Toaks Ultralight Titanium Stove and 700ml Pot Set $189

Used by: Contributing Gear Editor Mark ‘patience is a virtue’ Watson
Used for: 12 months

My go-to stoves over the years have been the MSR Whisperlite and more recently a Jetboil. I’ll pick from the two depending on the trip and/or the country I’m travelling in.

Last year, I added a third choice to my stove stable: an ultralight titanium methylated spirit burning stove. The primary reason for the addition was to have an even lighter stove option for weight-conscious adventures where hot drinks and food are still desirable.

At 159g, the Toaks is indeed light and with the burner unit, pot stand, windshield, pot grip, lighter and some tea bags all fitting inside the pot itself it’s also very compact. Just 250ml of meths is sufficient fuel for two people for a weekend trip.

The weight and space savings over the Whisperlite are significant, but the unit does come with some caveats. Like the Jetboil it’s basically a water boiling device, rather than a ‘cooking’ unit and with such a small pot, making complex meals is tricky. It’s also slower – taking a few minutes more to boil water for two decent-sized hot drinks. But accepting those limitations, I really like the unit for trips where weight is being pared right back. The unit is so simple there is little to go wrong, so after several months of bikepacking trips, it’s still working as well as the day I bought it and requires no maintenance.

Verdict: A great option for one-to two-person trips where significant weight savings are desirable, but meals will be simple.