****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Pros:Price, weight, ease of useCons:Residue/unburned fuel (cleanup), odor, transport storageThe pros are things I look for; the cons in this case are not deal-breakers, or even that difficult to deal with.Photos show test configuration. The nature of the stove, burner, and tab to pot height controlled the airflow to the tab(s) resulting in a longer burn time than advertised.Placing the cup too low in the stove snuffs the flame, so in all tests the cup bottom was positioned so the slot and vent holes were not obstructed while placed as low as possible in the stove.Water temps were sampled with probe in mass center of water body.Equipment:16oz/473ml waterStainless steel standard US Army issue canteen cup (no cover)Aluminum canteen cup stove (generic)Trangia Eurohike gel/solid fuel burnerGeneric kitchen meat thermometer with probeConditions:Tab to pot height ~1"/25mmNo windAmbient air temp 68F/20C (indoors - simulation of decent outdoors day weatherwise)Water temp 44F/6.7COne tab results:13 minute burn timeSteam rising, boil initiated (light fizzing)Water temp 150F/65.6CNo smoke during burnSmall amount of residue left on cup bottom (easily removed by wiping while still warm)Two tabs side by side touching:31 minute burn timeSteam rising, boil initiated (heavy fizzing)Water temp 170F/76.7CLight smoke during burn (reduces with time)Moderate amount of residue left on cup bottom (easily removed by wiping while still warm)Fuel burned completely in these two indoor tests.Equipment:16oz/473ml waterStainless steel US Army canteen cup (no cover)Aluminum canteen cup stoveTrangia Eurohike gel/solid fuel burnerGeneric kitchen meat thermometer with probeConditions:Tab to pot height ~1"/25mmNo windAmbient air temp 38F/3.3C (outdoors)Water temp 44F/6.7COne tab results:10 minute burn timeSteam rising, bubbles formed on bottom of cupWater temp 109F/42.8CNo smoke during burnSmall amount of residue left on cup bottom (easily removed by wiping while still warm)Two tabs side by side touching:17 minute burn timeSteam rising, boil initiated (light fizzing)Water temp 138F/58.9CLight smoke during burn (reduces with time)Moderate amount of residue left on cup bottom (easily removed by wiping while still warm)Fuel did not burn completely in either outdoor test. Ambient temperature played a part in this, as the fuel did burn completely indoors. One tab unburned fuel simply "popped off" the bottom of the burner. Two tabs unburned fuel is difficult to remove from the burner (I chiseled some off with a table knife), so I relit it and burned it off. In either case I recommend relighting any leftover fuel in open air to consume it, reduce toxicity, and make cleanup easier - the ash is spongy and just falls out with a tap of the burner, but will crumble if you try to handle it.I did not test two tabs stacked vertically or side by side separated (as opposed to touching) either indoors or outdoors yet. Two tabs stacked will need a different test configuration because of the height.Ambient temp and airflow affect performance. Lower ambient temps resulted in lower final water temps, lower airflow and ambient temps resulted in unburned fuel. Counteract this with three tabs and better airflow (which might even be enough to boil water for 2 mins - that's a future test).Naphtha (lighter fluid) and 91% isopropanol can clean up some of the residue, with naphtha being far superior. I have not yet tried acetone. If the residue cools off too much before cleaning, reheat it until it melts slightly and then wipe off the worst of it, then use naphtha to remove the rest. Some staining may remain.Overall, a pretty good bang for your buck. Inexpensive, light, and any butane lighter will ignite them. (I intend to test a ferro starter/magnesium for ignition in the future.) These seem to work as good or better than advertised, and are a viable option for sufficiently heating water to reconstitute dehydrated foodstuffs/MREs, ramen noodles, or prepared dry rice (baked @ 250F/121.1C for 10 mins before packing for trail use).Number of tabs to use is dependent on ambient conditions. Use filtered and/or treated water (Sawyer/Lifestraw and chlorine/iodine); I would not use them to sterilize water - you're better off just building a fire and getting a 2-min rolling boil to do that.Transport storage is simple: use US quarter size screw-top plastic coin tubes (inexpensive, transparent, and very lightweight). This will protect them from damage and keep the odor under control.They are not intended to cook food directly (such as by grilling - hexamine is toxic). If you start a cooking fire with one, be certain the tab is completely consumed before you start cooking.
