - however, I went backpacking with my wife and two of my kids, and the Jetboil stove served us extremely well. It was the Jetboil for hot cocoa, coffee, and oatmeal in the morning, and the Jetboil for hot cocoa and pre-prepared foods in the evening - using the Jetboil all we did was add boiling water to a ziploc(r) bag, shake, stir, and serve.

Technically, the warnings accompanying the Jetboil are a bit scary but worth paying attention to. Occasionally finding a flat rock to put the stove on was tough to do. For someone who has had stoves "flash" in his face, I came to really appreciate the piezo lighter.

90 seconds for 2 cups? Not quite that fast. But with the extra-efficient, focused heater, we did get hot food quite quickly.

I chose not to cook anything in the liter top - I didn't want to spend time scrubbing anything out, and all of the meals we made fit into the ziploc(r)bag.

Fuel seemed to last forever - we didn't use 2 containers in 5 nights and 6 days on the trail in Isle Royale.

If I had a little more time in my life (sure, PV), I'd create a website for Jetboil recipes. Hey, that's not a bad idea, maybe someone should mention it to Jetboil, Inc.

Just spent a week with this and I have to say I love it. Having lived with just two stoves in the past 30 years - an Optimus 8R and an MSR Whisperlite - the JetBoil is what I have been looking for. If all you want to do is heat water you can't go wrong. If you like to "prepare" food in the back country keep looking.

Stability is a little lacking - particularly when heating a full 4 cups of water but I had no problem. Besides, if you tip it over it's just water. I was able to boil 14 quarts of water on a week long trip with only one canister and it still has fuel!

Ramen noodles need to be monitored for boil over but the flame is very adjustable and wasn't an issue.

I experienced the flame blowing out at very low settings and had a couple of times when the stove didn't ignite the first time but hair on the back of my hand was a little long anyway. Seriously, with your hand so close to the flame the piezo igniter should be VERY reliable. A telescoping control knob would be nice but this thing rocks!
Melting snow could be very tedious but canister stoves aren't really for winter anyway.

Overall this is a WINNER!

The Jetboil performed extremely well on a 4-day trek in GC National Park. My coffee was ready well in advance of the rest of our camp. It worked great for freeze-dried meals. The gas lasted forever. If interested in the detail of this trek log on to http://www.duprephotography.com/gc/gc_index.htm. It is nice to see some accessories coming out for this product. Buy with confidence!

Simply stated, this stove is a watershed invention for backpacking. There is a great difference between cooking pre Jetboil and cooking post Jetboil. Jetboil does for cooking what duct tape did for tape!

This unit works great if you simply need to boil water for something or just boil something. If your meal needs cooking for anything over a couple of minutes (like 1 or 2) or simmering at all, you will need an additional cooking method. I love the JetBoil for really quick heating of water for coffee, tea, cocoa, oatmeal but you have to understand that it "cooks" really hot and really fast so you will need to think "boil" when you are planning your meals.

4 of us spent 7 days hunting in Alaska. We had 2 JetBoils and 4 cups and only used 5 bottles of fuel, basically one bottle per week per person. It's definitely the best system I've used.

No doubt, one of the best engineered and executed lightweight backpacking stoves. Packs small, lightweight, boils water SUPER fast, extremely efficient, and has its own built on cozy and handle. What more can one want?

Its compact, all-in-one, and it works well in cold temps. Great stove all-around.

This is the best way to cook anything fast. But make sure you stir your soup, or it will stick to the bottom. Also try the coffee press for great, fast coffee on those cold backcountry mornings.

I took the JetBoil out for a weekend backpacking trip in the George Washington National Forest in Virginia just recently. Three things impressed me the most: 1) Pietzo ignition- no matches needed to fire it up; 2) Fast cooking time- 1 liter in about 2 minutes; 3) It worked well even in 20F weather- no false starts or expanded cooking times. It's a keeper.

The JetBoil PCS is great for 1-2 people. Light weight and does what its claims (boils water) and does it fast. Great for light weight backpacking/ski touring/kayaking/anything. I recommend it.

I bought this amazing cooking system for my climb on Mount Whitney. The first night I used it was at Outpost Camp (10,400 ft), where it took cold stream water to a boil in just over 2 minutes. You can even hear the efficiency, it sounds like an F-16! This is one great product.

Used this on a solo trip through the Smokey Mtns. for a week and it proved to be great. The bottom cover has a 1 cup marking for measuring water - great for single servings of trail meals - and the cup itself has a two cup measuring mark for larger trail meals. Did not actually cook in it as I did not want to have to clean it but another hiker I ran into was cooking in it and said it cleaned well but his Ramen Noodles were leaving a soup taste that he could smell when he was drinking cocoa out of it. Only downfalls I could find are the obvious boil over issue and in temps below freezing it did take a bit longer to boil water. I would have serious concerns with using this at altitude and in in very cold weather. Get the stabilizer that clips on the bottom and you will eliminate the worry of finding a flat spot to cook. I am heading out with a group in a few weeks and will be getting a companion cup and French Press that will fit the bill nicely. All in all a great stove that you will find very user friendly.

