Camping Coffee and Tea Kettles

 

 This post is not about where to hike, where to paddle or where to bike, subjects you would usually expect to find here.  But it is about something crucial to all three: Coffee.

Specifically this post is about the kettle used to boil the water that makes the coffee.   True, you can boil water in just about any kind of metal container you find in your kitchen kit, but if you have $25-$35 sloshing around you can have your own special-made for boiling water on camping trips- stove kettle.

I own two kettles made to be included in a kitchen of the backpacker or canoe camper.  A model from Primus and the offering from GSI with the orange finger ring on the lid.  Both are very similar, gray, very light weight, made from some super strong aluminum alloy.  Each holds about three cups of water (24 oz.) when filled to the bottom of the spout.  Never fill a kettle covering the bottom of the spout.  Once boiling this overfill could cause water to bubble out of the spout and douse the flame on the stove putting it out.  With the flame out the gas continues to escape and soon the gas canister is empty.

It is hard to tell by looking but the stoves are different.    The opening for the lid of the Primus is smaller, smaller enough that the Primus Essential Stove (a rugged steel stove) will not fit through it.  I mention this because some like to use the open space in kettles to store their stoves.  The Primus Essential Stove does fit in the GSI.  A smaller stove such as the Coleman Peak 1, the tiny, fist size stove using a butane/propane cannister, fits in the Primus kettle.  But not the canister with the stove.

If you cook with the large (5 and a half cup) MSR pot the GSI stove will not completely nest in it for storage.  The spout of the GSI kettle sticks up too much to allow the pot lid to be fitted on and locked. (My pots are about ten years old so sizes might be different now in 2022.)

Both have folding handles that lock up (kind of) to pour and fold to the side to pack. Use caution when pouring boiling water from kettles with bale handles that do not lock securely.  The kettle half full of water can flop to the side if the handle does not lock securely in the up position.

Also, kettle lids may not fasten tightly enough to prevent it from coming off when the kettle is tilted to pour.  When the lid comes off mid-pour steam is released scalding the fingers of the hand holding the kettle. 

Neither of these stoves whistle when they begin to boil.  Knowing when the kettle begins to boil saves fuel and prevents all the water from burning out of the stove which can happen a lot quicker than you think.  Know how long it takes your stove to boil water.  You can watch for the steam to appear or pack a small kitchen timer (about $1 at Walmart). It takes about five minutes for 24 ounces to boil.  A kettle burned dry is ruined some say.

 And no matter what anyone says, once the kettle is boiling the handles are hot.  Always use something such as a bandanna or oven mitt to protect your hands from burning when pouring.  The plastic on the handle is of little use: It melts after a couple of uses.   I used some kind of tubing that I found on the street as a way to not have to use a cloth.  It fit great but was useless at its new task.  The handle, and the tubing quickly became too hot to hold.

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