Reader Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5

Haven't found anything lighter, simpler, or easier to make. For basic cleaning and hole-punching skills, you get a .2oz stove that provides its own stand. Primes very quickly, and the large burner holes don't get clogged. I'm not sure about efficiency, as it's been convenient and quick enough to make me not worry about it.

Edited by mlarson on 08/02/2005 20:51:43 MDT.

Rating: 5 / 5

1) It's simple to make
2) It's lighter than anything else
3) Needs no pot support, so
4) Windscreen can be shorter (lighter and fits in cookpot).
5) Simple to use. Add alcohol, light, put pot on top, wait about 5 min. for 2 cups water to boil.
6) Almost forgot to mention: In tests down to 30F, I was able to boil 2 cups of water on 3/4 oz. (or less, when above 60F) of SLX alcohol.
Oh, yes, cheap, too. Find a friend with a cat, spend $.50-.79 for food, give away food if necessary, make stove.

Beautiful!

Rating: 5 / 5

Although I haven't used it in the field yet it works great in the house. Brings 2 cups of cold tap water to a rolling boil in about 6 minutes (prime: 1 minute; cook 5 minutes) using less than 1oz of SLX Denatured Alcohol. Room temperature: 64F.

I ended up using a Zen Stove template as a pattern for the holes.

Instead of following the pattern exactly, I punched 11 holes for the bottom row - added one extra hole because the template did not cover the entire can. Then I punched 11 holes for the top row.

The holes for the bottom row are 13/16" from the top of the can; holes for the top row are 3/8" from the top of the can (like the template) but positioned half way between the holes on the bottom row. This gives it a nice symmetrical layout.

I also modified a single hole paper punch to make the holes. This gives clean holes without ragged edges that cause turbulence.

Cost: $.27 for the cat food can and $.97 for the hole punch at Wal-Mart.

Circa 1960 aluminum pot holds 5 cups and has a tight fitting lid.


Stove weight: .7 oz
Pot weight: 4.8 oz with lid, handles have been removed.
Pot diameter: 5"

Jim Wood Super Cat Stove rating: 5

5 - Highly Recommended
4 - Recommended
3 - Above Average
2 - Average
1 - Below Average

Edited by pappekak on 03/03/2007 18:03:46 MST.

Rating: 5 / 5

My favourite piece about this stove was how easy it was to make. I'm a total klutz but probably spent more time gather tools than actually building this thing.

I also love that I don't need a pot stand... As for burn times, I usually could get very cold water (45F) boiling in about 10 minutes on 1 ounce of fuel. I used this at every altitude from sea level up to 12,000ft with very little difference (although the boils were pretty weak when up high).

One thing I did change was to move the bottom row of holes up a little bit to allow for more fuel when necessary.

Rating: 5 / 5

Easy to make.

I took it on an overnight hike last weekend. I was boiling water as fast as my friends with MSR pocket rockets.

Rating: 4 / 5

cool

Edited by mn10man on 02/01/2010 13:09:09 MST.

Rating: 5 / 5

It makes me laugh that my friends with their expensive and heavy jet-boils have near the same boil times as my 50 cent stove. So simple, so easy, so perfect.