We have purchased several Jet Boils for the US Marines (To include our son). The word in Iraq is that these stoves are priceless. Our son was able to heat water for hot coffee and to have a hot meal for the first time in two months. The unit works great and is easy to transport from location to location.

I have starting trying to go lighter for section hiking on the A.T. The JetBoil system is lightweight and compact, as all the components including the fuel cannister fit inside the container preserving valuable pack space. Operation is very simple and the system is easy to use. Boiling time is very fast because of the efficient design and heat distribution. The time saved over some other stoves is well worth the investment. This said, the stove does have some minor drawbacks. First is a stability issue. It is imperative that you find a flat and stable surface to use the stove. Second, the cup can be somewhat difficult to detach from the base, especially when the cup is full of boiling water. Lastly, the ignition lighter doesn't ignite every time. Again, these problems are minor in my opinion compared to the benefits. I would recommend the JetBoil as a very good cooking system.

No waiting here. Easy to assemble, great to pack and WOW no wait time here to eat! Took slightly longer to boil water than listed but was it fast. Sure beats rubbing two sticks together.

Used the Jetboil with the REI 4 season gas mixture in -10F this weekend. I regularly use the jetboil and it works great, but it did not work well in that cold of temp. I had to hold the fuel canister to heat it up for the stove to efficiently work.
Outside of the extreme cold, its a great stove.

Five stars all the way! This JetBoil is the most amazing, light weight, all round stove of the year! There is just one thing that I would recommend not doing with your newly bought JetBoil. Don't tip your JetBoil over to light another JetBoil... If you do, your fuel will SHOOT out in a large stream of flames, and will engulf your jet boil. This will most likely cause you to throw it clear.... ohh and don't try to blow it out, because it won't go out. Don't worry it won't explode too quickly either. Gather your courage and and just turn off the valve and you will be just fine.... Also don't worry about your jet boil insulating cover, it will barely even burn!

Thank you JetBoil for making an item Idiot proof!

Check this out...a stove that cooks your food, boils your water, and packs into the size of a Nalgene. No need for bulky, heavy pots and pans - it's all built into this sweet little cooking system. Sure, you can't fry an egg on it, but I've made some damn good poached eggs using this stove. Built in handle allows you to brew your morning coffee and sip right out of the container...no need for one of those Snow Peak Titanium mugs. Great value, great stove, great space and weight saver. Try it for yourself.

Excellent system. Melts snow in seconds, only a couple of minutes to full boil. Much more efficient than the MSR stove, with smaller (and lighter) cannisters. Highly recommend.

I do not know how people survive with out these. you can have it in your car and use it up at the resort to have hot soup for 1.50 instead of 10 dollars! everything fits inside the cup so it is easy to pack around. they only down side is the fuel canisters are not refillable, so you gotta pack a few and take them back out. It is amazing how fast this cooks stuff. When i take it on trips it is funny to me how amazed people are at the boiling in 60 seconds or under! Love it!

My lighter/sparker got jammed once and my friend thought it would be a great idea to light it off his lit jetboil...NOT A GOOD IDEA! the neoprene caught on fire on his jet boil turned into a flying flame ball! It was hilarious and the neoprene did not burn much at all and it still cooks and insulates perfect for him.

This thing has become quite common these days. It seems to perform equally well in the front country as well as the back country (if you don't mind a few extra pounds.

I love the Jetboil system. This stove has consistently performed well for me on numerous backpacking/camping/mountaineering trips. I consistently get boil times of 2 minutes or less. Even when using this stove for melting snow for cooking/drinking water, I was pleased with the results compared to my companions cannister stoves. All in all this is a great unit.

This thing isn't as compact or as light as some stoves out there but when you combine it with the fact that it is more efficient than some of it's lighter competitors and requires less fuel it makes up for some of it's weight problems. Overall the system is very light and convenient and fast. I love my Jetboil.

I love this product so much that I take it everywhere I go. I love to make tea at the base of a climb or during a short day hike. It's so compact is fits into my Camelbak.

I just got back from trip and this stove worked great. The efficiency is amazing. One canister lasted three people three days breakfast and dinner including clean up. Including this trip and the testing (playing around) I did when I got it, I boiled over 45 cups of water on that canister. I didn't really have the problems that the other reviewer had as far as safety. Just don't overfill it and follow the instructions that come with the unit and you will be fine. The Jetboil is a great invention. I am looking forward to the next time I can get away to use it.

Everyone should have one. Even people who don't like coffee. Light this thing up at the office each morn at your desk while you're banging out your email, keep the dollars in your pocket, and the smell of gas in the office air.

using my jetboil is one of my favorite parts of any of my adventures. I have cooked some crazy stuff in this thing. It is veery lightweight and compact so it fits anywhere. It is also very simple to operate and very dependable. I have not had any problems with the ignition or anything. If I am ever concerned with a boil over I don't latch the cup down all the way which makes it easy to remove the cup quickly. I also use the larger pot and stand for cooking more solid food or for larger groups. It took a couple of uses before I figured out the temperature. This thing is hot and cooks fast. This stove is my favorite thing in my pack-hands down!