A few thoughts on the Jetboil Flash 2.0, the good and bad, and why I choose to use it on my trips

So you’re in the market for a new tramping stove, but you’re not sure what you are looking for? There are many options out there that you have to choose from. There are setups with a separate stove and pot and then there are personal cooking systems (PCS) such as the Jetboil Flash 2.0. So let’s get a little deeper into the reason for this blog, my thoughts on the Jetboil Flash 2.0.

Here is what Jetboil have to say about the Flash 2.0 personal cooking system,

“Blistering boil times come standard on our industry-leading Flash. By modelling the combustion and selecting materials to optimize efficiency, we were able to create the fastest Jetboil ever—cutting a full minute off our best boil time”.

So that’s what Jetboil have to say about their cooking system; what do I think about the Jetboil Flash 2.0? Well, keep reading, and I will give you my thoughts.

Boil times

Jetboil says that the Flash 2.0 will boil 500ml of water in 1 minute and 40 seconds. Of course, this is in their controlled conditions and not real-world situations, but I have found that this is pretty close to how long it takes to boil 500ml. It feels fast, so if you have anything other than water in there, you will want to keep an eye on the stove to make sure it doesn’t boil over.

Weight

With an advertised weight of 371 grams, the Jetboil Flash 2.0 is certainly not a lightweight tramping stove. Many other options are lighter weight. For example, the Jetboil Stash (200g) or the Soto Amicus & New River Pot Combo (211g) are almost half the weight. The benefit is that the Jetboil Flash 2.0 also works as a cup and has a cozy on it to keep the contents warm once the stove is turned off. If you are after a lighter tramping stove, then check out the other two options above.

Size & Capacity

The great thing about the Jetboil product range is how they pack everything into the pot/mug, including a Jetpower 100g fuel canister. This means that you can basically “chuck it in” and not have to worry about it. The packed size of the Flash 2.0 is approx 104mm wide and 180mm tall. Not the most compact system there is, but still not too bad. The overall pot/mug size on the Jetboil Flash 2.0 is 1L, but Jetboil has said that you shouldn’t boil more than 500ml in the mug for safety and stability.

The Technical Stuff

A BTU rating of 9000BTU/h makes it a reasonably powerful stove; it is more powerful than the Jetboil Stash at 4500BTU/h. However, it is a little less powerful when compared to the Soto Amicus Stove or Soto Windmaster, both with 11000BTU/h. However, the benefit of the ‘Flux Ring’ makes the boil time much quicker on the Jetboil Flash 2.0.

The Jetboil Flash 2.0 is an unregulated stove, this effectively means that you will get a slight drop in performance as the gas canister runs low, but I have not found this significant. It also makes the ability to simmer quite tricky, but from using my Jetboil Flash 2.0, I have been able to get a comfortable simmer. This has been helpful with cooking meals like the Moroccan Beef Risotto we blogged about.

Fuel Use

The Jetboil Flash 2.0 will boil about 10L of water per 100g Jetpower Canister; this equals approximately 15-20 freeze-dried meals with a hot drink; however, this is is going to change depending on the conditions that you are cooking in and the food you are cooking.

Other Stuff

On top of the things that I have talked about above, there are a few cool features that the Jetboil Flash 2.0 has. The coolest feature is the heat indicator, it changes colour to orange when the contents of your pot are boiling. There is also an included pot support to help stabilise the whole system. The lid also doubles as a travel cup lid with a small opening for drinking from, the lid is also compatible with the Jetboil Silicone Coffee Press. Piezo ignition is also included for easy lighting of the burner.

The Final Verdict

So it is safe to say I am a fan of the Jetboil Flash 2.0. It is not the lightest nor the most compact stove or cooking system on the market. But it is a fantastic set-up. I will keep this as my main stove for some time to come. Why have I made this choice? It’s simple really, it is easy to use, reliable and it is very fast when it needs to be. I have been able to cook on it as well as simply boiling water for a freeze-dried meal and the increased weight of taking the Jetboil Flash 2.0 is easily off set with the convenience of using it. When I first looked at Jetboil for a stove option, I was not sold on the Flash, but with the Flash 2.0, I am pleased with what they offer in the newer option.

Got any questions, or want to share your experience of using a Jetboil Flash 2.0? Let us know in the comments below.

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