Wednesday, December 23, 2009

New Gear Feedback - Stove

>Mike wrote: I bought the New Zealand version of this stove call a "Thermette"
Chris replies: I looked at this version before I made my Kelly Kettle selection. Even though the gang at Thermette push the healing properties of copper it must be an acquired taste.I am not one for the flavor of sucking on an old penny (the taste of blood) But then again I have never found that yeasty Vegimite to my liking, this Thermette being from down under and all.
The other two cons were that the abuse that camping gear is subject to. Copper dents, stainless steel used in the KK pretty darn sturdy. #2 copper handle that is attached to the side of the Thermette pot is going to have some major heat transfer. I liked the way the Kelly Kettle avoided the need for a oven mitt pick up the pot.

There is a video out that shows a head to head competition of the two kettles that is so one sided it is funny. They admit after that they spilt water on the kindling used in the Kelly Kettle's base. But watching the two guys tend to their fires is the funny part.

The play by play; Therm guy used one match to unseen kindling huge flame seconds later, KK guy works the match slow flame, Them adds long twigs down the chimney flame shoots out, KK breaks up sticks into small pieces adding one twig to every 5 that Them is adding. Narrator at this point wonders out loud if the water spilt in the KK is the reason for the KK poor flames. at this point I am saying to myself Gee who do they want to win,, rigged no it can't be rigged... lol



>Mike wrote: The one nice thing about this one (other than the large water capacity) is >that it has a cook ring that sets on top and you can do other
>cooking besides boiling.
Chris Replies: The Kelly Kettle offers the same type of cook ring.

2 comments:

  1. Just a couple of points:

    You shouldn't get any kind of "old penny" taste transfer from the kettle -
    some of the very best cookware around is made from solid copper - besides,
    copper kills bugs where stainless doesn't (not a big factor, but every
    little bit helps).

    I checked out the reviews out there in the camping press before buying on
    all the "water jacket" type heaters/stoves and could find no comments on any
    leaks from the Thermette - however I did find two or three on the Kelly
    complaining of seam leaks (seemed to be more of an annoyance than a
    deal-killer)

    I've had the thing going at a full rolling boil and used the handles on the
    side of the Thermette bare-handed - no problems mate.

    Pouring from this thing is a natural - I didn't like the idea of using the
    bail and chain arrangement the Kelly has.

    I like the very large capacity of the Thermette as opposed to the Kelly
    without a significantly larger weight penalty.

    As to ruggedness, the Kiwi's still issue these to their troops and if they
    can withstand the abuse a soldier puts out it's tough enough for me - I can
    attest via 20 years of personal experience that the hardest thing on a piece
    of equipment is a GI.

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  2. sorry to disagree with Michael but copper pots for cooking are done in two different methods.
    1. Copper clad- as in copper on the outside and stainless or another type of metal as the cooking surface. Copper is best for even heat transfer.
    2. Coated copper - There is a clear coating to keep the food from actually touching the copper pot.

    Now I do not know if the kettle from Thermette uses one of this methods but I do know that high quality copper cooking pots employ one or the other method.

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