How much of a benefit does the TD Ti Tri Inferno insert provide for wood burning?

I have a Sidewinder for a small 3 cup pot and teh Inferno insert.

I'll try it both ways this weekend using 3" oak 1/2" dowels for uniformity of fuel.

State of the market review 2011

Thanks Ike, backs up what I heard. And thanks Eric, that should be a fun experiment.

Just resurrecting this thread because I'd like to hear a few more opinions about the usefulness of having the inferno option in place versus simply using the caldera cone alone for wood burning mode.

I created my own Inferno insert for my Titanium Caldera. About all I see is that it makes the wood burn a little more completely and efficiently, and the remaining ash is reduced. So, I don't see that it matters, one way or the other way.

–B.G.–

The biggest advantage I've found to using the insert is that by the time I'm done brewing coffee (using a sheet of titanium foil and a couple of paper clips to make a holder for the filter, putting the stove together, breaking twigs…) the other Boy Scout leaders know that I'm serious about this cup of coffee and they'd better leave me the heck alone till it's finished.

More seriously, I use the insert and the heat shield when I'm in wood-burning mode as a way to help instill just a tiny bit more Leave No Trace thinking when I'm around the boys. Haven't done any comparative testing but it doesn't seem to really make the wood burn a lot better than it would in just a pile on the ground.