Take a look at the JetBoil Flash and the Primus EtaSolo and it's blindingly obvious that they work on near identical principles. Both are personal cooking systems that use a hard-anodised cooking 'mug' with integral heat exchange fins at the base to eke as much efficiency as possible out of a small canister of fuel which screws onto a burner which, in turn, clips to the mug.
In addition, both sport heat-resistant, insulating sleeves with built-in handle and have integrated piezo electric igniters and both are designed to pack away neatly and compactly into the mug along with a mini gas canister.
So far so good, but which is better? The original JetBoil or the Swedish take on the same concept.
The Contenders
Primus EtaSolo - £75
The EtaSolo has been around for a few years now, but it's not had to see where the inspiration came from. It uses a 0.9L hard-anodised, aluminium pot with heat exchanger and a rubbery lid that allows you to pour out water with the lid in situ. Sound familiar? So might the wrap-around, removable, heat-insulating sleeve with handle.
Also present and correct is a folding stand to stabilise the gas canister and hence, the stove itself and an integral pizero electric igniter. And there's a adaptor plate and three little stove prongs so you can use the stove with a conventional pan if needed.
It's not all the same though: the EtaSolo also comes with a neat, lightweight hanging device so you can suspend the stove from a handy point inside a tent or on a bivvy ledge for example.
Total weight with the hanging device is 459g and without it 435g. Junk the pan attachment plate and bits and it's down further still to 373g.
JetBoil Flash - £95
The Flash is somewhere in the middle of JetBoil's range of cooking systems. It has a 1.0L hard anodised aluminium pot complete with integral 'Flux Ring' heat exchanger, built-in piezo ignition, gas canister support, insulated sleeve - all sounds familiar no - and an adaptor plate to allow use with normal pans. It also incorporates a colour changing heat indicator on the sleeve.
Unlike the EtaSolo, there's no hanging device. It does, however, come with a clip-on plastic cup to protect the FluxRing. And it's very, very green.
Total weight is 485g all on, but lose the FluxRing protector and it's down to 454g and junk the conventional pan support and weight falls again to 419g.
Next Page: How they compare.
