In August we took the X-Pot five-piece collapsible silicone cookset on a seven-day backpacking trip in Wyoming’s Wind River Range. Because we were counting ounces, like most of you do, we left one bowl and one cup at home. The pot, cup and bowl we carried weighed 15.8 ounces total, down from the original five-piece set’s 21 ounces.
I have to admit I was a little skeptical when this cookset arrived in the mail—a silicone pot with sides that could (potentially) melt if exposed to open flames? I smelled impending disaster. Granted, it has an aluminum base. But I’m pleased to report that even after cooking six dinners and six breakfasts in this pot, I failed to melt a catastrophic hole in its silicone walls.
Late in our trip I did have the stove turned up too high and must have scorched the side of the pot, because I smelled something burning; thankfully I pulled the pot off the burner after a few seconds and found no damage. If you’re super-paranoid, I’d suggest keeping the stove flame down, or not using a windscreen. I was cautious with the flame and did use a windscreen every time I cooked, and only had the one “close call.”
I’d say my (mild) skepticism has been neutralized after a week with this cookset. Three things I liked were the set’s collapsibility—instead of stuffing a bunch of stuff inside a big cooking pot every morning, I just squished this whole set down together and slid it into my pack; the mug’s interior gradient markings; and the ease of cleaning. Nothing stuck to the bottom of the pot, or the sides. We didn’t cook anything with cheese in it, though, so that might affect this point. The pot was a little hard to pour boiling water out of, and it was impossible to pour out contents of about two cups or more without using both hands.
Overall, we were satisfied with the cookset. We thought it worked extremely well as a three-piece set, with one of us eating out of the cup and the other eating out of the bowl—then we’d rinse them and one of us would drink coffee out of the cup and the other would drink coffee out of the bowl. But if you don’t mind the extra five ounces, the entire five-piece set would be luxurious.
Shop the Sea to Summit X-Pot 5-Piece Cookset at REI.com.