Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

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st599_uk
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Joined: 4 Nov 2018, 8:59pm

Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by st599_uk »

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has any advice on cooking pots. I have a proper JetBoil clone but have recently decided to try something different. I have carried a little folding BBQ that I got in the states for years. Sometimes it's just nice to have a BBQ or a little campfire at the end of a day and eat something that requires more than a JetBoil style stove to cook.

I've bought one of the cheap Meths stoves recommended on a recent thread here, and fashioned a method of hooking it just below the grill on the folding BBQ - out of the wind and with a built in Pot stand above.

But Now I need a pot. Must be suitable for use with the little Meths stove and with a wood fire without warping. (Happy to use the old Scout trick of rubbing washing up liquid around the outside to make it easy to clean once sooted up). Does the weight saving of Titanium outweigh the heat transfer of stainless steel? Would I be better off with an old school Billy Can? Are there any good value brands I should look out for?
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hamster
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Joined: 2 Feb 2007, 12:42pm

Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by hamster »

To my mind Trangia pans take some beating.
rotavator
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Joined: 6 Jun 2016, 9:50pm
Location: North Wales

Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by rotavator »

I would avoid titanium pans for cooking food. Its poorer conductivity relative aluminium means that you get hot spots that food readily burns onto. Needless to say, removing burnt-on food is a pain especially if camping.
simonhill
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Location: Essex

Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by simonhill »

I like stainless steel because it cleans easily, even stick on food - usually. It can be expensive, but I have often thought about a cheap alternative. Asian shops usually have stainless steel bowls; tiffin sets (stacked pans with lid all clipped together; and other small bowl like pots. I think you could use one of these for cooking with maybe a Trangia clip on handle.

Not sure about prices in the UK, but much cheaper than camping specific stuff.

Just a thought.
willem jongman
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Joined: 7 Jan 2008, 4:16pm

Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by willem jongman »

I prefer the Trangia UL Hard Anodized pots. They are about as light as titanium pots, distribute the heat much better, and because of the anodized surface they are easy to clean, and are even a bit non-stick.
Cyclewala
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Joined: 7 Nov 2019, 11:07am

Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by Cyclewala »

I spent a few months going through the same process and opted for Trangia Duossal.

Stainless steel on the inside and aluminium outside. Aluminium is a good conductor of heat whilst the stainless is more durable for cleaning.
willem jongman
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Joined: 7 Jan 2008, 4:16pm

Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by willem jongman »

Duossal would be too heavy to my taste, and the hard anodized surface of the Ultralight HA version provides enough durability.
Last edited by willem jongman on 19 Mar 2021, 6:34am, edited 2 times in total.
Jdsk
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Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by Jdsk »

hamster wrote:To my mind Trangia pans take some beating.

Original Trangia here. But I'm always interested to hear if someone's come up with something better.

Jonathan
KTHSullivan
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Location: Wind Swept Lincolnshire

Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by KTHSullivan »

Jdsk wrote:
hamster wrote:To my mind Trangia pans take some beating.

Original Trangia here. But I'm always interested to hear if someone's come up with something better.

Jonathan


I seem to remember that there was at some stage a titanium panned Trangia. I Can't remember if it was just the pots or the whole thing, someone here may remember.

At the present time I use titanium pots with a titanium "clikstand" that was bought for a very good price in the USA several years ago. Suits me as I tend to pub-pack on long tours anyway.

K
Just remember, when you’re over the hill, you begin to pick up speed. :lol:
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by Jdsk »

KTHSullivan wrote:I seem to remember that there was at some stage a titanium panned Trangia. I Can't remember if it was just the pots or the whole thing, someone here may remember.

The history, although not very complete and without dates:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trangia

and the current materials:
https://trangia.se/en/choose_the_right_trangia_stove/

Jonathan
willem jongman
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Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by willem jongman »

Yes there were titanium pots (only pots and pans) once upon a time. They were discontinued I think when the UL version was introduced. This was almost as light, cheaper, and distributed the heat rather better.
KTHSullivan
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Location: Wind Swept Lincolnshire

Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by KTHSullivan »

Just had a quick erg around the interweb: This seems to be a bit more comprehensive, sort of an unofficial Trangia fan club. LOL

https://www.trangia-central.com/trangia-models.html

It appears to be everything you wanted to know about Trangias but were too afraid to ask.

K
Just remember, when you’re over the hill, you begin to pick up speed. :lol:
hufty
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Joined: 28 Jan 2011, 7:24pm

Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by hufty »

I have the Trangia titanium pots and lid/pan - they are lovely to use. I actually got them when there was all that concern about stewing rhubarb in aluminium above 10000ft or whatever it was, rather than to save weight. It's a spirit burner so how much heat transfer are you worried about but yes you can burn stuff to them. But you can use gravel out of the nearest beck to clean the pan without worrying about scratching off any coating or furring up the insides.
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Hobe
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Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by Hobe »

I'm a long-time Trangia user and a fan. My advice would be not to bother about the Ti stuff as it doesn't really distribute heat as well as aluminum. Unless, you tend to count the grams. I have a dual pot and a non-stick frypan and recently bought the book with the best instant pot recipes. It considerably relieved my culinary endeavor and cut twice the cooking time.
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pjclinch
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Re: Cooking Pots - heat transfer, warping etc.

Post by pjclinch »

My Trangia was a 21st present from my brother, a Model 25 with the plain aluminium hardware.
I'm now 56, the pans are still going strong.

They're light, they work, I don't have to worry about scouring them with gravel, they nest well with no handles to get in the way and the Trangia pan grip holds them very securely. I use them on the Trangia, gas burners and occasionally on the liquid fuel stove. They occasionally get a bit bent, and I bend them back.

While I'm a bit of a gear junkie I'm not generally that fussed about fixing things that really, really really aren't remotely borken, and the basic Trangia pans fall in to that category.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
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