Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Trail Report #2 and Cooking Report #4

I'd done several cooking reports on the aluminum JetBoil Sol already.

• Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Cooking Report #1
• Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Trail Report #1 and Cooking Report #2
• Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Cooking Report #3

But I wanted to be sure that the JetBoil Sol that I was testing wasn't somehow unique.  So, I called a buddy -- a buddy who owns a JetBoil.

So, I thought I'd do side by side omelettes on two different JetBoil Sol's.  I don't have two identical pans, so we'll just have to do the best we can.

The first pan is an MSR Blacklite, which is a very nice, high-quality backpacking pan.

Eggs cooking up with the cheese already added in an MSR Blacklite fry pan

And pan number two is my $5 garage sale special.  Not exactly the world's best pan, but let's see if we can get enough flame control from a Jetboil Sol to cook an omelette.

Eggs and cheese cooking in pan #2, my "garage sale special"

I allow the eggs to set just slightly, and then I add tuna from one of those convenient foil pouches that are so perfect for the trail.  I've also tried the salmon, and I have to say that I prefer the salmon.  Alas, no salmon today, but we press on.  Looks like the eggs are cooking up nicely so far.

Tuna in the MSR Blacklite pan

Tuna in the cheap, garage sale pan

Well, looks like the omelette in the Blacklite pan is about done.

A finished omelette in an MSR Blacklite frying pan

And our garage sale pan omelette is fully complete.

A fully cooked omelette in a garage sale pan

So, how'd they turn out?  Well, let's have a look.

Two omelettes, one from an MSR Blacklite pan (left) and one from a garage sale pan (right)

VERY nice.  Both omelettes turned out very well.  I got a little more browning on the omelette in the cheap, garage sale pan, but that's to be expected.  Both omelettes were very tasty.

Best of all?  No sticking.

The nice MSR Blacklite pan, as you might expect, was as clean as a whistle.  I really like the non-stick coating.

The non-stick coating in an MSR Blacklite pan works like a charm

And even my cheap, garage sale pan did a pretty fair job.  No burnt food.

My cheap pan isn't as nice as my MSR Blacklite, but it did a pretty fair job of it.

Now, I said that both omelettes were tasty.  But don't take my word for it, goodness, no!  I now turn you over to the very competent hands of the chief tester of the Adventures in Stoving Taste Test Team.  Let's see how our ace tester reacts.

The omelette is served:

"Dad, are you sure this is edible?

And the first bite.

And the reaction:

"Hey, dad, not bad!"

Yes!  She liked it!  Er, I mean, the omelette passed the highly scientific battery of tests prepared by our Taste Test Team.  ;)

Seriously, though, my daughter is an excellent test of the taste of foods.  If she doesn't like it, she's not shy about letting you know.  If any of you are parents of a two-year-old, you know what I mean.

The bottom line?  The JetBoil I tested on was not a fluke.  You can cook on a JetBoil, even with a cheap garage sale pan like mine.  The JetBoil is a lot more versatile than most people think.

I thank you for joining me on another Adventure in Stoving.

HJ

JetBoil related posts

• Titanium JetBoil Sol -- Caution
• Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Cooking Report #1
• Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Trail Report #1 and Cooking Report #2
• Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Cooking Report #3
• Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Trail Report #2 and Cooking Report #4
• Final Review: The New Jetboil Sol (on Seattle Backpackers Magazine)

Read More

Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Trail Report #1 and Cooking Report #2

We had a little snow earlier in the week, but it was a beautiful day, so I decided to take the Adventures in Stoving team out on the trail.

The Adventures In Stoving team en route

Our destination?  Valley Forge Trail Camp on the West Fork of the San Gabriel River.

Valley Forge Trail Camp

Today's objective?  A little cooking on the aluminum version of the Jetboil Sol.

Many people seem to think that the only thing a Jetboil Sol is good for is boiling water.  I was pretty confident after filing JetBoil Sol -- Cooking Report #1 that I could cook real food on a Jetboil Sol.

So, let's get started.  First, let's lay out our tools and ingredients.

The fixin's for a first class omelette.  

Today, I'll be making a four egg cheese and salami omelette using an aluminum Jetboil Sol.  For cookware, I'll be using an MSR Blacklite pan.

Now, note the small metal pot support attachment just to the right of the eggs in the below photo.

Preparing the eggs before making an omelette.

With that pot support attachment, I can use any pot, pan, or kettle, not just a Jetboil specific pot or pan.  The universal pot support comes included when you buy a Jetboil Sol.

Here, I've emplaced the pot support on the Jetboil burner.

Pot support in place on a Jetboil Sol burner

With that pot support in place, I can then set my fry pan on top.

An MSR Blacklite pan on top of a Jetboil burner.  Note pot support attachment.

Now, I add my ingredients.

Eggs and other omelette ingredients cooking up on a Jetboil.

In short order, the eggs are coming along nicely.

An omelette, nearly done

There!  That looks about right.

Done!

Let's take it off the burner and have a look.

An omelette, very nicely done.

It turned out great!  And absolutely no trace of burning or sticking in the pan.

No burnt spots!

And the omelette itself?  Very nice and fluffy.

A nice, fluffy omelette.

And very evenly cooked.

The bottom of the omelette is cooked very uniformly

And the taste?  Excellent.  Every bit as good as an omelette cooked at home.

Highly delicious

And best of all, it really energized the Adventures In Stoving taste test team.  :)

Well fed, an Adventures in Stoving Taste Test Team member climbs to new heights

Concluding Remarks
Now, is the Jetboil Sol the best cooking stove I've ever seen?  No.  But it can be done, and not just in controlled conditions as in Cooking Report #1, but out in the field as shown here in Cooking Report #2.

The thing I notice is that the valve adjustment is danged tricky in the lower end of the range.  Like a race horse, the Jetboil Sol really wants to go, go, go.  You have to have a deft touch and a bit of patience to adjust the flame and get a nice low flame.  But adjust it will.

If you know anything about cooking a decent omelette, you know you need a balance on the flame.  Too low, and the omelette is flat rather than fluffly.  Boring!  Too high, and you'll get a dried out, leathery omelette, or worse, a burnt one.  But get the flame exactly right, and you'll have a fluffy, fabulous omelette.  I was able to strike such a balance with the flame on a Jetboil Sol.  Again, though, you have to have a bit of patience, and you definitely have to fiddle with the valve.  The valve adjustment is neither smooth nor continuous.

So, the Jetboil is able to do far more than just boil water, but you do need to practice a bit with it and have some patience.

I thank you for joining me on another Adventure in Stoving,

HJ

JetBoil related posts

• Titanium JetBoil Sol -- Caution
• Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Cooking Report #1
• Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Trail Report #1 and Cooking Report #2
• Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Cooking Report #3
• Aluminum JetBoil Sol -- Trail Report #2 and Cooking Report #4
• Final Review: The New Jetboil Sol (on Seattle Backpackers Magazine)

Read More