I have nearly twenty years of experience as a journalist and have tested equipment at several campsites. It’s an absolute privilege – and sometimes an absolute pain – but when curious campers and hikers ask me for recommendations, the Jetboil cooking system is almost always at the top of my list. I got my first Jetboil Flash around 2006, and although I’ve thoroughly tested the competition’s stoves, no camping trip is complete without one. And no other device can make coffee faster or with as little effort.
With Jetboil’s efficient camping stoves, you can boil water in no time.
And yes, I’m fully prepared for the hate I’ll get from certain outdoor factions. There are lighter, smaller, and more sophisticated options, especially compared to the Jetboil Flash. Some are better at higher altitudes or when snow is melting, but the Jetboil’s ability to heat water quickly makes it perfect for my needs.
What are these needs? I don’t hike the Great Trail or climb Annapurna, but I camp manybe it a rare but cherished solo adventure, a bikepacking and hiking weekend, or, most likely, wonderfully leisurely car camping weekends with family and friends.
What makes a Jetboil great?
Isn’t this ultimately just a portable camping stove designed to boil water? The original Jetboil, invented by Dwight Aspinwall and Perry Dowst in 2001 (and first introduced to the industry in 2003), was a revelation. First of all, it was a one-piece system, with all the components neatly stored inside the pot and easily slotted together when needed. It came with an insulated sleeve that worked and kept you from scalding your hands, but most importantly, it boiled water exceptionally quickly. Turn the container over and you’ll see the “flux ring” encircling the bottom. That’s the secret to Jetboil’s speed and efficiency, as combined with a powerful burner, it concentrates heat over the largest surface area possible. It’s essentially an accordion version of a large bottomed pot, bringing water to a boil faster due to the extra surface area.
The Jetboil Fluxring concentrates heat like no other cooker
It’s ingenious and works brilliantly. Combined with a powerful 9,000 BTU/hr burner, the Jetboil Flash can bring 16 ounces of water to a boil in just 100 seconds. If you’re distracted, it’ll come to a boil quicker than you think, but that’s our fault, not the stove’s, especially since the ingenious thermochromic plastic strips on the thermal housing literally tell you when the water is about to boil.
In my camping/hiking/festival world, that means hot water for coffee (or tea) is ready quickly. I’ve lost count of the number of times Jetboil has come to my rescue when I’ve needed caffeine. On hikes in the coldest months of the year, I could whip up a bracing brew in just over three minutes. And the many mornings after the night before at music festivals were made easier by not having to make any effort at all to make something to ease the aches and pains. And as for the idea of waiting in line for coffee… well, I’d rather stay in bed.
Yes, the Click, click, roar The automatic piezo ignition and the blowtorch-level burner have woken up one or two people, but no one complains when they are handed a cup of coffee a few minutes later.
What can be cooked in a Jetboil?
For some, the ability to make a hot drink marginally faster than normal is hardly a justification for the Jetboil’s high price, but for me that’s not the point. I love my Trangia alcohol stove and believe it makes the best camping risotto (with the help of my wife), but when it comes to boiling water, I can have my Jetboil coffee made and drunk before the Trangia reaches its boiling point.
Admittedly, none of the compact Jetboil stoves are suitable for more than just boiling water, but they are excellent for adventures where your diet consists of little more than dehydrated camping meals, instant noodles and coffee. They are quick to set up, quick to use and easy to pack away.
However, I have cooked eggs, soup, hot dogs, porridge and many cans of baked beans in my Jetboil stoves, and while the cleanup is a bit of a disaster for virtually any recipe that doesn’t involve water, the incremental adjustment on the burner allows you to carefully regulate the heat from barely simmering to full boil. For proper cooking, I currently use the Primus Kinjia two-burner stove, which is impressively powerful, but I still use a JetBoil to prepare water for pasta.
Are there other Jetboil models?
Backpacking stove systems like the Jetboil Flash and the smaller Jetboil Zip – where the pan and burner clip together securely – are understandably popular with big-wall climbers (I can only dream of that) as they allow you to hang the stove securely and still use it effectively. You can also pour it with the burner still attached and the whole unit just feels solid. I’d be lying if I said I’d never knocked one over, but when I did, at least there was A: an insulated shell to make picking one up safer and B: no blaring burner flapping around in the wind.
However, my latest acquisition, the $150 Jetboil Stash, blurs the line between all-in-one and traditional camp stove. It doesn’t clip together like the Flash and doesn’t have instant piezo ignition, but it benefits from the same powerful burner and heat exchanger pot base, and everything (including the gas cartridge) fits snugly into the 28-ounce pot. Fuel efficiency is excellent, as with all Jetboil models, and I’ve never used more than a single 100g cartridge for an entire summer. Plus, it weighs just 7.1 ounces, and fits easily in my daypack or handlebar bag. At just over 13 ounces, the larger Jetboil Flash is quite a lump, but when capacity (34 ounces) is important, the extra weight can be tolerated.
The Jetboil Stash is a little smaller for those looking to save a few ounces.
What’s not so great about the Jetboil?
I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I didn’t point out a few things that Jetboil could do better. First, I’ve lost count of the number of times the pour-over lid has annoyed me. It’s just not good enough and requires the most precise technique to avoid spilling anything. For a while, I was also addicted to the incredibly convenient Jetboil coffee press, but after a few summers, I realized that brewing coffee in it instead of pouring it over spoils the taste of each subsequent boil and it’s a pain to clean. If you only need Jetboil for coffee, then you’ve got something special, but the stovetop is certainly more versatile than just brewing your morning coffee.
Other minor annoyances include the fact that I can no longer get replacement parts for my original Jetboil Flash. The first generation was very different to the current one, and the gauze top burned through after a few years, but I was able to easily replace it for about $11. The solution would be to buy a replacement burner unit for $50, but that’s not ideal. Jetboil stocks a wide range of replacement parts, and after rats found my camping box, I was relieved to find that a new Flash lid only costs $5.
Should you buy a Jetboil?
Minor criticisms aside, if you want a reliable stove that will give you hot water in no time, Jetboil’s range of compact stoves can’t be beat. I’ve used the MSR Windburner range and was impressed by the speed and versatility, but not the extra cost. A Jetboil isn’t cheap, and you can spend as little as $50 and be set for camping adventures, but after 18 years and only a few minor changes in shape, it remains a solid investment, even if you only use it for coffee.
