How tough are aluminium kettles?

[Call_to_Arms]

I have been considering a kettle to nest inside my 1.6l msr seagull pot for a while. Today at SAIL I saw the primus 0.9l kettle and low and behold it fits quite nicely inside my pot and it is reasonable priced. What I worry about is that it isn't stainless, its aluminium. I do my cooking almost exclusively over a fire, usually with a bail but a will commonly set my seagull pot right in the fire, that's one of the things I love about it, its tough as nails! How much can you put these kettles through? Provided you remove the plastic handles. Can you set them in coals? Could you suspend them above a hot fire? All the pics I see of them show them being spotless and polished, I assume those people are using them on alcohol stoves. Does anyone frequently abuse one? Has anyone melted one? Does anyone have a pic of an aluminum kettle with some carbon on it? I know I've reshaped a few aluminum bottles over the years. Thanks guys.

 

[jmarston]

My aluminum pots have help up for years. Just don't let it boil dry...

 

[taldesta]

Aluminum. Easily 20 years old. Used mostly on grill directly above but often on coals. I also inherited an exact duplicate set that my parents had camped with extensively for many years.

You will find lots more help in this forum than I can offer! Good luck in your search for a sooty kettle. My search is for a soot-bag to contain the black

 

[Call_to_Arms]

That's reassuring, thanks guys, when I see it again I think I will pull the trigger.

 

[Codger_64]

I have aluminum camp cookware that is well over thirty years old and it keeps on ticking. Aluminum metalurgy, coating, annodizing and forming technology has only improved since then.

 

[desmobob]

My all-time favorite piece of outdoor cooking gear is a GSI Halulite kettle (anodized aluminum). It's been used mostly on a white gas stove, but also on an alcohol stove, wood-burning gasifier stove and wood fires. I don't believe I've ever set it directly on coals or have ever subjected it to anything I would consider "abuse." I don't expect it to ever wear out. But your post has me wondering about the use of aluminum cookware being durable in very high heat conditions.

I used to use stainless cookware (an old Coleman Peak 1 kit) but now mostly prefer the simplicity of adding boiling water to store-bought dehydrated meals in a bag. If I do cook "real food," I like non-stick coated aluminum pans (whose coatings are easily damaged by heat abuse).

I guess cooking over a fire is a whole different ballgame. I'll be interested to read the responses in this thread.

Stay sharp,
desmobob

 

[fmajor007]

I guess cooking over a fire is a whole different ballgame. I'll be interested to read the responses in this thread.

Stay sharp,
desmobob

^ This.

Cooking over a wood/camp fire is a completely different animal than cooking over a liquid or gas stove. I'm going to be ordering a larger Kelly Kettle in a couple weeks and am going to get a SS one. The smaller aluminum I have is fine, but for a larger, higher-volume kettle I'm going with the more durable SS.

All of my backpacking pots are aluminum, but they're never used over wood/camp fires.

 

[taldesta]

I am on the downscale side of kit planning ... but do get how much thought goes into the personally tailored system. Very nice gear, the Kelly Kettle, and its cookset too.

The boiler works well for me depending on the individual camp: no fuel carry; cook on top ring when boiler is heating water; cook on base as separate stove; good draft urgency and wind protection; small footprint. I like to set water boiling for tea and then use these quick coals to set the larger fire for warmth and enjoyment. I chose the copper for its antipathogen properties. The cooking ring is ss and the fire ring is galvanized steel. It has bulk and weight that many would not consider for backpacking. One hand pour (with care). Can be roped over a bank to fill. Nothing's perfect.

When making miles on the road, when a fire ban is in place or sometimes for convenience, my fallback is to using one of my gas stoves but wood fuel is always my first choice for cooking, ancient cookset faithfully on the job.

Not wanting to exaggerate the lifespan of my aluminum cookware or its ongoing trial by fire, I pulled an old camp pic from 21 years ago.

You may recognize the Texas Gulf driftwood patina on the pots?

 

[swonut]

My take is that an Aluminum pot has never really worn out, maybe gotten frustrating with the dents and scale and soot, but never not held water or fried an egg with oil. We used them in the Boy Scouts and lord knows we boiled them dry, cooked them, baked them and on and on. They had character, but nothing a steel wool pad, dawn soap, scotch brite greenie weenie, sandpaper or a ball peen hammer could not straighten out. Sure you can melt it, but really, you'd have to kind of try to do that. Not saying that I'd use it at home, but it will last you longer than you want to keep it in my opinion.

 

[soapboxpreacher]

I have both the GSI Halulite and the SS kettle. I strongly prefer the SS, easier to clean, can put it in the fire without the rubberized handles melting and no health concerns over the aluminum leeching into your food or water (I know its petty but it is still yet another concern contributing to bad health these days). Both feel sturdy and well made, obviously the aluminum is lighter. Both seem to be easy to clean however you can use much harsher abrasives on the SS to clean it without seeing surface degradation. I just simply feel the SS will hold up longer. The weight trade off isnt as big of a deal for me but I guess it could for others. Im actually looking to sell my Halulite. It is brand new. Used a buddies a ton before I bought it and got it without knowing there was an SS version. So now I have and use the SS version a ton!