Cook System Questions

Michael,
Even before you decide on a cooking system you need to look at what you are going to cook.

Is your intention to be the "trail gourmet", or the "just add hot water" guy?

If the latter, then a 600ml pot is fine for boiling water. It is to small, IMHO, for "cooking".

Search on "Freezer Bag Cooking" for the how-to on quick and easy backwoods "cooking". (Adding hot water to home-assembled meals.)

A Caldera Cone is an integrated pot stand and wind screen. It is a Very effective system. The standard aluminum versioin uses an alcohol stove or solid fuel pellets (Esbit). The Tri-Ti version allows you to also burn wood.

In my experience, when "cooking" over a fire or a stove with a thin aluminum or titanium pan sticking is the norm. "Non-Stick" and "Hard Anodized Aluminum" clean up easier, but it is still a PITA.

I'll second Greg on this, 600ml (20 oz) is too small to actually cook in, but freezer bag cooking is great, no clean up!

Most meals take around 12 to 16 ounces of water and to me these are usually still to watery (or I am not patient enough to let them fully re-hydrate).

With my 600ml pot I can heat water in the morning, pour 8 ounces into a freezer bag of oatmeal, then have a 12 ounce cup of coffee in the pot, works perfect.

I have not tried the Caldera system but hear it works well, I like my GSI minimalist with homemade windscreen and cat can stove, about $25 and 8 ounces for the complete set-up.

The Caldera Cone is a coordinated system of burner, pot stand/windscreen and pot. It is the best alcohol fueled system I have used.

Ti pots are thin, so you get hot spots, contributing to food sticking. The small hot burners on canister stoves add to the hot spot/sticking issue. I am usually making hot water and most of my trips are overnighters, so a dehydrated dinner or simple pasta, instant rice, couscous or soup works for me. Spices and herbs help those foods and they are light and easy to package.

If you want to cook with one, a good handle helps so you can just move the pot to modulate the heat. As others wrote, the right recipe and techniques like freezer bag cooking helps. Simmering is the challenge.

Want to Simmer with a Caldera Cone?

Take a heavy foil liner – like a "pot pie" pan, shape it over the bottom of a pop can, trim the ragged edge, and cut a slot in the top.

Get things hot, then drop this over the burner. Occasionally I have to re-light.
On a full tank, I can get 30 minutes. Quick breads take about 15.
Carry it on your stove in you kit.

(the other top is my snuffer, showing "relief slots" for an easier fit)

Genius! Well done, so to speak :)

"Take a heavy foil liner – like a "pot pie" pan, shape it over the bottom of a pop can, trim the ragged edge, and cut a slot in the top."

Yeah, I have also played with a notched strip made from aluminum foil.

This is mearly shutting the oxygen vents to the stove.

What do you guys think of ti TiGoat ti-tri system? http://www.titaniumgoat.com/TiTri.html . Any better & or lighter alternatives out there?