Reader Reviews

Rating: 1 / 5

This particular alcohol stove looked appealing to me because of its size and its purported stability. I suppose it would be more stable because it's not as tall as traditional open jet, side-burner alcohol stoves, but unfortunately, every time I put a pot on top of the stove, the flames go out after a few seconds. Don't understand why - from its description on minibulldesigns.com, the only difference between this and other sideburner stoves is its height. Regardless it doesn't work and to make matters worse, alcohol "collects" on the bottom of the pot somehow and when I put it back on to the stove after re-lighting it, the bottom of the pot caught fire as well! (I don't know if there was some vaccuum effect after from the pot putting out the flame the first time)
tinny--got a stove that works?

Update: Even prior to posting this review, I tried giving it time to heat up - more than 15 seconds. I did figure that putting a cool pot on top of the stove would draw the heat up/away and could lead to the flames extinguishing, but again, it doesn't help here. I've made other side-burning open jet stoves without this problem.

Edited by flipside72 on 10/18/2005 08:31:46 MDT.

Rating: 3 / 5

I did not purchase a pocket puck from mini bull design, but from looking at pictures and from expeience from making other stoves I made my own flattened side burner stove. I like the overall design, weight, and efficiency of the stove but had a similar problem as Hector, so what I did was add a primming cup as well as wait an extra 15-30 seconds so the stove could warm up then I got it to work. Great stove, but I like to use my elite because of the size and weight savings

Edited by ryanf on 10/06/2005 15:04:35 MDT.

Rating: 4 / 5

Hector,

I had similar experience .... but only the first time I lit it. Since then I've been giving the pocket puck about 15-30 seconds more warmup time and it has always stayed lit.

There is a similar thread over on the "Forums" side of the house discussing this and my experience seems to match what's said there.

Conditions for my pocket puck use have been:
* before sunrise
* little or no wind
* temps 40-42 F
* water, pots, stove, fuel sitting out all night so probably same temp as the air
* 5 inch diameter aluminum pot containing 16oz water
* windscreen provided by Tinny ...... approx 2.5-3 inches tall

When the flames first appear from the jets they are < 1/2 inch long ... place a cold pot of water on at this time and the stove goes out.

If I wait 15 seconds longer the flames from the jets are more than an inch long and the entire flame complex is approx 6-8 inches tall. Place the pot on now and the jet flames shrink but it stays lit.

The jet flames grow again with time.

Alcohol flames are almost invisible in sunlight ... this is easier to observe in low light conditions.

I'm pretty sure that what is happening is that the cold pot of water quickly draws heat from the stove and cools it enough to slow the fuel evaporation to a point where it goes out. Giving it more time to heat up provides a little more reserve energy to keep it going.

The flame growth thru time after placing the pot can be explained by the water warming and slowing the pot's draw of heat from the stove at it's contact points.

I believe that this characteristic would be shared by any alcohol stove designed to be in physical contact with the pot.

Edited by jcolten on 10/16/2005 06:07:54 MDT.

Rating: 4 / 5

This is my first professionally built alcohol stove, and it has performed far better than any I have built.

It is very light and quite efficient. I have been able to boil 2 cups of water on about 0.7 oz of alcohol. Using cold water with ice in it to simulate outdoor cold conditions. I haven't actuall had a chance to take it into the feild though.

I use it with a foil screen.

It is dificult, though, to get a strong boil going, although I don't feel that that is necesary. The water get burning hot and steamy and has little boil bubbles in it.